The Drone Manufacturers Alliance, a newly formed coalition dedicated to innovation, safety and policy within the unmanned aircraft systems industry, has hired Washington, D.C.-based government affairs firm Franklin Square Group for help with federal aviation policy.
Drone makers GoPro and 3D Robotics, as well as Paris-based Parrot SA and Shenzhen, China-based SZ DJI Technology Co., are counted as members of that industry advocacy group, whose formation was announced in April.
The coalition “will serve as the voice for drone manufacturers and our customers across civilian, governmental, recreational, commercial, nonprofit and public safety applications,” the coalition said in an April statement, as reported by Fortune.
The four companies that comprise the Drone Manufacturers Alliance in early April abdicated from the Small UAV Coalition, the primary lobbying group representing the drone industry. That advocacy group still counts Amazon, Google, Intel and Verizon as members.
Fortune in April posited that the new group may have been formed as a means of establishing a separate advocating voice for the growing consumer market surrounding drones, as opposed to its commercial counterpart.
The Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration, the agency responsible for regulating drones, in April granted the first approval of commercial drones for nighttime flight, and is soon expected to unveil broader guidelines concerning drones used for commercial purposes. As consumer demand for drones has continued to grow among hobbyists, however, Congress has pressured the FAA to take up a possible renewal of its guidelines and regulations for this segment of the drone industry as well.
A five-person team will handle the Drone Manufacturers Alliance account, including Franklin Square co-founder Matthew Tanielian, who was formerly advisor to Senator Robert Torricelli (D-NJ) and subcommittee chief counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee; co-founder Joshua Ackil, former aide to Rep. Richard Gephardt (D-MO) and a staff director in the Office of Legislative Affairs to President Clinton; Kara Calvert Campbell, a former advisor to Senator Michael Enzi (R- WY); Brian Peters, former press secretary to Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA); and Ryan Triplette, former chief intellectual property counsel or the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Missy Edwards Strategies represents Shein Technology Group, the Los Angeles arm of the embattled Singapore-based “instant fashion” retailer.
Carlsbad, a north San Diego County city of 115K people, is looking for a firm to provide government relations and Sacramento lobbying services.
Gordon Sondland, who was US ambassador to the European Union under Donald Trump, has registered as a representative of Ukraine’s cabinet and ministers.
The Daschle Group is representing Santa Monica-based Stand with Hong Kong Action, an advocacy group that fights to end Chinese repression in Hong Kong.
McKinsey & Co. has reached out to Republican shop Harbinger Strategies to educate policymakers about the activities of the embattled management consultancy.
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