By: Politico

Beer Gets a Boost

Who knew beer needed a lobby? We thought everyone loved it.

The National Beer Wholesalers Association, which lobbies on behalf of the country’s 2,750 licensed independent beer distributors, has promoted two of its own.

Mike Johnson is the new executive vice president of federal affairs and its chief advocacy officer. He joined the association in 2006 and has been integral in helping to pass the STOP Underage Drinking Act and several congressional resolutions acknowledging the importance of the 21st Amendment, which repealed Prohibition and handed alcohol regulation over to states.

Paul Pisano, who also joined the association in 2006, is the new senior vice president of industry affairs. In a secondary role as general counsel, Pisano will continue to lead the association’s state legislative and regulatory activities. Previously, he was director of congressional affairs for the Commerce Department’s Census Bureau.

“Both Mike and Paul have made significant contributions to NBWA over the past 2½ years,” said the association’s president, Craig Purser. “America’s beer distributors are fortunate to have what I truly believe is the finest team in the advocacy arena and in the licensed beverage industry.”

Switch-Hitting for MBA

Two more Capitol Hill wonks have switched to the other side, taking positions as lobbyists.

Len Wolfson has recently joined the Mortgage Bankers Association as director of legislative affairs. Earlier, he was deputy assistant secretary for congressional and intergovernmental relations at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. He began his career as legislative director for Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) and later was the northwest Pennsylvania field director for the 2004 Bush-Cheney campaign.

Wolfson “knows our issues, knows his way around Capitol Hill and is passionate about the housing industry,” said Steve O’Connor, the association’s vice president of government affairs. “He will be a great asset to MBA’s lobbying team.”

Catherine Cruz Wojtasik, also a former a Hill staffer, joins Wolfson at MBA as associate vice president of legislative affairs. She recently left Popular Inc. — owner of Banco Popular, the nation’s largest Hispanic bank — where she was vice president and director of governmental affairs.

Over the years, she’s tackled legislative roles for Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), Rep. Nydia M. Velazquez (D-N.Y.). and then-Rep. James H. Maloney (D-Conn.).

“As part of the legislative team at MBA, my area of focus will be on secondary mortgage markets, specifically with Freddie and Fannie, and strengthening the regulation of the mortgage industry,” Cruz Wojtasik told Suite Talk.

She starts Nov. 17.

On the Move …

Jill Sigal’s latest promotion is a little bit toxic — and that’s a good thing. She’s the new executive vice president of corporate communications and government relations at EnergySolutions Inc., a firm that consults on nuclear material management.

As a 25-year veteran of the environmental cleanup industry, Sigal should have no trouble managing the company’s federal and state government interactions. She headed EnergySolutions’ government relations department and, earlier, was assistant secretary of energy for congressional and intergovernmental affairs.

Also, John Gilliland, formerly of Miller & Chevalier, is a new senior counsel at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. Before entering the private sector, Gilliland was an international trade counsel for the Senate Finance Committee, chaired by Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.).

Specializing in agriculture trade, Gilliland is on the board of the National Agricultural Law Center at the University of Arkansas Law School.

At Comcast Corp., the newly configured government affairs team under Executive Vice President David Cohen will include Melissa Maxfield, vice president of federal government affairs; Kathy Zachem, vice president of regulatory and state legislative affairs; and Joe Waz, senior vice president of external affairs and public policy.

All three will report to Cohen, who’ll continue to lead the company’s government affairs functions, including oversight of the Washington office.

— Ariel Alexovich and Jacqueline Klingebiel

Suite Talk is a regular Politico feature that follows career changes, client developments and other movements in the public affairs sector. Please send news items and photos to suitetalk@politico.com.

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