MLC partner Tony has been part of our firm for 14 years. Click here to read his full bio and get to know him better!
If you look at the resumes of many lobbyists, you often see a straight line: a degree in political science, a stint as a legislative staffer, and a direct jump into government relations. My path within state government looked less like a straight line and more like a masterclass in adaptability. I had the opportunity to work in two departments: the Department of Transportation and the Department of Technology, Management, and Budget (DTMB). At DTMB, I wore many hats, and given the many areas that DTMB covers, I became a quick study in a number of areas. However, the job that most prepared me for my lobbying career was serving as the legislative liaison for DTMB.
- Mastering the Art of the Liaison
Being a liaison in state government means acting as a human bridge between deeply fragmented worlds. I spent my time translating complex legislative mandates into operational realities for state agencies, all while keeping external stakeholders from pulling their hair out.
That role taught me how to listen for what people need, not just what they say they want. In lobbying, advocacy isn’t about yelling the loudest; it’s about finding the overlap between a client’s goals and a policymaker’s agenda. My time as a liaison stripped away the political noise and taught me how to build consensus where none existed.
- Managing Chaos (and Diverse Projects)
State government rarely hands you one project at a time. On any given Tuesday, I was simultaneously managing a technology modernization initiative, a state contracting issue, and an inter-agency budget dispute.
This taught me how to track moving parts across entirely different ecosystems. As a lobbyist, your issue portfolio is constantly changing. You must jump from tax policy in the morning to an agriculture issue by afternoon without dropping a single ball.
- The Power of “Accelerated Learning”
Perhaps the most terrifying—and rewarding—part of my government career was being dropped into highly technical subject areas with zero warning. I routinely had forty-eight hours to become an “expert” on specialized policy issues.
You don’t need to know everything out of the gate; you just need to know how to ask the right questions and filter out the fluff. That exact skill is the secret weapon of any good lobbyist. When a client hands you a complex, niche industry problem, you can’t afford a six-month learning curve. You must download the data, identify the political pressure points, and build a strategy immediately.
The Takeaway
An effective lobbyist isn’t just someone who knows people; it’s someone who knows how the machine works from the inside out. My career in state government didn’t make me a specialist in just one thing. It made me a specialist in navigation, translation, and execution, all the tools needed to be successful as a lobbyist.
Reach out to MLC to learn how Tony can utilize his decades of experience to help you achieve your goals in Michigan.
