NFIB hires grassroots manager for five-state region

Small business advocacy organization the National Federation of Independent Business announced Tuesday that it hired Katie Whittington as its grassroots manager for Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina Virginia and West Virginia.

In the role, Whittington will be based in Richmond and work directly with NFIB members across the five-state region to advance small business agendas in state legislatures and on Capitol Hill.

She will also be tasked with strengthening member engagement and growing NFIB’s network of small business advocates. According to its website, NFIB lists its aims as protecting small business owners from tax increases, burdensome paperwork and unnecessary audits. Other policies it advocates for are eliminating mandates and regulations it believes hurt small businesses.

Whittington is joining NFIB from Central Virginia-based membership organization InUnison, which supports small, independent businesses in the Richmond area.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Katie to the team,” Blake Glinn, NFIB’s senior grassroots manager, said in a statement. “She brings strong experience in local business advocacy and a real passion for helping small business owners make their voices heard. She’s already been part of Virginia Small Business Day as a partner, so we know she’ll hit the ground running. Her energy and experience will be a tremendous asset to our members.”

Communications Director Jon Thompson said that Whittington is assuming a position previously held by Glinn, who was promoted to a different job.

NFIB was founded in 1943 and today lobbies on behalf of small and independent business owners throughout the country. It is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, but has offices in Washington, D.C., and all 50 states. The nonprofit employs approximately 300 people, and its membership totals about 300,000.