The National Association of Tobacco Outlets (NATO) board of directors has named David Spross (pictured above) as its new executive director following the retirement of Thomas Briant.
Spross has more than 23 years of experience in the tobacco industry, most recently as senior vice president of government relations and strategic engagement for Winston-Salem, North Carolina-based tobacco company Reynolds American.
“NATO is the leading voice for retailers of tobacco and nicotine products, and I am thrilled with the opportunity to lead this organization into the next generation of education, engagement and advocacy,” Spross said. “As our industry continues to evolve, I look forward to keeping retailers front and center on these important developments.”
Spross will start his role on Sept. 1. He replaces Briant, who said in May he would be retiring from his position at NATO. Briant was instrumental in founding Lakeville, Minnesota-based NATO 23 years ago and has grown the association to be a leading voice in the industry.
“We are excited for this next chapter at NATO under David’s leadership, and we remain incredibly grateful to Tom Briant for founding NATO 23 years ago and for his leadership growing the Association to be the premier advocacy organization for tobacco retailers,” said NATO Board President Chris Beaulier.
NATO’s mission is to enhance the business interests of retailers that sell tobacco and nicotine products, support the legislative and regulatory interest of its members and encourage the expansion of the retail tobacco and nicotine market in a responsible matter, the group said. It has 66,000 members.
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