ACCA Hires New Senior Vice President of Government Relations

April 26, 2016

ACCA, the nation's largest association of indoor environmental systems professionals, has announced that Barton (Bart) James will join its staff on May 9 as the new Senior Vice President of Government Relations.
 
James brings with him a wealth of government relations and association management experience. Prior to joining ACCA, he worked as the Executive Director of the National Mitigation Banking Association and the Director of Advocacy for the Land Trust Alliance. During this time he directed lobbying activities to establish, maintain and improve relationships with key policy makers, which led to securing 188 U.S. House and 24 U.S. Senate co-sponsors to make permanent the enhanced conservation easement tax incentive and getting a permanent incentive measure in President Obama’s 2015 budget and U.S. House Ways & Means Chairman Camp’s tax reform proposal. He also played a part in getting favorable measures inluded in the 2008 and 2014 Farm Bills and the 2012 Surface Transportation Extension Act.

He also held positions with the United States Small Business Administration, the United States Department of Agriculture, and with former Congressman, Jay Dickey (R-AR) .
 
"We are excited to welcome Bart to our staff, because he brings new energy to our already strong government relations efforts," said Paul T. Stalknecht, ACCA president and CEO. "His extensive experience working on Capitol Hill and success with lobbying to get key components into federal legislation will give ACCA a strong advantage moving forward in the current political environment."
 
In his new position, James will be responsible for representing ACCA on industry issues before Congress and regulatory agencies, responding to legislative inquiries from members, providing information and support material to members on regulatory compliance issues, coordinating grassroots outreach within the industry, and overseeing the operations of ACCA-PAC.
 
James can be reached at 703-824-8841 or barton.james@acca.org.

 

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ACCA is a non-profit association serving more than 60,000 professionals and 4,000 businesses in the indoor environment and energy services community. Our member firms are the nation's most professional contracting businesses, serving residential and commercial customers in every state. With roots stretching back a century, ACCA was incorporated in its present form nearly 50 years ago. Today, ACCA sets the standards for quality comfort systems, provides leading-edge education for contractors and their employees, and fights for the interests of professional contractors throughout the nation. Learn more about ACCA here.