TRIA’s Washington, DC, lobbyist is Craig Brightup, CEO of The Brightup Group LLC, a government affairs consulting firm. Previously, he was NRCA’s VP of Government Relations, opening its Capitol Hill office in 1990, and before that headed congressional affairs for the Federal Trade Commission by appointment of President Reagan. In 2000, he was named to Fortune Small Business magazine’s POWER 30 list of “influential insiders” in our Nation’s Capital, and from 2020-2021 was President of the Washington Industrial Roundtable.

Craig’s advocacy for TRIA involves drafting position papers, such as those on roof tile in energy-efficiency tax incentives, to generate awareness and support from Congress, the agencies and industry groups. Position papers are key to Government Relations Committee fly-ins on the Hill, and Craig coordinates meetings with DOE, EPA, OSHA, and groups such as the National Association of Home Builders as well.

Craig also monitors the agencies, with TRIA submitting comments to OSHA’s heat illness rule and the silica rule being a priority. In addition, he looks to leverage TRIA’s impact on legislative and regulatory issues by participating in broader business coalitions that deal with issues concerning the supply-chain crisis, labor relations, workforce recruitment and training, immigration, and taxes.