Dunkin’ Brands, Inc., the parent company of quick service brands Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins, today announced that effective March 31, Cicely D. Simpson will join the company in the newly created position of director of federal and state government affairs.
Reporting directly to Dunkin’ Brands Chief Communications & Public Affairs Officer Stephen J. Caldeira, Simpson will work closely with senior management to direct all federal and state government affairs activities, as well as Dunkin’ Brands’ corporate political action committee. Leveraging more than 10 years of leadership experience in legislative affairs and public policy, Simpson will also build and maintain Dunkin’ Brands’ relationships with members of Congress, Congressional staff, regulatory agencies, trade associations and Capitol Hill-related media.
“Dunkin’ Brands recognizes that issues affecting the restaurant industry are increasingly being debated at both the federal and state levels. Adding a dynamic and widely respected leader such as Cicely to our team will help our company and franchisees stay ahead of the curve on public policy issues,” says Jon L. Luther, Dunkin’ Brands’ chairman & CEO.
“I am excited to join the Dunkin’ Brands team and look forward to helping the company become a thought-leader in Washington,” says Cicely Simpson.
Ms. Simpson joins Dunkin’ Brands from the office of the Honorable Jim Cooper, U.S. House of Representatives (D-TN), where she served as legislative director for three years. She managed the daily operations of the Washington office and established the Congressman’s legislative agenda. Simpson also served in a similar role for the Honorable Lincoln Davis, U.S. House of Representatives (D-TN). As federal affairs manager for the Tennessee Valley Authority, Simpson managed and supervised legislative issues, educating and informing Senate, House and Agency staff about matters affecting the seven states in the Tennessee Valley, while cultivating relationships with key congressional staff and strategic industry partners.
Simpson received a Juris Doctor from Pepperdine University’s School of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from David Lipscomb University in Nashville. She is also a graduate of the Center for Creative Leadership’s Leadership Development Program.
