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.

Are you a member of the Public Affairs Council? I joined the PAC’s Membership Committee, headed up by Greg Crist from AdvaMed and, in all honesty, was shocked at the companies who are not members.

Consider this column your invitation to join.

As a busy public affairs executive, you have a lot to manage – issues, priorities, expectations, staff – while remaining abreast of political and economic trends which affect your business.  The Public Affairs Council is always there to help by providing the education, expertise, and a professional community you and your colleagues need to meet your goals. Though its diverse membership of more than 700 companies, associations, advocacy organizations, and consulting firms do not always agree on the issues, they are united by a desire for ideas that work.  They help them achieve success through:

• Free, individualized counsel and advice. Need help with strategic planning, measuring the impact of your work, engaging your CEO, or getting a new hire up to speed?  The staff experts in Washington and Brussels can answer these questions and more.
• Research and information sharing. Want to know how your program stacks up against your competitors?  Looking for data to help you justify additional staff or budget?  Curious to see how other companies structure their departments?  It has hundreds of resources, including benchmarking and trend studies, and sample materials from org charts to social media policies.
• More than 100 training events each year (have you seen our company calendar?)– from multi-day conferences to concise and focused teleconferences – on a variety of topics and for everyone from entry-level to seasoned veterans.  Members receive discounted or free registration to all Council events, plus all policy issue and best practice webinars are included with the membership.
• Connections to more than 10,000 individual members who understand your challenges and share your drive for results.

Yes, there are others, but only the Public Affairs Council offers expertise in lobbying, corporate social responsibility, issues management in addition to PACs, international markets, digital advocacy, corporate communications, and everything in between.  One annual membership fee gives you – and every employee of your company – access to a host of valuable benefits.

Simply put, the Council offers an excellent return on your investment. You can learn more on the Council’s website, at www.pac.org.

Connect with Doug Pinkham, dpinkham@pac.org, and he will give you more specifics on the benefits of membership…and pick up the cost of a cup of coffee.

The Public Affairs Council was the first association I was introduced to when I joined State and Federal Associates in 1983 and the first association I joined when I bought my department and started State and Federal Communications almost 30 years ago. I never think about whether it is worth it…because it always is!

I know we all say how hard it is to believe it is going to be 2023 and how fast the days and months go by now…It is true. Don’t you think when you were in high school it took forever to finally graduate? The years now just zip by us.

2023 is going to be an amazing year for State and Federal Communications.

1. Our staff is so experienced on the work we do and help our clients each day.
2. By Q4, our Akron headquarters will move into new space where we are all together on one floor making discussions, collaborations, and esprit de corps easier.
3. Oh, and we will celebrate our 30th anniversary in July.

It’s that last one that is hard to believe. I know I am not the only one in the country with this tenure. I am so proud of the company this whole team has built and how successful we are for their families and for our community. “You are everywhere” is a common comment when folks see us sponsor events, step up to serve on committees, and just be great community ambassadors both in Akron and in DC.

So, what can you expect from us in 2023.

1. A more robust website where we provide additional tabs making it easier to get to your needed information.
2. There will be additional entries added to our International guidebook and by the end of the year we will have covered ALL known international-level lobbying laws.
3. Opportunities for people to join our team. Really, we are looking for folks to assist with research and compliance so if you are interested contact hr@stateandfed.com for more information.

As I prepare for a New Year, I am cleaning off my desk, preparing new files, looking forward to what the year will hold, and most important, seeing our friends at conferences and meetings all year long.

I am always looking for great folks to add to our State and Federal Communications community. I recently was aware that Joe Wasser was looking for a new opportunity. Joe has more than 24 years of business development experience in the government relations and PAC industry. So I picked up the phone and called him.

Joe joined State and Federal Communications, Inc. in October as our new Senior Account Manager. He brings a wealth of experience and expertise in government relations and building relationships. I am thrilled he is on our team.

Prior to joining State and Federal Communications, Joe was one of the first employees of Capitol Hill Software which became Vocus before it was acquired by Cision. Joe was one of the most instrumental people in building the Vocus client base starting in 1997.

“I’m excited to work with my longtime friend Elizabeth and the team at State and Federal Communications,” said Wasser. “I know we can build upon the great work that has already been done and help the company grow.”

Joe will explore business development and new growth opportunities for State and Federal Communications including market assessment, and new and emerging industry potential.
When Joe started with Capitol Hill Software and Vocus, the products were sold as physical diskettes that were sent to clients. Similarly, State and Federal Communications sent out binders and guidebooks to clients and would regularly supplement them with additional pages.

