When members of the c-store industry engage their elected representatives, educating them on the issues that impact their businesses, they affect positive change for the industry. And at NACS we don’t take this political engagement lightly. The activation of our membership is the critical foundation on which we can build our advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill.

Your individual voices make a difference and together, with other industry voices, the volume cannot be overlooked by policymakers. To help further amplify your voices, two new NACS Government Relations team members are your resource to get engaged.

Michaela Sinclair, Grassroots Manager

Michaela Sinclair joined NACS in January 2019 as the grassroots manager. She brings more than 10 years of grassroots engagement and event management experience, and spent the last five years working for the Lincoln Policy Group as director of operations and political engagement. She previously worked as director of scheduling for Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln’s campaign, as well as chief of staff for Arkansas’s First Lady Ginger Beebe. She has also served as the chief event planner for the Delta Regional Authority’s annual conference.

As the grassroots manager, Michaela is responsible for the NACS Day on the Hill conference, NACS In Store events and grassroots outreach.

What are your roles and responsibilities?

I work to ensure we are bringing your issues to the forefront before political leaders in Washington, D.C. This can range from planning and executing our Day on the Hill to building incredible In Store events to tracking and maximizing our members' grassroots outreach activities. Our industry and its members are amazing leaders creating thousands of jobs and bringing convenience to the communities they serve. It's my job to make sure our members' stories are being told and their priorities and voice are being heard directly by political leaders.

The ability to positively build connections between public policy leaders and those most impacted by those policies is incredibly important. Elected leaders need to hear directly from those they represent, and whether you live in Arkansas, California or Washington, D.C., you deserve to have your voice heard and your interests represented. Having the opportunity to do just that for our industry is rewarding, and every day is going to be different and offer new, exciting challenges.

What is your favorite c-store item?

I would have to say a large cup of coffee anytime of the year. And during the summer, my daughters, husband and I walk our dog nightly to the neighborhood convenience store and get popsicles.

Katie Bohny, NACSPAC Manager

Katie Bohny joined NACS in June 2018 as NACSPAC manager and brings many years of political action committee experience. In her previous role as the PAC director at the American Council of Engineering Companies, Katie managed a $2 million per cycle PAC, while helping grow receipts. Prior to that role, she worked as the PAC administrator for Charter Communications and also worked for NACS' PAC fundraising consultant SAGAC.

What are your roles and responsibilities?

In my role as NACSPAC manager, I am responsible for developing and carrying out the political fundraising program at NACS. I also plan PAC events throughout the year, and this spring, we are hosting our first Casino Night at the NACS State of the Industry Summit in Chicago. In addition to fundraising, I manage the Friends of NACS program, which is an engagement program that we use to give members exclusive insight into what is happening in Washington, D.C. You can sign up for Friends of NACS at www.convenience.org/friends.

I love my job because I have the privilege of interacting with members from around the country every day. Our members are really engaged and take pride in our industry.

What is your favorite c-store item?

My favorite convenience store item is definitely coffee, but I also love to check out the fresh foods that our convenience stores are continuing to stock. And of course, I’m always drawn to the gummy candy section—so many options!

To learn more about becoming engaged at the grassroots level, please contact Michaela at [email protected] or by phone at (703) 518-4292. To learn more about NACSPAC and Friends of NACS, please contact Katie at [email protected] or by phone at (703) 518-4260.