Lobbying World: Global Business Alliance taps next president and CEO

The Global Business Alliance (GBA) announced that Nancy McLernon will retire as president and CEO at the end of the year. McLernon, who founded the GBA in 1990, grew the organization from fewer than a dozen members into an influential voice for more than 200 of the world’s best known global brands including Anheuser-Busch, BP and Lego.

The GBA has tapped Jonathan Samford, currently the alliance’s executive vice president, to succeed her starting Jan. 1, 2025. Before he joined the GBA in 2013, Samford worked on Capitol Hill, including a stint as deputy press secretary in the office of Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.)

The next president of the Cigar Association of America will be Scott Pearce. Pearce, who starts his new role at the end of May, was most recently the executive director of the Premium Cigar Association.

Jeffrey Britt is joining the YMCA of the USA as senior vice president and chief government affairs officer. Britt was most recently a senior vice president at McGuireWoods Consulting.

The American Beverage Association added Cait DeBaun as vice president and head of public affairs. She was most recently vice president of strategic communication and responsibility at the American Gaming Association.

Mike Smullen has joined Alignment Government Strategies as a partner. Smullen spent more than two decades on Capitol Hill, most recently as chief of staff to retired Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Ohio).

Narrative Strategies has hired former journalist Tory Newmyer as a senior director, Isabella Victorio as a senior associate and Katie Kinsella as director of human resources compliance. Newmyer joins Narrative Strategies from The Washington Post, and he is a Fortune and Roll Call alum. Victorio was most recently communications director for Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.). Kinsella joins from FCP and is an American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Dickstein Shapiro LLP and APCO Worldwide alum.