National Automatic Merchandising Association

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The National Automatic Merchandising Association, or NAMA, is the American national trade association of the convenience services industry, including vending, micro markets, office coffee service, and foodservice management. [1] Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, NAMA represents more than 1,000 member companies, including hundreds of small businesses. [2]

Contents

Postcard from NAMA National Convention, c.1940s Badger Water Softener Co., display at Nama National Convention, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (77704).jpg
Postcard from NAMA National Convention, c.1940s

Leadership

Carla Balakgie is president and CEO of NAMA. Before joining the association in 2011, Balakgie served as CEO of the Electronic Transactions Association. [3] [4]

Heidi Chico, president of National Vending LLC, chairs NAMA's board of directors. [5] [6]

Advocacy

In the summer, NAMA convenes an annual Fly-In, which brings more than 300 industry leaders to Washington, D.C. to discuss calorie disclosure requirements, overtime pay, and other issues affecting the convenience services industry. [7] [8] In a July 2017 op-ed column published in The Hill , Balakgie claimed Fly-In attendees hold more than 200 meetings with members of Congress to "ensure that the voice of the convenience services industry is heard on Capitol Hill." [9]

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References

  1. "NAMA's 2017 Fly-In Attracts 300 Vending Industry Advocates To Washington | Articles | Vending Times". www.vendingtimes.com. Retrieved 2017-08-18.
  2. "About Us - National Automatic Merchandising Association". www.namanow.org. Retrieved 2017-08-18.
  3. Association, National Automatic Merchandising. "NAMA Names Carla Balakgie, FASAE, CAE CEO". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 2017-08-18.
  4. NAMANow (2014-01-08), NAMA CEO, Carla Balakgie Talking Calorie Disclosure on Fox, archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2017-08-18
  5. "Heidi Chico: Executive Profile & Biography". www.bloomberg.com. Bloomberg . Retrieved 2017-08-18.
  6. "Board Appointments: July 14". Des Moines Register. Retrieved 2017-08-18.
  7. "How One Ex-Chief of Staff Went From Taking Meetings to Asking for Them". Roll Call. 2017-07-27. Retrieved 2017-08-18.
  8. "NAMA's 2017 Fly-In Attracts 300 Vending Industry Advocates To Washington | Articles | Vending Times". www.vendingtimes.com. Retrieved 2017-08-18.
  9. Jordan, Chuck (2017-07-24). "Tax reform must include 'death tax' repeal". The Hill . Retrieved 2017-08-18.