When some hears lobbyist, they often think of someone pushing for legislation or asking for a state appropriation. While that can be a part of our jobs, our job is really being a navigator and strategic counselor for our clients. Our clients range from big to small, non-profit to for-profit, statewide, or community-based, educator to educating the educator, and the list goes on and on. Overall, our clients are trying to find simplicity in their work for the benefit of their members, employees, and those they impact here in our great state.
From day to day, I’m likely to receive a call to help with an urgent issue such as “someone in our shop let a certification or licensure lapse, who can we talk to in order to get back on track?” Or a non-urgent issue such as “We’re opening a new location, and we’d like to invite a few legislators and local officials to be a part of this community event.” When clients come to us with a problem that they need help solving our job is to help them think through the problem, ask them questions, and develop possible solutions to the problem.
With over 53,000 state employees, our role as a navigator and strategic counselor comes in handy. Some clients have a well-staffed team of government affairs professionals while for others it is just us. Regardless of the client, our role is to help them do their work, which often results in helping people live a better life through job creation and boosting growth for Michigan.
