I Am A Lobbyist

“We in America do not have government by the majority. “We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate."

Thomas Jefferson

When a reporter asked President Harry Truman whether he would be against lobbyists who are supporting his programs, Truman responded, "We probably wouldn't call those people lobbyists. We would call them citizens working in the public interest."

Why Hire a Lobbyist?

Lobbying is the art of educating and persuading decision makers to support or oppose policies or programs that positively impact your organization or adversely impact your competitor. It can also involve getting a decision maker’s agreement not to change an existing policy or program.

The person who does the educating and persuading is called a "lobbyist." A lobbyist is a person who is paid to represent an organization or group of organizations before the legislative and executive branches of government. The lobbyist is paid to advocate and promote an organization’s interests as well as protect them from laws and regulations that may hinder their mission. A good lobbyist knows the rules of how government works inside and out.

There are numerous stories about how the name lobbyist was coined. A particularly popular one is the term lobbyist comes from the special interest representatives who gathered in the lobby of the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C. to talk to the Members of Congress who stayed at the hotel while they were in Washington for the legislative session. Another popular notion why representatives of an organization are called lobbyists is they spend so much time standing around the lobbies of the Capitol and the House and Senate Office Buildings waiting to speak to Representatives and Senators.

With every piece of legislation or government action there are winners and losers. Today companies in order to flourish, or merely survive, need to understand and shape government policies. With expert knowledge of the public policy process, a lobbyist helps companies navigate the ever-increasing maze of legislative and regulatory challenges to achieve their objectives by developing and implementing aggressive offensive and defensive strategies to educate and convince government officials to support or oppose action on a given issue. A lobbyist helps a company identify issues and opportunities that affect its success, enhance its bottom line or adversely affects its competitors. Today, more than ever, companies need a lobbyist who is responsible to monitor and affect the day-to-day activities of Federal, State and Local governments.

Educating and persuading decision makers in Washington, D.C. is not like doing business anywhere else. The political and policy making processes present unique problems and opportunities for businesses and a lobbyist is the person who helps a company overcome the obstacles or take advantage of the opportunities. A lobbyist serves as a “bridge” between the political world and the business world. The difference between lawmakers and government regulators taking action to help a company or a company being adversely affected by their actions often depends upon whether a company has a lobbyist.

The outcome of the legislative or regulatory process may affect a company’s profits or worse, whether a company is viable as on an ongoing concern. Today, all companies, especially those in highly regulated industries, should have a fulltime presence in Washington, D.C., especially if they want to be effective in influencing the outcome of the political and policymaking process. The most important thing a company can do is to get to know and establish a relationship with the Representative and Senators representing the District(s) and State(s) where the company has facilities and workers. Companies cannot expect to succeed in influencing the political and policymaking processes if they only come to Washington, D.C. and contact their Representatives and Senators when a bill is about to be voted on or an agency is about to take action or a subpoena to testify before a Congressional Committee has been delivered.

To be most effective in Washington, D.C., a company must have a presence in Washington, D.C. before a bill is introduced, marked up in a Committee or a Congressional Committee begins an investigation, when an issue is on the distant horizon. The benefits and results will come later and will be greater if a company already has a presence, is visible and active in the political and policymaking processes in Washington, D.C. While a company may have immediate concerns, to be really effective and successful in influencing the outcome of the political and policymaking processes, it must establish a D.C. presence for the long haul and have visibility on Capitol Hill and with the Administration and be active in the political and policymaking processes.

In summary, companies should hire a lobbyist if they want Congress, the Administration or regulatory agencies to do – or not do – something they care about. Lobbyists have specialized knowledge about how decisions get made in Washington, D.C. and they know how to favorably influence them. Lobbyists are the “eyes” and “ears” of a company on Capitol Hill, the Administration and the regulatory agencies, to monitor, track, report and influence what is happening in Washington, D.C. that may be of interest or affect a company’s operations.

Top Ten Reasons to Hire Me as Your Lobbyist!

