NATO Appoints New Executive Director

The U.S. National Association of Tobacco Outlets (NATO) has named David Spross as the next executive director.

With over 23 years working in the tobacco industry, most recently as the senior vice president of government relations and strategic engagement for Reynolds American, Spross brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the executive director role.

“NATO is the leading voice for retailers of tobacco and nicotine products, and I am thrilled with the opportunity to lead this organization into the next generation of education, engagement and advocacy. As our industry continues to evolve, I look forward to keeping retailers front and center on these important developments,” said Spross.

“We are excited for this next chapter at NATO under David’s leadership, and we remain incredibly grateful to Tom Briant for founding NATO 23 years ago and for his leadership growing the association to be the premier advocacy organization for tobacco retailers,” notes NATO board President Chris Beaulier.

NATO’s mission is to enhance the business interests of retailers that sell tobacco and nicotine products, support the legislative and regulatory interest of its members and encourage the expansion of the retail tobacco and nicotine market in a responsible manner. NATO currently has 66,000 members.

Spross will officially begin as executive director on Sept. 1, 2023.