Community Open House — More like Community Welcoming Us

The housewarming is always hard to plan. Do we have everything in place? Are we ready to welcome the neighborhood?

March 25th was our community open house — five months after we officially moved into our new space. It took time to spread our 17,000 square feet of office materials into 29,000 square feet. We are probably the only company not downsizing in Akron, Ohio. We were busy until the last minute, putting artwork up on the walls, rearranging chairs around the place, and bringing out our red/white/blue tablecloths!!!

And, you know what… the community showed up! Between 2 pm and 7 pm, we had 200 people in our offices enjoying our delicious food from Waterloo Restaurant, taking tours of the office, looking at our great artwork, and just conversing with the staff.

It was a great time. After it was over, I received a text from Bill Considine, former president of Akron Children’s Hospital, and the most respected man in Akron.

“Congratulations on your open house and 30-year celebration!! Becky and I thoroughly enjoyed touring your new space, talking with members of your team, and joining people and friends from the community that joined in the celebration. You can take great pride in the organization you’ve developed.

~Onward. Bill C”

Now that is a big deal. Along with the fabulous proclamation received from Dr. Todd Diacon, president of Kent State University. FLASHES FOREVER.

The important part about the open house is everyone enjoyed themselves, ate plenty of food, and left with a swing in their step.

Thank you to everyone who has helped move us over the mountain and have faith in the work we do for your company.

I might not be so quick to decline office parties in the future. It is a great way to meet your neighbors.

Thank you.

Elizabeth Z. Bartz

I saw these two videos [below] last week at the National Governors Association meeting in DC… and, I have been thinking about it. How can I disagree differently this election year?

It’s a big deal in my household. My husband is a diehard Ohio State fan. I was born in Ann Arbor. My immediate family members still wear the maize and blue when the teams play together.

Truth be told, I don’t have a reason not to be an Ohio State fan but it does keep disagreements lively. Our daughter went to Ohio State Law School and I was talking to our grandson, James (or Jackpot as I affectionately call him) about Michigan’s beauty when he screamed out loud, “Mom, I want to go to Michigan!”

Okay, let’s get back to disagreeing differently. I heard from former Congressman J.C. Watts [right] at the State Government Affairs Council Leaders Policy Conference in November. He had a great comment. Maybe there would not be as much divisiveness if people watched more Andy Griffith than FOX News. I ran up to tell him after my sisters and I watch Andy Griffith with our father every night (I even saw the episode when Aunt Bee arrived.) We could go back to my household where my husband and I are of different political sides. I have not been nice about it. When President Obama won, I blocked FOX News from the main television. I hated hearing it blaring in the television when I returned home. I also did not remind him to vote on one Primary Election, but I felt guilty and told him 10 minutes before the polls closed. He did have time to speed to the local school and vote.

Most of the time we watch television on different floors during a presidential election year. I want to do it differently this year—especially after the ridiculous issues Ohio Secretary of State allowed on our 2023 ballots about changing the constitution and women’s reproductive health. Our daughter, Nicole, and I had old conversations with John about why both would severely affect women in the state. I was also afraid Nicole and her family would move to Colorado with her in-laws and I would NOT be happy—about the move, not the in-laws.

I will TRY the same thing this year. We need to get over the things we are both concerned with and that is the age of our candidates for president. At this point there is nothing we can do about it. Will I ever change his mind and vote for my candidate? Probably not. But maybe on November 5th, we can watch election coverage together.

It’s important we know why we want to vote for a specific candidate. Take the time to learn. There are so many ways than FOX or MSNBC. Read books, magazine articles, put it in your Open AI. Take the time because we have the time. Then VOTE.

Governor Mike Parson (R) Missouri and Governor Laura Kelly (D) Kansas

Governor Wes Moore (D) Maryland and Mayor Jack Coburn (R) Lonaconing, MD

Recently I promoted Amber Fish Linke from a Director position to Vice President. She earned the promotion.

