We rarely send surveys to our clients. There are so many times people send suggestions that I just do not think about it.

In 2022, we did send out a survey to all our subscription clients. These are the people who use stateandfed.com the most. It was a simple five question survey, and all responders received a $10 Starbucks gift card.

We were impressed 95% of the responders indicated they were expert in using their computer to do research and only a few responders found the site a little difficult to use.

What we were able to find out is many of you want SUBTOPICS. I do, too!

I find it difficult to open Registration in a jurisdiction and scroll to the end to find the research for fees and filing terminations.

It doesn’t have to be that way anymore!!!!!!!! (I now feel like I am in a Ronco commercial!)

You will now find SUBTOPICS for Registration and Reports Required. This means you can quickly go to the info you want.

• Is Registration Required
• Local Lobbying
• Who Must Register
• What Information Must be Included?
• When is Registration Required
• Registration Threshold
• Term of Registration
• Is Special Authorization Needed From Employer
• With Whom Does the Lobbyist Register
• Amount of Fee
• Required Training
• Additional Requirements
• Electronic Registration
• Amendments
• Registration Termination

Check it out! It will save a lot of time when you know what you need to find.

Still need assistance on how this new feature works. Our Client Relations Coordinator Anthony Didion is happy to give you a quick tour. You can contact him at adidion@stateandfed.com or
call him at 330-761-9960.

Thank you for bringing up such a great suggestion. And don’t wait until we send a survey.
Feel free to contact us with your suggestions.

I am always looking for great folks to add to our State and Federal Communications community. I recently was aware that Joe Wasser was looking for a new opportunity. Joe has more than 24 years of business development experience in the government relations and PAC industry. So I picked up the phone and called him.

Joe joined State and Federal Communications, Inc. in October as our new Senior Account Manager. He brings a wealth of experience and expertise in government relations and building relationships. I am thrilled he is on our team.

Prior to joining State and Federal Communications, Joe was one of the first employees of Capitol Hill Software which became Vocus before it was acquired by Cision. Joe was one of the most instrumental people in building the Vocus client base starting in 1997.

“I’m excited to work with my longtime friend Elizabeth and the team at State and Federal Communications,” said Wasser. “I know we can build upon the great work that has already been done and help the company grow.”

Joe will explore business development and new growth opportunities for State and Federal Communications including market assessment, and new and emerging industry potential.
When Joe started with Capitol Hill Software and Vocus, the products were sold as physical diskettes that were sent to clients. Similarly, State and Federal Communications sent out binders and guidebooks to clients and would regularly supplement them with additional pages.

While State and Federal Communications was modernizing the process of making compliance web-based, Joe and the Vocus teamwere doing the same thing to create one of the most widely used web-based filing tools for federal PACs. His experience adds great value to State and Federal Communications.

A life-long Maryland Terrapin, Joe is a big fan of Washington D.C. sports particularly the Washington Nationals. However, after getting a taste of a winning culture in the Cleveland Guardians, he has adopted the Guardians as a fan too.

Joe and his wife Suzanne live on the eastern shore of Maryland. They have two adult children and are delighted to be welcoming their first grandchild in January 2023.

If Joe knows you, he will be in contact with you. He is as much an extrovert as me and I already know he will be a great addition.

On behalf of the State and Federal Communications Family, we wish you and yours Happy Holidays and look forward to a busy 2023 in the states, federal government, municipalities, and international countries.

It was bound to end sooner or later … All those Zoom conferences ending and people meeting again in person. We already have 55 meetings on the calendar for 2023. 55 and if you do the math there are a few which will overlap.

The best part is I have a great staff to help attend these programs. This was particularly important because I was truly planning to fly between Women in Government in Orlando and National Association of Business PAC at The Breakers the very same week in November. That changed immediately when we brought on Joe Wasser, formerly with Cision, and he was a regular at the NABPAC conference. So, I will miss the beautiful Breakers but I will not have to fly back and forth, which really sounded ridiculous.

People ask why I travel so much. It is easy. More than half of my life is in Akron, Ohio and I can count on one hand the number of clients we have in this city. The choices were to either step up to the plate and attend the conferences with clients—and prospective clients—attending; or get a kiosk at Washington National Airport (DCA) and just live there.

Back to 2023, our schedule of conferences and events is updated on our website. Many folks ask us about specific conferences and those of us who attend are knowledgeable as to how working with stakeholders is important for the work we do at State and Federal Communications, Inc.

So, watch out 2023, I still do not pack efficiently, but I am always available and ready to see you out and about…Along with many of my team members.

