Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) President and CEO Pamela G. Bailey said today that George W. Koch has been selected to receive the first GMA Leadership in Public Policy Award, and that the annual award will be named for him and presented in his honor in 2014 and beyond.
“George Koch is a legend in the food, beverage and consumer packaged goods industry and for good reason,” said Bailey. “He was ahead of his time. His vision transformed GMA into an effective and efficient public policy voice for America’s food, beverage and consumer packaged goods industry, and the modern GMA strives to fulfill his personal commitment to the highest standards of integrity, passion and innovation.”
The George W. Koch Leadership in Public Policy Award will honor consumer product goods (CPG) industry leaders who demonstrate the highest level of commitment to helping the CPG industry develop and promote responsible public policy solutions to the most important issues facing the CPG industry, consumers and world. The award will be given each July at the GMA Growth & Public Policy Summit.
In addition to his 24 years as president and CEO of GMA, Koch is well known as a patriarch of modern day government relations, a steward of the highest ethical standards and a mentor to some of the most influential advocacy professionals in the nation.
Koch’s career includes service as the director of federal affairs for Sears, Roebuck & Co. and 24 years as president and CEO of GMA, where he was instrumental in developing the Uniform Product Code.
Koch retired from GMA in 1990 and became a partner at K&L Gates, also serving as North American counsel for the International Center for Companies of the Food Industry and as congressional advisor to the Transatlantic Policy Network.
Koch formerly served on the boards of directors of Borden Chemicals and Plastics Inc. as well as McCormick & Co. Inc. In addition to his corporate boards, he served on the board of directors of the Watchdogs of the Treasury, the advisory council of the International Executive Service Corps and the board of trustees for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America.
The award will be presented to Koch on July 17 at the GMA Leadership in Public Policy dinner as part of the GMA Growth & Public Policy Summit, which will gather policymakers, CPG executives and experts from the agriculture, health, food and consumer product policy communities to explore public policy solutions that address the issues confronting industry, consumers and the world.
