PRI and SEMA are promoting Lauren Wilbor to political director, giving her day-to-day oversight of the organization's grassroots and grasstops efforts to support SEMA's advocacy and communications efforts in Washington, D.C., and throughout the country. She will continue to be based out of SEMA's Washington, D.C., office.

In her previous role as manager of digital communications and partnerships, Wilbor spearheaded PRI and SEMA's groundbreaking effort to deploy automotive content creators for advocacy. Her work has brought greater visibility to SEMA's award-winning campaign to preserve vehicle choice in the U.S. and has elevated an ongoing, state-based effort to protect and preserve the right to race nationwide. She now will now be tasked with creating and implementing multi-pronged advocacy campaigns in support of federal, state and local legislative initiatives, while also advancing PRI and SEMA's political engagement programs, including the Driving Force Action SuperPAC, to ensure awareness among lawmakers, PRI and SEMA's member businesses and other aligned stakeholder organizations. 

"When we brought Lauren in to oversee our digital advocacy and relationships with the content creator community, she provided immediate value through her ability to mobilize key voices in our nation's community of automotive enthusiasts. She is creative, organized, and has an ability to create personal connections within our community," said Karen Bailey-Chapman, SEMA senior vice president for public and government affairs. "We're thrilled to give her the reins to our advocacy campaigns as we continue our efforts to preserve and protect the automotive aftermarket and our nation's rich car culture."

"I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity to step into this role and continue advancing SEMA's advocacy efforts on behalf of the automotive aftermarket and performance racing industries," Wilbor said. "SEMA represents one of the most passionate communities in the country, and it's a privilege to help amplify the voices of our members, along with builders, racers and enthusiasts nationwide. I'm excited to build on the momentum of our advocacy campaigns and continue fighting for the enthusiasts and businesses that make this industry so special."

Wilbor, a native of San Diego, holds a degree in political science from the University of Colorado Boulder.

For more information, visit sema.org.