CRI's Mendez Chairs SGAC's Leaders' Policy Conference

CRI Shines at the State Government Affairs Council’s Leaders’ Policy Conference

Government Affairs Director Jennifer Mendez Chairs an Important Event for Legislators and Issues Professionals

As Director of Government Relations for the Carpet and Rug Institute, one way I carry our members’ messages out to the states is through membership in a variety of state legislative groups. One such group is the State Government Affairs Council, or SGAC. CRI is a member of the SCAC and I am privileged to sit on the board of directors for the group.

SGAC is the premier national association for multi-state government affairs professionals like me, providing us with opportunities for networking and professional development. SGAC conducts educational activities that strengthen the interaction and understanding between SGAC members and state government officials.

Every fall during the weekend prior to Thanksgiving, state legislative leaders and members of SGAC assemble. (I know, it’s not the best time of the year for a conference, but amazingly enough, it’s always well-attended!) In fact, this year record numbers of state legislative leaders were present!

They come for a meeting called the Leaders' Policy Conference, or LPC. The LPC is an annual meeting of the states' legislative leadership and state government affairs professionals from America's leading businesses, associations and service providers. The conference is designed to encourage dialogue on issues of importance between state legislative leaders and private sector representatives. Attendance is by invitation only, but included on the list of invitees are: the legislative leadership of all 50 states, the Executive Committees of the National Council of State Legislators and the Council of State Governments; the board of directors of the American Legislative Exchange Council, SGAC members and representatives from the private sector.

This year CRI was in the forefront, as I was the chairperson for the conference. When I sat down with the planning committee in early 2009 to begin preparing the agenda, I was impressed with the sheer number of issues affecting the states. It was hard to know where to start.

We chose the theme, "Innovation: The Path to Recovery", and the conference focused on pressing issues facing state legislatures due to current economic and world events. The program also included a range of critical skill-building sessions on such topics as, Hot Topics in State Legislatures, Current Economic Climate, Digital Communications, Healthcare, Innovations in Technology, Leadership and Political Analyses.

Several well-known speakers attended, including a kick-off speech from popular Florida-based author and columnist Carl Hiaasen. (For those of you who have read his books, you know he’s a little twisted, but thoroughly entertaining). He didn’t disappoint.

The session on the state of the economy across the US painted a bleak forecast. California Assemblywoman Fiona Ma was one of the panelists – not surprisingly, she shared that the economy in California is a mess.

The session on healthcare in the states generated some lively discussion. We heard from Sen. Richard Rosen from Maine on the failure of his state’s “public option” plan, Dirigo Health. We also heard about innovations in healthcare from former Congressman Dick Gephardt.

In the age of Facebook and Twitter, the panel discussion on digital communication was particularly interesting. Legislators from Ohio and Alabama shared how they maximized social media in their offices, and a representative from Facebook talked about the uses and popularity of that social media platform.

One of my favorite sessions was led by Peter Post (Grandson of Emily Post), who talked about business etiquette. His comments were particularly appropriate following the session on digital communication. Post addressed manners in relation to cell phones and Blackberries (funny how common sense can be such an interesting topic). The piéce de resistance was the closing presentation by former Arkansas Governor and current TV personality, Mike Huckabee. No matter what direction your political leanings run, he is always an engaging presenter!

I haven’t seen the official evaluation forms from the conference yet, but from the verbal comments I received, the feedback was positive and encouraging, particularly from legislators. I have to say, chairing the conference was fun, but a challenge nonetheless. I was glad to wrap up a successful meeting and head home to friends and family for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Jennifer

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