Tag: PCA

  • Chalkey to Boost PCA Government Affairs

    Chalkey to Boost PCA Government Affairs

    Credit: Thapana Studio

    The Premium Cigar Association (PCA) has hired Richard Chalkey as its new director of Coalitions and Policy. Chalkey brings over a decade of professional experience from work in government and the private sector, according to an emailed press release.

    “The Premium Cigar Association has worked with Richard since his time in the West Wing of the White House through Congress and we look forward to having him join our team,” stated PCA Deputy Executive Director Joshua Habursky. “It is rare to find someone in Washington who has worked in the House, Senate, and White House –especially someone who worked four years in a White House and in the West Wing. We are glad to have the perspective and network that Richard will bring.”

    Previously, Chalkey served as the associate director of the National Economic Council and as the associate director of the Office of Legislative Affairs in the Trump White House. During his four years of service at the White House, Chalkey managed policy rollouts for the directors of his departments and in coordination with White House Senior Staff and Cabinet Agencies.

    Most recently, Chalkey served as deputy chief of staff for Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina in the 117th and 118th Congress. Prior to the White House, Chalkey also served in the office of former U.S. Senator Mark Kirk and former Congressman Rodney Davis, both of Illinois.

    Chalkey holds a bachelor of science in Management – International Business and a bachelor of science in Marketing from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is a U.S. State Department Gilman Scholar for studying abroad at the University of Hong Kong and currently is a May 2024 expected executive MBA candidate for the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.

  • PCA Debuts Advocacy Grant Program

    PCA Debuts Advocacy Grant Program

    Image: Olivier Le Moal

    The Premium Cigar Association (PCA) of the United States announced a new state advocacy grant program aimed at investing in state associations and their boots-on-the-ground lobbying capacity for the 2024 legislative cycle.

    The resources in the program approved by the PCA board of directors will be spent much like a match grant program where the state association agrees to match funding by the PCA, going toward hiring contract lobbyists to advance positive legislation or fight back against erroneous regulations. State associations must have a basic infrastructure in place and must meet certain criteria to be eligible for funding, including having an incorporated state association and agree to accountability and transparency with the PCA about where the funds will be spent. 

    “This is not only a way for us to support existing state associations and their advocacy capacity, but it also establishes a baseline for starting a brand new state association with the prospective of seed funding. This criterion is a blueprint to get started and to receive funding. Our staff will continue to support individual associations and retailers with strategy and logistics, and this is a new tool to help maximize that effectiveness,” says Scott Pearce, executive director of the PCA.

    Grant criteria include: having an incorporated and active state association; having an elected board of directors; having a designated treasurer with authority over accounts; agreeing to comply with PCA reporting requirements; agreeing to PCA involvement in consulting lobbyist selection process; agreeing to disclose any and all issues for which funds are used and for which lobbyist is engaged; and providing the PCA with the operating budget and amount and source of funds raised by the state association.

    “This year, our team has been extremely effective in the states and is reflective of retailers stepping up to defend their businesses. This state grant program is aimed at spurring this level of activity and, frankly, success moving forward. Each year, our team must evaluate our priority area, and in the past, our Vision 50 strategic plan focused on litigation or international outreach. Make no mistake, this is the year of the states,” says Joshua Habursky, the PCA’s head of government affairs.

    Applications can be submitted to the PCA online portal and will be reviewed by appropriate advocacy staff and the PCA Legislative Affairs Committee. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and will reflect legislative/regulatory necessity in the state. 

  • Cigar Group Wants Better Justification for U.S. Flavor Rule

    Cigar Group Wants Better Justification for U.S. Flavor Rule

    Image: razoomanetu

    The Premium Cigar Association (PCA) testified before the White House Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) as part of the administration’s review of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s draft Final Rule “Tobacco Product Standard for Characterizing Flavors in Cigars.”

    PCA President Scott Regina provided several examples of the impact that the rule would have on specialty tobacco retail, emphasizing that the FDA had not conducted a proper small business impact analysis. The PCA also outlined how the rule would directly affect regulatory matters outside of the FDA’s jurisdiction, including law enforcement, international trade and foreign policy.

    “It’s questionable whether FDA has the authority to issue standards that result in a product ban, especially when they are acknowledging that the regulation does not address a specific risk,” said Regina in a statement.

    “Ultimately, we asked OIRA to consult with a host of affected federal agencies and to remit the draft Final Rule back to FDA for better justification of authority, cost-benefit analysis and small business impact,” said Scott Pearce, executive director of the PCA.

    The OIRA has scheduled meetings with additional stakeholders throughout the month as well as proponents of the characterizing flavor product standard for cigars.

    The PCA published a full list of recommendations on the draft Final Rule.

  • PCA 2020 Vegas Trade Show Cancelled

    PCA 2020 Vegas Trade Show Cancelled

    Credit: Timothy S. Donahue

    The PCA 2020 Convention & Trade Show, the cigar industry’s most important event on the calendar, has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Formerly called the the IPCPR Convention & Trade Show, the event was scheduled to take place July 10-14 at the Sands Expo Center at The Venetian in Las Vegas.

    After months of public statements that the trade show would go on, the organization has decided to cancel the event, according to a story by Charlie Minato of Halfwheel. Last week, multiple manufacturers indicated they had been informed by the organization that its intent was to cancel the event this week, less than 60 days before the start of the trade show.

    “After much deliberation and careful discussions of every aspect of our annual convention and trade show, the PCA Board and the Associate Member Advisory Board have made the difficult decision to cancel our current event scheduled for July,” said Pearce in a press release. “The annual event is an important fixture in the premium tobacco industry, and we were very excited to bring a whole new experience to the industry this year. However, the public health and safety of our attendees, staff and volunteers outweighed any other considerations in our collective decision-making process.

    “We understand how important this event is to the business needs of both our manufacturers and our retailers, so we are redoubling our efforts to create innovative new ways to aid our members this year.”

    The organization said it will release further details about those programs in “the coming weeks.”