Elizabeth Bartz, president and CEO of State and Federal Communications, spoke today at a luncheon hosted by the Akron Area Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. The event was held at The Tangier in Akron. The title of her talk was, “Is Good Government Possible In This Environment?”

In light of the latest political scandals, Bartz covered a wide range of topics such as the dynamic between politics and journalism, the realm of political communications in the age of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, and even local politics.

Is good government possible? Bartz insisted that it is and challenged the audience to think about the importance of the simple but very powerful act of voting.

You can read a full transcript of the speech here: PRSA August 2013

Last week on Friday, June 21, 2013, fourteen of our State & Federal Communications’ employees, including five interns, visited the East Akron YMCA on South Main Street to celebrate United Way Day of Action. After a warm welcome from Director and Vice President of Community Development Tony Grimes, the State & Fed team brought out the rollers, paintbrushes, and cans of “Legendary Blue” paint and began the day of service.

Dressed in t-shirts that read “Live United,” each member of State & Federal Communications pulled his or her own weight in work; all participated in painting the gymnasium walls and doors as well as numerous hallways. However, the volunteers never felt the task to be daunting and instead thought of it as more of a privilege.

“Though I have lived in Akron my whole life, I am often introduced to places in this community that could use a little assistance. I am always eager to help in any way possible, and I am thankful for United Way Day of Action in giving me the opportunity to do just that,” recalls Research Intern Cristina Dickos.

State & Federal Communications has participated in United Way Day of Action for several years, and each year the company looks forward to spending a day outside the office, showing that our work reaches beyond the desk.

Marketing Intern, Joanna Kamvouris, shared her sentiments: “Day of Action gave me a chance to appreciate what I sometimes take for granted and help brighten the day of children and workers within our Akron community,” Kamvouris said. “The work we completed as a team went beyond applying bright blue paint to the walls along the East Akron YMCA. We came together and made a difference that the children will see every time they visit the YMCA.”

WKSU 89.7 FM invited Elizabeth Bartz, President and CEO of State and Federal Communications, to record a radio spot congratulating the station for awards it has received this year. She had a great time doing it and brought along five of her interns so they could see the magical inner workings of WKSU’s Akron studio.

State and Federal Communications is a proud sponsor of WKSU. It is a great radio station and a treasure for Northeast Ohio. Their motto is “NPR. Classical. Other smart stuff.” Elizabeth’s testimonial falls under the category of “Other smart stuff.”

Take a look!

Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic offers his congratulations to State and Federal Communications on its 20th Anniversary! We thank the mayor, who is a longtime friend of Elizabeth Bartz, for taking a moment amid a busy schedule to offer his thoughts:

I am updating my article from a year ago when I first joined the Go Red For Women campaign in Akron. This year I was able to have my husband, JohnChames join me. (Yes, I put his first and last name together because there are a lot of Johns in my family. The only way to keep them separate is to use the last name.) If you recall last year’s photo you will notice this year a number of additional men joined the Red Tie Society.  If you haven’t found us in the picture, the hint is we are holding hands across the middle of the escalator at Macy’s.  And, yes, that is Jim Tressel near him.

Did you know American Heart Association recommends adults get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity physical activity?  [That is about 22 minutes per day.] Here are some easy ways you can add physical activity into your daily life:

• Use  coffee breaks to take 5- or 10-minute walks. The weather is nice (except for Denver and Minneapolis) so time to pull out the sneakers and walk around the block.
• In parking lots, park your car as far away as you can. At State and Federal Communications, I have parking space #1 so I need to make sure I am walking up the stairs during the day to see the folks on the second floor—instead of taking the elevator.
• Get your personal heart-health status and learn how regular physical activity can help improve your health. Take the American Heart Association’s My Life Check assessment at mylifecheck.heart.org.
• Walk a flight of stairs 10 times a day. I am on my third Fitbit since last year and it helps track the steps and flights of stairs I take every day. And, as it relates to steps, try to reach 10,000 a day.
• Visit www.startwalkingnow.org to download the new Walking Path mobile phone application and find nearby walking paths, track your steps, and motivate your walking friends.

The American Heart Association’s mission is to build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.  Until next month, join the fight against women’s #1 killer—Heart Disease by donating to your local Heart Association.

Thanks,

Elizabeth Z. Bartz
President and CEO

U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown offers his congratulations to State and Federal Communications on its 20th Anniversary! Sen. Brown attended Kent State University’s Washington Program in National Issues Celebration at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. and generously took the time to offer this message:

David Adkins, Executive Director of The Council of State Governments extends his congratulations to State and Federal Communications on its 20th Anniversary! Mr. Adkins was in town last week as the featured speaker at the Akron Roundtable.

Elizabeth Bartz, President and CEO of State and Federal Communications, is attending the National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) Conference  in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The NASPO 2013 – How to Market to State Governments Meeting runs from April 14-16, 2013.

NASPO’s Twitter handle is @NASPOnews and they are using the hashtag #naspomm2013 so you can follow the conversations from the sessions and events!

Do you remember this song from the Beatles?

 Well it was 20 years ago today,
Sgt. Pepper taught a band to play,
They’ve been going in and out of style,
But they’re guaranteed to raise a smile,
So may I introduce to you,
The act you’ve known for all these years,
Sgt.  Pepper’s Lonely hearts club band!

