State and Federal Communications hosted a reception after an Akron Roundtable Luncheon featuring Diane Laney Fitzpatrick, author of Home Sweet Homes.

 Here are a pair of photos from the International BIO International Convention in San Diego, California.

Elizabeth Bartz, president and CEO of State and Federal Communications, is speaking today at the International Association of Clerks, Recorders, Election Officials & Treasurers (IACREOT) Annual Conference in Bonita Springs, Florida. The event runs from July 19-24, 2014.

Bartz is presenting “Ethics in Elections: Challenges and Applications from a Compliance Perspective” at 3:00 p.m.

You can follow the Twitter conversations from the conference at #IACREOT.

On the third Thursday of each month, State and Federal Communications attends the Akron Roundtable luncheons. However, July 17th was a special day for us. The luncheon featured keynote speaker Diane Laney Fitzpatrick, author of the book Home Sweet Homes: How Bundt Cakes, Bubble Wrap, and My Accent Helped Me Survive Nine Moves.
 Our President and CEO Elizabeth Bartz, a dear friend and fellow Kent State alum of Fitzpatrick, introduced the Ohio native at the Roundtable to talk about how “The Journey of a Thousand Miles… is for Amateurs” and just how she has redefined the meaning of “stay-at-home-mom.” The entire audience was often thrown into spells of laughter as Fitzpatrick comically recalled the eight lessons she learned through her 7,000 mile journey across the states.

Immediately following the program, State and Federal Communications hosted a reception for the speaker, held on the second floor of our building. A large portion of the crowd from the Roundtable luncheon attended the gathering and enjoyed the refreshments as well as a second opportunity to talk with Fitzpatrick. Towards the end of the reception, Elizabeth presented the speaker a Greater Akron book with a spread featuring State and Federal Communications. It was the perfect gift for Fitzpatrick to keep Akron in the back of her mind just in case she ever wants to return!

It is summer and you know what that means in state government affairs. Meetings. Meetings. Meetings.

Okay, I know many of you will not be at the first one but I will see you at many of the other places across the continental United States.

1.  Greek Orthodox Clergy-Laity Congress—July 6-10 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;

2.  National Governors Association—July 10-July 13 in Nashville, Tennessee;

3.  Council of State Governments MLC—July 13-July 16 in Omaha, Nebraska;

4.  IACREOT Conference—July 23-24 in Bonita Springs, Florida;

5.  NCSL Legislative Leaders—July 24-25 in Washington, DC;

6.  Council of State Governments National and Western Annual Conference—
August 9-13 in Anchorage, Alaska; and

7.  National Conference of State Legislatures—August 18-22 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Now that is a lot of traveling for anyone to handle. I skipped a couple of the other regional CSG meetings because…well, I do need to stop at the office and home every once in a while.

Follow the travel either on Facebook or Twitter @elizabethbartz. You may enjoy the photos and the opportunities or it just might tire you out. Either way, it will not be boring.

Looking forward to sharing with you my reflection of owning State and Federal Communications for 21 years in next month’s issue. Stay tuned.

 

State and Federal Communications is proud to be a sponsor and associate for The Council of State Governments Midwest Legislative Conference in Omaha, Nebraska!

Elizabeth Bartz, president and CEO of State and Federal Communications, is attending the conference, which runs from July 13-16.

The CSG website offers the following explanation of the event: “The Midwestern Legislative Conference Annual Meeting is a family-friendly, regionally focused event designed to meet the needs and interests of state legislators from our 11-state region. Held in a different Midwestern city every year, the four-day event features policy sessions on issues of critical importance to this region and its legislators.”

 

Join me on June 3 for “Mid-term Elections, High-stake Races: Get the Story on State Compliance,” a webinar hosted by the Association of Government Relations Professionals.

I’ll be speaking about:

• How to utilize direct corporate dollars when contributing to state candidates.
• Knowing the ins and outs of using a federal PAC to contribute to state candidates
• McCutcheon vs. FEC: Understanding the impact on the states
• Becoming familiar with navigating complex state pay-to-play laws
• Discerning the elements of an effective compliance strategy: Pay-to-play and corporate contributions

The mid-term elections are around the corner. Make sure you have the information you need to stay compliant.

See you on June 3,

Elizabeth Bartz

President and CEO of State and Federal Communications, Inc.

Elizabeth Bartz is the featured speaker in today’s Public Affairs Council State Procurement Strategies webinar. This presentation is the final installment of the four-part “Strengthening State Government Relations” series and will begin at 2:00 p.m.

You can find details of the webinar on the Public Affairs Council website.

