Wednesday, October 27 2010
Fairfax, VA - Today, Cigar Rights of America announced new appointments to its national Board of Directors, naming General Cigar President Mr. Dan Carr, in addition to its first cigar consumer member.
CRA Executive Director, Glynn Loope, stated, “The Board members are pleased to announce that Dan Carr has been elected to serve on the CRA Board of Directors. General Cigar is one of the largest cigar companies in the world, and a great supporter of the work and mission of Cigar Rights of America. His corporate experience along with General Cigar’s work with consumers and in the political arena will be true assets to the future of CRA.”
CRA also announced that it has named its first cigar consumer to the Board of Directors. Mr. Mark Brownlee of Illinois was also elected to serve. Brownlee is a Senior Advisor to the Private Client Group for Merrill Lynch.
Brownlee joined CRA as a Lifetime Member in February 2009, and was one of the first members to be appointed as a CRA Ambassador. He has completed the Certified Sales Force Tobacconist curriculum with Tobacconist University, and is currently working toward his Master Tobacconist Certification. Additionally, Brownlee has spent time in the cigar factories of Honduras, and has plans to visit those in Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.
CRA Board Member, Jeff Borysiewicz, stated, “CRA was created to serve the cigar enthusiasts across the United States, as a grassroots cigar consumer movement, to counter the oppressive legislation confronting those that simply want to enjoy a great cigar. Naming a cigar consumer to the board was the next logical step in the organization’s evolution.”
To support the organization’s mission to protect the freedom to enjoy fine cigars, Carr and Brownlee will join the existing Board of Directors: Robert Levin (Ashton Distributors), Jeff Borysiewicz ( Corona Cigar Co.), Gary Pesh (Old Virginia Tobacco Co.), Carlos Fuente, Sr. and Carlos Fuente, Jr (A. Fuente Cigars), J. Paul Tucker (Oxmoor Smoke Shoppe), Jorge Padron (Padron Cigars), Rocky Patel (Rocky Patel Premium Cigars), and Litto Gomez (La Flor Dominicana).
Cigar Rights of America, over the course of the last year and a half has engaged its membership in over thirty smoking ban, tax, and regulatory issues at the local, state and federal levels of government. It has grown from a five-city tour in late 2008, into a 50-state consumer membership, with retail tobacconist members in 44 states.
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