Here is what has happened so far…And what will happen.

1. The states in these United States held primaries and caucuses. We had months and months of elections around the country. And, we had a lot of debates…Maybe more than we needed. In the end we also had a lot of candidates “suspend” their respective campaigns.
2. Both the Republican National Convention and Democratic National Conventions were held and we have two candidates running on these platforms. There are others who will be on the ballot, but of other parties.
3. We had one debate already…WOWOWOWOW!!! I happened to be there…but I was sitting on my hands because it was 63 degrees in the room.
4. Plan on watching the Vice Presidential Debate on October 4, the second Presidential Debate on October 9, and the final Presidential Debate on October 19.
5. Check out the ballot for your county. Trust me, there is more on the ballot than our Presidential candidates…These folks also need your vote.
6. Early voting is very helpful for people who want to avoid the lines on Election Day, which is November 8. Do it and proudly wear your I VOTED sticker.
7. November 8…Stock up on your snacks and beverages and make sure your gadgets are charged. You can follow me on Twitter @elizabethbartz and @stateandfederal to see what is going on with the candidates and ballot issues.
8. One other thing to do on November 8, take a break every hour to tune into the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Atlanta Hawks game.
9. Go to work the next day prepared to share with your organization how your contributions and candidates fared the night before.
10. Plan to attend State and Federal Inauguration activities in 2017. We will keep you up-to-date on how you can participate…And, as it relates to the President’s Inauguration Day…It is Friday, January 20, 2017, at noon. Again, snacks and beverages should be ready and gadgets charged. There will be a lot to watch.

In the meantime, think about how lovely November and December will be with only holiday movies to watch…And 2017/2018 elections to ponder.

Elizabeth Z. Bartz

President and CEO
@elizabethbartz

State and Federal Communications, Inc. is a mile marker sponsor for the Akron Marathon held on Saturday, September 24. The dollars raised for the Akron Marathon go to the Cleveland Clinic – Akron Children’s Hospital. This marathon is also the vehicle for local Orthodox Christians to raise money for the IOCC. We proudly sponsor the IOCC in their efforts.

The dollars raised for IOCC will help provide life-saving and life-sustaining services–without discrimination–to some of the world’s most vulnerable populations in over 50 countries, including the United States, Ethiopia, and Gaza/West Bank.

Among its programming, IOCC has done the following:

• Promoted literacy and learning for underserved youth in America;
• Provided emergency relief to the people affected by the Syria conflict;
• Supported the drilling and long-term maintenance of wells in Tanzania;
• First responder after Hurricane Sandy; and
• First responder after the flooding in Baton Rouge.

The IOCC is an incredibly efficient non-profit organization that provides aide throughout the world to those in need with 97 cents of every dollar going directly to helping people.

Each month at our staff meeting, Elizabeth acknowledges the employment anniversaries of the staff.

In August we celebrated the following:

These employees are essential members of the staff.  Congratulations to each of you!

Today marks 69 days until Election Day 2016. The end to this year’s election is almost here and we can talk about 2017 after November 8th.

In the meantime, State and Federal Communications is starting its own grassroots movement to Keep US Strong and we have thousands of pins to deliver to you. Just send an e-mail to ebartz@stateandfed.com and we will deliver a box of our VOTE pins to you…And, be on the lookout for our bi-annual VOTE card.

I cannot express how important it is for everyone to VOTE this year. I may be preaching to the choir, but we all know people who are thinking about not voting. Let’s get this movement started to make sure everyone knows how important it is to VOTE.

Does anyone have any question about how I feel about voting? How else can you help?

Glad you asked.

Take senior citizens or anyone with difficulties to your local Board of Elections to VOTE before November 8th. I have taken my parents directly to the Summit County Board of Elections and the staff has noticed and even thanked me for helping.

Work at your Board of Elections on November 8th. I keep wanting to do this and need to stop making excuses about not doing so. Those octogenarians who are currently staffing the voting places aren’t getting younger and we are decades away from on-line voting.

Get out the VOTE pin. We started these in 2012 and it definitely takes time for them to go viral…We have plenty to spare.

Until next month, clear your calendar so you can VOTE on November 8th or make plans to vote early—either at your local Board of Elections or by absentee ballot.

#KeepUSstrong.

Elizabeth Z. Bartz

President and CEO
@elizabethbartz

The new school year has arrived and State and Federal Communications is proud to support United Way of Summit County’s Stuff the Bus program to make sure all children in the Akron Public Schools have the supplies they need! We had a wonderful time gathering a mountain of crayons, markers and notebook paper.

