PIJAC Promotes Three Within Government Affairs Program

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The Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council promoted Josh Jones, Jeffrey Plummer and Nancy Knutson. Their new roles emphasize coalition-building and engagement, both within the pet trade and with outside organizations.

“These three dedicated staffers have formed the backbone of PIJAC for years,” stated Ed Sayres, president and CEO of PIJAC. “They have taken on a variety of roles as needs have dictated. With these promotions we will be tapping into their experience and expertise in a way that we previously have not.”

Josh Jones has been promoted from the role of external affairs manager to that of director of legislative and regulatory engagement.

“Josh is a tremendous asset when it comes to engagement strategy, whether via grassroots, social media or direct engagement,” said Mike Bober, executive vice president of PIJAC. “Putting him into a position where he has the latitude to identify opportunities and develop plans to address them will benefit the pet trade immensely.”

Jeffrey Plummer has been named as PIJAC’s new director of legislative and regulatory research.

“This is an overdue recognition of the work that Jeff has done for years,” said Robert Likins, vice president of government affairs. “There are literally thousands of bills and regulations that Jeff personally reviews each year, and his judgement is critical in determining which of them are prioritized for action. There is no way that we could do our jobs effectively without Jeff vetting the torrent of legislation we face on a daily basis.”

Nancy Knutson was given the new role of the director of industry and member relations.

“Nancy has been with PIJAC for more than 25 years,” said Bober. “She has enduring relationships with our members, and she is the first person they call with questions or concerns. With Nancy as our key point of contact with our members and the broader pet trade, we can more effectively communicate what we’re seeing and doing on behalf of the industry and how they can get involved.”