Amber joined State and Federal Communications in March 2005 as one of our research associates. She took some time off that summer to take the Ohio Bar Exam, which she passed. Amber was part of our initial compliance associate team, where she joined two other staff members to spend all their time working with our compliance program.

She had worked in both departments, and it made sense to have her oversee both as Director and we were able to promote both John Cozine and Michael Beckett to oversee compliance and research, respectively.

Amber and I meet frequently to talk about business, especially our consulting program ALERTS. In 2023, while I was knee high in our move from 17,000 to 29,000 sq feet, I knew I had to promote Amber to Vice President to really help me with promoting our consulting program to our current subscribers who still need additional assistance, work with compliance and research departments to insure we have the staff on hand for the work, and to get involved in our community to develop leaders at the company.

I am not fast when making decisions, because I want to make sure I have everything in place. I was able to take the time in December and worked with Amber to develop a great job description for the position.

Voila! I have a new Vice President whom I know will be able to help speak with potential clients about consulting services and help develop our future leaders.

Stay tuned … We have a lot to do and will continue to be your #1 compliance company.

Thank you

EB

@elizabethbartz

When I decided to write about upcoming elections in 2024, the song from Band-Aid (1984) came to my mind, with my own words.

It’s Election time, there’s no need to be afraid

At Election time, we let in light, and we banish shade

According to my friend, ChatGPT, 32% of registered voters cast a ballot for US President in 2020, which was more than 2016. Okay, I checked it with a more solid source, the US Census Bureau and the numbers were about the same. There is more to know, and I personally resemble some of these points.

• Those 45 to 64.
• Those 65 and older.
• The non-Hispanic White population.
• Those with some college or an associate degree.
• Those with a bachelor’s degree or higher.

The highlight from a report from the US Census Bureau is the main reason registered nonvoters did not vote is they were not interested in the election. Those who are not even registered to vote cite the reason is they are not involved in politics.

And in our world of plenty we can spread a smile of joy

Throw your arms around the world at Election time

But say a prayer, Pray for the other ones

At Election time it’s hard, but when you’re having fun

Why does this concern me? We spend our whole year updating our website with election dates from the federal government, every state government, and municipalities. My blogs about Who Is Voting in America is a top post.

My New Year’s Resolution—other than losing weight and taking better care of myself—is to meet with all the college students I run into and give them one of our Keep US Strong buttons. It is important they realize the future depends on them to VOTE and to be involved.

In the two state representative districts in Akron and Kent, we have two young men running in 2024. It is their first run for office, and I hope they can speak to their contemporaries about registering and voting.

Let them know it’s Election time again.

On behalf of my staff at State and Federal Communications, we wish you a Happy New Year.

Our 2024 calendar is packed. We look forward to seeing you next year.

Do you want to stay up to date with the latest news at State and Federal Communications, inc.? Sign up for the newsletter here or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, or X.

Moving is not for the weak. After 21 years, State and Federal Communications moved to our new offices at 222 S. Main Street in downtown Akron. Yours truly was the only person on staff who never moved to a different office … so I had 21 years of stuff everywhere.

Most of it was moved over to our new office and I am slowly going through it. Slowly being the operative word here. For the first month of being in the office, I had only been in for six days because of travel. I am now completing my first full week in the office this very week … and I still have a lot to unpack. At least I know where all my pens are — the first three weeks I had two on my desk.

I do have to say the office is fabulous. We are all on the same floor and not in four different quadrants on two floors as we were before. We are all taking our steps in to greet and catch up with our colleagues.

It still is not all done … and I am not talking about just my office. There is artwork all over the place. We need to decide where it all goes. Some unidentified boxes are still lying around, which need to be opened and moved or pitched. And I really have no idea why a television is leaning up against a wall.

It really is all okay because we are all on one floor, the lights automatically turn on when we walk in the room, and the coffee machine is working and turning out some good joe.

