NCA Adds to Public Affairs Team

The National Confectioners Association (NCA) has appointed Christopher Gindlesperger its VP of public affairs and communications, while VJ Mayor was named senior director of communications.

"Christopher's extensive experience in managing and directing some of the world's most sophisticated consumer-facing issue advocacy campaigns and his solid understanding of the changing media landscape will be a tremendous asset to the association," noted John Downs, the recently appointed president and CEO of Washington, D.C.-based NCA. "VJ brings a skilled approach and strong awareness of communications to the team, and he will have a great impact on our work moving forward. At a time when our industry is facing new challenges, … Christopher and VJ [will] bolster our communications capabilities and help share our message with audiences across the country."

In his new role, Gindlesperger will support the NCA public policy and advocacy team, and develop and maintain relationships with allied organizations and the media to highlight opportunities to boost awareness of the NCA brand and policy positions. Mayor, meanwhile, will focus on internal communications for the confectionery industry; direct communications to NCA members; and work closely with the industry affairs team to further relationships with retail trade partners.

Before joining NCA, Gindlesperger spent more than five years at the American Beverage Association, where he led public affairs and communications on more than 60 successful federal-level issue campaigns, as well as in more than 30 states and cities across the United States. He held several leadership positions in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

Mayor worked for eight years with the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), representing brands like Nike, Under Armour and Adidas. During his tenure at SFIA, he handled crisis communications, internal and external communications, and digital media.