CEO Departures

Scott to step down at pharmacy benefit group

Juan Carlos “JC” Scott, president and CEO of the $62M-revenue Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, will step down before the end of the year after over seven years at the helm.

“JC has led PCMA during a critical period of transition in health care,” said Adam Kautzner, PCMA board chair. “He works tirelessly to advocate for the (pharmacy benefit manager) industry and our mission to lower prescription costs for the patients, businesses, labor unions, health plans and public partners we’re proud to serve.

Scott joined PCMA in 2018 after over seven years at AdvaMed, where he served as chief advocacy officer and head of external affairs, and previously as senior executive vice president of government affairs. Earlier, he was senior vice president of federal relations at the American Council of Life Insurers.

A search for Scott’s successor is underway.

Brooks to depart pet food group

Dana Brooks, president and CEO of the $5M-revenue Pet Food Institute, will step down in April 2026 after more than seven years leading the Washington, D.C.-based trade association.

“We are deeply grateful for Dana’s dedicated service to PFI and the pet food industry,” said Scott Salmon, PFI board chair. “Her leadership has been instrumental to the success of our work. Dana’s impact over the last seven-and-a-half years is immeasurable, and she will be deeply missed. We wish her all the best as she begins her next chapter.”

She joined PFI in 2018 from Land O’Lakes, where she served as senior director of government relations. Before that, Brooks held government relations positions at Elanco Animal Health, the National Milk Producers Federation and the American Farm Bureau Federation.

A board search committee will work with an executive search firm to identify her successor.

CEO Arrivals

Ames named leader of forging group

Mark Ames has been appointed president and CEO of the $2.8M-revenue Forging Industry Association, effective Oct. 27. He succeeds Angela Gibian, who served as interim president and CEO since 2024 and will return to her role as deputy chief executive.

“We are thrilled to welcome Mark to the FIA,” said Jeff Jones, FIA board chair. “His proven leadership in government relations, workforce development and organizational strategy makes him an ideal fit to guide the association through its next chapter of growth and impact.”

Ames most recently served as vice president of government relations at biotechnology company SafeTraces. Previously, he was chief advocacy officer at the American Industrial Hygiene Association and earlier held government relations positions at the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers and the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science from American University.

Association Strategies assisted in the search.

Staff Arrivals

American Farm Bureau Federation — John Newton is returning to $37M-revenue AFBF as vice president of public policy and economic analysis. He currently serves as executive head of agriculture-data firm Terrain and previously was chief economist for the Senate Agriculture Committee, AFBF and the National Milk Producers Federation.

American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living — Liv Burns has joined AHCA/NCAL as chief medical officer. She was previously chief medical officer and chief transformation officer at skilled nursing and senior-living provider Avamere. Earlier, she held senior medical leadership roles at Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon.

Blockchain Association — Ashok Pinto has joined the $7.3M-revenue Blockchain Association as executive vice president of legal and government relations. He previously served as executive director of SelectUSA within the Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration and earlier held senior roles at Intel, the World Bank and the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Independent Community Bankers of America — Wayne Miller has been promoted to executive vice president and chief innovation officer. He joined $45M-revenue ICBA in 2022 as senior vice president of innovation. Previously, he served as executive director of The Venture Center, where he led the group’s fintech accelerator programs.

National Association of Professional Employer Organizations — Kyle Kizzier has joined $11M-revenue NAPEO as vice president of federal government affairs. He previously served as chief of staff to Rep. Erin Houchin (R-Ind.) and earlier held the same role for Reps. Chris Jacobs (R-N.Y.) and Paul Mitchell (R-Mich.). Kizzier also spent seven years at government relations firm Navigators Global, where he was vice president of government affairs.

NetChoice — Amy Bos has been promoted to vice president of government affairs. She previously served as director of state and federal affairs. Before joining $15M-revenue NetChoice in 2022, she was director of government relations at the Internet Association and held policy roles at the National Association of Realtors. Earlier in her career, Bos spent more than a decade on Capitol Hill, including 10 years as a legislative director in the U.S. House of Representatives.

     Additionally, Zach Lilly has been promoted to director of government affairs. He joined the association in 2021 and most recently served as deputy director of state and federal affairs. Before that, he worked as a telecommunications policy analyst at the U.S. Department of Commerce and held legislative roles in the U.S. House of Representatives.

National Turkey Federation — Lindy Froebel has been promoted to senior vice president of science and policy at $3.7M-revenue NTF. She previously served as vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs and has been with the federation since 2020.