On behalf of State and Federal Communications, we wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and look forward to connecting with you in December.

Everything I know about podcasts, I learned from Eric Nuzum’s book Make Noise.

Eric is a friend I met when he worked at WKSU, once the NPR station at Kent State University. He has done a lot of podcasts and original programming for NPR and Audible. Now, he is co-founder of Magnificent Noise, a podcast and creative consulting company in New York City.

State and Federal Communications held a reception for Eric shortly after the publication of Make Noise, and before the pandemic halted all in-person events for the better part of two years. Since then, I kept saying to my team “I wanted a podcast.” It really isn’t as easy as that, but we finally have created LobbyComply Pod, which will begin September 7, 2022.

Why a podcast?

Because State and Federal Communications has things to say, and we want to be heard in the government affairs community.

Because we track thousands of legislative bills every year and many do not see the light of day and we want the government affairs community to hear the news so they can be compliant.

Because we work with corporations and trade associations who WANT to comply with the laws, and we want to be the one who is telling them what is going on in the states, municipalities, federal government, Canada, and European Union.

This will not be the Rosetta Stone of podcasts. Our programs will be three (3) minutes long. Long enough for you to sit back and relax with a cup of coffee.

We will make noise, but you will see, we will tell you things you do not know. We are not recreating Schoolhouse Rock.

The inaugural podcast is from me with an introduction for our program. If you like them, let me know…If you don’t like them, let me know. If you have a suggestion for a podcast, let me know. We are ready to send State and Federal tchotchke to those of you who communicate with us about our podcast. We aren’t paying you to do it…we just have a closet of branded items and this is part of downsizing and not having to rent storage.

In the meantime, the summer months are ending, and Labor Day has always been the start of school—back in the day when we started after Labor Day. Always a time for fresh and new beginnings…such as introducing LobbyComply Pod.

If you pick up Eric Nuzum’s book, Make Noise, send him a tweet at @ericnuzum and tell him @elizabethbartz sent you.

Thank you.
Elizabeth Z. Bartz, @elizabethbartz

July 1, 2022 is the 29th anniversary of State and Federal Communications, Inc. Yes, 29 years!

I wanted to see the percentage of small businesses who are still around for 29 years. What is the average age of small business CEOs? What percentage of businesses succeed?

Let me just say we have outlasted the percentages. Most research talks about businesses around for only five years. I am far older than the average 44-year-old small business owner. Do you know 70% of small businesses fail after 10 years.

Enough of all that bad news.

The team at State and Federal Communications works together for our clients. That is the most important part of the work we do. We understand each of our clients have different needs and we work with them to help with compliance. Our website has grown and grown because we listen when our clients want additional reference information, want additional municipalities included, and adding additional countries to our growing International Guidebook.

There is a lot we need to do for the future. I am not getting any younger and I want to protect our work and our staff. So, what are we doing?

We are working together to find a new home in Akron when our lease expires in 2024 to be more efficient for the way we operate.

Our senior team will begin the EOS—Entrepreneurial Operating System—which integrates a complete set of simple tools and process to produce powerful business results.

And the largest is to plan to integrate an ESOP—employer stock ownership plan—which gives the staff ownership interest in the company.

There is a lot we need to do even before we start these programs…And we are up to the challenge. If there is something you would like to see us do, please reach out. We are open to your ideas.

Stay tuned…We will have a lot to share.

In the meantime, enjoy your summer. Please continue to be safe and protect yourself from COVID. #MaskUp

Do you know my friend Governor Tom Ridge? Of course, you do. He was this country’s first Secretary of Homeland Security after the September 11^th attacks.

He was appointed by President George W Bush days after the attacks to head up the new department. This required Governor Ridge to step down as Pennsylvania’s governor. He was not a cabinet-level official until 2003…and he went right to work. Ridge developed a program of antiterrorist training, preventive technologies, and emergency responses. In addition, he was tasked with coordinating activities of some 46 different state and federal agencies related to his chain of command. In 2002 he unveiled a new color-coded system for assessing the risk of a terrorist attack.

We met him about 10 years ago when Ridge Policy Group started and we were retained to assist his team with lobbying compliance. We have worked close with his staff in ensure all state and federal reports are accurate for their clients.

On May 14, 2022, Governor Ridge was the 37^th recipient of the William Oliver Baker Medal of Achievement in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to the national and homeland security of the United States. John Chames and I attended this beautiful event where he was recognized for his strong and resolute leadership in providing us all safer skies, ports and points of entry to the United States, more secure critical infrastructure, and enhanced cooperation between public and private sectors.

