Geoffrey Freeman - Senior Vice President, Public Affairs

Mr. Freeman is senior vice president of public affairs for the Travel Industry Association, the nation's leading voice for increasing travel to and within the United States. Mr. Freeman leads all advocacy activities for the organization, including government relations, strategic communications and grassroots mobilization. Mr. Freeman's top priority, passage of the Travel Promotion Act, was labeled by Travel Weekly as the "industry's biggest legislative victory in Washington in a decade."

Prior to the Travel Industry Association, Mr. Freeman was executive director of the Discover America Partnership, a coalition of some of America's foremost business dedicated to striking the right balance between homeland security and travel facilitation. Launched in September 2006, the campaign pushed meaningful visa and entry reforms through the United States Congress and drove more than 1,000 news stories about the importance of welcoming international visitors. In its brief existence, the Partnership raised nearly five million dollars and motivated the travel community to play a more active role in Washington policymaking.

Mr. Freeman has managed a variety of complex public affairs campaigns and excelled in developing innovative outreach strategies. Prior to launching the Discover America Partnership, Mr. Freeman was a vice president with APCO Worldwide, a global public affairs firm, where he managed an array of issue campaigns, including the Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA). The PPA, supported by America's pharmaceutical companies, is the largest effort ever created to connect uninsured Americans with free prescription medicines. The campaign succeed in helping more than two million Americans in its first year of operation, driving over 5,000 news stories and repositioning the pharmaceutical industry.

Previously, Mr. Freeman was the Director of Government Relations and Strategic Outreach for Freddie Mac where he developed and implemented an innovative program to highlight the corporation's activities in local markets. Under Mr. Freeman's direction, Freddie Mac teamed with local stakeholders and elected officials to celebrate newfound homeownership opportunities presented to millions of Americans across the country.

Prior to joining Freddie Mac, Mr. Freeman served as Director of Strategic Initiatives for the American Association of Health Plans, the leading representative of the managed care industry. Mr. Freeman helped guide the media and strategic communications strategy around several high-profile and emotional issues including the Patients' Bill of Rights and Medicare reform. In an effort to build support for the industry beyond-the-beltway, Mr. Freeman developed several innovative initiatives including a highly successful Hollywood outreach campaign and a partnership with physicians in the fight for medical liability reform.

Mr. Freeman is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley. He resides in Arlington, Virginia with his wife and two children.

Updated 10/2008