WASHINGTON DC — Eric Dell has no misconceptions about what it takes to move an industry forward. As the new president and CEO for the American Bakers Association (ABA), he has experience in Washington DC that spans from lobbyist to congressional chief of staff, forming the roots from which his association advocacy work has grown.
Dell has a long list of values that align with ABA and the commercial baking industry, starting with a passion for service that leads to a better future for all.
“Coming from the Hill, I took my knowledge of working with constituents to working with member companies,” he said of his transition from congressional work to association advocacy for the National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA).
Spending a decade with NAMA, Dell’s roles included building the association’s government affairs team, heading its external affairs and spending two years as EVP. In that time, Dell fine-tuned the art of the association member experience.
“Constituents elect you in a congressional office,” he said. “Similarly, in an association, the members give you purpose.”
For Dell, that purpose is about doing good for the association and the industry it serves.
While the “NAMA” Dell came from is not to be confused with the flour miller’s association, it is a group steeped in food and beverage, specifically snack vending and office coffee service. This NAMA has also been connected tangentially with the baking industry, with the two associations having some crossover membership and collaborative work over the years.
Both associations have shared involvement in advocacy through the Food & Beverage Issue Alliance, which focused on issues like labeling and other regulatory topics concerning the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
From the shared interest in government affairs and advocacy with FDA, USDA and the Environmental Protection Agency, Dell is well versed in issues like front-of-pack calorie disclosure and public health, which has been a personal passion throughout his career. In fact, one of his more notable accomplishments was assisting in the creation of the 2020 commitment to increase better-for-you options in vending machines throughout the US.
“It was truly a commitment by NAMA members — making up the majority of vending sales in the country — who were committed to it,” Dell said. “We teamed up with the Partnership for a Healthier
America to find ways to work together with the public health community. It’s a great example of my philosophy that working together creates solutions.”
Not one to focus on the past, Dell is forward-focused for the baking industry, from enhancing ABA’s already powerful government relations, to creating more environmental sustainability opportunities, to finding new ways member companies can contribute to food equity in America.
That’s a lot to bite off in his first month leading an association, but Dell has marked them as priorities in ABA’s strategic development plan, taking place with the executive committee, board
and membership this year.
“You can’t tackle it all at once, but these are issues we should have out in front,” he said. “If you’re not in front of these issues, you can’t pave the way. And these are areas where our industry can be the leader. Customers and consumers are demanding these things, and it’s where we need to be positioned.”
This story has been adapted from the February| Q1 2023 issue of Commercial Baking. Read the full story in the digital edition here.
