learned public relations the hard way the day the city clerk informed me that I would become the youngest mayor in the history of Safety Harbor, Florida, at 27. Within a few hours of learning the news, I was mobbed by reporters from the St. Petersburg Times, Tampa Tribune and television news crews from ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox...
SL7 INTERVIEW'S RICK WATSON, CHIEF LOBBYIST FOR ASSOCIATED BUILDERS & CONTRACTORS OF FLORIDA
Rick Watson is legislative counsel for ABC. ABC is the voice of commercial construction. It's a trade association of merit-shop, commercial and industrial contractors. ABC represents every aspect of commercial construction from general contractors to subcontractors and affiliated industries. It’s SL7 Communications’ pleasure to include Rick in our SL7 Interview series. Rick discusses ABC’s role in coalitions, how his members are faring in today’s economy and the key legislative issues heading into 2015...
SL7 INTERVIEW'S UCLA PROF. EDWARD T. WALKER, AUTHOR OF NEW BOOK: GRASSROOTS FOR HIRE
Grassroots Lobbying has become a billion dollar industry leaving its mark on our American Democracy. Surprisingly, there’s little-to-no authoritative research and writing on the consultants who specialize in this field. However, author and UCLA Professor Edward T. Walker pulls back the curtain of consultant driven grassroots initiatives in his new book, Grassroots for Hire: Public Affairs Consultants in American Democracy...
SL7 INTERVIEW'S CYNTHIA HENDERSON
an Jeb Bush win the Republican nomination for President? What kind of leadership can we expect from new Republican Party of Florida Chairwoman Leslie Dougher? Is Rick Scott the most likeable governor? Are women second class citizens in politics? Cynthia Henderson, president of the Florida Federation of Republican Woman answers the questions driving today's political landscape...
THE RISE OF CORPORATE GRASSROOTS LOBBYING
Corporate grassroots lobbying has led to an estimated $1 billion-a-year industry and it’s growing. In today’s political and social environments, an increasing number of C-Suite executives have realized they need more than big PAC checks and high-powered lobbyists to achieve their public affairs strategies...
REAL ESTATE WEEKLY INTERVIEWS PATRICK SLEVIN ON NIMBYISM
In March 1996, at the age of 27, Patrick Slevin became one of the youngest mayors in the country. The New York native served for three years in Safety Harbor, a city of around 17,500 near Tampa Bay. As an elected official, Slevin became involved in land use issues, where he confronted the “not in my backyard” attitude toward new development, or NIMBYism...