This is the first of five major items off my to do list. Stay tuned for what is next.

Wishing you and yours a happy holiday season.

@elizabethbartz

I was a traditional student. You know I did what was expected of me. I graduated high school and went to college for a BA. Took a short-term job at an NPR station and realized if I needed to make a change, I needed more education. I obtained an MA and went to work thinking I knew it all.

But you know I didn’t. Statistics was not my favorite class in graduate school so when I moved to DC, I took a class at the Department of Agriculture so I could try on my own time to learn more about it. After all these decades I really do not use statistics.

Again, for decades I sat at my desk running the company. In 2009, I read about the Public Affairs Council’s PAC Institute and applied for the 2010 class. It was amazing. We did not spend our time talking about how a bill becomes law, how to lobby, or how to be a perfect employee.

From the Council’s website, step outside the day-to-day challenges of your job. Focus on the broader issues shaping the business and political environments in which your organization operates.

The Public Affairs Institute combines a rigorous curriculum with small, carefully selected classes to provide participants with unmatched opportunities to learn directly from premier faculty. Speakers are issue experts from leading universities, think tanks, and the top levels of government.

The Institute’s three-year course of study ensures graduates gain an in-depth understanding of the pivotal issues in public affairs today. You will be immersed in an exceptional educational and networking environment renowned for its innovation and excellence.

The Institute curriculum is developed for public affairs executives by public affairs executives. Topics are chosen based on input from previous graduates about the challenges that they and their organizations face.

In 2010, State and Federal Communications sent the following to Institute and in January 2023, Gamble Hayden will be part of the freshman class.

Elizabeth Bartz—Class of 2012

Ren Koozer—Class of 2016

Jean Cantrell—Class of 2013

Rebecca South—Class of 2019

Joseph May—Class of 2023

As you prepare for your professional development look at this awesome program. If you have any specific questions, please contact me. I love promoting the PAC Institute. #AlwaysLearning

Thank you.

Elizabeth Z. Bartz @elizabethbartz

Earlier this year, our business development department started a quest to find colleagues, friends, clients, and officials to give a brief comment about reaching our 30th anniversary. Have you seen these videos? You can find them on the State and Federal Communications website, www.stateandfed.com.

I did the first one and then every Wednesday at 2 pm, we introduce another great video. It started with Ohio Governor Michael DeWine, whom I have seen around conferences and other events in Ohio and DC.  Now, does he remember me? I don’t know but his video is very much appreciated.

As are all the others. We have had—so far.

• The Exquisite Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro
• Women in Government Relations President, Chatrane Birbal
• Owner of our fabulous Akron RubberDucks, Ken Babby
• The President of Girl Scouts of North East Ohio, Jane Christyson—who carries single-wrapped Girl Scout Cookies in her purse.
• The ever-calm Executive Director, Jeremy Lile, of Akron’s Heart to Heart Leadership
• My fellow Yiayia (Greek Grandmother) Para Jones who is also the President of Stark State College.
• Chief Executive Officer of National Conference of State Legislatures Tim Storey
• President and CEO of the Public Affairs Council Doug Pinkham—a fellow Ohioan from a long time ago.
• Current National Conference of State Legislatures President Brian Patrick Kennedy
• And from the first person I met at Kent State University in 1976, my BFF Judith Zimomra who has served the public without incident as the Chief of Staff for Cleveland Mayor Mike White and followed that up with a 20-year tenure as City Manager of Sanibel Island. She retired and moved BACK to Ohio and teaches at The Ohio State University John Glenn School of Public Affairs.

Can I tell you I have every opportunity to check the network and watch them all. I even get an email at the beginning of the week telling me who is being featured… And I still do not check it out. I am sure my husband would prefer I did that instead of spending my evenings on the Nordstrom and Talbot sites!!!

I absolutely love hearing from people who want to be a part of our 30th anniversary. I know there are more—in fact enough to even go into 2024. We are even waiting for Akron’s Presumptive Mayor Shammas Malik to be sworn in on January 1st to record his video.

