Personal
Statement: I used to think that our system of government
was a complete mess. Actually, I haven't really changed my
mind on that, but I do believe that government is, in fact,
designed to be a complete mess. Our founding fathers wanted
to put together a system of government that just doesn't do
much: too bad they were so successful.
The good
news is that government actually isn't broken and I've spent
a lifetime figuring out how you and your organization can
work the system and beat the odds. If you want to win your
government relations issue, let me know how I can help!
Background:
In 1988, I earned my Bachelor's degree in Political Science
from Chapman College in Orange, CA. In pursuit of gainful
employment, I moved to Washington, DC almost immediately after
graduation, taking a job with a lobbying law firm. My experiences
at the firm furthered my interest in the legislative process
and inspired me to earn a very interesting (although some
might say not entirely useful) Master's degree in Legislative
Affairs. I then tested my academic understanding of the legislative
process through a job as a Legislative Assistant on Capitol
Hill. Needless to say, the "real world" of working
on the hill was vastly different from the text books.
During
my first tenure on Capitol Hill, I had the opportunity to
be a part of history by losing my job when Republicans took
over the House of Representatives in 1994. The member of Congress
I was working for was defeated and I was once again in pursuit
of employment. A year-long stint as a lobbyist for National
Pubic Radio helped me understand how hard it is for organizations
and individuals to get their views across to members of Congress
and their staffs. In returning to the hill in 1996, I began
to parlay my experiences as a lobbyist and congressional aide
into an understanding of the best ways to gain the attention
of elected officials and their staff. As a Legislative Director
and Chief of Staff, I had the opportunity to work with both
professional lobbyists as well as citizen activists and realized
that many people do not understand how to effectively communicate
with an elected official.
In 1999, I wrote Government by the People: How
to Communicate with Congress. The goal of the
book is to help citizens understand their power to change
how government acts. The book served as a catalyst for the
opening of my company, AdVanced Consulting, in 2000. Its mission
is to build trust between citizens and their government, a
goal the AdVanced Consulting team and I seek to achieve through
trainings, speeches, consulting and other services. As the
self-appointed "Advocacy Guru", my work is based
on a deep and abiding belief that government is effective
only when citizens are actively and responsibly engaged. Contrary
to popular belief, government isn't broken: people just need
to know how to work the system and beat the odds. Through
AdVanced Consulting and now the online Advocacy Classroom,
the AdVanced Consulting team is seeking to deliver this message
far and wide. |
