Kimberly Glas — President & CEO: Kim has over 20 years of experience in government policy development and advocacy. She most recently served as Executive Director of the BlueGreen Alliance, a national partnership of labor and environmental organizations working to advance the creation of quality U.S. jobs in the clean energy economy. Before leading the BlueGreen Alliance, Kim served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Textiles, Consumer Goods and Materials at the U.S. Department of Commerce. Kim also brings extensive Capitol Hill experience, having worked for U.S. Representatives Michael Michaud of Maine and John J. LaFalce of New York. Kim helped to organize, and then served as the key Congressional staffer for, the House Trade Working Group, a key coalition of Members of Congress that works extensively on trade policy and domestic competitiveness issues to this day. Kim earned a B.A. in History and graduated summa cum laude from the State University of New York at Geneseo.
Sara Beatty — Senior Vice President, NCTO Secretary: Sara has worked in government relations advocating for domestic textile industry since 2003. In 2013, Sara formed Whitehaven Trade Advisors, providing government consulting services and trade analysis to U.S. manufacturers and associations. She previously held the position of Vice President of International Trade at the American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition. Sara graduated with a B.A. degree in English and Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Kristi Ellis — Vice President, Communications: Kristi brings 24 years of manufacturing and international trade reporting experience with leading publications such as Women’s Wear Daily and S&P Global Market Intelligence. The majority of her career, which includes nearly 10 years as Washington Bureau Chief for Women’s Wear Daily, has been spent reporting on textile trade policy matters. Kristi holds a B.A. in Journalism from Arizona State University where she graduated magna cum laude.
Don Vavala — Director of Government Procurement: Don comes to NCTO following a 31-year career at W.L. Gore, a NCTO member organization, where he most recently held the position of Director, Military Government Affairs. Don began his career at Sony Corporation of America, where he held various sales and marketing positions in their Consumer Electronics division. During his career at Gore, Don served in numerous business and sales leadership positions including: Business Development Leader for North American General Outerwear, Sales Leader North American Consumer Footwear, Business Leader of the Asia Pacific Domestic Fabrics Business, and Sales Leader for Fabrics Division New Business Development. Don graduated from the University of Delaware with a B.S. in Business Administration.
Todd Ethington — Director of Government Affairs: Todd joined NCTO in 2012 after serving for nearly five years as an aide in both the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, including as a staffer on the House Veteran’s Affairs Committee. He has firsthand experience working with Members of Congress and their staff, and in-depth knowledge of the legislative process. Todd received his Master’s degree in History from the University of Oxford, and his undergraduate degree in Political Science and Communication from the University of Utah.
Robin Haynes — Director of Finance & Administration, NCTO Treasurer: Robin joined NCTO as Director of Finance and Administration in 2004 shortly after the organization was formed and was named treasurer in March 2014. Prior to that, she worked for the American Yarn Spinners Association from 1980 to 2004. Robin is responsible for all administrative activities and finance functions associated with the day-to-day operation of NCTO. She also serves as treasurer of the TextilePAC and organizes NCTO meetings.
Rebecca Tantillo — Policy Advisor: Rebecca is responsible for the development and implementation of the Association’s web content, along with writing, researching and editing responsibilities for various policy and organizational materials. Rebecca holds a M.A. in Communication, Culture & Technology from Georgetown University and a B.S. in Business Operations with a minor in Italian from Clemson University.
