The place—Wigwam in Arizona. The year—2000. The event—SGAC’s Leaders’ Policy Conference.  I walked in and my professional career was changed forever.

The Leaders’ Policy Conference is produced with the State Government Affairs Council (SGAC) Foundation, NCSL, and CSG as an educational initiative for states’ legislative leadership and state government relations professionals from America’s leading businesses, associations, and service providers. It is designed to encourage dialogue on issues of importance between state legislative leaders and private sector representatives. The public sector includes the legislative leadership from all of the 50 states and U.S. territories, the NCSL and CSG Executive Committees, ALEC’s Board of Directors, and chairs of key committees in the states.

Private sector attendance is for SGAC members only. However, if joining SGAC is on your 2014 bucket list, you can attend as a “prospective” member.

The specifics for the 2013 LPC are the following:

November 23-26, 2013

Turnberry Isle, Miami, Florida

Registration fee is $795 and guests can attend for $295

If you are interested in attending the 2013 Leaders’ Policy Conference, call SGAC at 703-684-0967 and anyone on staff can help you. You can also find additional information at www.sgac.org. In addition, if I can be of any assistance with this event, please do not hesitate to contact me.

In the meantime, remember we are all about relationships and I believe SGAC can assist you in developing those relationships with key leaders in the states.

Thank you,

Elizabeth Z. Bartz
President and CEO
@elizabethbartz

We are proud to announce that Elizabeth Bartz, President and CEO of State and Federal Communications, is speaking at the Public Affairs Council’s State and Local Government Relations Conference in Washington, D.C. Bartz will be co-presenting the Executive Management session, “Setup for Success: Creating an Internal Compliance Process,” with Steven Tomasic from JPMorgan Chase. It will take place tomorrow, September 27, 2013, at 1:30 p.m.

State and Federal Communications was very honored this morning to be one of the recipients of the 2013 Pinnacle Awards of Summit County. The company received the award in the “Private Sector, Small Company” category.

According to the United Way of Summit County website, “The Pinnacle Awards of Summit County is Summit County’s exclusive opportunity to honor those individuals and organizations that are serving the greater good.”

The event was sponsored by Cohen & Company and Summa Health System and was hosted by Inside Business Magazine and United Way of Summit County at the Hilton Fairlawn.

Elizabeth Bartz, president and CEO of State and Federal Communications, and all of the company’s staff would like to thank everyone for this honor. We are very pleased to live and work in such a great community, and we consider it a privilege to get out into the community and work for the greater good as best we can!

I think we all have an idea of what the definition of good government might look like.

1. Bipartisan discussion over important current issues.
2. Keeping “what is best for the country and the electorate” as the most important issue.
3. Maintaining an acceptable conduct as elected public officials.
4. Being receptive to business and other public opinions without being manipulated by special interest groups.

Most of you understand this definition, although I am sure many of you are wondering where these things have gone and what has made them so difficult to maintain and achieve.

Well, I think it has a lot to do with the second part of the title and that includes the words, “In This Environment.”

Just what do these words mean and how have things changed to create the environment we now live in or at least have to live within?

And, of course, the most difficult question “Will good government improve and change the environment we live in or vice versa, Will a better environment give us the opportunity to create good government”

Do I have you sufficiently confused?

The fact is no two topics are more closely related when trying to evaluate this simple statement, “Is good government possible in this environment?”

The sad state of affairs is if you asked the majority of the voting population, the first answer would be “NO.” Of course, NO would be followed by a long litany of their own personal opinions and political advice, be it left or right, which would make everything better if we just follow blindly.

They would also say, not following these simple but absolutely uncompromising ideals is what has gotten us into this mess in the first place.

Judging which of these groups—be they left, right, up, down, or in the middle—is the most responsible for the dilemma of searching for good government, is worse than flipping channels on cable news networks at 5 after 8 p.m. each weekday evening.

Almost incredibly, the art of bad politics has created such an adversarial environment; it seems to be blocking out the sunlight and preventing what this country has done so well for more than 200 years…Govern well.