Thank you United Way for everything you do to make our community thrive.

Elizabeth Bartz, president and CEO of State and Federal Communications offered her expertise on the government relations “Dream Team” at the NCSL 2016 Legislative Summit in Chicago. Bartz was joined by Brad Smith from the Center for Competitive Politics and Alexis Stangl, Senate Counsel, Research, and Fiscal Analysis, Minnesota. Here are some photos from their session, Campaign Finance: What It All Means.

Well, we are not exactly the Mod Squad, but we are this year’s speakers at NCSL’s Legislative Summit in Chicago. I will join Brad Smith from the Center for Competitive Politics and Capital OH Law School and Nick Penniman from Issue One to speak about Campaign Finance: What It All Means.

We are going to discuss the phrases you hear all the time in the news—campaign treasuries, PACs, Super PACs, 501(c)(4)(s), and independent expenditure group. Each one of these has a different meaning in the states and has a different contribution limitation. This fabulous team, which will be moderated by Alexis Stang, Senate Counsel, Research, and Fiscal Analysis from the state of Minnesota, will look at the impact of self-funded campaigns, contribution limits, and disclosure requirements.

I know this is very exciting and you do not want to miss it. I should add this breakfast session runs from 7:30 am to 9 am Tuesday, August 9 in McCormick Place, Room W181. If you need a wake-up call, let me know. I can help schedule it for you.

There is very little other than elections going on between now and November. Stay on top of the rules and regulations. Stop and see the 2016 Dream Team.

See you in Chicago.

Elizabeth Z. Bartz
President and CEO
@elizabethbartz

State and Federal Communications was pleased to welcome Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan as he shared career advice and his goals for the city of Akron with the interns and employees.

“I want to start from the core up and bring people into Akron,” Mayor Horrigan said. “Downtown Akron is a huge focus for the growth of the city because of the amount of traffic that it brings in.”

More than 60,000 people move throughout downtown Akron on a daily basis and Mayor Horrigan addressed what’s next after the city’s Innerbelt highway (State Route 59) closes, how to make traffic run smoothly, and issues concerning the city’s combined sewer flow problem.

“I am concentrating on giving quality customer service to the Akron community and giving them a transparent and open-government,” Horrigan said. “We’ll have over 30 acres of land to use after the Innerbelt is closed and we are constantly considering ways to fill the space.”

State and Federal Communication’s eight summer interns attend either Kent State University or The University of Akron and Mayor Horrigan earned degrees from both universities.

“When I talk to interns, I always let them know that what you are striving for is hard work,” Mayor Horrigan said. “You will have to learn from the ground up because you don’t just fall into an amazing position.”

IT intern, Chris Jackson 24, has lived in Akron all of his life and jumped on the opportunity to suggest ways that Mayor Horrigan could fill space in downtown Akron.

“There is little to no place for teens to go and have fun in downtown Akron,” Jackson said. “I’m a gamer and arcades are coming back into style and could be a great thing for the city of Akron.”

Among other suggestions the interns and employees offered were to have food trucks throughout the city, especially near Summit St. and more art work in downtown Akron.

One thing marketing intern Clémence Besnard took away during Mayor Horrigan’s conversation was his views on success.

“I liked when he suggested that we take responsibility for the decisions we’ve made and being able to sleep peacefully with those decisions is what’s important,” Besnard said. “The mayor also let us know that it is okay to pat yourself on the back and celebrate the good you’ve done when talking about success.”

Patrick Kennedy is coming to the John S. Knight Center for Akron Roundtable on Thursday, July 21 at 12:00 p.m.! He will be signing his new book, A Common Struggle, and we are ready!

I just returned from the U.S. Chamber Small Business Summit in DC. I have been a regular attendee for a number of years. I refer to it as my own personal professional development session.

Why? Because on July 1, State and Federal Communications celebrates its 23rd anniversary of being in business. We are considered as one of the companies in NE Ohio providing good professional jobs to the community

I write about our anniversary every July. It is important not only for us, but for you, our clients, who keep us motivated every day to continue to bring you updated information about lobbying, political contributions, and procurement issues in the states and now more than 285 municipalities.

We will never stop growing to help meet your needs.

We introduced our FedALERTS interface last year to help with the filing of LD-2 and LD-203 reports. If you are interested, please let me know. Our pricing is very affordable and based on a small percentage of what is reported in a year.

