Elizabeth Bartz, President and CEO of State and Federal Communications, is attending the National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) Conference  in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The NASPO 2013 – How to Market to State Governments Meeting runs from April 14-16, 2013.

NASPO’s Twitter handle is @NASPOnews and they are using the hashtag #naspomm2013 so you can follow the conversations from the sessions and events!

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

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 Public Affairs Council asked Elizabeth Bartz, President and CEO of State and Federal Communications, why she and her staff attend the National Grassroots Conference.

The association is very excited about the approaching event. Their promotion states: “Trust us. You’ll want to be there. But don’t just take our word for it.”

Elizabeth was happy to step forward and here is her response:

State and Federal Communications is proud to be the sponsor for the Live Twitter Board during the event! Don’t miss out on what promises to be an exciting conference by the Public Affairs Council.

Every year the staff of State and Federal Communications gathers for a holiday celebration. This year we had a delightful dinner at Luigi’s Restaurant, and then came back to the office for a cubicle decorating contest, a round of Name that Tune, plus laughing, visiting, and lots of eggnog and desserts.

As a special treat, we had the chance to have our caricature done by a wonderful local artist named Kari Fry. What a hoot!

The party was a treat and we would like to say thank you to Elizabeth Bartz for making it happen!

Each of them, as well as eight more of us from State and Federal Communications, attended the Council on Government Ethics Laws (COGEL) in Columbus, Ohio last week. Each of them presented at the conference and took the work they do every day and shared it with others.

Jim Sedor is our in-house rock star. He is Editor of News You Can Use our weekly news service we provide to all of our clients. We know now difficult it is to read 100 newspapers a week so we…I mean, Jim…helps you out by reviewing them for you. At COGEL, Jim spoke at one of the breakfast table topics on Monday, December 4th on How Do You Use the News.

John Cozine is the Research Manager and oversees a group of attorneys reviewing states, municipalities, and Canadian provinces and territories to make sure our website has all of the information our clients need for lobbying, political contributions, procurement lobbying, pay-to-play, gift laws, legislative sessions, and on and on and on. At COGEL he led a breakfast table topic on Monday about the Popular Vote vs. the Electoral College.

Joe May, Social Media Coordinator, had an encore performance of an earlier presentation—DIY Outreach and Education: e-Learning and Beyond.

Joe has taken State and Federal Communications and put us on Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, Lobby Comply blog, and even You Tube (State and Federal Communications TV). He has conducted presentations to federal government agency staff and at the Heartland Group (a regional part of COGEL) on how everything can work together to reach people using social media…and that includes a lot of people.

I love sharing my staff with others. They are in the trenches and making sure we are always providing our clients with up-to-the-minute news.

Until next month, we wish you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, and a Happy New Year. We look forward to 2013 and know you will be extremely busy with every state’s legislature in session.

Elizabeth Bartz, President and CEO of State and Federal Communications, and Social Media Coordinator Joe May attended the 2012 SGAC Leaders’ Policy Conference in Santa Monica from November 17 -20.

The conference featured an amazing lineup of speakers, including award winning author and economist Ben Stein; best selling author Mark Stein, who wrote How the States Got Their Shapes; Egil “Bud” Krogh, Senior Fellow and Chair on Leadership, Ethics, and Integrity at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress; and author and crisis management expert Judy Smith. Breakout sessions were rich with topics of great importance to state government, such as the economic crisis, the Supreme Court decision on healthcare, and the future of energy and the environment.

As the SGAC website states: “LPC is an annual meeting of the states’ legislative leadership and state government affairs professionals from America’s leading businesses, associations and service providers. LPC, sponsored by the SGAC Foundation in cooperation with NCSL and CSG, is designed to encourage dialogue on issues of importance between state legislative leaders and private sector representatives. Attendance is by invitation only. Those invited are: The legislative leadership of all 50 states, NCSL & CSG Executive Committees & ALEC Board of Directors, SGAC members and private sector representatives.”

We had a fantastic time. Thank you SGAC!

