The State and Federal Communications Research Department had the privilege of hosting Latoya Peterson, an extern from the University of Akron School of Law, this semester. We challenged her with a variety of projects, but most of her focus was on helping us identify and summarize legislation affecting the areas of lobbying laws, campaign finance, and procurement lobbying. The beginning of the year in particular has an especially large volume of bills and Latoya assisted the department’s research associates with the workload.

Latoya had worked in the Ohio General Assembly and already had a background in government affairs, so she had no problem picking up what kinds of bills we wanted to track. She was also able to quickly learn the fine details of working in our database and then she was off and running!

It was a pleasure to have Latoya work with us over the past few months. Hopefully we’ll be blessed with her positive energy again.

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!

For the sixth time, State and Federal Communications, Inc., under the leadership of President and CEO Elizabeth Z. Bartz, has been selected as one of the top women-owned businesses in Ohio, and is the only company recognized from Summit County.

The “Top Businesses in America” program award from DiversityBusiness.com, a web-based publisher and business site, selected the Akron company due to its overall leadership and economic achievements, ranking it in the top 50 of women-owned businesses in Ohio in 2014.

This is a considerable accomplishment given the current business climate in Ohio. The state currently ranks 48th in the country in combined economic clout for women-owned companies – a measurement averaging the rankings in growth in number according to the fourth annual State of Women-Owned Businesses report, sponsored by American Express OPEN.

Bartz recognizes the trend and sees this award as an opportunity. “As a successful small business owner and a woman, I believe it is important to be an example to other women, to demonstrate to the community what women can achieve and the impact we can have.”

Bartz says hard work in both business and community, is how rising above the trend is possible. She has witnessed disparity firsthand throughout her professional career, and uses these experiences as a motivator to grow not only her company and mentor her staff, but to also mentor other women in the community.

Bartz believes the best advice she can give to other women is to encourage them to take on leadership roles and immerse themselves in the community. United Way of Summit County, Go Red for Women, Boys and Girls Clubs of the Western Reserve, Susan G. Komen – Race for a Cure, the WKSU/Kent State University Foundation, and the Akron Urban League’s Speakers Series Platinum sponsorship only begin to chronicle the array of local organizations Bartz and her company support. She serves in a leadership role on multiple local and national boards, including Kent State University’s National Alumni Association Board, the State Government Affairs Council (SGAC), National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Foundation, Council of State Governments (CSG) Associations, Public Affairs Council, and the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws (COGEL).

“Keep growing and keep leading. This is how we create a counter-trend in Ohio,” said Bartz, who also encourages her staff to get involved. “Last year we celebrated our 20th anniversary, launched a new website, and increased our staff by nine percent. My staff gets all the credit for our achievements, but their dedication to the company is surpassed by their dedication to the community.”

This month, State and Federal Communications was also presented with an award for the highest per employee corporate giving for companies with less than 50 employees from the United Way of Summit County. Bartz believes the demonstration of their core values sets the company apart from other similar small businesses and are the ingredients needed to shift the direction Ohio is heading with diversity in the workplace.

The “Top Businesses in America” program is sponsored by major brands, including Apple, AT&T, Wal-Mart, Coca-Cola, Office Depot, Toyota, Cisco, and Verizon. The program offers one of the nation’s most coveted awards. More than 3,000 award recipients have been honored since the program’s inception. Bartz and the company also won the award in 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012.

The United Way of Summit County held their 2014 Annual Meeting at the John S. Knight Center in Akron, Ohio on Wednesday, April 23. After a very successful 2013 campaign, for the sixth year, State and Federal Communications, Inc. received the “Highest per Employee Corporate Giving Award” in the category of a company with 49 or fewer employees.

State and Federal Communications, Inc. was also awarded with a Campaign Excellence Award for percentage of employee participation.

Thank you United Way of Summit County. This year marks the 13^th year of participation for State and Federal Communications, Inc. We are honored to be a part of the incredible work you do. We are also proud of the continued dedication of the State and Federal Communication’s staff. Your participation is truly unmatched and highlights the core values of our company.

On April 11, Megan Huber, Joe May, Elliott Postlewait, and Jim Sedor from State and Federal Communications, Inc. attended the 2014 YouToo Social Media Conference at Kent State University. The event was co-hosted by the Akron Area Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and the Kent State Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA).

State and Federal Communications was proud to be a sponsor of this great conference.

YouToo never fails to be an extraordinary place to learn about best practices and latest strategies in social media communications. Some of the top moments included the opening plenary with Andrea Weckerle, keynote speaker Danny Brown, and a lively panel with Brimfield Police Chief David Oliver and Cleveland City Councilperson Joe Cimperman.

You can see the lineup of speakers on the event page. I would highly recommend keeping a watchful eye on YouToo’s YouTube channel for videos from the 2014 conference!

Thank you, Akron Area PRSA and Kent PRSSA. We had a wonderful time.

Elizabeth Bartz, president and CEO of State and Federal Communications, and Senior Compliance Associate Jim Warner are attending the State Government Affairs Council’s 2014 Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California. This year’s conference promises a great combination of expert sessions and networking. It runs from April 9-11.

Take a look at SGAC’s terrific agenda for the conference here. You can also follow the Twitter conversations from the conference at #SGACAnnualMtg14.

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!

A team of experts from State and Federal Communications is presenting the Public Affairs Council’s Compliance on the State Level webinar this afternoon from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET. Join us for an hour full of compliance information you need right now.

1.  Director of Client and Product Operations Amber Fish Linke will start our program by talking about state and local lobbying laws and gift laws.

2.  Client Specialist 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.  President and CEO Elizabeth Z. Bartz 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. If you haven’t already, 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.

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

Amber Fish Linke, Director of Client and Product Operations at State and Federal Communications, will be a presenter at the Public Affairs Council’s “March in the Midwest: A State Government Relations Workshop” on March 13, 2014 in Chicago, Illinois.

Amber will team up with political activity lawyer Chris Ashby in the final session, “Overcoming State-Level Compliance Concerns.”

Here is a description of their talk, according to the Public Affairs Council website:

Even the best strategies mean nothing if they’re not carried out ethically. Make sure you’re staying in compliance, meeting your reporting deadlines and protecting your organization’s reputation by learning:

• Regional compliance trends and issues
• Lobbying laws at the state level
• How to comply with gift and pay-to-play rules
• How to build sound compliance procedures that minimize risk

State and Federal Communications, Inc. recently was honored as one of Northeast Ohio’s fastest growing companies in 2013! Weatherhead 100, the organization offering the award, has a mission to be “a venue for encouraging the truest spirit of entrepreneurialism and rewarding those companies that serve as a beacon to all businesses in Northeast Ohio.” This is the second year the company has received the award.