What can I say? I am not perfect. There have been thousands of business decisions made that could have been better. However, I must be doing something right to still show up 30 years later to be a tax-paying Corporate Crusader for Compliance in Government Relations.

Check out the videos on our website or on Facebook, Twitter (X), or LinkedIn.

Thank you to everyone.

Elizabeth Z. Bartz  @elizabethbartz

If you asked who the top 12 companies who donate to United Way Summit Medina (UWSM), you would be shocked to know State and Federal Communications ranks #12 and we have 12 leaders at the company. We also have 100% participation!!!

We have been involved with United Way since 1998 and we have G R O W N every single year. Shortly after our program started, I offered to match the contributions made by the staff, which was directed to our own United Way agency…I still do that every single year. Now I know every company cannot do that, but we are blessed and grateful we can help the best we can.

I want to introduce you to United Way Summit Medina because it really has done amazing things, especially in the past eight years when James Mullen moved, with his family, from the Nashville United Way as our new President and CEO.

Last month we held Knight at the Civic which is when we start our new campaign. We watched Dan Polletta’s Uncharitable, which is an amazing film about nonprofits in our country.

What I really want to talk to you about is our Bold Goals, which we talk about to everyone.

Bold Goal #1—Ready for Success by helping 65% of Akron Public School third graders reading at or above grade level.

Bold Goal #2—Youth Success in College and Career Readiness and Youth Opportunities and Success. This includes 90% of Akron Public Schoolers graduating in four years, with 60% college/career ready. In addition, helping 60% of Akron youth employed or active in extracurriculars.

Bold Goal #3—Financial Empowerment. We are helping financially empower 11,000 people in Summit County and 2,500 people in Medina County.

Bold Goal #4—Health Equity by reducing the Black infant mortality rates in Summit County to 6 per 1,000 births.

We have already updated these goals since their creation and now the goal is to reach these by 2028.

I know so many folks in state government affairs are asked to oversee their company’s United Way Campaign. I am always looking at signs when I travel to see how others encourage participation. At State and Federal Communications, I use our American Express points to thank employees for their participation. (Do not worry, these premiums do not account for more than 30% of the pledge received (more than $500).

If you are interested, I am happy to send you a copy of the United Way Summit Medina report for 2022. Just drop me a line and make sure I have your address.

There is so much United Way does in your community. Find out how you can help your United Way.

If you are hanging around our website and digital media posts, you will see we are celebrating our 30th anniversary. This has certainly given us the opportunity to see how long we have been doing various things.

Our marketing team is starting a campaign to emphasize the work we do in Canada with our International Guide. More and more of our consulting clients are asking for assistance with Canadian compliance and I can see why after reviewing the entries.

The first thing I learned is we have covered Canada for 15 years, which is also hard to believe. We started with Canadian Federal compliance (like the US Federal compliance) then included all the provinces, followed by the territories.

If you think maneuvering Canada is easy…think again. In Toronto, a very popular territory, registrants must update their registrations within three (3) business days from the date of a communication with a public office holder about a registered subject matter. That will keep you on your toes!

Interested in learning more about our International Guidebook, give Joe Wasser a call at 202-465-3276, or email at jwasser@stateandfed.com. He will also be in our booth at NCSL.

We have a busy August with NCSL in Indianapolis, Indiana where we will be in Exhibit Booth 529 and CSG East in Toronto.  Plus, if you are looking for a session on Ethics at NCSL, I am joining colleagues in the industry on a session Wednesday, August 16th, at 1:45 pm, Ethics Dos and Don’ts, ICC, Level 2, Sagamore Ballroom.  Easy to remember because we are the warmup for NFL great Peyton Manning! See you there.

I am fortunate. I do remember 30 years ago when I signed my name on an agreement where I would pay my former employer more money than I ever thought I would have. It has been an unbelievable journey to where we are now.