Elizabeth Bartz, president and CEO of State and Federal Communications, was the guest speaker at the 2014 Kent State University Trumbull Campus commencement. Her message was highlighted by three points: “Listen. Learn. Live.” Enjoy this short video from the event:

 

For the third year, State and Federal Communications has joined the American Heart Association in its Go Red for Women program. This year I am a member of the Circle of Red Society, and John Chames is a member of the Red Tie Society.

This is still an important message.

TODAY, heart disease is still the No. 1 killer of women, causing one in three deaths each year. But it can be prevented. TODAY, Make It Your Mission to learn how to stop this killer, and then tell five women you love you want them to live. TODAY, you can help us stop heart disease in our lifetime. You have an opportunity to support this mission. Call your local American Heart Association and make a contribution. Here is how your donation can make a difference:

• $1,000 provides the newest CPR guidelines to more than 60 emergency care providers, teaching them the most effective skills for treating cardiac arrest.
• $500 allows us to distribute the innovative CPR Anytime to 10 women who can then train 2 to 3 friends or loved ones.
• $250 will teach 50 women in your community the connection between good food and good health by showing them heart-healthy ways to prepare food using the Recipes for the Heart cookbook.
• $100 can equip one hospital or health department with American Stroke Association resources to educate female patients, the public, and health professionals on stroke prevention and life after stroke.

TODAY, check out www.heart.org and learn more about heart health. TODAY is the day to make a difference.

Thank you,

Elizabeth Z. Bartz
President and CEO
@elizabethbartz

 

 

We have an exciting announcement. Elizabeth Bartz, president and CEO of State and Federal Communications, will be the guest speaker at the Kent State University Trumbull Campus 2014 spring commencement ceremony. The event will take place on Friday, May 9, 2014.

Bartz is featured in a news release on the KSU Trumbull news page. According to the release, “Bartz, a former Trumbull County resident, is a Howland High School graduate, and attended classes at Kent State Trumbull (1976-78) before receiving a bachelor’s degree in journalism (‘80) and a master’s degree in political science (‘82) from Kent State University. Bartz currently serves on Kent State’s National Alumni Association Board; the Community Advisory Council for the university’s National Public Radio affiliate, WKSU; and serves on the Journalism Professional Advisory Board.”

Congratulations, Elizabeth!

Elizabeth Bartz, president and CEO of State and Federal Communications, is appearing as a panelist at the Broadcast Education Association (BEA) 2014 Conference in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 6.

Bartz, who is a graduate of Kent State University’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication, is joining the panel “How Broadcast Media Stays Relevant in a Changing Global Environment” with Evan Rosenblum of TMZ & TMZ Sports and Heather Zimmer of Parchment, Inc.

Here is a description of the session from the BEA website:

“Academic media professionals must stay relevant in our ever-changing broadcast environment. We must ensure we not so enamored with today’s technology that we diminish the foundational skills and professional values that prepare students for the world beyond traditional and “new” media. What we teach lays a foundation for making students relevant across all disciplines whether or not they hold a camera, microphone, punch a switcher or write a web story.”

Congratulations, Elizabeth!

 

 

No surprise it is 2014 and there have been a lot of elections already. And there are more on the horizon. Is your organization ready to handle the requests for contributions from direct contributions, federal PACs, or state PACs? Are you even prepared to discuss how the procurement process affects your contribution decisions? And, how do the individual contributions from employees and their families affect the contracts you have in the states, cities, and counties?

On Thursday, April 3^rd, Amber Fish Linke, Nola Werren, and I will host the Public Affairs Council Compliance on the State Level webinar from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET. It is only an hour long but will be full of the information you need right now.

1. Amber Fish Linke will start our program by talking about state and local lobbying laws and gift laws.
2. Nola Werren will continue the conversation and discuss the pay-to-play laws, strategies for compliance, and how to avoid violations. She will follow that up with a discussion about state campaign finance laws and where you can make corporate contributions.
3. I will round out the discussion with what to watch for in the procurement process.

Riveting conversation for a Thursday afternoon … but so important to know in 2014. Take the time to register now for the webinar by going to www.pac.org or contact Piper Evans, Manager of the Council’s Government Relations Practice, at 202-787-5978 or pevans@pac.org.

Your company’s reputation in its home state and where it has business operations depends on it. As we are preparing our program if you have a specific question to ask, please send me an e-mail at ebartz@stateandfed.com.

Be the person your company can depend on to hit a home run by having this important information at your fingertips.

Until next month, batter up!

Thank you,

Elizabeth Z. Bartz
President and CEO
@elizabethbartz

 

Along with their stunning new website, the Association of Government Relations Professionals has launched a member spotlight series. We are proud to say Elizabeth Bartz is the first member to be featured.

Take a look at “4 Questions with a Member: Elizabeth Bartz” and find out how she started in government relations, her professional philosophy, and her involvement in the community!

Congratulations, Elizabeth!