We seem to be so bogged down in the processes and partisanship, we have lost track of what are the important issues of the day. Good governing—which means in the end, getting things done in a manner as outlined by our Constitution.  This document has no provisions for obstructionism. If anything, it has far more implied provisions for compromise and reconciliation.

This is a bit overwhelming for me—a small business owner, in a regional city like Akron, Ohio—to address. You see, the main goal of my company, in a manner of speaking, is to assure good government has half a chance to exist. State and Federal Communications is responsible for assisting corporations and trade associations to realize what the laws say and stay compliant to the laws as they relate to their lobbying and political contributions activities.

This simple idea of  operating within the framework of the law is what we excel in conveying to our clients. We make no compromises, and we expect good ethical conduct from our clients. We suggest by doing this, our clients can create a GOOD environment, which in turn will allow for the opportunity for good government to thrive and, thereby, help our clients continue to be successful businesses.

This is just our small world of specific topics—lobbying and political contributions—but it also allows us to think of how these simple principles work on a much more grand scale—such as on the national level.

It seems the environment has become polluted and is no longer conducive to allowing good government to thrive. At every turn, we hear about corruption and degradation of “the environment” at almost every level.

Think for a minute. How often do you read or hear about an elected or appointed official, tasked with the responsibility of good governing or overseeing good government at the municipal, state, or even federal level, in some type of ethical or criminal trouble?

These constant stains on our national environment leave those attempting to provide good government with an almost impossible task. Add to this situation the lack of confidence by the electorate and the constant partisan bashing of government officials in the media, and you begin to see how difficult changing this environment has become.

So, who wins? Good government or the bad environment? And, is it possible for good government to inevitably thrive again?

My answer is, YES. But, we must be diligent and use the power we have been given to fix this situation. It may be one of the most disheartening bits of information out there, but the fact that sometimes only 25 to 50 percent of eligible voters take advantage of this privilege is amazing.

We have it within our power as individuals to push things back on the path of good governing and good government. And, we will. We need to encourage everyone to use their constitutional right and step up and be heard. We need to:

1. Demand politicians maintain a high ethical standard;
2. Demand policies and issues are dealt with in a compromising manner so progress can be made; and
3. Be assured, elected officials are more concerned with doing what is best for the people and the country and are not driven by special interest groups or mindless re-election campaigns.

And, most of all, encourage everyone to go out and VOTE. That single simple task, just a few times a year, is our best hope for assuring good government is still possible in this environment.

Thank you,

Elizabeth Z. Bartz
President and CEO

Elizabeth Bartz, president and CEO of State and Federal Communications, spoke today at a luncheon hosted by the Akron Area Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. The event was held at The Tangier in Akron. The title of her talk was, “Is Good Government Possible In This Environment?”

In light of the latest political scandals, Bartz covered a wide range of topics such as the dynamic between politics and journalism, the realm of political communications in the age of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, and even local politics.

Is good government possible? Bartz insisted that it is and challenged the audience to think about the importance of the simple but very powerful act of voting.

You can read a full transcript of the speech here: PRSA August 2013

Last week on Friday, June 21, 2013, fourteen of our State & Federal Communications’ employees, including five interns, visited the East Akron YMCA on South Main Street to celebrate United Way Day of Action. After a warm welcome from Director and Vice President of Community Development Tony Grimes, the State & Fed team brought out the rollers, paintbrushes, and cans of “Legendary Blue” paint and began the day of service.

Dressed in t-shirts that read “Live United,” each member of State & Federal Communications pulled his or her own weight in work; all participated in painting the gymnasium walls and doors as well as numerous hallways. However, the volunteers never felt the task to be daunting and instead thought of it as more of a privilege.

“Though I have lived in Akron my whole life, I am often introduced to places in this community that could use a little assistance. I am always eager to help in any way possible, and I am thankful for United Way Day of Action in giving me the opportunity to do just that,” recalls Research Intern Cristina Dickos.

