ABA’s longest-tenured staffer bids farewell

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ABA’s longest-tenured staffer bids farewell

1 Aug 2023

Joanie Spencer

Since 2008, Joanie Spencer has covered the retail and wholesale sides of the baking industry.
Serving associations such as the American Society of Baking (ASB) and BEMA, Joanie is also in demand as an industry presenter on bakery operations and trends. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from Rockhurst University and a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri.

When she’s not running or playing soccer, Joanie spends her time with her husband and 11-year-old son.

WASHINGTON DC — The American Bakers Association (ABA) announced that Lee Sanders, senior VP of government relations and public affairs — and the association’s longest-tenured staff member — will step down on Aug. 17.

Sanders spent three decades with ABA, joining the association after several years working on Capitol Hill, with roles working for the late Sen. Thad Cochran (MS-R), followed by work in President George H.W. Bush’s administration and in the US Treasury Department.

“There are two things I have always been passionate about: politics and food,” Sanders said. “The opportunity to join ABA really appealed to me, to learn about food policy and use my Capitol Hill and agency skills to support the industry.”

In her time with ABA, Sanders has held regulatory-related positions ranging from special assistant to the ABA president up to her final role as senior VP. She’s worked with the association’s Food Technical Regulatory Affairs Professionals Group (formerly FTRAC), helped formalize ABA’s leadership role with the Food and Beverage Issue Alliance, and was instrumental in helping form the Grain Chain, which is made up of 11 farm-to-fork grain industry organizations including ABA.

“Those partnerships and other coalitions we’ve participated in have added a lot of value for ABA members and allowed us to leverage our resources with the broader business and DC communities,” Sanders said. “They also allowed me to become engaged with other baking industry organizations like the American Society of Baking (ASB), and that really helped me learn about the technical side of the industry.”

Sanders’ skillsets — formed from a journalism degree from University of Mississippi and extensive experience in public policy — have made her instrumental in some of the biggest changes for ABA and the industry at large.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to work with Lee Sanders over the years,” said Hayden Wands, VP of global procurement at Mexico City-based Grupo Bimbo and ABA member. “Her knowledge of the baking industry and her incredible networking skills on the Hill have been a wonderful resource for the baking industry.”

Sanders credits her time on Capitol Hill for much of her success in the baking industry.

“When I worked on Capitol Hill, we were there for the constituency,” she recalled. “I applied that same thinking for the association because everything I did was about what the members needed.”

Much has changed in the past three decades, not the least of which is the speed at which regulatory initiatives are affecting baking companies. Sanders kept that top of mind as she grew her role with ABA government relations. She spent her career focused on the impact of rapidly changing regulations whenever she negotiated positions on behalf of ABA members.

“There are two things I have always been passionate about: politics and food.” — Lee Sanders | senior VP of government relations and public affairs | ABA

“Lee’s dedicated service has been essential in ABA’s policy accomplishments on behalf of our membership,” said Eric Dell, ABA president and CEO. “She is greatly respected not only in the industry but also in Washington DC for her extensive knowledge of the issues and for the relationships she has been able to forge in order to elevate ABA’s policy goals and influence change.”

Looking back on her storied career, Sanders recalled some of the industry’s biggest challenges — including the introduction of FSMA and, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic — as the times when the ABA team did its best work.

“There are so many things that have happened over the years, it’s sometimes easy to forget,” she admitted. “But the work our team did during COVID to get members the information, supplies and guidance they needed to remain operational is something I’m very proud of. And looking back further at FSMA and how we much we worked through — and are still working through — we couldn’t have done it without a great team, great resources and counsel and, most importantly, the input from our members.”

In addition to her work for the association, Sanders also served the industry as a founding member of the Society of Bakery Women (SBW), an organization that provides networking opportunities for women in the baking industry, including mentorship for students of baking and milling science. What started in 1998 as a group of 10 women who “met monthly for pizza and beer,” according to Sanders, has grown into a membership that spans the world, with almost 5,000 members in its LinkedIn group and engagement from 49 different countries. Sanders, who is currently president of SBW, plans to continue her role and support the organization.

“Collaborating and learning from Lee throughout her tenure at ABA has been both an honor and a delight,” said Valerie Wayland, director of technical service and regulatory compliance at Thomasville, GA-based Flowers Foods, co-chair of ABA’s Food Technical Regulatory Professionals Group and a member of SBW. “I am grateful for her unwavering support and inspiration she has provided to me and countless others over the years and wish her all the best.”

Sanders sits on the Executive Committee for the Business Industry Political Action Committee and is a member of the National Association of Manufacturers’ Food Policy Committee. She is a past chair of the Wheat Quality Council and past chair of the Cereal and Grains Association’s Milling and Baking Division. She also served as a long-time advisory board member and Technical Committee chair for ASB.

In 2021, Sanders received ASB’s Robert A. Fischer Distinguished Service Award, and in 2017 the Wheat Quality Council gave her the Full Kernel Award for her contributions to the improvement of US wheat and flour quality. Additionally, she was recognized as the 2009 AACCI Myron D. “Mike” Baustian Memorial Award recipient for outstanding service.

Despite her departure from the association, Sanders’ dedication to the industry will not wane as she envisions the future.

“Everything I did was focused on helping to build ABA’s stature and effectiveness, and to become known as a trusted source, whether it was with companies, associations, government agencies or on Capitol Hill,” Sanders said. “My hope for the future is that ABA will continue to flourish as a leader in the food industry.”

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