Elizabeth Bartz, President and CEO of State and Federal Communications, is presenting the second installment of the Public Affairs Council’s State Procurement Webinar Series. The webinar, “Procurement Prospects: Learning to lobby for government contracts,” will take place today from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. EST.

Bartz will be speaking on state pay-to-play laws, the effective elements of a pay-to-play compliance program, and current trends in procurement.

According to the Public Affairs Council website:

Not adhering to the rules and regulations for acquiring government contracts could put your entire business at risk. Many of the laws for compliance in the procurement process differ from those commonly followed in other areas of government relations. Part two of this three-part series will cover how to build a sustainable state procurement compliance strategy and how to legally interact with government officials.

Elizabeth Bartz, President and CEO of State and Federal Communications, has been appointed to serve as a member of the Associates Advisory Committee of The Council of State Governments (CSG) for 2012/2013 term.

CSG is a region-based forum that fosters the exchange of insights and ideas to help state officials shape public policy. It is our nation’s only organization serving all three branches of state government.

According to their website, “The [Associates Advisory Committee] consists of public and private representatives who assist CSG in identifying and recruiting potential associate members, provide advice on development and marketing techniques for the program, and make recommendations to the CSG Executive Committee for promising new public/private partnership opportunities. The committee also assists CSG in identifying key policy issues and state trends.”

Congratulations to you, Elizabeth, for this honor and service!

Kyrie Eleison

Down the Road that I must travel

Kyrie Eleison

Through the darkness of the night

Kyrie Eleison

Where I’m going will you follow

Kyrie Eleison

On a highway in the night.

Wait a minute. Do you know what follows a presidential election? That’s right, all 50 states have a 2013 legislation planned session. Every one of them—Yes, Nevada, Kentucky, and Texas, too.

Are you ready for it?

This is just a reminder our website at www.stateandfed.com has all of the legislative sessions included and we update it every month because there are changes, extensions, and our favorite sine die days. Very soon you will easily see the legislative sessions for every individual state on its Home Page, which will make it easier for you to know whether a lobbying report is due and whether you can make a political contribution during the time the legislature is session.

Once again, our goal for 2013 is to make our website 100% accurate and 100% easier for our clients to use. And, you know if you have a suggestion, all you have to do is call me at 330-761-9960 and I would love to listen to it.

My name is Elizabeth Bartz…And, I approve this message.

Back to singing with Mr. Mister!

When I was young I thought of growing old

Of what my life would mean to me

Would I have followed down my chosen road

Or only wished what I could be.

On October 19, 2012, Elizabeth Bartz, President and CEO of State and Federal Communications, received the Kent State University School of Journalism and Mass Communication William D. Taylor Distinguished Alumni Award.

“The William D. Taylor Award is the highest distinction given by the School of Journalism and Mass Communication to alumni who are nationally and/or internationally recognized for preeminent contributions to their professions or life’s work as they relate to the field of journalism and mass communication.”

Here is Elizabeth Bartz’s acceptance speech:

I first voted in the 1976 Presidential Election—Jimmy Carter vs. Gerald Ford—and have voted in every Presidential election since. In fact, I only missed voting in one election in 1979 when I was in college and did not mail my absentee ballot.

I have not questioned whether I should vote…I just always made sure I did and I made sure I understood the issues and candidates.

So, what am I getting to this month? I want you to vote. Maybe I did not say it correctly. I WANT YOU TO VOTE.

I am not going to go Howard Beale (Movie: Network, 1976). But, I do want you—this country needs you—to study the issues and candidates in your states and cities and review the candidates running for U.S. President between now and November 5th. Get a good night’s sleep and then wake up on November 6th and VOTE, as if your life depended on it.

If you have questions about who is running in the states, check out the State Elections Guide on our website, www.stateandfed.com. We partnered with Stateside Associates to prepare a state-by-state guide on candidates, polling, and contribution guidelines.

Until next month, study the issues. Study the candidates. Study…and be ready to VOTE.