Mastering the art of consensus with a laser focus on the supplement industry
Julia Gustafson Vice President, Government Relations
Although Julia Gustafson has been in the world of dietary supplements for just about five years, she is no stranger to government relations or Capitol Hill. From her perspective, members benefit by belonging to CRN for a number of reasons, including two she emphasizes. The first is when you are lobbying in the halls of Congress, there is always strength in numbers. And, secondly, CRN’s legislative efforts are laser focused on the dietary supplement and functional food industry.
“Our smaller members, some of whom don’t even have government relations departments, benefit immensely from the strength and clout of our larger members,” says Gustafson. “And as an association, you need to facilitate discussions between members, big and small, that get you all on the same page when Day on the Hill rolls around. There is an art to that.”
Gustafson says there is also a sort of artfulness in the way the government relations team works in such close lockstep with the science team at CRN. Complex scientific concepts are frequently broken down and explained in a way that lawmakers and consumers can understand, while still appreciating the scientific integrity behind much of the represented industry’s decision-making.
“The challenge we have on the advocacy side is the competing voices coming from various factions of industry,” says Gustafson. “It’s not just about advancing your position with lawmakers, it’s about differentiating it from other agendas, which CRN is very adept at doing.”