WASHINGTON, D.C. - Susan K. Neely, president and chief executive officer of the American Beverage Association (ABA), today announced the promotion of Genevieve K. "Genna" Gent to senior vice president of government affairs for the association.

"Since joining the ABA, Genna has repeatedly demonstrated that she is a capable executive, and a skilled, passionate advocate for the non-alcoholic beverage industry," Neely said. "Genna will provide strong leadership at a crucial time for our industry."

Gent succeeds James A. McGreevy III, who was just named president and CEO of The Beer Institute.

"We are all very proud of Jim, and thankful for the great work he has done for our industry,” Neely said.  "We wish him the very best in his new position, and are confident he will have a significant and positive impact on the issues our friends in the beer industry face."

As senior vice president of government affairs for ABA, Gent will be responsible for shaping advocacy strategies for the beverage industry and representing the interests of ABA members before lawmakers and regulatory bodies nationwide.  The non-alcoholic beverage industry employs more than 233,000 people with a direct economic impact of more than $141.22 billion.

"Genna’s extensive government relations and organizational experience will continue to be a tremendous asset to the association," Neely said. "We are fortunate to have her and, with the full support of our very capable team, I am confident that her transition into this executive role will be seamless."

Since 2010, Gent has served as the vice president for state and local affairs, where she has been responsible for running the day-to-day operations of the association's state and local government affairs practice.

Prior to joining ABA, Gent spent more than a decade in state government public affairs and government relations, most recently serving as deputy chief of staff and Washington office director for former Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm. In that role, Gent oversaw development and implementation of the state of Michigan's federal affairs agenda and worked to ensure that Michigan's priorities were incorporated into federal lawmaking.

"We are a strong industry, and we have an engaging story of leadership on challenging issues to tell," Gent said.  "I look forward to continuing to educate lawmakers in Washington and across the country about our industry's public policy initiatives and positions."

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The American Beverage Association is the trade association representing the broad spectrum of companies that manufacture and distribute non-alcoholic beverages in the United States.

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