ICI Government Affairs: Two New Hires; One Promotion

New ICI Staff Bring Extensive Legislative, Financial Services and Tax Experience

Washington, DC, December 9, 2010 - ICI is pleased to announce two additions to its Government Affairs team: Tonnie Wybensinger as Director, Financial Services Policy and Allen Huffman as Director, Retirement Security and Tax Policy. Additionally, current Director, Retirement Security and Tax Policy Peter Gunas, has been promoted to Government Affairs Officer, Retirement Security and Tax Policy.

“Tonnie and Allen bring to the ICI unique Capitol Hill perspective as well as extensive policy background in financial services and tax issues,” said Don Auerbach and Dean Sackett, ICI Government Affairs Co-Heads. “We are delighted to welcome them with the remarkable professional experience they bring to our staff. ICI members will certainly benefit from their expertise during this active legislative time.”

Wybensinger joins the ICI from the office of U.S. Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL) where she served as Chief of Staff to the freshman member of the House Committee on Financial Services during the consideration of the Dodd-Frank financial regulatory reform legislation. She also served as Chief of Staff and Legislative Director to former Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL), also a member of the House Financial Services Committee, and as Policy Advisor to Senator-elect Pat Toomey (R-PA) when he served in the House. She graduated with a BA from Ohio State University.

Huffman brings more than two decades of Capitol Hill legislative drafting and legal experience to his new position at ICI. As Sen. Byron Dorgan’s (D-ND) Counsel for the past 18 years, Huffman specialized in tax and other economic policy issues. Prior to his Senate service, Huffman worked as Tax Counsel for then Rep. Dorgan and as Assistant Tax Counsel for Rep. Michael Andrews (D-TX), working on major tax legislation before the House Ways and Means Committee. Earlier in his career, he was in private law practice with a Miami law firm. Huffman has his LLM in Taxation from Georgetown University, a JD from the University of Dayton, and a BA from the University of Maryland.

In addition to the new hires, Peter Gunas has been promoted to Government Affairs Officer, Retirement Security and Tax Policy.

“Peter’s promotion reflects his outstanding contributions and leadership in tax and pension policy during his five years at the ICI,” said Auerbach and Sackett.

Gunas joined the ICI in 2005, having been an appointee at the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and earlier the Department of Labor. From 1996 to 2001, he held various positions on the staff of the House Committee on Education & the Workforce, concluding as Director of Workforce Policy under then-Chairman John Boehner (R-OH), the incoming Speaker of the House. Earlier, Gunas was Communications Director in the office of Sen. Paul D. Coverdell (R-GA) and a labor and employment attorney at an Atlanta law firm. Gunas has a BA from Dartmouth College and a JD from Southern Methodist University’s School of Law. He also holds a MA in Business Administration from the University of Michigan Business School and an MA from the College of Journalism at the University of Maryland.