I like it because of the reference to 20 years ago, which is when I purchased the publications department from State and Federal Associates, Inc. and moved it all—furniture, files, clients, and my dog—to Akron, Ohio.

You will start seeing our new 20th anniversary logo, which is a huge deal for small businesses.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, young businesses are those who have been open for fewer than three years, while mature businesses have existed for more than 10 years. Those who are between three and 10 years old are considered as relatively young.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics, a division within the Department of Labor, reported fewer  than 50 percent of small businesses successfully make it past four years of operation.  In fact, only 44 percent of business owners can hack it through four years of operation.  Nearly 65 percent of businesses successfully make it past the first two years.

In 2011, the Houston Chronicle had an article by David Kaplan titled, “Small business longevity takes true grit.”   It read: “A small business with a strong backbone can defy the odds and last a long time. What many local small-business survivors have in common are tenacious owners. In the current economy, such doggedness can be crucial.”

The actual day of State and Federal Communications’ anniversary is July 1st and you will see videos from people wishing us Happy Anniversary or Happy Birthday.  We will take the time to celebrate this milestone…but we will not stop working for you, our clients.

I checked back to the article in the July 2008 Compliance NOW when we celebrated our 15th anniversary. The products we offer have been streamlined and technology has helped make it easier and faster for us to send you information.

We are proud of the niche we have in the government affairs industry. Our products and services are used by thousands of government affairs executives in corporations and trade associations across the country. We appreciate the confidence you have given us with your loyalty.

Milestones are important to show growth. Whether it is the 15th anniversary or 20th anniversary of the company, it shows movement. And, none of it would happen without our special clients, friends, and family.

 It’s wonderful to be here,
it’s certainly a thrill,
You’re such a lovely audience
we’d like to take you home with us
we’d love to take you home!

– Elizabeth Bartz

Elizabeth Bartz recently was one of the recipients of the Distinguished Sales and Marketing Award from Sales & Marketing Executives International (SMEI). Ms. Bartz was lauded not only for her tremendous achievements at State and Federal Communications, but also for her many efforts to support and promote the greater Akron community.

The event, which was held at The Tangier restaurant in Akron, honored Dr. Frank L. Douglas, President and CEO, Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron with the Executive of the Year Award.

Congratulations to Elizabeth and to all who were honored by SMEI!

The Public Affairs Council asked Elizabeth Bartz, President and CEO of State and Federal Communications, why she and her staff attend the National Grassroots Conference.

The association is very excited about the approaching event. Their promotion states: “Trust us. You’ll want to be there. But don’t just take our word for it.”

Elizabeth was happy to step forward and here is her response:

State and Federal Communications is proud to be the sponsor for the Live Twitter Board during the event! Don’t miss out on what promises to be an exciting conference by the Public Affairs Council.

Each of them, as well as eight more of us from State and Federal Communications, attended the Council on Government Ethics Laws (COGEL) in Columbus, Ohio last week. Each of them presented at the conference and took the work they do every day and shared it with others.

Jim Sedor is our in-house rock star. He is Editor of News You Can Use our weekly news service we provide to all of our clients. We know now difficult it is to read 100 newspapers a week so we…I mean, Jim…helps you out by reviewing them for you. At COGEL, Jim spoke at one of the breakfast table topics on Monday, December 4th on How Do You Use the News.

John Cozine is the Research Manager and oversees a group of attorneys reviewing states, municipalities, and Canadian provinces and territories to make sure our website has all of the information our clients need for lobbying, political contributions, procurement lobbying, pay-to-play, gift laws, legislative sessions, and on and on and on. At COGEL he led a breakfast table topic on Monday about the Popular Vote vs. the Electoral College.

Joe May, Social Media Coordinator, had an encore performance of an earlier presentation—DIY Outreach and Education: e-Learning and Beyond.

Joe has taken State and Federal Communications and put us on Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, Lobby Comply blog, and even You Tube (State and Federal Communications TV). He has conducted presentations to federal government agency staff and at the Heartland Group (a regional part of COGEL) on how everything can work together to reach people using social media…and that includes a lot of people.

I love sharing my staff with others. They are in the trenches and making sure we are always providing our clients with up-to-the-minute news.

Until next month, we wish you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, and a Happy New Year. We look forward to 2013 and know you will be extremely busy with every state’s legislature in session.

Elizabeth Bartz, President and CEO of State and Federal Communications, and Social Media Coordinator Joe May attended the 2012 SGAC Leaders’ Policy Conference in Santa Monica from November 17 -20.

The conference featured an amazing lineup of speakers, including award winning author and economist Ben Stein; best selling author Mark Stein, who wrote How the States Got Their Shapes; Egil “Bud” Krogh, Senior Fellow and Chair on Leadership, Ethics, and Integrity at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress; and author and crisis management expert Judy Smith. Breakout sessions were rich with topics of great importance to state government, such as the economic crisis, the Supreme Court decision on healthcare, and the future of energy and the environment.

As the SGAC website states: “LPC is an annual meeting of the states’ legislative leadership and state government affairs professionals from America’s leading businesses, associations and service providers. LPC, sponsored by the SGAC Foundation in cooperation with NCSL and CSG, is designed to encourage dialogue on issues of importance between state legislative leaders and private sector representatives. Attendance is by invitation only. Those invited are: The legislative leadership of all 50 states, NCSL & CSG Executive Committees & ALEC Board of Directors, SGAC members and private sector representatives.”

We had a fantastic time. Thank you SGAC!