While State and Federal Communications was modernizing the process of making compliance web-based, Joe and the Vocus teamwere doing the same thing to create one of the most widely used web-based filing tools for federal PACs. His experience adds great value to State and Federal Communications.

A life-long Maryland Terrapin, Joe is a big fan of Washington D.C. sports particularly the Washington Nationals. However, after getting a taste of a winning culture in the Cleveland Guardians, he has adopted the Guardians as a fan too.

Joe and his wife Suzanne live on the eastern shore of Maryland. They have two adult children and are delighted to be welcoming their first grandchild in January 2023.

If Joe knows you, he will be in contact with you. He is as much an extrovert as me and I already know he will be a great addition.

On behalf of the State and Federal Communications Family, we wish you and yours Happy Holidays and look forward to a busy 2023 in the states, federal government, municipalities, and international countries.

It was bound to end sooner or later … All those Zoom conferences ending and people meeting again in person. We already have 55 meetings on the calendar for 2023. 55 and if you do the math there are a few which will overlap.

The best part is I have a great staff to help attend these programs. This was particularly important because I was truly planning to fly between Women in Government in Orlando and National Association of Business PAC at The Breakers the very same week in November. That changed immediately when we brought on Joe Wasser, formerly with Cision, and he was a regular at the NABPAC conference. So, I will miss the beautiful Breakers but I will not have to fly back and forth, which really sounded ridiculous.

People ask why I travel so much. It is easy. More than half of my life is in Akron, Ohio and I can count on one hand the number of clients we have in this city. The choices were to either step up to the plate and attend the conferences with clients—and prospective clients—attending; or get a kiosk at Washington National Airport (DCA) and just live there.

Back to 2023, our schedule of conferences and events is updated on our website. Many folks ask us about specific conferences and those of us who attend are knowledgeable as to how working with stakeholders is important for the work we do at State and Federal Communications, Inc.

So, watch out 2023, I still do not pack efficiently, but I am always available and ready to see you out and about…Along with many of my team members.

On behalf of State and Federal Communications, we wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and look forward to connecting with you in December.

I met Nathan Gonzales several years ago when he spoke at a Public Affairs Council conference. I am a political geek and could listen to him for a long time. In 2020, State and Federal Communications subscribed to his Inside Elections with Nathan Gonzales and started sending it to our clients. I have received a number of comments from our clients about the information he provides on federal House and Senate races along with up is going on with State Gubernatorial races.

Nathan will address the State and Federal Community at 3 pm EST on Thursday October 6th. He will be in Chicago and I will be in Ohio but with the magic of Zoom, we will have a fabulous conversation well before early voting starts in several states. We have all read Inside Elections but let’s look behind the scenes and learn more about Nathan Gonzales.

He is exclusively represented by Leading Authorities speakers bureau, and is full of enthusiasm, and thought-provoking insights about politics. His recall of facts and figures is incredible, and he is natural, energetic, and engaging on stage. Nathan interviews nearly all the candidates personally – from congressional and gubernatorial to state races, and using poll numbers, economic data, historical information, trends, demographics, interviews, and entertaining stories and analogies, he analyzes the current political environment, shares what you need to know about the races you didn’t even know about and performs an election “autopsy” on the latest races, projecting what the results mean for you. In presentations, he takes a “descriptive” rather than “prescriptive” approach to the politics of the day, saying Inside Elections describes what is happening in the world of politics to project the results.

On Election Night 2016, Nathan was an on-air analyst for Newshour on PBS after working as an off-air consultant for ABC News on their Election Night Decision Desk for 14 years. Previously, he was an editor, analyst, and writer for The Rothenberg Political Report for more than 13 years before taking over the company in 2015. Additionally, he worked for CNN as a political analyst and as an associate producer for Capital Gang.

Gonzales has appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press and NBC Nightly News, C-SPAN’s Washington Journal, NPR’s All Things Considered, Fox News Channel, and MSNBC, and has been quoted in The New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. His work has also appeared on FiveThirtyEight, NBCLatino.com, and in Campaigns & Elections magazine. Wait, Campaigns & Elections? That’s where I cut my editing chops when I moved to DC in 1982.

Gonzales grew up in Oregon, earned his Master of Arts from The George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management (Washington, DC) and his Bachelor of Arts from Vanguard University (Costa Mesa, California). He arrived in Washington, D.C. as an intern in the White House Press Office and now lives in the city with his wife and four children.

Thank you.
EB

Everything I know about podcasts, I learned from Eric Nuzum’s book Make Noise.

Eric is a friend I met when he worked at WKSU, once the NPR station at Kent State University. He has done a lot of podcasts and original programming for NPR and Audible. Now, he is co-founder of Magnificent Noise, a podcast and creative consulting company in New York City.

