Lee Sanders

With decades of experience in food policy and regulatory affairs at ABA, Lee’s leadership drives positive change for not only the baking industry but the entire food sector.

Lee leads ABA’s government relations team representing the baking industry before Congress, federal agencies, and international policy making bodies. She advises association Members and industry on critical legislative and regulatory issues, while serving as a spokesperson on behalf of the industry. Lee is Co-Chair for the Food and Beverage Issue Alliance (FBIA) – a group of 60+ FDA- regulated food industry trade associations. The FBIA serves as a platform for communications with various federal agencies on food industry priorities. FBIA works together to develop unified positions on nutrition and food safety issues and meets quarterly with FDA officials.

A member of the Board of Directors for the Business Industry Political Action Committee (BIPAC), Lee also serves on the National Association of Manufacturers’ Food Policy Committee. She is a past chair of the Wheat Quality Council as well as past chair of the American Association of Cereal Chemists International (AACCI) Milling and Baking Division. Lee is a founding member and current President of the Society of Bakery Women.

Before coming to the industry 27 years ago, Lee served in several government roles including legislative aide to Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS) and as a political appointee in the Administration of George H.W. Bush.

Lee holds a B.A. Degree in Journalism from the University of Mississippi and currently sits on its Political Science Advisory Board. She holds executive education certificates from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business in Leading Teams for Growth and Change as well as Strategic Analysis and Decision-Making. Lee is a Certified Association Executive (CAE), American Society of Association Executives.