MPAA hires Dem staffer Winters for global policy

{mosads}Winters served for eight years as a House staffer, most recently as the Democratic Chief Counsel for the Foreign Relations Committee. She also worked as the staff director for the House Judiciary Subcommittee for Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property and began her career as an attorney in the Patent and Trademark Office.

“As studios place increasingly greater emphasis on markets around the world, Shanna will prove to be an invaluable member of our team,” MPAA Chairman and CEO Chris Dodd said. “Working with our Global Policy team here in Washington and executives around the world, she will be instrumental in helping us chart a successful course in the years ahead.”

The MPAA created a global policy team based in Washington in 2011 to focus on bolstering the industry overseas. It has offices in Europe, Asia, Mexico, Canada and Brazil.

“Shanna has an amazing mix of experience,” O’Leary said in a statement. “It’s rare to find a person who understands not just the range of complex substantive issues we face globally, but understands the policy and political challenges of being an international industry.”

The MPAA spent nearly $2 million to lobby the federal government in 2012, according to federal reports. During the first quarter of this year, however, spending spiked to $730,000 — an amount well above its average quarterly outlays from recent years.

Megan R. Wilson contributed to this report.