State and Federal Communications held a reception for Eric shortly after the publication of Make Noise, and before the pandemic halted all in-person events for the better part of two years. Since then, I kept saying to my team “I wanted a podcast.” It really isn’t as easy as that, but we finally have created LobbyComply Pod, which will begin September 7, 2022.

Why a podcast?

Because State and Federal Communications has things to say, and we want to be heard in the government affairs community.

Because we track thousands of legislative bills every year and many do not see the light of day and we want the government affairs community to hear the news so they can be compliant.

Because we work with corporations and trade associations who WANT to comply with the laws, and we want to be the one who is telling them what is going on in the states, municipalities, federal government, Canada, and European Union.

This will not be the Rosetta Stone of podcasts. Our programs will be three (3) minutes long. Long enough for you to sit back and relax with a cup of coffee.

We will make noise, but you will see, we will tell you things you do not know. We are not recreating Schoolhouse Rock.

The inaugural podcast is from me with an introduction for our program. If you like them, let me know…If you don’t like them, let me know. If you have a suggestion for a podcast, let me know. We are ready to send State and Federal tchotchke to those of you who communicate with us about our podcast. We aren’t paying you to do it…we just have a closet of branded items and this is part of downsizing and not having to rent storage.

In the meantime, the summer months are ending, and Labor Day has always been the start of school—back in the day when we started after Labor Day. Always a time for fresh and new beginnings…such as introducing LobbyComply Pod.

If you pick up Eric Nuzum’s book, Make Noise, send him a tweet at @ericnuzum and tell him @elizabethbartz sent you.

Thank you.
Elizabeth Z. Bartz, @elizabethbartz

Good morning, Denver. The State and Federal Communications team flew to town yesterday and today we are setting up our booth.

In fact, this is our 22nd year at NCSL…Would have been 23 had it not been for the pandemic. It is interesting how things have changed in the 22 years we have been at the conference.

State and Federal Communications considers the NCSL Legislative Summit as our #1 trade show to attend and we make sure our booth is inviting for our clients, and prospective clients, and friends. There really isn’t another conference like it. I am so impressed how bipartisan the programs are how well both parties work together for the states.

This year’s team includes Jean Cantrell, Rebecca South, Gamble Hayden, Jon Spontarelli, Anthony Didion along with my husband, John Chames, to build up our booth, attend sessions, welcome guests to our booth, catching up with our government relations friends from Washington State Relations Group (WASRG) and State Government Relations Group (SGAC), and attend a number of evening receptions.

Years ago…okay decades ago…State and Federal Communications also joined the NCSL Foundation and that has instrumental in meeting so many others not only in government affairs but also state legislators from all over the country.

It really isn’t too late to fly to Denver and register for the great programs, which include Kevin O’Leary—Mr. Wonderful—from Shark Tank along with Charlie Cook widely regarded as one of the nation’s leading authorities on U.S. elections and political trends. And if you are already in Denver stop by Booth 428 and we will “stateandfederalize” you.

Thank you.
Elizabeth Z. Bartz, @elizabethbartz

July 1, 2022 is the 29th anniversary of State and Federal Communications, Inc. Yes, 29 years!

I wanted to see the percentage of small businesses who are still around for 29 years. What is the average age of small business CEOs? What percentage of businesses succeed?

Let me just say we have outlasted the percentages. Most research talks about businesses around for only five years. I am far older than the average 44-year-old small business owner. Do you know 70% of small businesses fail after 10 years.

Enough of all that bad news.

The team at State and Federal Communications works together for our clients. That is the most important part of the work we do. We understand each of our clients have different needs and we work with them to help with compliance. Our website has grown and grown because we listen when our clients want additional reference information, want additional municipalities included, and adding additional countries to our growing International Guidebook.

There is a lot we need to do for the future. I am not getting any younger and I want to protect our work and our staff. So, what are we doing?

We are working together to find a new home in Akron when our lease expires in 2024 to be more efficient for the way we operate.

Our senior team will begin the EOS—Entrepreneurial Operating System—which integrates a complete set of simple tools and process to produce powerful business results.

And the largest is to plan to integrate an ESOP—employer stock ownership plan—which gives the staff ownership interest in the company.

There is a lot we need to do even before we start these programs…And we are up to the challenge. If there is something you would like to see us do, please reach out. We are open to your ideas.

Stay tuned…We will have a lot to share.

In the meantime, enjoy your summer. Please continue to be safe and protect yourself from COVID. #MaskUp

Do you know my friend Governor Tom Ridge? Of course, you do. He was this country’s first Secretary of Homeland Security after the September 11^th attacks.

