FMI’s Jennifer Hatcher named Lobbyist of the Year

Jennifer Hatcher, chief public policy officer and senior vice president of government relations at FMI-The Food Industry Association, has earned the 2022 Lobbyist of the Year Award from CEO Update.

FMI said Friday that the award, given annually to the outstanding trade association government relations professional, reflects Hatcher’s “tireless efforts” to advocate for the food industry with policymakers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. She has served in FMI’s top government post for 13 years of her 24-year career at the supermarket and grocery industry trade group.

“The FMI team is incredibly proud of Jennifer [pictured left] for earning this well-deserved award. Her commitment to serving our members throughout these turbulent two years of the pandemic, and for a number of years pre-pandemic, demonstrates her resolve in working with policymakers to ensure the food industry was able to keep their doors open and feed families across America,” FMI-The Food Industry Association President and CEO Leslie Sarasin said in a statement.

“Whether it was hosting daily calls with FMI members to provide updates on the latest federal, state and local government policies impacting their businesses, ensuring FMI’s pharmacy members were among the first to be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, or developing resource guides and toolkits for pharmacies to use in educating the public about the vaccines, Jennifer played an integral role in coordinating the food industry’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and positioning our members for success in serving their communities,” Sarasin explained.

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In announcing Hatcher as Lobbyist of the Year, CEO Update cited her longtime service in leading FMI’s federal, state and regulatory efforts since 2009 as well as her regular interactions with members and policymakers amid the COVID crisis.

“During the pandemic, Hatcher established daily calls with members to provide updates from government officials and to discuss supply chain issues and other critical topics,” stated CEO Update, a Washington-based membership organization of senior-level association executives and CEOs. “Hatcher’s advocacy is also credited with ensuring that the 12,000 supermarket pharmacies were able to administer COVID-19 vaccines, which expanded the distribution of the vaccines, including to underserved communities. Hatcher also played a key role in combatting the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s vaccine mandate for large employers. She worked with other associations and plaintiffs on litigation that led to the U.S. Supreme Court blocking the mandate in January.”

Related:FMI’s Leslie Sarasin named CEO of the Year by CEO Update

Hatcher joined FMI in March 1998 as senior director of government relations, focusing on a range of issues, including emerging technologies, nutrition-benefit programs, financial services and legal reform. In March 2009, FMI announced her promotion to group vice president of government relations, overseeing all federal and state public affairs outreach work for the association, and later became chief public policy officer.

“We are both honored and grateful to have Jennifer as a member of the FMI team,” added Sarasin, who was CEO Update’s Trade Association CEO of the Year in 2021. “Her passion for supporting the food industry shines through her work each and every day, and we are a better association and a better industry because of her efforts.”