Washington, D.C., January 25, 2017—The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), the leading trade association for the dietary supplement and functional food industry, is pleased to announce the promotion of three executives, effective immediately: Mike Greene has been promoted to senior vice president, government relations, from vice president; Nancy Weindruch to vice president, communications, from senior director, and Ingrid Lebert to senior director, government relations, from director.
“These three individuals have consistently demonstrated their expertise in their respective fields, their commitment to CRN and our member companies, and their dedication to helping move our industry forward in a responsible fashion,” said Steve Mister, president and CEO, CRN. “Their promotions are extremely well-deserved.”
Mr. Greene oversees CRN’s government relations department and its independent legislative consultants, serves as treasurer of CRN’s Political Action Committee (CRN PAC), and develops the association’s strategy on the federal and state levels. He led the effort behind the enactment of the Designer Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2014; the prevention of supplement-related amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) last year; and the recent dismissal of Puerto Rico Senate Bill (SB) 1599. Under Mr. Greene’s guidance, CRN recently commissioned two economic reports, “Smart Prevention: Healthcare Cost Savings & Supplements,” and “Economic Impact of the Dietary Supplement Industry,” which demonstrate the healthcare cost savings outcomes from specific dietary supplements and the positive impact the industry has on the U.S. economy, respectively.
“During his tenure at CRN, Mr. Greene has been influential in maintaining the reputation of the dietary supplement industry on Capitol Hill. He is vigilant in protecting the industry from needless legislation, and a leader when it comes to working with our members and other industry trade associations to garner strength in numbers,” said Mr. Mister. “He champions face-to-face conversations with key legislators, but goes beyond dialogue to achieve bipartisan support and collaboration, which is critical when driving policy initiatives that benefit and protect the more than 170 million Americans who take dietary supplements each year. If there is ever a threat to the dietary supplement industry, Mr. Greene is on the ground, ensuring that decisions are being made for the best interest of the industry, our consumers, and the law that appropriately regulates our industry.”
Prior to joining CRN as director, public affairs in 2000, Mr. Greene served as communications director for U.S. Rep. John D. Dingell of Michigan, worked on the Subcommittee on Disability Policy for Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa, and began his career in television at WPLG-TV, the ABC affiliate in Miami. He received his B.A. in International Relations and Political Geography from Florida State University.
Ms. Weindruch supports CRN’s overall strategic communications, serving as the day-to-day contact for consumer media, managing CRN’s annual consumer survey, overseeing social media platforms, and supporting alliance building efforts. An integral part of CRN’s communications department and a trusted counselor for CRN’s membership, Ms. Weindruch, who was previously promoted to senior director, communications, in 2015, will celebrate her five year anniversary in March. Prior to joining CRN as director, communications, in 2012, Ms. Weindruch worked at Powell Tate, a strategic communications and public affairs firm in Washington, D.C., where she served as a member of the health care public affairs practice. She received a B.A. in English and French Literature from Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio.
Ms. Lebert, who joined CRN in 2005, is charged with managing legislative activity for CRN—both on the state and federal level—and oversees educational briefings and advocacy events on Capitol Hill and in State Legislatures. She is instrumental in advocating CRN positions, fostering legislative relationships, establishing support/opposition coalitions, and keeping both legislative offices and CRN members apprised on issues critical to the industry.
Prior to joining CRN in 2005, Ms. Lebert worked in the Intellectual Property division of the international law firm McKenna, Long & Aldridge, and at the legislative consulting company Klein & Saks. She earned her B.S. in Psychology at South Dakota State University.
Note to Editor: The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), founded in 1973, is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing 150+ dietary supplement and functional food manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, and companies providing services to those manufacturers and suppliers. In addition to complying with a host of federal and state regulations governing dietary supplements and food in the areas of manufacturing, marketing, quality control and safety, our manufacturer and supplier members also agree to adhere to additional voluntary guidelines as well as to CRN’s Code of Ethics. Visit www.crnusa.org. Follow us on Twitter @crn_supplements and @wannabewell and on Facebook.