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

Attention all political science nerds and government relations geeks. State and Federal Communications has posted the State of the State Addresses from the Governors of the United States on its website. It is available to all of our clients on your dashboard.

This was a great idea from our new Senior Advisor Jean Cantrell at a department meeting. With Vice President Ren Koozer’s IT skills and Associate Director for Research, Michael Beckett, Esq. and his amazing team, the whole project was put together in no time and on our website.

Not every governor has given his/her State of the State Address and we will continue to update the site by providing a link to either the distributed Address or a link to the video of the Address being given.

I like having something interesting to do and this is perfect. [Truth be told, I have also spent time in the evening looking at candidate campaign finance reports and seeing if I notice irregularities.] This is a great opportunity when I am at the Public Affairs Council PAC Conference to catch up on what is going on in our country.

I would love to hear from you about this new addition. Please note this is only available to subscribers to our Guidebooks and to all our consulting clients. If that piques your interest, give me a call to discuss our services.

Next month I will discuss the #1 blog post at the company!! Stay tuned.

I am so happy to report we have a new staff person on board. Jean Cantrell has joined us, in a part time capacity, as a Senior Advisor. Jean has served in many senior government relations roles and brings more than 38 years of experience to State and Federal Communications, Inc.

Jean brings a wealth of experience and expertise in government affairs and building relationships. We are so excited she is joining our team.

She will work directly with me to explore business development and new growth opportunities. Opportunities include thought leadership, new stakeholder engagement, market assessment, and new and emerging industry potential.

At a recent meeting with the staff Jean said, “I’m looking forward to working with Elizabeth and the great staff at State and Federal Communications. I know we can build upon the great work that has already been done as the company continues to grow.”

Previously with Dun & Bradstreet, Circuit City, EDS, and Phillips/Signify, Jean most recently completed a two-year assignment with the Commission on Presidential Debates, the nonprofit organization who sponsors and produces the quadrennial general election presidential debates.

Jean is a past president of The Washington Area State Relations Group (WASRG) and the State Government Affairs Council (SGAC).  Other leadership positions include National Conference of State Legislatures Foundation Vice President, US Conference of Mayors Business Council co-chair, and Public Affairs Council board member. As an Issue expert on leadership and mentoring, Jean is a sought-after speaker at trade association and industry forums.

Originally from Oklahoma, Jean graduated from Oklahoma City University with Bachelor of Music and Master of Performing Arts degrees. She earned a Washington Representative certificate from George Washington University, is a graduate of Rutgers University State Government Relations Institute and the Public Affairs Council Institute. In December 2019, Jean received a Graduate Certificate in Arts Administration from the University of Connecticut.

You will see Jean join me out and about to conferences and meetings. In the meantime, do not hesitate to reach out to her at jcantrell@stateandfed.com.

I am pleased to share the news State and Federal Communications has acquired the lobbying compliance reporting business of MER Consulting Services, LLC, from its owner and founder, Mary Roche.

MER has been a fixture in Massachusetts lobbying compliance reporting and consulting, having served local organizations and leading companies in the state since 2001. She has had a very successful career in this field.

This move allows Mary to wind down her career, while ensuring a solid transition for her clients to continue receiving professional and thorough political reporting and lobbying consulting services, plus additional support from our larger research and compliance staffs.

Mary will stay on with State and Federal Communications as a consultant in the year ahead as the transition takes place to ensure clients’ reporting needs are adequately served.

I personally am enthused about this development! It will allow State and Federal Communications to continue to grow our business by doing what we do best…providing top-tier and trusted political compliance services. It is a positive endorsement Mary has put her faith in our capabilities to take care of the lobbying compliance reporting needs of her Massachusetts clients.

For the full story, please read the media press release announcement.

One of the best things about having Gamble Hayden on our staff is she gets out there to learn. This year she is the chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee for Women in Government Relations (WGR). And there is no better place to spread the word than with her employer, State and Federal Communications.

We made the decision to create a committee to address DEI, create a mission statement, and hire a consultant to create a culture of change, not just have a “one and done” event.  Our committee developed the mission statement before and shared it with the entire staff.

State and Federal Communications, Inc. strongly supports and strives for greater diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) amongst its staff.  We value different perspectives and strongly believe that these viewpoints not only greatly improve our client relationships, but also society at large.

