As VP of Public Affairs at the National Wooden Pallet & Container Association (NWPCA), Jason Ortega is the lead lobbyist and advocate for the global wooden transport packaging industry.

Ortega joined the NWPCA staff in 2021 and transformed the organization’s DC-focused advocacy into a transatlantic public affairs program designed to defend the industry and pursue positive public policy opportunities for it. Ortega led the organization’s first advocacy and communications efforts outside of the US, successfully engaging EU policymakers in Brussels to change legislative language and protect the use of wooden pallets in international trade.

Domestically, Ortega has expanded the NWPCA’s outreach and raised its profile. He has doubled the association’s political action committee, PalletPAC, allowing NWPCA to support more pallet and supply chain champions on the Hill. He serves on the board of directors for the Small Business Legislative Council, a group dedicated to advocating on behalf of the backbone of the US economy. He also represents the association as a member of the Advocacy Council of the American Society of Association Executives. Ortega is the co-chair of EDGE, a group dedicated to providing young professionals with low-cost access to small group fundraisers that support members of Congress who are under the age of 50.

Before joining NWPCA, Ortega was Vice President at Lobbyit, a DC-based boutique government affairs firm. He specialized in advocating for trade associations and societies, often serving as their sole advocate on the Hill.

Ortega earned his Juris Doctorate and Master of Business Administration from The Ohio State University and his Bachelor of Business Administration from Southern Adventist University.