He was appointed by President George W Bush days after the attacks to head up the new department. This required Governor Ridge to step down as Pennsylvania’s governor. He was not a cabinet-level official until 2003…and he went right to work. Ridge developed a program of antiterrorist training, preventive technologies, and emergency responses. In addition, he was tasked with coordinating activities of some 46 different state and federal agencies related to his chain of command. In 2002 he unveiled a new color-coded system for assessing the risk of a terrorist attack.

We met him about 10 years ago when Ridge Policy Group started and we were retained to assist his team with lobbying compliance. We have worked close with his staff in ensure all state and federal reports are accurate for their clients.

On May 14, 2022, Governor Ridge was the 37^th recipient of the William Oliver Baker Medal of Achievement in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to the national and homeland security of the United States. John Chames and I attended this beautiful event where he was recognized for his strong and resolute leadership in providing us all safer skies, ports and points of entry to the United States, more secure critical infrastructure, and enhanced cooperation between public and private sectors.

In 2020, State and Federal Communications moved its DC office and now we share our space with Ridge Global and Ridge Policy Group and the fine people Governor Ridge has on his staff. He is a great suitemate and we are honored he trusted us to be in his space.

We all have great friends in this industry…Take the time to let them know.

Thank you.

EB
@elizabethbartz

I had an opportunity a few years ago and I took it. State and Federal Communications had the opportunity to have Joe May oversee our Corporate Social Responsibility. He already had started our social media program and helped us with client analytics, and it was time to consider how else he could help the company.

Joe always loved how involved we were in the community, and we worked on a great job description where he headed up our new Corporate Social Responsibility. He would find organizations looking for an extra hand and coordinated a group of staff to help. We all realized how much we have been involved in community, state, and even national.

We have now published our fifth CSR annual report, which provides you with the timeline of how long State and Federal Communications has been a part of many national and local organizations. Plus, it includes the current staff who go out of their way to help organizations around them.

It is not easy to do. It takes a lot of organization. And, it takes a commitment from everyone at State and Federal Communications.

As our 2021 Annual Report states, “We care about our work. We care about our community. We care about diversity, equity, and inclusion. Doing the right thing is just good business… and we’re not done yet!”

Let me know if you are interested in hearing what our plans are for 2022. We are happy to set up a webinar to help others jump on the CSR bandwagon.

Thank you.

EB
@elizabethbartz

[From May 2022 Compliance Now]

Every week we discuss the articles from lobbycomply.com and see which ones are opened the most often. No question about it, Ask the Experts—Employee Personal Political Contributions is the #1 blog post…Every single week.

The question is easy—”Before I can make a political contribution using my own funds, my employer requires that I obtain permission first.  Can my employer legally do this?”

As is the answer—Yes.

Employers may require employees to seek preapproval before making personal political contributions. Not only can your employer require this, but it’s also smart business to do so. Employers may even require preapproval from family members of employees.

This preapproval requirement has evolved because of the increased number of jurisdictions enacting pay-to-play laws. A seemingly innocuous contribution by an employee could result in the loss of government contracts, fines, and a ban on future contracting. Criminal sanctions may apply when repeated violations occur. By requiring pre-approval, your employer can properly vet the contribution for compliance with a jurisdiction’s pay-to-play law, including disclosure requirements.

In most jurisdictions, employees covered by pay-to-play laws include officers, partners, directors, senior management, salespersons, and their spouses and dependent children. In Pennsylvania and Kentucky, all employees are covered in the instance of a no-bid contract.

Requiring preclearance of employee personal political contributions is certainly preferable than imposing a ban on employee contributions, which could result in a violation of applicable labor laws. Various jurisdictions bar employers from retaliating against employees for engaging in political activities, which can include everything from participating in a political rally to making campaign contributions. Even though an employer can require preapproval, an employer cannot directly or indirectly affect an individual’s employment by means of discrimination or threat of discrimination based on the individual’s personal political contributions.

We have a busy election year ahead of us…and it continues until November 2024. Protect the company and ask before making political contributions. As I always say, this is not an issue where you can ask for forgiveness first…Obtain permission before proceeding.      I suggest you always plan your contributions before saying YES to the candidates calling and sending invitations. Make sure you do not exceed the limitation in the jurisdiction.

If you have questions about this, give me a call. I have a detailed Excel chart detailing my contributions so I know how much I have given per election. In fact, Nola Werren on my staff has that spreadsheet because she will let me know if I am exceeding the limit…I think my husband, John Chames, would do the same, but definitely in a louder tone!!!!!

Thank you.

EB
@ elizabethbartz