Interview
Mr Kevin Burke - President & CEO, American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA)

Headquartered in Arlington-Virginia, American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) is the national trade association representing apparel, footwear and other sewn products companies and their suppliers, which compete in the global market and whose combined industries account for more than $225 billion in yearly retail sales. AAFA members also produce more than 80 percent of apparel and footwear sold at wholesale each year in the United States. AAFA members manufacture and market all types of apparel and footwear and are located in virtually every state, as well as internationally.

Mr Kevin Burke is the President and Chief Executive Officer of AAFA, since 2001. Mr Burke is a career government relations professional with more than 25 years of experience in Washington. He previously served five years as Vice President, government relations, for the Food Distributors International.

From 1987 to 1995, Burke was Vice President of government relations for the American Bakers Association. Before that, Mr Burke managed the government relations office of the National Association of Broadcasters. This role included coordinating visits by association member executives with Members of Congress, as well as fundraising and advocating on behalf of members to lawmakers and the administration.

Mr Burke also worked as a legislative assistant, and later, press secretary to Representative Norm Lent (R-NY). He began his career in 1979 at the Republican National Committee and the Reagan-Bush Presidential Campaign.

He currently serves on the Boards of the American Apparel Education Foundation, Boys Hope Girls Hope, the Congressional Institute, the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Educational Foundation for the Fashion Industries, the International Apparel Federation, Kids In Distressed Situations, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s National Chamber Foundation. He is also a member of various political and trade association CEO groups in the Washington, DC area.

Mr Burke received a Master’s degree in Public Administration in 1983 from the American University in Washington DC. He also holds a Bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Brockport.

Married, with two children, Mr Burke resides in Great Falls, VA, and enjoys golf, biking and running.

In a tête-à-tête with Face2Face team, Mr Kevin Burke paints larger picture of apparel and footwear industry in present times. He also shares about the activities of AAFA in welfare of these industries