We have completed our third update to the “User’s Guide to National Party Conventions.”  In fact, if you go to this link, you can download a copy for you and your team. And, if you want to hear good reporting from the conventions, follow www.WKSU.org, our local NPR affiliate, because State and Federal Communications is sponsoring convention coverage in Cleveland and Philadelphia.

And, we are growing. We have increased the staff in our Research Department so we can continue doing the work we do so well…and start reviewing the countries in the European Union to determine if there is enough to start including international lobbying on our website. Are you interested? Let me know.

I know it takes someone with determination to operate a company. I know it takes blood, sweat, and tears to make sure we are providing good benefits for everyone on the staff.

We will continue to be here to help you with your lobbying, political contributions, and procurement needs…And, if you have any questions, just give us a call.

So, we are celebrating #23 just as our own LeBron James #23 for the Cleveland Cavaliers is celebrating winning the NBA Finals. WIN/WIN is what it is all about here in Ohio.

Enjoy the upcoming holiday weekend, and we will see you next month.

Elizabeth Z. Bartz

President and CEO
@elizabethbartz

State and Federal Communications is excited to be a sponsor of the 2016 National Grassroots Conference next week.

We  believe in the great value of this gathering! Elizabeth Bartz, president and CEO of the company, will be bringing a team to Alexandria, VA to participate in the program. We never miss it.

You can follow the conversations from the conference on Twitter @PACouncil #2016GRC.

Last month I was honored to be included in the 16th Annual National Entrepreneurship Summit hosted by DiversityBusiness.com in New York. The award was given for being in the top 500 privately-owned women-owned businesses in the United States.

DiversityBusiness.com chooses “America’s Top Business” award recipients based on annual gross revenue and a business profile. According to event organizers, State and Federal Communications was highlighted as one of the leading entrepreneur companies in the United States, and was presented several awards at the ceremony that included being named:

• #392 of the top 500 Women Owned Businesses in the United States
• #52 of the top 100 Privately-held Businesses in Ohio
• #37 of the top Diversity Owned Businesses in Ohio
• #17 of the top 50 Women Owned Businesses in Ohio, and the only one in Akron, Ohio.

More than 1.5 million businesses in the United States participated in the 16th annual business survey conducted by DiversityBusiness.com, a web-based business publisher. The organization’s “Top Business List” offers the most comprehensive look at the strongest segment of the United States economy – America’s privately held companies. According to DiversityBusiness.com, these companies differentiate themselves in their markets through dedication and hard work that stimulates economic growth in America.

The “America’s Top Business” program is sponsored by major brands that include U.S. Postal Service, Wal-Mart, Apple, Northrop Grumman, Time Warner, Hilton, Raytheon, and Colgate Palmolive, among others.

We have won an “America’s Top Business” award every year since 2008.

Being ranked highly with other leading companies across America is an achievement we are all proud of at State and Federal Communications. It shows our ongoing commitment to deliver quality government compliance information and consulting services to many Fortune 500 companies, associations, and corporate and contract lobbyists.

This truly is an honor because my time is always devoted to State and Federal Communications, the employees, clients, and the communities where we live and work.

For information on the event, visit: http://www.diversitybusiness.com/awardees/

Elizabeth Z. Bartz, President and CEO of State and Federal Communications, has provided a $30,000 endowment to Kent State University at Trumbull, in Warren, Ohio, to provide scholarships for graduating seniors from Howland High School.

Ms. Bartz graduated from Howland High School in Warren 40 years ago, and enrolled at the KSU Trumbull Campus that fall, where she attended for two years before completing her Journalism studies at the Kent State University main campus in Kent, Ohio in 1980.

She explains why she endowed this scholarship… “In honor of my 40-year graduation anniversary from Howland High School, I wanted to give something back. I’ve heard about students today having issues with college debt and felt it would be great to help graduating seniors from Howland High School attend the local area KSU Trumbull Campus just like I did. I feel blessed to be able to help the students, today and in the future. This is very exciting for me and I hope it helps bring others to the table to help students pay their college costs.”

Starting fall semester 2016, Kent State University at Trumbull will award its first $1,000 scholarship from the new endowment ‘Elizabeth Z. Bartz Scholarship for Howland Tigers.’

The annual scholarship winner, selected by Howland High School, will be a graduating student who will attend Kent State University at Trumbull on a full-time basis. This endowment is funded to continue a scholarship every year going forward, and will be managed by Kent State University.

The formal signing of the endowment was held at a ceremony on May 5, 2016 at the Kent State University Trumbull Campus. In attendance were Ms. Bartz and school officials from Kent State University at Trumbull and the Howland Local Schools.

