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CIGAR RIGHTS OF AMERICA
10533 Main Street, Fairfax, Virginia 22030, U.S.A.
*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*
Date: October 27, 2010
Contact: Brian Berman
Phone: (800) 460-0729
Email: info@cigarrights.org
Cigar Rights of America Announces New Board Appointments
Fairfax, Virginia – Today, Cigar Rights of America announced new appointments to its
national Board of Directors, naming General Cigar President Mr. Dan Carr, in addition to
its first cigar consumer member.
CRA Executive Director, Glynn Loope, stated, “The Board members are pleased to announce
that Dan Carr has been elected to serve on the CRA Board of Directors. General Cigar is
one of the largest cigar companies in the world, and a great supporter of the work and
mission of Cigar Rights of America. His corporate experience along with General Cigar’s
work with consumers and in the political arena will be true assets to the future of CRA.”
CRA also announced that it has named its first cigar consumer to the Board of Directors.
Mr. Mark Brownlee of Illinois was also elected to serve. Brownlee is a Senior Advisor to
the Private Client Group for Merrill Lynch.
Brownlee joined CRA as a Lifetime Member in February 2009, and was one of the first
members to be appointed as a CRA Ambassador. He has completed the Certified Sales Force
Tobacconist curriculum with Tobacconist University, and is currently working toward his
Master Tobacconist Certification.
Additionally, Brownlee has spent time in the cigar
factories of Honduras, and has plans to visit those in Nicaragua and the Dominican
Republic.
CRA Board Member, Jeff Borysiewicz, stated, “CRA was created to serve the cigar
enthusiasts across the United States, as a grassroots cigar consumer movement, to counter
the oppressive legislation confronting those that simply want to enjoy a great cigar.
Naming a cigar consumer to the board was the next logical step in the organization’s
evolution.”
To support the organization’s mission to protect the freedom to enjoy fine cigars, Carr
and Brownlee will join the existing Board of Directors: Robert Levin (Ashton
Distributors), Jeff Borysiewicz (Corona Cigar Co.), Gary Pesh (Old Virginia Tobacco Co.),
Carlos Fuente, Sr. and Carlos Fuente, Jr (A. Fuente Cigars), J. Paul Tucker (Oxmoor Smoke
Shoppe), Jorge Padron (Padron Cigars), Rocky Patel (Rocky Patel Premium Cigars), and
Litto Gomez (La Flor Dominicana).
Cigar Rights of America, over the course of the last year and a half has engaged its
membership in over thirty smoking ban, tax, and regulatory issues at the local, state and
federal levels of government. It has grown from a five-city tour in late 2008, into a 50state consumer membership, with retail tobacconist members in 44 states.
- more –
www.CigarRights.org
Telephone: (800) 460-0729
Fax: (800) 460-6207
CIGAR RIGHTS OF AMERICA – Press Release
Cigar Rights of America Announces New Board Appointments
About Cigar Rights of America
Cigar Rights of America (CRA) was founded on the principle of fighting for the freedom to enjoy
premium cigars. A consumer-based, non-profit public advocacy organization that works with local,
state and federal governments to protect the freedoms of cigar enthusiasts, CRA works with its
constituency of members including manufacturers, retailers and cigar enthusiasts to focus on
opposing restrictive smoking bans and increased taxation of cigars. www.CigarRights.org
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Accompanying Photo
Dan Carr
Mark Brownlee
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www.CigarRights.org
Telephone: (800) 460-0729
Fax: (800) 460-6207