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

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.