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Chris Phalen, a former senior policy adviser to Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), is joining the NAM, adding another seasoned policy voice to the organization’s advocacy and policy efforts.

The role: Phalen will serve as vice president of domestic policy, bringing his expertise, policy insights and legislative savvy to the NAM’s work on significant manufacturing priorities in the United States.

• Reporting to NAM Managing Vice President of Policy Chris Netram and working closely with NAM Executive Vice President Erin Streeter, Phalen will focus on issues including sustainability, climate, permitting reform, labor, transportation and infrastructure.

Recent highlights: As Sinema’s senior policy adviser, Phalen was a key negotiator and implementer of crucial energy policies. He was a central figure in writing the permitting reform provisions in the Fiscal Responsibility Act and was responsible for vital parts of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (including the legislation’s sections on energy and mining).

Past experience: Phalen has a long record of engagement with agencies vital to manufacturers, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Agriculture, the White House Council on Environmental Quality, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council.

• Phalen previously worked for leading energy companies, including Chevron and the Rio Tinto Group.

Our view: “As the NAM continues to be at the forefront of energy policy debates before Congress and federal agencies, Chris’ depth of experience and record of accomplishments will help us further stand out and influence outcomes in support of an all-of-the-above energy policy,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons.