I recently learned that in the month of June, the 18th is designated as International Day for Countering Hate Speech. Officially established by the United Nations General Assembly via Resolution A/RES/75/309 in 2021, the first observance of this day occurred the following year in 2022 and was established to raise awareness about the dangers of hate speech to, “…human rights, democracy, and the rule of law” (daysoftheyear.com).

Given the state of the world today, how fitting it is for me to learn about this day now! As someone who is a lover and studier of words, I, myself, am very cognizant of how I verbally show up, not only in person, but online as well. We all recognize that words matter – and they can hurt! Let us take a moment to turn down the temperature in our rhetoric and strive to do as much as we can to contribute to democracy and a civil society.

In order to observe International Day for Countering Hate Speech, the United Nations “invites governments, international organizations, civil society groups, and individuals to hold events and initiatives promoting strategies to identify, address and counter hate speech.” Below are some ideas from daysoftheyear.com that can help promote this effort:

•      Educate yourself and others

•      Participate in workshops

•      Support affected individuals

•      Promote positive speech online

•      Engage in public discussions

•      Report hate speech

•      Create awareness materials

•      Join global movements

Hate speech can be deadly! Let’s all do our part to help spread love, positivity, and encouragement – one word at a time!

Every June, the United Nations leads the world in celebrating World Environment Day. People from more than 150 countries participate and coordinate events every year. At State and Federal Communications, Inc., we want to do our part to protect the environment. In our efforts, we focus recycling and sustainability, as well as supporting community partners in their sustainability efforts.

Recycling and sustainability:

We focus on four areas of recycling: single-use packaging, paper and cardboard, electronic waste, and fluorescent bulbs.

In 2017, we started working with the city of Akron and Downtown Akron Partnership as part of their single-stream recycling program. This makes it much easier to recycle single-use containers, like plastic bottles and aluminum cans, and boxes to prevent them from going to landfills. We have also worked with Weaver Industries, based in Akron, for their SecurShred services to shred, then recycle, all business paper. Additionally, the city of Akron collects flattened cardboard and processes it at a local facility.

Because electronic waste and fluorescent bulbs are toxic when buried in landfills, our policy is to upgrade all failed fluorescent bulbs or fixtures to LED. We also recycle all e-waste (computers, monitors, cables, batteries, and small electronic items) at a facility in Hudson, Ohio, who handles and disposes of them properly.

In 2023, we recycled:

• 1,141 lbs. (.571 tons) of e-waste
• 6,233 lbs. (3.117 tons) of paper
• 48 lbs. of fluorescent bulbs

This resulted in a total of 7,411 lbs. (3.711 tons) of materials recycled.

Community partnerships:

We’d be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge that access to environmentally sustainable options is not equitable and the results of environmental injustices harming communities not only in our own city, but all over the world.

Through our Corporate Social Responsibility and DEI efforts, we support organizations that are working to bridge these gaps.

We began working with the Akron Zoo in September 2019. By bringing aluminum cans to the Akron Zoo’s collection center, they can recycle them and send the money to the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, which helps plant trees in the Brazilian rainforest. In 2023 alone, we collected 3,443 cans, resulting in 68 trees planted in the Brazilian rainforest.

We have also been long-time supporters of the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, which plays a critical role in local sustainability. Through a variety of programs, they rescue food that would otherwise go to waste to feed families facing hunger. Some of these programs are Direct Distribution, Community Harvest and Starbucks Foodshare programs, the agency direct pickup program.

These are just a couple of the organizations that we support in their missions to protect our planet and our neighbors. With our focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, in conjunction with our commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility, we aim to do our part in supporting our community and our planet.

Earlier this year, I attended a lecture about lobbying that was held here in Washington, DC at the Institute of World Politics. The lecturer spoke about the fundamentals of lobbying, and also about how one can lobby on a variety of different issues (not just on tobacco, gun rights, or gaming, which I believe are some of the issues that seem to draw a lot of angst from people).  When this reality is communicated, oftentimes, a lightbulb goes off in one’s brain and they begin to think, “Okay, this might not be so bad after all?”  This exchange (whether real or imagined) always makes me think about how the “real deal” on lobbying needs to continuously be articulated. I then ask myself, “What are YOU doing to contribute to the ‘right’ narrative?”

One of the best things about working on compliance and DEI issues for State and Federal Communications is the variety of people that I get to meet on any given day, and tell them about what I do and about the lobbying profession in general. One of the best conversations I like to have is when I get the chance to converse with the college & university students!  Many of them already have their thought-paths carved out, and that leads them many times to wanting to say in the Washington, DC area after graduation to prepare for their first lobbying job. I say, however, that the pipeline to lobbying needs to begin even at the high school level; The earlier students know about the lobbying profession and the impact they could have, the better!  Students of color and other underrepresented groups, in particular, need to be aware that they can enter the world of lobbying, and strive to make a difference for themselves, their clients and their communities…

I ask you to commit this month to spreading the word about lobbying – you never know whose curious mind you might influence to take that lobbying leap!

Spring is finally here! Daylight is making a much longer appearance now, warmer weather will hopefully become more consistent, and people have already started thinking seriously about spring and summer vacation plans!

This season, I am also reminding myself that civil discourse never goes out of style! It is still okay to disagree with someone respectfully and remember that they are first and foremost human beings.

Diverse viewpoints matter and can make for a healthy dialogue and debate! Let’s, however, do remember to maintain respect and civility – lessons to which (with less than eight months away now from Election Day) we all can take heed!

Happy Connecting!

Gamble

March is always a great month for me! Not only is it the month of my birth, but it’s also the month that boasts the arrival of Spring and the observance of National Women’s History Month!

I want to shine a light on the first woman ever to be elected to the United States Congress — Jeannette Rankin! Rankin, a Montana politician and a lifelong pacifist, was elected to Congress in 1916, and went on to become an influential leader in the women’s suffrage movement. While serving in Congress, Rankin was the only member to cast a vote against participation in both world wars, and in 1968, Jeannette Rankin led a protest march in Washington, DC. The “Jeannette Rankin Peace Brigade” consisted of some “…5,000 feminists, pacifists, radicals, and students” to protest the Vietnam War. Rankin died in 1973 at the age of 72, and at the time of her death, she was considering another run for Congress (again, in protest of the Vietnam War).

I encourage you to read more about the life of Jeannette Rankin, as well as to research other powerful women who deserve to be recognized and whose stories need to be told!  Wishing you a wonderful, enlightening March!

We are now into the month of February, a month that arguably is considered by many to be thought of as the month of Love! While I may agree with this notion as it relates to familial or romantic love, I also believe that February can also be the month where we begin to focus on L.O.V.E. as it relates to: Laughter; Opportunity; Voice; and Exchange.

LAUGHTER — I personally seek out every chance to break out into a hearty laugh! Laughter (when used appropriately) can relieve stress, break the ice in a seemingly tense situation, and just all around makes us feel good! Remind yourself to share a good laugh with someone, or even just laugh with (or at) yourself!

OPPORTUNITY — Take advantage of every one that comes your way! Whether this be attending a professional development conference, taking on a greater job role, or joining a committee or board, you never know what greatness will come from the chance for you to strengthen your skills and build stronger relationships.

VOICE – Be sure to allow your voice to be heard! Speak up and contribute during meetings and make sure that you are showing up for others. Allyship is still in style, so be sure to let someone know how much you value and support them!

EXCHANGE – In today’s polarizing world, an exchange of ideas amongst people can quickly escalate into a volatile situation. This noted, I still welcome opportunities to engage in dialogue with people who do not always look or think like me! I can always learn something new from someone, and to me, it is still one of the best ways to foster a connection, so why not seize these moments and discover how much you really may have in common with someone you at one time considered as “the other”?

I wish you all of the best this L.O.V.E. month – go forth and progress!

The new year has now arrived, and I am already too excited about the learning, development, and engagement opportunities that may come my way in 2024! In relation to engagement, I have been thinking about ways that I can continue to build even stronger and more meaningful connections with people this year, because let’s face it, in such a time as is the current state of our nation, cherishing connections with your family, friends, colleagues, and your community (as well as fostering new connections) is as important now as ever before!

I have been thinking about some different ways I can strengthen my connections portfolio, and I stumbled upon an online article by Dex which focuses on the “10 Sure-fire Ways to Build Life Lasting Personal Connections”.  The article featured the following great tips (you’ll have to read the article to get the inside specifics!) for building and strengthening meaningful connections:

1. Have a Wide Scope
2. Engage Repeatedly
3. Give Back
4. Develop your Listening
5. Remember Names
6. Stay Put
7. Don’t Forget to Look Up
8. Show Up
9. Keep Your Promises
10. Be Authentic

As you can tell, making, strengthening, and keeping meaningful connections takes some effort and intentionality, but the rewards will be totally worth it! I am looking forward to diving in and seeing how many of these tips I can put into action right away! Please do let me know how your journey to greater connecting is coming along – and a Happy New Year to you!

State and Federal Communications works to create, implement, and sustain a culture of DEI by incorporating practices into the company’s leadership activity, dialogue, hiring, policies, and communications. Learn more about our commitment at https://stateandfed.com/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/. 

The Season of Holidays is upon us now, and that means many people are feeling anxiety about family gatherings where the conversations may easily turn to discussions surrounding the “P” word (politics). The old adage of politics being one of the topics never to be brought up for discussion has all but vanished in today’s times, and so inevitably, you may find yourself at the dinner table in a heated exchange with another family member whose political thoughts, feelings, and ideologies are vastly different than yours. I urge you, however, not to abandon the conversation and run for the nearest exit!

Make a commitment to yourself, instead, to further engage your fellow conversationalist by asking questions and participating in active listening; see if you can put yourself in the other person’s shoes and perhaps understand their point of view. To be clear, however, I am in no way advocating for you to subject yourself to someone whose rhetoric is either physically, mentally, or emotionally harmful (some people you will never agree with and that’s just the way it is!). I am simply suggesting that just because someone’s point of view is different from yours, does not necessarily mean that there aren’t areas where you can empathize or maybe find some common ground.

Try this out during your dinner table conversations and make notes to yourself on the highlights, challenges, and opportunities for growth that you could leverage in preparation for future conversations. Feel free to drop me a line and let me know your thoughts! I wish you a very happy, healthy, safe, productive, and unifying holiday Season!

A few weeks ago, I read an article in the Sunday New York Times written by San Francisco Bay area artist, graphic journalist, and author Wendy MacNaughton entitled “The Importance of Looking at What (and Who) You Don’t See”. 

The premise of the article was about when MacNaughton set up “shop” one morning outside of a BART Station in downtown San Francisco, with a table, two chairs, and a sign that read “Draw Together.  It Just Takes One Minute.” What MacNaughton was aiming for was to get total strangers to sit down opposite one another for one minute, and just draw what they see on the other’s face (not what they EXPECTED to see). They were never to lift their pen from or look down at their paper; they were only to keep drawing, looking at the other person’s face THE WHOLE TIME! MacNaughton noted that although most of her participants questioned their artistic ability at first approach, by the time the exercise was over, they were laughing at their drawings and amazed at how connected they felt to the other person. MacNaughton noted at the beginning of her article that “WE DON’T SEE ONE ANOTHER ANYNMORE… Frustrated, powerless, sometimes just lost in our own worlds, we look away…”

Reading MacNaughton’s article got me thinking about my own ways in how I connect with others, and was I, myself, guilty of seeing only what I expected to see in a person, instead of what was truly right there before me? Do I really “see” people? See them for who they truly ARE, and not as I EXPECT or even WANT them to be? There’s an old wise saying – “the eyes are the windows to the soul” – what if we spent more time making eye contact with one another, as opposed to ignoring, bypassing, or just dismissing one another for whom we feel to be less than human in our eyes? 

I encourage you to think about how you currently connect with others, and to note if there are new ways that you can make more meaningful connections?  Eager to try out the experiment documented by MacNaughton? Let me know how it goes – you may be surprised of the outcomes!

I have been reading a great deal lately about DEI practitioners being able to make the business case for why Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) should be part of the overall framework of any organization.

Businesses oftentimes tie success to a variety of factors — from rising profits to increased customer or client engagement — so is it any wonder why CEO’s would question how DEI initiatives stand to help their company’s bottom line? Rest assured – there are more than a few answers to this question…

An online article by Forbes that I discovered recently featured a number of its Business Development Council Members discussing why DEI is essential to business development success.  From leveraging the best talents to fostering innovation and increasing better customer and client engagement, the benefits of DEI become increasingly clear.

Read the full Forbes article here. 

September is a great month to take a look at your current lobbying efforts as they relate to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI), and to see where you might be able to make some adjustments moving into 2024.

Are there diverse Members of Congress or State Legislators whom you have been wanting to make contact with? What about diverse organizations that you have been wanting to reach out to, but just have not had the opportunity? Take note of these opportunities and find time to reach out and make those connections! While you are doing your assessment, also do not forget to take a look internally at your Government Affairs department, and see where there may be some opportunities to increase the level of diversity amongst the in-house and contract lobbyists? As the future moves towards becoming more diverse (in all of its forms), it is imperative that organizations be able to adapt to change and be open to more diverse ways of thinking, executing and relating!

I encourage you to begin thinking “outside of the box” when it comes to DEI and your lobbying efforts and to make note of both your challenges and successes as you continue onward. Remember that there are no “one and done” efforts as they relate to DEI; this work is ongoing and ever evolving, so give yourself grace and guidance and be sure to check in and let me know how things are going!

This month will mark the observance of National Women’s Equality Day.  Recognized each year on August 26th (in the United States since 1971), National Women’s Equality Day, “…commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment…and calls attention to women’s continuing efforts towards full equality.” [National Women’s History Alliance]

As this day approaches, I think about all of the great women that exist in the world, striving and thriving every day to make even just a small difference – in their homes, their workplaces and in their communities! I take a second pause to especially think about and honor the amazing group of women clients whom I have the privilege of assisting with their federal compliance needs.  Whether lobbying on Capitol Hill or at one of Federal agencies, these women are “getting it done”, and it is a privilege to be able to have a little bit of “insight” into the amazing work that each is able to do on behalf of their clients and their own organizations!

This August (and year-round!), do recognize all of the amazing women at your organizations and within your networks — mentor them, advocate on their behalf, and help to sponsor their continuing professional growth and development. We all know that when women strive and thrive, so do their surroundings, and so I encourage you to lift up the women in your circles and “high five” them at every opportunity – Do reach out and let me know who is striving and thriving where you are!

At last month’s Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) 2023 Annual Conference, there were a number of great sessions focused on, among other topics, issues related Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI). As part of the conversation, a number of speakers acknowledged the expanded nature of DEI to include such aspects as Accessibility, Belonging and Justice.  As a result, references to “DEI” are becoming increasingly more broadened to “DEIABJ” or some variations thereof.  I would like to bring forth a highlight to the issue of Belonging…

According to Dictionary.com, the definition of Belonging is referred to simply as “something that belongs”.  For purposes of this article, I would like to focus on Belonging as it relates to not something, but someone – as in, peoples’ desire to feel valued and respected within an organization, and confident that they are able to show up as their authentic selves, free from harassment or judgment.  In other words, do individuals feel like they “Belong” at their respective organizations, or do they feel like “imposters” of themselves – just “going through the motions” while secretly wishing that maybe the next day might bring different and better outcomes?

Fortunately, my tenure here at State and Federal Communications (8 years this past April) has provided me with opportunities for not only serving the best clients on issues related to Federal lobbying compliance, but also with opportunities for continued professional development – both invaluable to not only my professional career development, but also to my personal growth as well – I can truly say that I “Belong” here at State and Federal Communications!

As the company celebrates 30 years this month, I want to take this opportunity to say a big “THANK YOU” to President and CEO Elizabeth Bartz for not only giving me a great opportunity, but for also always pushing me to do and be better, and to not be afraid to “get out of my comfort zone” – looking forward to what’s on the horizon for the next 30!

By the end of June, I will have experienced the pleasure of immersing myself in all things DEI twice during this month – first, while attending the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) 2023 Annual Conference and then later on in the month when I’ll be attending Women in Government Relations (WGR) 4th Annual DEI Summit!

I began attending SHRM’s Annual Conference last year, in an effort to “check-out” their DEI content track of which I had heard great things about – I was sold! Lots of great sessions with engaging speakers on a number of DEI topics, in addition to the Conference Bookstore which housed a plethora of resources and swag! As for WGR, well, let’s just say that I am all in for DEI, currently in my final month as the Chair of the DEI Committee – it’s been an awesome experience! The DEI Summit is one of a kind, and I can say from being on this year’s planning committee that this is an event you won’t want to miss!

I mention both the SHRM Conference and the WGR DEI Summit as examples of ways that I am continuing my learning, growth, and engagement as I move along in my DEI journey. Many have heard me proclaim that there are no “one and done efforts” when it comes to embracing DEI – this is lifelong! Finding professional development opportunities that focus on DEI content is just one way that you can get out of your comfort zone and begin to think about things, view (and embrace people) through a DEI lens…

What professional development opportunities are on your radar for this month? Look for me both virtually & in-person at the WGR DEI Summit here in Washington, DC! #StateandFedDEI