In 2020, State and Federal Communications moved its DC office and now we share our space with Ridge Global and Ridge Policy Group and the fine people Governor Ridge has on his staff. He is a great suitemate and we are honored he trusted us to be in his space.

We all have great friends in this industry…Take the time to let them know.

Thank you.

EB
@elizabethbartz

Every week we discuss the articles from lobbycomply.com and see which ones are opened the most often. No question about it, Ask the Experts—Employee Personal Political Contributions is the #1 blog post…Every single week.

The question is easy—”Before I can make a political contribution using my own funds, my employer requires that I obtain permission first.  Can my employer legally do this?”

As is the answer—Yes.

Employers may require employees to seek preapproval before making personal political contributions. Not only can your employer require this, but it’s also smart business to do so. Employers may even require preapproval from family members of employees.

This preapproval requirement has evolved because of the increased number of jurisdictions enacting pay-to-play laws. A seemingly innocuous contribution by an employee could result in the loss of government contracts, fines, and a ban on future contracting. Criminal sanctions may apply when repeated violations occur. By requiring pre-approval, your employer can properly vet the contribution for compliance with a jurisdiction’s pay-to-play law, including disclosure requirements.

In most jurisdictions, employees covered by pay-to-play laws include officers, partners, directors, senior management, salespersons, and their spouses and dependent children. In Pennsylvania and Kentucky, all employees are covered in the instance of a no-bid contract.

Requiring preclearance of employee personal political contributions is certainly preferable than imposing a ban on employee contributions, which could result in a violation of applicable labor laws. Various jurisdictions bar employers from retaliating against employees for engaging in political activities, which can include everything from participating in a political rally to making campaign contributions. Even though an employer can require preapproval, an employer cannot directly or indirectly affect an individual’s employment by means of discrimination or threat of discrimination based on the individual’s personal political contributions.

We have a busy election year ahead of us…and it continues until November 2024. Protect the company and ask before making political contributions. As I always say, this is not an issue where you can ask for forgiveness first…Obtain permission before proceeding.      I suggest you always plan your contributions before saying YES to the candidates calling and sending invitations. Make sure you do not exceed the limitation in the jurisdiction.

If you have questions about this, give me a call. I have a detailed Excel chart detailing my contributions so I know how much I have given per election. In fact, Nola Werren on my staff has that spreadsheet because she will let me know if I am exceeding the limit…I think my husband, John Chames, would do the same, but definitely in a louder tone!!!!!

Thank you.

EB
@ elizabethbartz

I am so happy to report we have a new staff person on board. Jean Cantrell has joined us, in a part time capacity, as a Senior Advisor. Jean has served in many senior government relations roles and brings more than 38 years of experience to State and Federal Communications, Inc.

Jean brings a wealth of experience and expertise in government affairs and building relationships. We are so excited she is joining our team.

She will work directly with me to explore business development and new growth opportunities. Opportunities include thought leadership, new stakeholder engagement, market assessment, and new and emerging industry potential.

At a recent meeting with the staff Jean said, “I’m looking forward to working with Elizabeth and the great staff at State and Federal Communications. I know we can build upon the great work that has already been done as the company continues to grow.”

Previously with Dun & Bradstreet, Circuit City, EDS, and Phillips/Signify, Jean most recently completed a two-year assignment with the Commission on Presidential Debates, the nonprofit organization who sponsors and produces the quadrennial general election presidential debates.

Jean is a past president of The Washington Area State Relations Group (WASRG) and the State Government Affairs Council (SGAC).  Other leadership positions include National Conference of State Legislatures Foundation Vice President, US Conference of Mayors Business Council co-chair, and Public Affairs Council board member. As an Issue expert on leadership and mentoring, Jean is a sought-after speaker at trade association and industry forums.

Originally from Oklahoma, Jean graduated from Oklahoma City University with Bachelor of Music and Master of Performing Arts degrees. She earned a Washington Representative certificate from George Washington University, is a graduate of Rutgers University State Government Relations Institute and the Public Affairs Council Institute. In December 2019, Jean received a Graduate Certificate in Arts Administration from the University of Connecticut.

You will see Jean join me out and about to conferences and meetings. In the meantime, do not hesitate to reach out to her at jcantrell@stateandfed.com.

State and Federal Communications was recognized by the United Way of Summit and Medina for being a leader in the Greater Akron community. At its 2021 Annual Meeting, leaders from United Way spoke about the unprecedented year that 2020 became. State and Federal Communications was a table sponsor for this event, with fourteen staff members present. The program closed with President and CEO Jim Mullen speaking about the future, and the progress towards their Bold Goals.

