Government Relations

Erik Autor was named Vice President and International Trade Counsel in 1998. He serves as the principal advisor on international trade, customs, and supplier compliance issues to the NRF and its member companies, which include the leading department, specialty, discount, mass merchandise, Internet and independent stores.

Bernstein joined NRF in June of 2004 as Vice President, Tax Counsel, following 13 years as outside tax counsel to the NRF Government Relations Department. As such, Bernstein is the principal NRF lobbyist for tax policy matters, interacting with members of Congress and their staffs, Treasury Department and IRS officials on behalf of the retail industry. Bernstein also staffs the NRF’s Taxation Committee, made up of the tax directors for the nation’s largest retailers. In addition to advocating for retailers on tax policy matters, Bernstein serves as a liaison with the IRS’ Retail Industry Group within its Large and Mid-Size Business Division. In this capacity, Bernstein works to negotiate solutions on industry-wide matters that will ease the tax compliance burden for the retail industry.

Mike Cys joined NRF in 2012 as Vice President of State and Political Affairs. He serves as the liaison to state retail associations and is responsible for overseeing NRF’s grassroots activities, political programs, and political action committee.

Mallory Duncan serves as Senior Vice President, General Counsel for NRF. He is responsible for coordinating strategic legislative and regulatory initiatives involving customer data privacy, bankruptcy, fair credit reporting and truth-in-lending, and as a member of NRF’s executive staff he is responsible for the execution of NRF’s strategic mission.

David French joined NRF as Senior Vice President for Government Relations in February 2011. As chief lobbyist, he is responsible for developing and implementing advocacy strategy for the world’s largest retail trade association.

Jonathan Gold serves as Vice President, Supply Chain and Customs Policy for the National Retail Federation. Gold joined NRF in October 2007 and is responsible for representing NRF before Congress and the administration on supply chain and customs issues impacting the retail industry.

Rob Green is Executive Director of the National Council of Chain Restaurants (NCCR), a division of the National Retail Federation. For more than 40 years, NCCR has worked to advance sound public policy that best serves the interests of restaurant businesses and the millions of people they employ.

Kelly Knott joined the National Retail Federation in 2011 as Senior Director of Federal Government Relations. As such, she serves as NRF’s primary House lobbyist, directing engagement with House members and their staffs. She is also responsible for labor and immigration issues.

Laura Lilly joined NRF April 2012 as the Senior Director of Grassroots. In this capacity, Lilly is responsible for mobilizing NRF’s network of members around public policy issues affecting the retail industry. Working closely with other members of the team, she coordinates coalition-led and grassroots initiatives to help NRF members make their voices heard.

Beth Provenzano is Senior Director for Federal Government Relations. Provenzano serves as NRF’s primary Senate lobbyist, directing engagement with senators and staff.

Lisa Rice joined NRF in 2011 as Senior Director for Political Affairs. As such, she serves as director of RetailPAC, NRF’s political action committee, and is responsible for administering and growing the PAC.

Stephen Edward Schatz, Sr., joined the National Retail Federation as Senior Director of Media Relations, Communications and Public Affairs in September 2011. In this capacity, Schatz works to promote and advance the retail industry’s government affairs and legislative agenda through public relations and media outreach.

J. Craig Shearman joined NRF in 2001 as senior director for government affairs media relations. He became vice president for government affairs public relations in 2003. He is responsible for the development and implementation of communication strategy for the NRF Government Relations Department and is the editor of Washington Retail Insight, NRF's weekly government affairs newsletter.

Neil Trautwein joined NRF in 2006 as Vice President and Employee Benefits Policy Counsel. As such, Trautwein heads NRF’s work on health care reform and other benefits-related legislation and regulatory issues, developing both short-term tactics and long-term strategy aimed toward helping retailers provide workers with competitive benefits while controlling costs.

Scott Vinson is vice president for the National Council of Chain Restaurants division of the National Retail Federation. In this capacity, Vinson manages and directs the development and implementation of NCCR's legislative, regulatory and political affairs activities. Prior to joining NCCR in March 2001, Vinsonwas manager of labor and immigration policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, DC. Before entering government relations, Scott worked for legislators at both the state and federal level.