Three weeks after taking the helm of the National Federation of Independent Business, President and Chief Executive Officer Dan Danner has named his replacement to run the trade group’s public policy operation and 501(c)(3) foundations.

Longtime NFIB lobbyist Susan Eckerly will be the small-business group’s chief lobbyist and senior vice president of public policy.

Brad Close, director of federal public policy on the House side, has also been promoted to vice president of public policy.

Eckerly’s promotion follows the departure a month ago of Todd Stottlemyer, the trade group’s president and chief executive officer for the past three years, who left to return to the private sector.

In her new role as NFIB’s top lobbyist, Eckerly will oversee NFIB’s tax and health care policy team, political and development departments, and the NFIB’s three 501(c)(3) organizations, the Small Business Legal Center, Research Foundation and the Young Entrepreneur Foundation.

Prior to joining NFIB in 1996, Eckerly was director of regulatory policy for Citizens for a Sound Economy.

Close will head NFIB’s federal lobbying team as well as the positions of legislative affairs and legislative services.