FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Anne Kierig Joins the American Advertising Federation as Vice President of Government Affairs 

Succeeds Long-Time Executive Clark Rector, Who is Retiring After 37 Years

WASHINGTON DC, MAY 28, 2026—The American Advertising Federation (AAF), “The Unifying Voice for Advertising,” announced today that Anne Kierig will be joining as Vice President, Government Affairs.  She will succeed Clark Rector, who is retiring after 37 years with the AAF.  Ms. Kierig comes from Amazon, where she most recently served as Senior Manager of Public Policy.  She will be based in DC and will start immediately. She will report directly to Steve Pacheco, President and CEO of AAF.

“Anne’s background uniquely prepares her to lead the AAF’s advocacy efforts across local, regional, and national levels,” said Pacheco. “Her work at Amazon involved direct advocacy with lawmakers and building coalitions with trade associations and civil society groups to influence regulatory outcomes. This experience aligns perfectly with the AAF’s mission to protect and promote the well-being of advertising through our unified grassroots network.”  

As Senior Manager of Public Policy at Amazon, Anne served as a primary subject-matter expert on Section 230, part of the Communications Decency Act that provides legal immunity to online platforms.  This included briefing executives and lawmakers, crafting policy proposals, and guiding corporate responses to legislative reform efforts. She also oversaw public policy related to digital advertising, including transparency, targeting standards, and consumer protection, influencing both internal product design and external regulatory outcomes. She’s worked closely with the IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau). Prior to Amazon, she was director of US Government Affairs and Policy at Blackberry, Counsel at Venable LLP, and an attorney at DLA Piper, among other experiences.

Commenting on Clark Rector’s retirement, Pacheco said, “Clark leaves behind 37 years of extraordinary service on behalf of AAF and our Members. Over the years, he’s helped support and lead lobbying efforts that have defeated ad tax proposals and other major threats to our industry before Congress. Quite simply, he’s helped our 150 local advertising federations across virtually every state, while being our most vocal advocate before lawmakers and regulators. There aren’t enough words to thank Clark for his contributions beyond thank you, we will miss you, and I know I speak for the entire organization when I wish you all the very best.”

Clark will continue to work through July to help ensure a seamless transition. 

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