Fast 15: Krista Cupp
by January 1, 2014 12:00 am 627 views
Krista Cupp once helped shape the conversation for one of the oldest and most powerful lobbies in the country.
She’s still focused on crafting the right dialogue, only now it involves chickens instead of guns.
Cupp, who grew up in Aurora, Missouri, went to work in 2008 for the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) in Washington, D.C. In the month prior, she graduated with political science and communications degrees from William Jewell College in Missouri.
She became a senior grassroots coordinator, responsible for recruiting and training members across 14 states on political and legislative activism.
Cupp also co-anchored the weekly web-based news series, “The NRA-ILA Grassroots News Minute,” and coordinated NRA University, a two-hour training seminar hosted on more than 60 college campuses for those interested in learning more about NRA, the Second Amendment and the gun- control debate.
“I loved that job and could’ve done it forever,” Cupp said. “But I couldn’t see raising our son in the D.C. area.”
An opportunity to leave the beltway presented itself at Tyson Foods Inc. Cupp joined the corporate affairs team in February 2013. She did such a good job that, after just six months, she was promoted to a newly created position, responsible for improving confidence and polishing speaking skills of Tyson executives for their speaking engagements across the world. Cupp also handles media relations involving Tyson’s charitable giving and disaster-relief efforts.
Away from work, Cupp enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and 18-month-old son. She and her husband are also fans of the Indianapolis Colts and have attended at least one Colts game each year for the past 11 seasons.
Cupp is a member of the Network of Executive Women and still stays involved with the NRA-ILA as a local election volunteer coordinator.
She credits her parents — who were both politicians — for giving her a good foundation. As for her own political aspirations?
“I always said, being the child of elected officials, I would never [run for office],” she said. “But any day I can make an impact is a good day for me. If that means one day running for something, great. If it means I can be just as useful [at Tyson], great. If I can be involved in change or decision-making for the better, and then I get to go home at the end of the day to my family, that’s a good day.”