We are on our way to the NCSL 2016 Legislative Summit in Chicago! See you there!

The number of municipalities and regional governments our research associates track continues to grow. We now cover almost 300 municipalities and local governments. This is part of a continuous effort to better serve the needs of our clients.

In that effort, we have added abridged jurisdictions to our website. These entries, condensed due to the limited number of relevant local laws, provide the core information our clients need for their government relations work.

The new jurisdiction is: Nassau County, New York

State and Federal Communications is proud to sponsor WKSU’s coverage of the Republican and Democratic National Conventions!

Elysabethe Anderson is an art history and visual communications & design major at Kent State University, with an expected graduation date of May 2017. Her hobbies include cycling, gardening, cooking, reading, and adventure.

Elysabethe was an exchange student in the Czech Republic for a year while in high school. One of the most memorable moments on that trip was when she took the train into Prague to visit the Natural History Museum in Saint Wenceslas Square.

After her graduation from Kent State University, Elysabethe plans on taking a year off from higher education before returning to pursue a master’s in printmaking at the Chicago Institute of Art. She would then like to move to Telluride, Colorado to study bookbinding and preservation at the American Academy of Bookbinding. She aspires to open a bookstore and illustrate children’s books

Elysabethe would describe herself as an “extroverted introvert” and values honesty, patience, and curiosity.

This summer, Elysabethe wants to drive to Pennsylvania to camp in the mountains, take a trip to a star preserve to sleep, star gaze, and read, to visit Canada, and to attend as many concerts as possible.

“If of thou fortune be bereft,

And in thy store two loaves are left.

Sell one, and with the dole,

Buy hyacinths to feed thy soul.”

Untitled, John Greenleaf Whittier

“Cause when your pockets line with dollar bills, your heart forgets to eat.”

City in a Bottle, Shakey Graves

We are excited to debut our very first weekly News You Can Use Video Digest!

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!

Olivia Snyder is a civil engineering major attending at the University of Akron. When asked why she chose that major, she said: “I always wanted to build something. I wanted to be able to point to something and say, ‘I built this!’”

Olivia enjoys singing, playing the piano, and has too many nicknames to count. She recently moved out on her own, which has proved to be a major adjustment. This has meant seeking independence, effectively managing money, developing connections, and finding a balance between passion and realism. She values integrity, determination, and logic.

After her graduation, Olivia hopes to find a job at an engineering company. She doesn’t feel she will be done with school yet, though. She may pursue studies in finance, and eventually, music.

Today, we are celebrating Olivia’s birthday with doughnuts in the lunch room! This summer, she is going on vacation to New Jersey, and she will be moving to an apartment with a close friend.

Favorite quote: “A positive attitude may not solve all of your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.” -Herm Albright

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it’s dressed in overalls and looks like work.” -Thomas Edison

Chris Jackson is a student at the University of Akron studying communication systems. His hobbies include fitness, playing and making video games, and music.

This internship symbolizes a new beginning for Chris, a gateway to success and the beginning of a new path. He is pursuing it with vigor! His future plans include building and owning an arcade and learning a new language.

Chris considers himself to be a creative person who is full of life and values humor, strength, creativity, wisdom, and respect and love for others and self. This summer, his plan is to learn how to read music and play piano.

Something his brother told him has stuck with him: “If not? Why not. Whatever it takes.”

Here is another favorite quote: “Cowards die many times before their deaths” -Julius Caesar

State and Federal Communications, the industry expert in providing government compliance information and consulting to many Fortune 500 companies, has developed a new ‘User’s Guide to National Party Conventions’ to provide organizations and convention participants with comprehensive compliance advice and guidelines to navigate the national party conventions. The publication is being offered free to any interested person after registering their inquiry on the company’s website at http://www.stateandfed.com/conventions/

The firm’s staff of attorneys and researchers has expertise in state, federal, and municipal laws regarding lobbying, political contributions, and procurement lobbying. They have teamed together to prepare the new User’s Guide in advance of this year’s Republican National Convention being held in Cleveland at Quicken Loans Arena from July 18-21, 2016, and also the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia at the Wells Fargo Center and Pennsylvania Convention Center from July 25-July 28, 2016.

Each convention operates to nominate a Presidential and Vice Presidential candidate for that party. These conventions are a gathering place for delegates and party members from across the United States, providing an excellent opportunity for organizations and individuals to interface and network with a wide range of public officials. Therefore, knowledge of the applicable federal, state, and local rules governing interactions and gift giving with both convention delegates and other public officials in attendance is of vital importance. The User’s Guide explains and details state-by-state jurisdiction permissibility of gifts to delegates and attendees who are public officials. It also informs readers of the different political leaders and attendees that will be at the conventions, including their roles, and the contribution rules that apply.

According to Ms. Elizabeth Z. Bartz, President and CEO of State and Federal Communications, based in Akron, Ohio, “Producing the 2016 User’s Guide to National Party Conventions, and offering this free of charge, is our way to give back to the many people involved in our country’s great political system. We want to provide lobbying and compliance information from our vast resources to help everyone stay compliant at these conventions.”

This is the third edition of the State and Federal Communications User’s Guide to National Party Conventions. Previous issues were produced in 2012 and 2008.

Ms. Bartz adds, “We cannot emphasize enough how important it is to know and act correctly about what gifts can be given, to avoid potential ethics problems and unexpected fines at the conventions.”

For more information and to receive the free ‘User’s Guide to National Party Conventions’ please visit: http://www.stateandfed.com/conventions/

Zack Koozer attends Kent State University part-time and has yet to declare a major. His hobbies include playing video games, sketching, and hanging out with friends. He also tends to talk with his hands.

Although he has not quite decided what he wants to do with his life, he wants to be the person that people look at and say, “I want to be like him.” He would describe himself as a balance between whimsical and serious; he is protective of those close to him. Moreover, he values tolerance and open-minded people.

This summer, he plans on taking part in a Dungeons and Dragons campaign with a group of friends and visiting with a friend and his godparents in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

He prefers cold beverages to hot beverages, and his Hogwarts house is Hufflepuff.

“Every person you encounter, whether for a minute or an hour, for a day or a year never really leaves you. They leave an imprint on you and help build who you are.” -Some wise guy

Have a happy Fourth of July weekend from your team at State and Federal Communications.

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

Today, we celebrated IT Business and Operations Analyst Dave McPeek’s 10-year anniversary at State and Federal Communications! We started with a surprise visit from Keyed Up a Capella Quartet, then had a terrific lunch at Bricco Akron, and topped off with yummy cake back at the office.

Congratulations, Dave and thank you for all of your hard work.