CRN promotes three VMS advocates to greater roles

WASHINGTON — The Council for Responsible Nutrition on Wednesday promoted three executives, effective immediately. Mike Greene has been promoted to SVP government relations, from VP ; Nancy Weindruch to VP 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,” stated Steve Mister, president and CEO, CRN.



Greene oversees CRN’s government relations department and its independent legislative consultants, serves as treasurer of CRN’s Political Action Committee 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 last year and the recent dismissal of Puerto Rico Senate Bill (SB) 1599.



Under 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," Mister said. "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,” Mister added. “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, Greene served as communications director for U.S. Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich. from 1995 through 2015, worked on the Subcommittee on Disability Policy for Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa from 1985 through 2015, and began his career in television at WPLG-TV, the ABC affiliate in Miami.



Greene received his B.A. in International Relations and Political Geography from Florida State University.



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, 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.



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. Prior to joining CRN as director, communications, in 2012, Weindruch worked at Powell Tate, a strategic communications and public affairs firm in Washington.