AAA Minnesota/Iowa Completes Its Public Affairs Department

BURNSVILLE, Minn., Aug. 25, 2003 -- AAA Minnesota/Iowa, an organization with 710,000 members between the two states, announced the reorganization of its public affairs department, which includes new staff as well as a renewed commitment to representing its members' needs at both state capitols in St. Paul, Minn. and Des Moines, Iowa.

The recent staff additions include Director of Public Affairs, Gail Weinholzer, and Public Affairs Representative, Philip Wedgwood. Weinholzer's responsibilities include public affairs, public relations and communications. She also will be the primary lobbyist for Minnesota. Her 12-year professional background includes the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce as well as many other political campaigns and organizations. Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hamline University and a Master of Business Communication degree from the University of St. Thomas.

Wedgwood will be the organization's lobbyist and media contact for Iowa. His experience within Iowa's Alcohol Enforcement Department in seeing through the passage of .08 during the past legislative session, as well as his educational background with a Master of Public Administration degree, make him a valuable asset to AAA Minnesota/Iowa's public affairs department.

"We at AAA Minnesota/Iowa are excited to make these staff additions. Gail and Philip will spearhead our activities in regards to representing our members' interests. Through legislative surveys, our members have told us they are quite interested in transportation policy and funding issues, in addition to traffic-safety related issues," said Ron Siegmund, vice president of member services.

AAA Minnesota/Iowa has lobbied in the past for long-term transportation planning and funding. Furthermore, the organization has lobbied for stricter seat belt enforcement, stricter child passenger seat legislation, graduated licensing systems, reduced drunk driving limits, uniformity in traffic laws and speed limits among many issues.

"Philip and I are pleased to be working for an organization with long-term prominence and a positive reputation among the general public. The membership of our organization recognizes the importance transportation and traffic-safety issues to their personal well-being and the economic well-being of our nation as a whole," said Weinholzer.

In addition to Weinholzer and Wedgwood, Shannon Swanson, public affairs coordinator, and Jean O'Callaghan, public affairs clerk, work in the Burnsville headquarters office as part of the department. Swanson is responsible for traffic safety programs and community relations. O'Callaghan is responsible for traffic safety products and materials.

AAA Minnesota/Iowa, which includes more than 710,000 members, offers automotive, travel, insurance and financial services. It is part of The Auto Club Group (ACG), the largest affiliation of AAA clubs in the Midwest, with 4.1 million members in eight states. ACG clubs belong to the national AAA federation, a not-for-profit organization, with more than 45 million members in the United States and Canada.