LINDA BAUER DARR
President and CEO
Linda Bauer Darr is President and CEO of AMSA, and serves as Executive Director of the Moving and Storage Institute, and publisher of Direction magazine.
Linda was chosen to lead AMSA in April of 2007. She has almost 20 years of experience in transportation policy, association management and government relations. Her experience includes senior positions with the American Trucking Associations and the American Bus Association, as well as serving during the Clinton administration at the U.S. Department of Transportation. As Deputy Assistant Secretary for Budget and Programs, she oversaw the development of a $60 billion annual budget for the department and interacted regularly with senior officials in the administration and at the White House and with members of Congress and their staffs on a wide range of transportation policy issue.
Linda serves on the Board of the American Highway Users Alliance, the Eno Transportation Foundation’s Advisory Board, the Industry Advisory Panel of the Employee Relocation Council, and was appointed to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Committee of 100 Top Association Executives. She holds a Bachelor's of Science degree from the University of Maryland and resides in Alexandria, Va. with her husband and three children.
JOHN BREWER
Chief Financial Officer, Senior Vice President, Membership
John Brewer manages the association’s financial and administrative functions. He is responsible for policy and management of all accounting/auditing, financial, budgeting and investment activities, plus central service functions: human resources, office services, purchasing, printing, mail operations, and network and building services.
John has been with the organization since 1977, and was initially hired by the American Movers Conference -- a predecessor organization that became the American Moving and Storage Association through a merger. Previously, he was district manager for the Equitable Life Assurance Society of America and general manager of an interior design firm. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland at College Park.
David Hauenstein
Vice President, Compliance Services and Government Affairs
David (Dave) L. Hauenstein, Vice President of Compliance Services and Government Affairs, has been been active in the field of tariff publishing and transportation regulation for more than 35 years. Well known as one of the moving industry’s leading educators, Mr. Hauenstein frequently conducts seminars and workshops across the country.
For the past 28 years, Dave has worked for the Household Goods Carriers’ Bureau, which was renamed the American Moving and Storage Association (AMSA) in 1998. AMSA—the national trade association representing the professional moving and storage industry—has approximately 3,200 members worldwide, including 25 national van lines, 1100 independent regulated carriers, 1600 agents of van lines, 1000 of whom are also regulated carriers in their own right, and more than 500 international movers.
AMSA’s functions include statistical gathering and representation and promotion of the interests of the moving industry before federal and state legislative and regulatory bodies. In addition, AMSA works to support the fair and ethical treatment of customers who use professional movers by operating the ProMoverSM Program and one of the country’s largest Dispute Settlement Program for household goods consumers. Nearly 2,000 interstate household goods carriers participate in the Association’s Arbitration Program which provides neutral, binding arbitration through the National Arbitration Forum as a means of resolving loss and damage disputes.
As the architect and administrator of the program, Dave assists consumers and provides claims and regulatory advice to member moving companies. In addition, Dave assists in the development of our government agenda and is the author of the numerous consumer and industry publications; he is also a frequent guest lecturer at the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Training Center in Ballston, VA.
Before coming to the AMSA, he spent seven years with the firm of International Tariff Services, Inc. (ITS), in Washington, D.C., publishing tariffs with the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) and the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC). At that time, ITS was the largest tariff publisher in the country, maintaining more than 800 tariffs on file with the FMC, CAB and the ICC.
SANDY LYNCH
Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications, Training & Certification Programs
Sandy Lynch leads the team responsible for enhancing the organization’s marketing, communications and image efforts, including written and electronic communications and publications, media relations, re-launching AMSA’s annual Education Conference & Expo, managing relationships with the state and regional associations, and developing affinity discount programs with suppliers to the moving and storage industry.
Sandy came to AMSA from Goodwill Industries International where she was responsible for branding and delivering educational programs to Goodwill members throughout North America. Her team was responsible for planning and marketing five national training conferences, regional training events and distance learning programs. She was also responsible for generating sponsorship revenue and administering the scholarship program. Sandy also served as director of business partnerships at Goodwill. She previously served as director of development for an international nonprofit and was also director of public affairs at the American Trucking Associations. Sandy joined AMSA in 2007.
SCOTT MICHAEL
Vice President, Military & Government Relations
Advisor to the President
Scott Michael serves as liaison to the Department of Defense, GSA, and other government customers of the moving and storage industry. He was previously AMSA’s Vice President for Membership and has held other positions with AMSA and the American Movers Conference over the past 14 years. Scott also serves as a vice president of the National Defense Transportation Association, an organization of transportation providers which works in support of the military. He lives in Alexandria, Va. with his wife and two daughters.
PAUL C. OAKLEY
Senior Vice President, Government Affairs
Paul Oakley leads AMSA’s policy development program. He also directs the association’s legislative and regulatory advocacy efforts formulating and executing strategic advocacy action plans to achieve AMSA’s key public policy objectives. AMSA’s political action committee (AMPAC) is also managed by Paul.
Prior to joining AMSA in 2007, Paul was senior director of the Energy Future Coalition at the United National Foundation focusing on building coalitions supporting progressive energy policies. He also organized and served as executive director of the Coalition for Affordable and Reliable Energy (CARE). From 1984 until 2000, Paul was executive director of government affairs for the Association of American Railroads (AAR) representing America’s large freight railroads. While at AAR he incorporated Operation Lifesaver, Inc., a non-profit transportation safety education group. Between 1978 and 1984, Paul was the chief federal lobbyist for the Commonwealth of Kentucky and director of Kentucky's Washington, DC Office. He is a graduate of Harvard University, with a degree in government.
STEPHEN E. PEELER
Vice President, Membership
Stephen Peeler has served as Director, Marketing and Membership for the Independent Office Products & Furniture Dealers Association; and has also been the Regional Sales Director in the Washington, DC area for the Greater Phoenix Convention and Visitors Bureau His previous experience includes similar consultative sales positions with the City of Milwaukee and Marriott International. As Vice President of Membership he manages and oversees all functions related to current AMSA members and potential members, supervising and providing guidance to the department which provides membership support to approximately 3,200 AMSA members. Interacting on a daily basis with current and potential members of AMSA, he manages and oversees all functions related to AMSA members, including, but not limited to: dues and subscriptions, billings, revenues, new member processing, member benefits and retention, solicitation for new members, and Process Agent and Mileage Guide services and establishes policy guidelines for building, maintaining and managing AMSA membership.
Stephen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Howard University and is a member of a number of professional associations, including the American Society of Association Executives; Meeting Professionals International; the Professional Convention Management Association; and is on the Board of Trustees of the Capitol Hill Day School.
SABRINA WAISS
Director, Federation Relations
Director, Moving and Storage Institute
State Association Liaison
As Director of the Moving and Storage Institute (MSI), AMSA’s philanthropic and research arm, Sabrina Waiss is responsible for working with the MSI board to set the long-term strategy and fundraising goals, increase visibility, and advance a research agenda to support industry image and advocacy efforts. She also manages the Institute’s annual scholarship program and Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Service. In addition, Sabrina serves as liaison to AMSA’s state association members with the goal of strengthening working relationships with the states and developing resources that assist the states and their constituencies. She also manages AMSA’s Member Discount program, offering savings on products and services they need to operate their business.
Sabrina came to AMSA from Goodwill Industries International where she served Director of Marketing. She managed the organization’s corporate and cause-marketing partnerships, implemented national branding strategy and developed and disseminated marketing tools and resources to Goodwill members throughout North America. Prior to joining Goodwill, Sabrina was Executive Director of a Washington, DC nonprofit and spent several years honing her donor development and management skills in the nonprofit sector.
