Nneka Chiazor will take over as president of the Public Affairs Council in January, becoming the first woman and person of color to lead the organization in its 70-year history, The Hill has learned exclusively. There have only been three presidents of the Public Affairs Council — a nonprofit association for public affairs professionals including lobbyists — since it launched in 1954. The current president, Doug Pinkham, announced in January that he would retire at the end of 2024 after more than 27 years in the role. Chiazor, who is currently the market vice president at Cox Communications, was a member of the Public Affairs Council’s board of directors from 2018 to 2023.  She was previously Cox’s vice president of government and public affairs and spent 14 years at Verizon, with her time there including a stint as vice president of public policy. The incoming president said in a statement that it is a “deep honor” to accept the role and “build upon the principal vision of the Council to bridge the gap between business and government through mutual understanding and collaboration.” Courtney Geduldig, who chairs the Public Affairs Council’s selection committee, praised Chiazor’s “energy and passion for all aspects of public affairs.” “She understands completely what’s needed at the Council to take us to the next level of best-in-class programming for our members, and I’m looking forward to working with her and the staff to do just that," Geduldig said.