State and Federal Communications received the 2020 All In Award, for “achieving 100% campaign participation and engaging employees at all levels of the organization.” In addition, the company received the 2020 Firestone Award, for “unmatched participation in the United Way campaign with fewer than 100 employees.”

Learn more in the video below:

Elizabeth Bartz, president and CEO of State and Federal Communications, decided to increase her support for the Girl Scouts in 2021. In this Great Cookie Caper, Bartz bought 650 boxes of assorted Girl Scout cookies. She helped 65 Girl Scouts in the process! “I love helping the Girl Scouts and I didn’t eat a single cookie!” said Bartz.

So, what do you do with 650 boxes of cookies? Always thinking about corporate social responsibility, Bartz decided to give them to Stewart’s Caring Place and the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank. Stewart’s Caring Place helps cancer patients and their families. These treats will go a long way to spread some happiness.

The Foodbank is the heroic organization aiming to stamp out hunger in our community. Dan Flowers of the Foodbank said we often do not realize just how much having a little sweet treat can make someone’s day.

Elizabeth Bartz and staff from State and Federal Communications had fun delivering this mountain of cookies. Bon appétit, everyone!

The staff of State and Federal Communications was recognized by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America for their donation to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese COVID-19 Relief Fund in the name of President and CEO Elizabeth Z. Bartz.

The relief fund was established to “support those around the country who have been impacted by the current pandemic,” per the Archdiocese. “One-time grants of up to $2,500 will be made available to those who are facing extreme financial hardship as a result of COVID-19.”

Every July the staff celebrates the company’s anniversary. In light of the pandemic, they felt it was appropriate to honor Elizabeth with this donation in her name.

Elizabeth Bartz, president and CEO of State and Federal Communications, decided 2020 was the year she would buy Girl Scout Cookies from anyone who asked. Yes, anyone who asked!

The result was Bartz bought 400 boxes of assorted Girl Scout Cookies. She bought from scouts in Ohio, Virginia, and Arizona. “I bought way too many cookies!” said Bartz.

So, what do you do with 400 boxes of cookies? Always thinking about corporate social responsibility, Bartz decided to give them to an organization. She posted on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn that she was giving away cookies to a worthy group.

Kara O’Neill (wife to WKDD’s Keith Kennedy) contacted Jaclyn Flossie from Red Oak Behavioral Health in Akron and said this was a perfect fit for them. The Red Oak team was the first to respond. They are a non-profit mental health agency serving the greater Akron community since 1963. They provide professional therapeutic and community support services for children, youth, families, and older adults.

Elizabeth Bartz and staff from State and Federal Communications had fun delivering them today. Bon appétit, everyone!

Did you miss Amanda Rabinowitz from 89.7 WKSU congratulate Elizabeth Bartz and State and Federal Communications on our 25th anniversary on Morning Edition? Don’t worry, we’ve got it for you right here!

You have probably read our blogs, columns, press releases, and digital media posts about our new publication, European Compliance Laws. As they say, it has opened up the world to the staff and to our clients.

We have only tiptoed into Europe and include compliance resources for Great Britain, Ireland, Scotland, and the European Union. We are adding more countries in 2018 and the cost for this year is nominal—only $1,000* more for all of these additional references.

I have also started a discussion with Interel Global Public Affairs and have been invited to speak about compliance at its 5th annual summit, Advancing Interests in a New Era, in Brussels, Belgium.

Recently I sat with Fredrik Lofthagen, Interel’s CEO, and his goal for this year’s program is to look to the future and provide thought-provoking topics on how innovation and technology is bringing in a new era of public affairs and the relationship between people, ideas, and organizations.

Many of you remember Jason Jarrell when he was at the Public Affairs Council. He has been instrumental in connecting me with Fredrik and I am very appreciative of these efforts.

Now, please understand, when I am at a table with Fredrik Lofthagen; Florence Maisel, managing partner in France; Grégoire Poisson, managing partner from the EU, and Jason Jarrell, managing partner of the global practice…well, all I can say is I felt a lot like Rodney Dangerfield in Caddyshack.

In all honesty, learning all about European countries has been eye opening and we look forward to working with the global practice departments of our clients.

Before next month’s issue, I will have also gone on my first cruise on the Mediterranean with my husband, John Chames, as we celebrate our 21st wedding anniversary. It is the first time we will be on a two-week vacation together…Truly concerned one of us will go overboard!