The entire staff at State and Federal Communications, Inc. work to create, implement, and sustain a culture of DEI by incorporating DEI practices into the company’s leadership activity, dialogue, hiring, policies, and communications. State and Federal Communications, Inc. always strives to ensure its staff and clients are encouraged and supported regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or family responsibilities.

We recognized the need to grow in this area and create a safe and honest space for DEI conversation and learning. WGR’s DEI 2020 Summit included books, articles, podcasts, movies, and documentaries, which helped us prepare a variety of options.

Then we connected with Jeremy Lile, executive director of Heart-to-Heart (H2H) Communications, who works with the Akron community to cultivate purpose-driven, values-based, and community-minded leadership. For more than 30 years H2H has inspired and developed the heart of leaders to lead and the capacity to build strong relationships.

H2H is helping us discover and develop our strengths and culture. It provides a leadership training pathway to discover and develop the characteristics and strengths, which enable individuals to follow a higher calling to include organizational and community life, bringing along the staff of State and Federal Communications to also experience greater impact.

Follow our program. We will blog about it regularly on www.lobbycomply.com and post it on our website. Our goal is not to just bring this to our staff but also to our State and Federal Communications Community.

I walk the walk and talk the talk. It starts at the top. People will not follow if the belief is not two ways. Join us.

Last week, State and Federal Communications received the bronze award from the Healthy Business Council of Ohio (HBCO). In fact, it is the second year we have won this award. This is great since we have only had a formal wellness program for two years. The HBCO requested a photo of us with our plaque so I joined HR Generalist Anastasia Drescher and Director of HR Beth Mullen for our “Charlie’s Angels” photo.

Why is this important? Because I finally got it stuck in my head, I had to do something. I have been around for a long time and many might remember when I weighed 52 pounds more than I do today. In fact, I am finally down to my 1997 wedding weight, which is great, and NO I have not pulled out the dress to try it on!!

This did not happen easily.  It is something I have worked hard to do. It did help when we were told we were going to be grandparents.
I knew I wanted to be an active grandparent.

So, I did three things:

1. Went back to WW,
2. Hired personal trainer and started yoga, and
3. Self-care.

WW—Let me make this clear:  I have been a WW member for a long time, but I took it more seriously in the last year and have lost almost 25 pounds since the pandemic. The program is easy to use with my iPhone and there are a variety of program choices.

Personal Training and Yoga—When we received the baby news in December 2018, it came with a yoga mat as my Christmas gift. I had just started Yoga Nidra and was using the studio’s mats. Even before COVID it was not a great idea. I attend a weekly program, Relax and Restore, to prepare for my busy weeks.  This is a program that deals with stretching and breathing. My legs and back stay on the floor. I also have personal trainer and meet with her twice a week for 45 minutes training with weights along with rowing, using the tread mill, and stretching so I can easily pick up my 25-pound grandson.

Self-Care—Last but not least, self-care is important. Though I do keep track daily of my weight, my sugar levels, oral care, flossing with my new Waterpik sonic-fusion flossing toothbrush (my Christmas gift to myself).  I also listen to the Calm App and read for 20 minutes. I am reminding you how important it is to have a PCP—primary care physician—and see the physician at least once a year. Now, at my age, my physician wants to see me twice a year. I also make sure I see my dentist twice a year—which is free with our dental insurance. There are other parts of our bodies we need to take care of, and I make sure those are done, too. At my age, I have had two colonoscopies, as caring for all parts of the body and preventative care is important. My suggestion is to schedule it for a Monday morning so you can drink the pre-procedure fluids on Sunday when you are home.  You will know what I am talking about the first time you schedule it. Plus, as we learned in our 2020 Wellness Program, sleep is important.  Where I used to settle for five hours a sleep, I have increased it to seven or eight hours a night.

I know I am not a model wellness person, but I am not done. As I persevere, I urge you to take the time to fit in planning for meal preparation in your house. We organize our plan every Friday night.  What else are we doing these days? Many people have treadmills in their home. Recently, John Chames put our treadmill in front of the family room television.  This is a great decision because we can be on it while watching the news or watching John’s favorite show, American Pickers.

Remember, you only have one body, take care of it.