MANUFACTURING
AAFA's Kevin Burke Stepping Down as President and CEO
The American Apparel & Footwear Association, the giant trade group in Arlington, Va., that represents apparel and footwear companies as well as retailers, announced on Dec. 16 that its president and chief executive, Kevin Burke, will be resigning on Jan. 21 to take a new job.
Burke has been with the organization since 2001. He will be heading up the Airports Council International–North America as its president and chief executive. The council represents local, regional and state governing bodies that own and operate commercial airports in the United States and Canada.
“For the past several years, I have had the wonderful opportunity to serve a very dynamic industry as its top spokesperson in Washington,” Burke said. “The key lessons I’ve learned during my years at AAFA are that the U.S. apparel and footwear industry is always moving forward and that the industry must maintain its global perspective to remain competitive. I will miss not being part of the day-to-day excitement of making it easier for Americans to get dressed each day, as well as working with the dedicated team at AAFA, who made me a better association leader every day.”
Following the announcement, AAFA’s board of directors said it would immediately launch a search for a new president and CEO.
“For nearly 13 years, Kevin has been a passionate champion for the U.S. apparel and footwear industry and its more than 4 million American workers,” said AAFA Chairman Philip C. Williamson, president, chief executive and chairman of Williamson-Dickie Manufacturing Co. “Our industry has changed significantly since Kevin came to AAFA in 2001. He brought a much-needed global vision to AAFA and traveled the world, meeting with industry stakeholders, to keep American workers competitive in the global market.”
During his tenure, Burke has grown the association’s membership to more than 530 corporate members representing more than 1,500 name brands. Now more than 25 percent of the AAFA’s membership is related to retail, which is a shift from the past, when most members came from manufacturing and the wholesale side of the business.
