FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Alisa Harrison, 202-628-8000
Matthew Haller, 202-662-0770
aharrison@franchise.org
mhaller@franchise.org
@franchising411
ED GILLESPIE AND TERRY MCAULIFFE TO HEADLINE IFA’S PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONFERENCE
Some 500 Franchise Leaders will Descend on Washington to Push for Pro-Growth Policies
WASHINGTON, April 30, 2012 – Ed Gillespie, former chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC), and Terry McAuliffe, former Democratic National Committee (DNC) chairman, will headline the International Franchise Association’s Public Affairs Conference Sept. 10 in Washington, DC, IFA announced today.
“We look forward to the insights from these two well-respected political strategists”, said IFA President & CEO Steve Caldeira. “The 2012 election outcomes will significantly impact the kind of business environment that franchise owners will face going forward. Ed Gillespie and Terry McAuliffe will provide their unique perspectives for our members as they continue to push for pro-growth policies out of Washington.”
Scheduled for Sept. 10-11 in Washington, D.C., the IFA Public Affairs Conference brings together more than 500 franchise business leaders from across the country to showcase the economic importance of franchising to the economy, and why more pro-growth policies such as comprehensive tax reform will provide needed certainty to a still struggling business environment.
In addition to formerly serving as the chairman of the RNC, Gillespie is a long-time Republican political operative who has worked in politics since the early 1980s. He served as counselor to the president during the last 18 months of the Bush Administration, where he led the Supreme Court confirmation efforts of Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Samuel Alito. Gillespie edited the book version of Contract with America, which reached number two on the New York Times’ best-seller list, and he is the author of Winning Right: Campaign Politics and Conservative Policies. He is the founder of Ed Gillespie Strategies and a co-founder with Haley Barbour of Policy Impact Communications and with Jack Quinn and Al Gore of Quinn Gillespie & Associates.
McAuliffe is a lifelong Democratic Party activist and businessman from Virginia. From 2001 to 2005, he served as chairman for the DNC. Additionally, McAuliffe was chairman for President Clinton’s 1996 re-election campaign and Senator Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign. McAuliffe started his first business, McAuliffe Driveway Maintenance, at the age of 14. Since then, he has successfully started more than 25 companies, in the fields of banking, insurance, marketing, real estate, auto manufacturing and renewable energy. He is presently founder and chairman of GreenTech Automotive, which manufactures electric and hybrid vehicles.
IFA will be offering news and updates about the event on its Facebook page and on Twitter (@franchising411) using the hashtag #IFAPAC.
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About the International Franchise Association
The International Franchise Association is the world’s oldest and largest organization representing franchising worldwide. Celebrating over 50 years of excellence, education and advocacy, IFA works through its government relations and public policy, media relations and educational programs to protect, enhance and promote franchising. Through its media awareness campaign highlighting the theme, Franchising: Building Local Businesses, One Opportunity at a Time, IFA promotes the economic impact of the more than 825,000 franchise establishments, which support nearly 18 million jobs and $2.1 trillion of economic output for the U.S. economy. IFA members include franchise companies in over 300 different business format categories, individual franchisees and companies that support the industry in marketing, law and business development.