Family Enterprise USA Creates Advisory Board to Educate Lawmakers on Critical Tax, Economic Policies

Four Member Group Offers Government Affairs, Community Relations, Entrepreneur, and Regulatory Insights

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, July 11, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Family Enterprise USA, advocates on Capitol Hill for family-owned businesses, has formed a new Advisory Board to assist in its mission to educate lawmakers on the critical economic and tax policy initiatives affecting family businesses, America’s largest private employer.

The new four-member Family Enterprise (FEUSA) Advisory Board consists of leaders from the trucking, food, and chemical industries, experts in community and government relations, entrepreneurship, and business strategy.

The Advisory Board will assist in educating Congress on the priorities and policies that benefit and protect the interests of America’s family-owned businesses, according to Pat Soldano, President, Family Enterprise USA.

The four FEUSA Advisory Board members are John Smith, Chairman of CRST International Holdings, LLC, a Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based one of the nation's leading transportation companies. Smith began his career at CRST International in 1971, eventually serving as President and CEO from 1987 to 2010, and Chairman until 2015. Smith has held leadership roles in numerous civic and industry organizations, including the American Trucking Associations, the Iowa Motor Truck Association. He is Chairman of the Cornell College Board of Trustees.

Connie Vaughan, another Advisory Board Member, is a 38-year veteran with Little Debbie brand’s McKee Foods, Chattanooga, Tenn., including 20 years as head of Government Relations, working with local, state, and federal elected leaders on regulatory policies to support family-owned companies.

Also joining is John Zaruka, Chief Executive Officer Wedgewood Wedding and Events, Ventura, Calif., operators of 75 venues in nine states, hosting over 10,000 weddings a year with 2000 employees.

The fourth member is Ed Laird, founder of Laird Coatings Corp. and Air Quality Consulting, a Southern California-based leader in the development and manufacturing of coatings for plastics, and pioneer in emerging air quality standards.

“With this team of advisors, along with our board of directors, Family Enterprise USA will be able to help lawmakers in Congress understand the critical issues affecting the prosperity of our country’s strongest economic engine, America’s family-owned businesses,” said Soldano in announcing the Advisory Board. Soldano is also President of Policy and Taxation group, a sister policy organization of Family Enterprise USA.

Research shows family-owned businesses, the largest private employer in the country, account for 83.3 million jobs in some 32 million family businesses across the country. These businesses contribute $7.7 trillion annually to U.S. gross domestic product, according to research conducted by Family Enterprise USA and Policy and Taxation Group.

Family Enterprise USA and Policy and Taxation Group educate and advocate on behalf of family-owned businesses, family offices, and successful families on tax and economic policy issues with Congress.

For more information on the FEUSA Advisory Board and its members go to: Family Enterprise USA Advisory Board.

About Family Enterprise USA

Family Enterprise USA promotes generationally owned family business creation, growth, viability, and sustainability by advocating for family businesses and their lifetime of savings with Congress in Washington DC. Since 2007, Family Enterprise USA has represented and celebrated all sizes, professions, and industries of family-owned enterprises and multi-generational employers. It is a bipartisan 501.c3 organization. www.familyenterpriseusa.com

About Policy and Taxation Group
Policy and Taxation Group (PATG) is the Voice in Washington, D.C., of Family Offices and Successful families and is focused exclusively on the Tax and Economic Issues that impact them. Since 1995, PATG has been the leading advocacy group working to reduce and eliminate estate, gift, and GST taxes while blocking increased income and capital gains taxes, the creation of a wealth tax, and other hostile tax policies that punish hard work and success. PATG is a 501(c)(4) organization comprised of families directly or indirectly impacted by these harmful taxes and regulations. For more information or to support, see www.policyandtaxationgroup.com.

Bob Chew
Family Enterprise USA
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