HARRISBURG, Pa., Feb. 6, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- The Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry announced today that Gene Barr is joining the Government Affairs operation of the Chamber as Vice President of Political Affairs effective February 10, 2003. Gene comes to the Chamber from Triad Strategies, a government relations and communications firm in Harrisburg.
"We are pleased that Gene will be joining the Pennsylvania Chamber," said Roy J. Wells, president and managing director of Triad. "With almost 30 years of experience in government relations and the political arena, Gene will be an asset to the Chamber. As a Chamber member, we look forward to working with Gene in his new capacity."
Before joining Triad Strategies, Barr managed the Government Affairs division of McNees, Wallace and Nurick, LLC, a law firm in Harrisburg, and served as the Executive Director of the Associated Petroleum Industries of Pennsylvania. He also spent 12 years with BP America.
"We are fortunate to have someone of Gene's caliber joining the Chamber team," said Floyd Warner, President of the Pennsylvania Chamber. "Gene has an outstanding reputation in the lobbying community and a proven record of managing legislative issues." Barr will run ChamberPAC, the political action committee of the Chamber and will be responsible for managing environmental issues and developing policy.
Barr joins Fred Sembach, Vice President of Government Affairs, and Jim Welty, Vice President of Corporate Affairs, to round out the Government Affairs team of the Chamber. "We anticipate an active legislative season this year as we tackle critical business issues such as caps on damages, business taxes and unemployment compensation reform," Warner added. "Gene's abilities will be put to good use immediately."
With more than 10,000 members representing every county in the Commonwealth, the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry is the state's largest broad-based business association and the fastest-growing state chamber in the United States.
Triad Strategies is one of Pennsylvania's largest government relations and communications firms.