State and Federal Communications is a big fan of the Akron Roundtable and we attend their speaker series luncheon each month. “Bringing the World to Akron” is the Roundtable’s motto, and for us this is especially true this month.

We are very proud to sponsor this month’s speaker, David Adkins, who is the Executive Director and CEO of the Council of State Governments (CSG). Mr. Adkins will be speaking on “The State of the States” with insight and perspectives you can find nowhere else!

CSG is the only nonpartisan, nonprofit organization serving all three branches of government.

Following the Akron Roundtable luncheon, State and Federal Communications will be offering a warm Akron reception honoring Mr. Adkins. The reception will take place from 1:15 to 3:30 at our office located across the street from the Quaker Station at 80 South Summit Street, Suite 100, Akron.

If you are interested in attending, please contact Alexis Pope at 330-761-9960.

April 14-16, 2013   NASPO Conference, Indianapolis, Indiana

April 22-25, 2013   BIO International Convention, Chicago, Illinois

April 25, 2013   Washington Program in National Issues 40th Anniversary, Washington, D.C.

May 8-10, 2013   OSBA Annual Convention, Booth 24, Cleveland, Ohio

May 16, 2013   Women in Government Relations Spring Reception, Washington D.C.

May 30-Jun 2, 2013   NCSL Executive Committee Spring Meeting, Boston, Massachusetts

On April 1^st, we added Comptroller Jeff Roberts to the 10-Year Club. He is now our sixth member to this exclusive club. This is a huge recognition at State and Federal Communications.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 30 percent of employees had 10 year or more of tenure with their current employer. And, the median number of years with an employer is only 4.4 years.

Yesterday, we celebrated Jeff’s milestone and he mentioned so many things that have happened in 10 years.

• Staff increased from 13 to 36;
• Space increased from 8,200 sq feet to 16,000 sq feet;
• We published the updates to our Political Contributions and Lobbying Laws publications twice a year and now we update our website every day;
• We added the Procurement Lobbying and Canadian Lobbying to our suite of on-line services;
• Increased our consulting clients from 19 to 126; and
• The number of children from staff went from eight (8) to 32.

Jeff’s input into the operation of the company is not seen to the outside crowd, but he has been an amazing trusted employee making sure we are always ahead on bills and the IRS. And, as he mentioned at our program yesterday, has never worried as to whether he would be paid or whether benefits would be provided.

We live in a different society now. Tenure used to only be associated with academic careers. In the private sector, tenure is the faithful commitment to an employer who has proven there is worth to staying.

Thanks to Jeff Roberts for 10 years of faithful service.

Elizabeth Bartz, President and CEO of State and Federal Communications, and Compliance Associates Jim Warner and Steve Quinn are attending the State Government Affairs Council’s 2013 Annual Meeting in Savannah, Georgia. This year the conference has the theme “Changing Faces; Changing States” and runs from March 13-15.

According to the SGAC website: “SGAC’s 2013 Annual Meeting … is a conference for private-sector multistate government affairs professionals. The conference program focuses on providing new tools, techniques, and best practices to help build skills and stay on top of the latest trends.”

You can follow the meeting’s conversations on Twitter with the hashtag #SGACAnnualMtg13.

Elizabeth Bartz, president and CEO of State and Federal Communications, and four of the company staff are attending the Public Affairs Council’s 37th Annual National PAC Conference in Miami Beach, Florida. We are excited about the conference, which runs from March 4-7 and boasts the theme: “Rethink. Reinvent. Reinvigorate.”

You can follow the conversations on Twitter with the hashtag #PAC13 and the handle @PACouncil.

State and Federal Communications is proud to be the sponsor for the Wi-Fi access for this conference.

Maybe we’ll see you there!

March 4-7, 2013   2013 National PAC Conference, Miami Beach, Florida

March 6, 2013   Ohio Birthday Party, Washington, D.C.

March 13-15, 2013   SGAC Annual Meeting, Savannah, Georgia

April 14-16, 2013   NASPO Conference, Indianapolis, Indiana

April 22-25, 2013   BIO International Convention, Chicago, Illinois

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

State and Federal Communications, Inc.’s, Ren Koozer, Executive Director, I.T., celebrated his 15th anniversary with the company. He received a U.S. flag [from the office of Congresswoman Betty Sutton] that had been flown over the U.S. Capitol on November 1, 2012 along with a certificate of authenticity, and a Samsung ATIV Windows 8 tablet.

We celebrated with his favorite New York cheesecake topped with blueberries and strawberries. Delicious.

Congratulations to a real team member.

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 Compliance Dream Team is making their encore appearance at the PAC National Conference in Miami Beach, Florida! The extraordinary lineup is: Elizabeth Bartz of State and Federal Communications, Ken Gross from Skadden Arps, and Michael Toner from Wiley Rein. Their session will be held on Tuesday, March 5 at 3:15 p.m.

Bring your compliance concerns. This is your opportunity to unleash all those difficult questions regarding compliance issues.

The Public Affairs Council National PAC Conference will be held at the Eden Roc from March 4-7. Don’t miss what promises to be an exciting conference!

See you there!

February 22-25, 2013   National Governors Association Winter Meeting, Washington, D.C.

February 26, 2013  Akron/Canton SMEI 41st Distinguished Sales and Marketing Award, Akron, Ohio

March 4-7, 2013   Public Affairs Council National PAC Conference, Miami, Florida

March 6, 2013   Ohio Birthday Party, Washington D.C.

March 13-15, 2013   SGAC Annual Meeting, Savannah, Georgia