International Bottled Water Association | MEDIA RELEASE | April 3, 2014
IBWA Announces New Vice President of Government Relations
Alexandria, VA – The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is pleased to announce that Kristin Pearson Wilcox has been named IBWA Vice President of Government Relations. Kristin’s background includes extensive legislative and association experience in the food and beverage industry.
She most recently served as vice president of government affairs at the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) where she managed all legislative and lobbying activities, led a variety of coalitions, ran the political action committee and grassroots outreach campaigns. Her other areas of expertise include food labeling, food safety, health and nutrition claims, anti-obesity initiatives, environmental policy, and sustainability issues. “Kristin has extensive experience in the food and beverage industry and a strong background in federal advocacy,” said Joe Doss, President and CEO of IBWA. “This important combination of legislative experience and familiarity with the packaged food and beverage industry will allow her to effectively represent bottled water’s interests to legislators and regulators.”
Along with serving at AFFI, Kristin worked for a number of other food-industry organizations, including the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), the National Food Processors Association (NFPA), the National Yogurt Association (NYA), National Frozen Pizza Institute (NFPI), and Frozen Potato Products Institute (FFPI). She has a B.A. in politics and U.S. history from the University of San Francisco and a J.D. from American University.
Kristin Pearson Wilcox will officially join IBWA on April 22, 2014. She can be reached at 703.647.4618 or by e-mail at kwilcox@bottledwater.org.
# # #
Media Contact:
Chris Hogan
chogan@bottledwater.org
703.647.4609
The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is the authoritative source of information about all types of bottled waters, including spring, mineral, purified, artesian, and sparkling. Founded in 1958, IBWA’s membership includes U.S. and international bottlers, distributors and suppliers. IBWA is committed to working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates bottled water as a packaged food product, to set comprehensive and stringent standards for safe, high-quality bottled water products.
In addition to FDA regulations, IBWA member bottlers must adhere to the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice, which mandates additional standards and practices that in some cases are more stringent than federal and state regulations. A key feature of the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice is a mandatory annual plant inspection by an independent, third-party organization.
IBWA is proud to be a partner with Keep America Beautiful and a supporter of Drink Up, an initiative of former First Lady Michelle Obama and the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), which encourages Americans to drink more water more often – whether from the tap, a filter, or in a bottle. Choosing water is always the healthy choice.