During the ceremony, Ms. Bartz explained that she decided back in 1976 with her parents to “stay local” after graduating from Howland High School and to attend the KSU Trumbull Campus. She studied there for two years, where she also worked on the campus newspaper and became its editor. This journalism training certainly helped her toward obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Relations from KSU in 1980, and go on to launch Akron-based State and Federal Communications, today regarded as the leader in providing government compliance information and consulting services.

Ms. Bartz is also still very active at Kent State University and serves on the KSU National Alumni Relations Board of Directors, as well at the KSU School of Journalism and Mass Communications Alumni Board, and other committee leadership roles at the school.

During the ceremony kick-off presentation, Mr. Dave Smith, Director of Advancement, Kent State University, Trumbull Campus, said, “At our regional campus, we want to target more scholarships to help high school students within our local community. This new scholarship certainly helps that effort as we can assist students graduating from Howland High School. This will be a perpetual scholarship that will proudly be here forever, in her name.”

Mr. Kevin Spicher, Superintendent, Howland Local Schools, added that this gesture from Ms. Bartz “is philanthropy at its finest.” This was agreed with by Ms. Sandra E. Williams, Principal, Howland High School, who commented, “It’s a wonderful opportunity to help our kids. This scholarship gives them a head start to get to college. And this is a tribute for any student who wants to stay locally after graduating high school.”

Dr. Lance Grahn, Dean, Trumbull Campus, Kent State University, concluded comments, with, “This scholarship from Elizabeth acknowledges the success of our students from Kent State University at Trumbull… that this is a good place of quality education that prepares you for the adult world. One of the pillars of my vision for our university is to gain more involvement with our local schools to tie us together. This scholarship achieves that. I am also keen on energizing our regional campus to re-connect with our alumni. You can see the results now when that happens with a connection as represented by Elizabeth Bartz.”

In the photo above: Launching the new annual ‘Elizabeth Z. Bartz Scholarship for Howland Tigers’ at Kent State University at Trumbull, are (left to right) Ms. Elizabeth Z. Bartz, President and CEO of State and Federal Communication; Mr. Kevin Spicher, Superintendent, Howland Local Schools; Dr. Lance Grahn, Dean, KSU Trumbull Campus; Ms. Pam Anderson, KSU Institutional Advancement Representative; Mr. Dave Smith, Director of Advancement, KSU Trumbull Campus; Ms. Sandra E. Williams, Principal, Howland High School; and Ms. Sarah Helmick, Assistant Director, Enrollment Management & Student Services, KSU Trumbull Campus.

State and Federal Communications and its President and CEO Ms. Elizabeth Z. Bartz were honored for key business milestones reached at the “16th Annual National Entrepreneurship Summit,” hosted by DiversityBusiness.com in New York City. One of these was being named #392 of the leading Women Owned Business in the United States.

DiversityBusiness.com chooses “America’s Top Business” award recipients based on annual gross revenue and a business profile. According to event organizers, State and Federal Communications was highlighted as one of the leading entrepreneur companies in the United States, presented several awards at the ceremony that included being named:

• #392 of the top 500 Women Owned Businesses in the United States
• #52 of the top 100 Privately-held Businesses in Ohio
• #37 of the top Diversity Owned Businesses in Ohio
• #17 of the top 50 Women Owned Businesses in Ohio, and the only one in Akron, Ohio.

More than 1.5 million businesses in the United States participated in the 16th annual business survey conducted by DiversityBusiness.com, a web-based business publisher. The organization’s “Top Business List” offers the most comprehensive look at the strongest segment of the United States economy – America’s privately held companies. According to DiversityBusiness.com, these companies differentiate themselves in their markets through dedication and hard work that stimulates economic growth in America.

The “America’s Top Business” program is sponsored by major brands that include U.S. Postal Service, Wal-Mart, Apple, Northrop Grumman, Time Warner, Hilton, Raytheon, and Colgate Palmolive, among others.

State and Federal Communications, headquartered in Akron, Ohio, has won an “America’s Top Business” award every year since 2008.

Bartz comments, “Being ranked highly with other leading companies across America is an achievement we are all proud of at State and Federal Communications. It shows our ongoing commitment to deliver quality government compliance information and consulting services to many Fortune 500 companies, associations and corporate and contract lobbyists. These awards are for all of us, and they honor our employees, clients, and the communities where we live and work.”

For information on the event, visit: http://www.diversitybusiness.com/awardees/