I would have never believed I would have a GREAT staff of more than 40 people working in Akron, Ohio and Washington, DC. I would have never believed we would expand outside of the 50 states and the federal government to include cities, counties, and International countries. I would have never believed our fabulous clients would include top Fortune 500 companies along with the biggest and the brightest trade associations.

We have survived so much including a recession and the pandemic and with my senior team managed to get through them without ever laying off any staff member.

So, what is next? Our HUGE plan is to move our Akron office to larger quarters where we will all be on the same floor. Plans are in action, paint colors chosen, and carpets picked out and we will be there in mid-October. The photos include me signing the lease with Nola Werren, Esq. as our notary public along with my fabulous broker and realtor Patrick and Stephen Powers who were very patient with me. The other photo is in our new lobby with Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro and my new property owner George Sarkis from R&A Properties, LLC. It is definitely one of the nicest buildings in downtown Akron. Stay tuned…You will see our renovation photos during the summer.

More important, I thank our clients and colleagues for always counting on the staff for compliance services and the thousands of folks who subscribe to our website. It would not be the same without you.

Thank you. Here is to the future.

I have learned so much about the Girl Scouts, especially Girl Scouts of Northeast Ohio. The organization honored me as one of the Women of Distinction Honorees along with nine other women in the area.

Background of Girl Scouts

Juliette Gordon Low—also known by her nickname “Daisy”—started Girl Scouts in 1912 in her hometown of Savannah, Georgia. The first troop was made up of 18 girls who all shared a sense of curiosity and a belief they could do anything.

Think about it. In 1912, women in the United States could not yet vote and were expected to stick to strict social norms, encouraging girls to embrace their unique strengths and create their own opportunities was game-changing. That small gathering of girls, more than 100 years ago, ignited a movement across America where every girl could unlock her full potential, find lifelong friends, and make the world a better place.

Those Delicious Cookies

In 1917, Girl Scout Cookies were originally home baked by girl members with moms volunteering as technical advisers. The sale of cookies to finance troop activities began five years after Juliette Gordon Low started Girl Scouts in the United States. The Mistletoe Troop in Muskogee, Oklahoma, baked cookies and sold them in its high school cafeteria as a service project.

Throughout the next decade, Girl Scouts in different parts of the country continued to bake their own simple sugar cookies with their mothers and with help from the community. These cookies were packaged in wax paper bags, sealed with a sticker, and sold door-to-door for 25 to 35 cents per dozen.

We know now the prices are $5 a box and there are more varieties than the three offered in the 1930s. I forgot they are all kosher. A few years ago, I made the decision to buy Girl Scout cookies. This year I purchased a record 1,032 boxes from 86 Scouts from around the country. I put the word out on Facebook and moms (mostly) send me a link to order. Since I personally buy them the first year I had them delivered to my house, but that took up most of the foyer. The following years, I just took the time to use separate “bill to” and “deliver to” addresses.

The Scouts I support have slipped in thank you cards in the boxes, and I always feel a little closer to them. I love the badge they earned for participating in this project and I must admit John Chames, my husband, buys his own stash when he sees them at the grocery store. [He doesn’t get the cookies I buy.]

This year I have donated ALL the cookies to the Good Samaritans Food Bank program at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Akron. Good Samaritans provides food to those in our community who are unable to feed their families. Cookies are a great treat to those who truly must watch how money is spent.

I cannot put this much time to multiple service groups. I am proud of this service project that I do for our Scouts. I call these Scouts “future interns” at State and Federal Communications. Starting girls early with the Girl Scouts is a great leadership program. It helped many women we know—Senator Hillary Clinton, Taylor Swift, Mariah Carey, and Venus Williams to name just some.

Until next month think how you can be a great part of your community and in 2024 when you see the Girl Scouts at various plazas, please know your $5 contribution helps them with their leadership badge.