10: Terrific Professional Experience

Seasoned professional in government affairs and public policy with more than 20 years' experience effectively and successful representing organizations before the Executive and Legislative branches, administrative and regulatory agencies at the Federal, State and local levels and foreign governments, as well as serving in the White House, the Departments of Defense, Commerce and Housing and Urban Development and on Capitol Hill and delivering impressive results that contribute to a company’s bottom line. I have a proven track record leading aggressive offensive and defensive strategies for government affairs.


9: Master Juggler of Multiple Issues and Projects

With strong organizational skills, I am accomplished at managing a complex array of projects and issues and capitalizing on an organization’s strengths to employ creative alternatives or solutions to complex problems.


8: I Enjoy Getting My Hands Dirty

With a hands-on approach, strong leadership skills and a focus on generating corporate return as my strengths, I have the knowledge and expertise it takes to bring about positive change, create results and will make an immediate and positive impact on the operational performance of the organization. My true value comes from an uncanny ability to develop executable plans taking into consideration the views of all parties concerned and build an actionable lobbying campaign with timelines and budgets that usually exceed expectations.


7: I Will Talk to Anyone

I have a long record of successful strategic outreach forging relationships with company executives and a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders. With a genuine desire to build and maintain positive business relationships, I actively seek to establish rapport with other companies, trade associations and organizations and form joint alliances to further an organization’s interests. With excellent analytical and communication skills, both written and oral (including public speaking), I am able to persuade constituencies towards specific actions and initiatives. Throughout my career I have dealt with the executives of Fortune 500 companies, Members of the House of Representatives, U.S. Senators, Cabinet Members, Presidents and Vice Presidents of the U.S., Foreign Leaders and Ambassadors. I can just as easily talk with them as I can with my co-workers and friends.


6: Been There; Done That

For the last 7 years, I have had my own company, Government Relations & International Trade Strategies, offering my lobbying and public policy expertise to a diverse group of companies. I understand what it takes to make a business successful and building a clientele you value and respect.


5: Not Just Another Manager

I have excellent interpersonal and listening skills, the ability to create harmonious, productive working relationships and successfully collaborate with others. Comfortable in a team-oriented environment, I am a collegial problem solver and consensus builder who enjoys and values the ideas and input of others; will gain the trust of others while being direct and collaborative; willing to offer insights and share my expertise without intimidating or being intimidated by others having different or opposing views; and recognizes and encourages these abilities in others. Furthermore, I am a talented and resourceful manager who gives staff the resources and room to execute their responsibilities, but is always available to provide help and counsel.


4: Recipient of "Most Enthusiastic" Award in Elementary School

And I haven't changed. Regardless of what I choose to do, I am very passionate and enthusiastic in my approach. I truly don't see any other way to do it.


3: I Don’t Use a Crystal Ball

Because of my many years in Washington, I am able to analyze issues determine the applicability and relevance of legislative and political initiatives to an organization and anticipate future trends and issues. With my legal training I am able to offer insightful counsel and review the legal ramifications of proposed legislation and regulations assessing the extent to which such legislation or regulations support or conflict with an organization’s positions or interests; synthesize key legislative issues; identify opportunities to enhance the bottom line of a company and negotiate legislative provisions that advance the interests of a company.


2: I Don’t Smoke Cigars, Carry Wads of Cash and Won’t Be Going to Jail

I have an impeccable reputation for honesty and integrity and maintain the highest ethical standards.


And the #1 Reason to Hire Me As Your Lobbyist ... My Desire to Succeed

If it's a problem, I want to solve it. If it is a challenge, I want to meet it. If it's an expectation, I want to exceed it. I truly want to succeed. And there's one challenge I want to take on … being your Lobbyist!!! Hire me now so I can begin immediately representing your company and promoting your interests. I will bring to your company a long record of success of managing the government relations and legislative affairs offices and staff of a major Federal Cabinet Department, a Fortune 500 company and a national trade association, as well as generating results for all my past employers and clients. I am a “big picture thinker” who thinks “outside of the box” and I have a comprehensive understanding of the issues, challenges and opportunities facing companies. If you hire me as your lobbyist, I am confident I will do an outstanding job for your organization. I hope I will have the chance to prove it.

