About me
Bill Sells
Sr. VP for Government & Public Affairs ● Sports & Fitness Industry Association
Bill Sells has worked in national politics for 40 years. Sells joined the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) in 2005 to lead SFIA Government Relations at the federal and state level. Sells has five priorities at SFIA: promote improved health through increased physical activity, reduce the costs of getting products to market, ensure reasonable regulation of sports and fitness products, raise industry profile with Congress and protect intellectual property rights of sports and fitness manufacturers.
Bill has led the effort to pass the Personal Health Investment Today Act (PHIT) to help families with activity expenses through use of use of funds in pre-tax medical accounts. The PHIT bill came close in 2018 passing the House with bipartisan support but died in the Senate and was reintroduced on March 14, 2023. During Sells time at SFIA, the association secured more than $1 billion in dedicated physical education funding via the Carol M. White Physical Education Program. P.E. funding was moved to the states for distribution under the new Education bill in 2017. To address “Activity Deserts” SFIA is leading the effort to get more grants directed to youth sports and community recreation projects and determine the economic impact of youth sports in America.
To lower the cost of sports and fitness products, Sells led the SFIA effort in filing petitions seeking relief from the tariffs on Chinese made products. Under Sells, SFIA has secured more than $200 million in tariff relief via the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB) and expansion of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program. The industry continues to combat production and sales of counterfeit products both domestically and overseas to preserve brand equity of SFIA member products. Bill has engaged Congress and the federal government on fair interpretation and enforcement of consumer product safety and advertising regulations. Sells has opposed work stoppages at U.S. Ports, Railroads and Delivery Services to keep fragile supply chains operating at full capacity to avoid additional supply chain disruption.
On the state side, Bill was active in the SFIA-led coalition to preserve the right of youth baseball players to use non-wooden bats and protect contact sports from proposed bans on youth participation. As efforts to ban youth tackle in several states continue, SFIA presses for student choice in sports and protocols to enhance player safety. Sells continues to advise on state government strategies and identify local experts as needed to assist the industry.
Bill serves on the Pop Warner – Little Scholars Board and served as Executive Director of the Congressional Football Game. He is also on the organizing committee for the Congressional Baseball Game and Congressional Softball Game. SFIA supports all congressional sports by improving the experience for the Congressional players. The Congressional games raise over $3 million annually for charity.
Sells spent his early years working on the Reagan-Bush 1984 Presidential re-election campaign, followed by several years at the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee. Bill left Capitol Hill and political campaigns in 1989 to run the government relations operation for the Computer Dealers and Lessors Association (CDLA). Sells moved to the Environmental Industry Associations (EIA) in 1995 to head up their government relations office before coming to SFIA;.
Sells resides in Washington, D.C. and is the father of three boys (28, 26 & 22).