State & Federal Communications has participated in United Way Day of Action for several years, and each year the company looks forward to spending a day outside the office, showing that our work reaches beyond the desk.

Marketing Intern, Joanna Kamvouris, shared her sentiments: “Day of Action gave me a chance to appreciate what I sometimes take for granted and help brighten the day of children and workers within our Akron community,” Kamvouris said. “The work we completed as a team went beyond applying bright blue paint to the walls along the East Akron YMCA. We came together and made a difference that the children will see every time they visit the YMCA.”

WKSU 89.7 FM invited Elizabeth Bartz, President and CEO of State and Federal Communications, to record a radio spot congratulating the station for awards it has received this year. She had a great time doing it and brought along five of her interns so they could see the magical inner workings of WKSU’s Akron studio.

State and Federal Communications is a proud sponsor of WKSU. It is a great radio station and a treasure for Northeast Ohio. Their motto is “NPR. Classical. Other smart stuff.” Elizabeth’s testimonial falls under the category of “Other smart stuff.”

Take a look!

Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic offers his congratulations to State and Federal Communications on its 20th Anniversary! We thank the mayor, who is a longtime friend of Elizabeth Bartz, for taking a moment amid a busy schedule to offer his thoughts:

I am updating my article from a year ago when I first joined the Go Red For Women campaign in Akron. This year I was able to have my husband, JohnChames join me. (Yes, I put his first and last name together because there are a lot of Johns in my family. The only way to keep them separate is to use the last name.) If you recall last year’s photo you will notice this year a number of additional men joined the Red Tie Society.  If you haven’t found us in the picture, the hint is we are holding hands across the middle of the escalator at Macy’s.  And, yes, that is Jim Tressel near him.

Did you know American Heart Association recommends adults get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity physical activity?  [That is about 22 minutes per day.] Here are some easy ways you can add physical activity into your daily life:

• Use  coffee breaks to take 5- or 10-minute walks. The weather is nice (except for Denver and Minneapolis) so time to pull out the sneakers and walk around the block.
• In parking lots, park your car as far away as you can. At State and Federal Communications, I have parking space #1 so I need to make sure I am walking up the stairs during the day to see the folks on the second floor—instead of taking the elevator.
• Get your personal heart-health status and learn how regular physical activity can help improve your health. Take the American Heart Association’s My Life Check assessment at mylifecheck.heart.org.
• Walk a flight of stairs 10 times a day. I am on my third Fitbit since last year and it helps track the steps and flights of stairs I take every day. And, as it relates to steps, try to reach 10,000 a day.
• Visit www.startwalkingnow.org to download the new Walking Path mobile phone application and find nearby walking paths, track your steps, and motivate your walking friends.

The American Heart Association’s mission is to build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.  Until next month, join the fight against women’s #1 killer—Heart Disease by donating to your local Heart Association.

Thanks,

Elizabeth Z. Bartz
President and CEO

U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown offers his congratulations to State and Federal Communications on its 20th Anniversary! Sen. Brown attended Kent State University’s Washington Program in National Issues Celebration at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. and generously took the time to offer this message:

Elizabeth Bartz, President and CEO of State and Federal Communications, is appearing in a public service announcement for the American Heart Association’s 10th Go Red for Women campaign. Here is the segment, which will be showing up on various radio stations in Northeast Ohio:

Ms. Bartz is also appearing in the April 2013 issue of Akron Life magazine. The publication is featuring a special supplement honoring the campaign.

State and Federal Communications is proud to be one of the sponsors of the Go Red for Women Luncheon at the Quaker Station in Akron on Tuesday,  May 14, 2013. Call 330-664-1908 for tickets.

Elizabeth Bartz, President and CEO of State and Federal Communications, is attending the 2013 BIO International Convention in Chicago, Illinois.

The global biotechnology event runs from April 22-25, 2013.

The BIO International Convention and State and Federal Communications are both celebrating a 20-year anniversary this year!