I Am A Lobbyist

“We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.” Thomas Jefferson

When a reporter asked President Harry Truman whether he would be against lobbyists who are supporting his programs, Truman responded, "We probably wouldn't call those people lobbyists. We would call them citizens working in the public interest."

Why Hire a Lobbyist?

Lobbying is the art of educating and persuading decision makers to support or oppose policies or programs that positively impact your organization or adversely impact your competitor. It can also involve getting a decision maker’s agreement not to change an existing policy or program.

The person who does the educating and persuading is called a "lobbyist." A lobbyist is a person who is paid to represent an organization or group of organizations before the legislative and executive branches of government. The lobbyist is paid to advocate and promote an organization’s interests as well as protect them from laws and regulations that may hinder their mission. A good lobbyist knows the rules of how government works inside and out. There are numerous stories about how the name lobbyist was coined. A particularly popular one is the term lobbyist comes from the special interest representatives who gathered in the lobby of the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C. to talk to the Members of Congress who stayed at the hotel while they were in Washington for the legislative session. Another popular notion why representatives of an organization are called lobbyists is they spend so much time standing around the lobbies of the Capitol and the House and Senate Office Buildings waiting to speak to Representatives and Senators.

With every piece of legislation or government action there are winners and losers. Today companies in order to flourish, or merely survive, need to understand and shape government policies. With expert knowledge of the public policy process, a lobbyist helps companies navigate the ever-increasing maze of legislative and regulatory challenges to achieve their objectives by developing and implementing aggressive offensive and defensive strategies to educate and convince government officials to support or oppose action on a given issue. A lobbyist helps a company identify issues and opportunities that affect its success, enhance its bottom line or adversely affects its competitors. Today, more than ever, companies need a lobbyist who is responsible to monitor and affect the day-to-day activities of Federal, State and Local governments.

Educating and persuading decision makers in Washington, D.C. is not like doing business anywhere else. The political and policy making processes present unique problems and opportunities for businesses and a lobbyist is the person who helps a company overcome the obstacles or take advantage of the opportunities. A lobbyist serves as a “bridge” between the political world and the business world. The difference between lawmakers and government regulators taking action to help a company or a company being adversely affected by their actions often depends upon whether a company has a lobbyist.

The outcome of the legislative or regulatory process may affect a company’s profits or worse, whether a company is viable as on an ongoing concern. Today, all companies, especially those in highly regulated industries, should have a fulltime presence in Washington, D.C., especially if they want to be effective in influencing the outcome of the political and policymaking process. The most important thing a company can do is to get to know and establish a relationship with the Representative and Senators representing the District(s) and State(s) where the company has facilities and workers. Companies cannot expect to succeed in influencing the political and policymaking processes if they only come to Washington, D.C. and contact their Representatives and Senators when a bill is about to be voted on or an agency is about to take action or a subpoena to testify before a Congressional Committee has been delivered. To be most effective in Washington, D.C., a company must have a presence in Washington, D.C. before a bill is introduced, marked up in a Committee or a Congressional Committee begins an investigation, when an issue is on the distant horizon. The benefits and results will come later and will be greater if a company already has a presence, is visible and active in the political and policymaking processes in Washington, D.C. While a company may have immediate concerns, to be really effective and successful in influencing the outcome of the political and policymaking processes, it must establish a D.C. presence for the long haul and have visibility on Capitol Hill and with the Administration and be active in the political and policymaking processes.

In summary, companies should hire a lobbyist if they want Congress, the Administration or regulatory agencies to do – or not do – something they care about. Lobbyists have specialized knowledge about how decisions get made in Washington, D.C. and they know how to favorably influence them. Lobbyists are the “eyes” and “ears” of a company on Capitol Hill, the Administration and the regulatory agencies, to monitor, track, report and influence what is happening in Washington, D.C. that may be of interest or affect a company’s operations.