People talk about Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR as we refer to it at State and Federal Communications. But is it a line item in your company’s business plan and budget or just something on your TO-DO list, transferred from one week to the next?

In 2017, we had the opportunity to bring Joe May back from a brief hiatus to head up our CSR department. We have always been incredibly involved in our community, industry, and with our clients but it was not organized. Joe keeps track of everything we are involved in and has a boatload of examples to share in our CSR annual report.

The 2022 Annual Report is in production and will be available soon on our website—www.stateandfed.com.

We always hear a successful CSR program begins at the top…and at State and Federal Communications, which is me. As time and travel permit, you will see me with the team at Read to Me Day from the United Way of Summit and Medina; I order Girl Scout cookies from every scout who asks; and we have provided time off for these activities during the regular
day of business.

Check out the past and current reports on our website, www.stateandfed.com. You will see the staff out and about at Day of Action events; food distribution held monthly; and even working the polls on Election Day.

CSR is part of our culture. CSR is what we do to help others less fortunate. Our CSR programs are recognized by other businesses, our local county government, and definitely by the groups we support.

Start your CSR program today. It truly is a wonderful way to give back, extend a hand up to help others.

Until next month, how will you help your community in the next 31 days. Share your story with us. I am going to chair the United Way campaign in our community and will
have lots of examples of giving back and helping others.

How many know the International Soap Box Derby is in Akron, Ohio? That is right, the big hill is right here and that is where we found Mark Gerberich, who up until the end of February was its president.

That changed on March 6th when Mark walked in the State and Federal Communications, Inc. office as our new Director of Business Development.

You all know I know a lot of people…Well, Mark knows tons more people—here in Akron and around the country.

He is here to help our sales and marketing departments soar to infinity and beyond. His key abilities include being an experienced sales manager with a track record of driving sales and delivering results along with developing national/key accounts.

While Mark was at the Derby, it was able to return to financial and operational stability, navigated the uncertainty and challenges of the pandemic, recruited new members of the Board of Directors and its committees, and maintained a dedicated and mission-driven staff and volunteer base within the Derby DTEM-based education program and offerings.

This is great for me. While Mark is working with the sales and marketing departments, I will have my own plate very full. I have five huge projects on my list to finish in the next three to four years and still continue to run this fabulous company.

There is a lot to do and having Mark Gerberich in a senior position will help move things along. He will join me at upcoming programs. You will see he is a proven leader of experience in sales, marketing, promotions, and television.

Stay tuned. There will be a lot of new things happening at State and Federal Communications.

We rarely send surveys to our clients. There are so many times people send suggestions that I just do not think about it.

In 2022, we did send out a survey to all our subscription clients. These are the people who use stateandfed.com the most. It was a simple five question survey, and all responders received a $10 Starbucks gift card.

We were impressed 95% of the responders indicated they were expert in using their computer to do research and only a few responders found the site a little difficult to use.

What we were able to find out is many of you want SUBTOPICS. I do, too!

I find it difficult to open Registration in a jurisdiction and scroll to the end to find the research for fees and filing terminations.

It doesn’t have to be that way anymore!!!!!!!! (I now feel like I am in a Ronco commercial!)

You will now find SUBTOPICS for Registration and Reports Required. This means you can quickly go to the info you want.

• Is Registration Required
• Local Lobbying
• Who Must Register
• What Information Must be Included?
• When is Registration Required
• Registration Threshold
• Term of Registration
• Is Special Authorization Needed From Employer
• With Whom Does the Lobbyist Register
• Amount of Fee
• Required Training
• Additional Requirements
• Electronic Registration
• Amendments
• Registration Termination

Check it out! It will save a lot of time when you know what you need to find.

Still need assistance on how this new feature works. Our Client Relations Coordinator Anthony Didion is happy to give you a quick tour. You can contact him at adidion@stateandfed.com or
call him at 330-761-9960.

Thank you for bringing up such a great suggestion. And don’t wait until we send a survey.
Feel free to contact us with your suggestions.