2. Grassroots Events Achieve Results
Success Indicators Traditional lobby activities needed a boost and issue coalitions were seeking partners to
enhance their positions on issues with Members of Congress, the Senate, the White
House and regulatory offices such as the EPA.
Incorporated company and sought out contracts with corporations, associations and
corporate coalitions to bring non-traditional allies to the table to assist in the efforts of
my clients to meet their public policy goals. Worked with allies to educate their members
and constituents on the issue of importance to my client, pointing out where they would
have a vested interest in taking a position on the issue and in so doing elevating their
profile. Most of the education process was through presentations at annual conferences
where anywhere from 30 to over 100 people would attend the requisite session that was
focused solely on the policy issue at hand. Always had informational materials for
dissemination, and engaged in personal discussions with leaders of these advocacy
groups such as the organizations president, its board members and most certainly, the
chair of the environment and energy sub-committee.
Mobilization efforts have included letter-writing campaigns to the Congress, Senate and
White House, petition drives undertaken at annual conference location, having an elected
official testify at public hearings and/or before Congress, participate in media events,
elected officials or business leaders writing and submitting letters to the editor, and other
publications with key news outlets. Took advantage of a request from a local business
magazine to contribute to their “Political Corner” with an article arguing for the
elimination of the tax on dividends in 2003.
Alicia Dugan Sykes
Public Policy Advocacy | External Affairs |
Government Relations | Lobbyist | Stakeholder Relations
3. Tax Exemptions Expanded
Success Indicators The elimination of the Estate Tax has been an objective for many small
business owners and small farm owners for decades. It is seen as an affront to
family members and an attack on being successful. Contracted to assist in the
efforts to finally attain favorable legislation that would lead to the elimination
of the estate tax, otherwise known as the “death tax”.
With the participation of important minority representatives, was able to
assist in securing for the first time favorable legislation signed by President
Bush in 2001 that phased out the estate tax in 2010.
One valuable protection in the law concerning exemptions was that each
spouse was allowed to claim the maximum, so while the law provided for a
graduated exemption amount of between $1 million in 2002 and $3.5 by 2009,
with a tax rate on average of 45% for any amount of estate over the exempted
level, the average estate value for farmers, using 2000 data as an example, was
$1,814,000.
Alicia Dugan Sykes
Public Policy Advocacy | External Affairs |
Government Relations | Lobbyist | Stakeholder Relations
4. Client’s Interests Advocated With Legislators
Success Indicators Long-term client seeks continuing engagement with state minority elected
legislators to advance interests with regard to electricity policy and to ensure
elected legislators will continually consider support for client's federal policy
position. Client's membership consists of many coal-fired power plants which
are a target of many Congressional members and the EPA for its carbon
dioxide emissions when burned as a fuel source for electricity production.
The state legislators group has a caucus that the majority of minority state
elected legislators belongs to. As part of this caucus, the corporate community
as a roundtable as a means to promote their respective interests with the
legislators. Accepted the position as Chairwoman of the Energy, Environment
and Transportation committee for four years and Vice-Chairwoman of this
committee for another four years.
Was able to advocate clients’ interests with the legislators and with other
corporate members through direct interaction with caucus staff, president of
the caucus, participation at annual conference and bi-annual corporate
roundtable meetings. Results include the organizations support for Low-
Income Heating and Energy Assistance legislation, national energy policy, and
alternative fuel infrastructure development.
Alicia Dugan Sykes
Public Policy Advocacy | External Affairs |
Government Relations | Lobbyist | Stakeholder Relations
5. Donations to Charities Increase After
Promotional Campaign
Success Indicators The Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), the three-month event set aside for
annual charity drive within the Federal Government, seeks voluntary re-
assignment of federal employees to manage the CFC within assigned offices
and departments. Chose reassignment to participate in the charity drive and
was responsible for the 15 offices that report to the Executive Office of the
President. Responsibilities were to plan and execute CFC events at location,
ensure employee participation at the event and advocating financial
contribution to charities of choice by the employees.
Very successful in promoting my campaign events, having guest celebrities
participate and subsequently, reporting a higher than previous year financial
commitment from Federal employees working in assigned offices.
The year was a recession year so charities were facing lower contributions
throughout the year. Was able to successfully “sell” to federal employees the
importance of the CFC to these charities, and, in turn, the need and value of
federal employee participation. Hence, the CFC saw increased donations that
year despite it being a difficult economic environment nationwide. The 15
offices under personal responsibility all saw an increase in total amount given
Alicia Dugan Sykes
year over year.
Public Policy Advocacy | External Affairs |
Government Relations | Lobbyist | Stakeholder Relations
6. Fundraiser Generates $50,000
Success Indicators Client was seeking to add funds to its operating budget. With a proposal to
increase annual dues among the membership rejected, I suggested that a
fundraising event be held. After presenting idea to the Board of Directors and
receiving agreement, I laid out the strategy of steps to be taken for the first
black tie fundraising gala event.
Made contact with management of host sight, chose date based on site
availability, negotiated host-site contract to include event expenses, worked
with Association Executive Director to identify potential guests of honor to
present to Board of Directors with instructions to choose two recipients. Once
honorees were chosen, needed to coordinate with the honorees staff.
Fundraising for the event was key and focus was the corporate community
from personal network and professional sphere of influence. Contribution
levels for the event ranged from $500 up to $10,000 for a corporate table.
The annual black-tie gala event raised approximately $50,000 per event for the
eight years that the gala was held.
Alicia Dugan Sykes
Public Policy Advocacy | External Affairs |
Government Relations | Lobbyist | Stakeholder Relations
7. Medical Services Review Saves Over $100,000
Success Indicators Client was seeking to gain more control over cost expenditures related to medical and
dental care by US-based foreign military service members and their families. Previously,
service personnel and family members had been allowed to pursue any medical
treatment deemed necessary by medical service personnel or personally desired.
However, due to financial cutbacks an oversight and approval process needed to be
implemented both with regard to those seeking service and to those rendering service as
the means for addressing spiraling expenditures.
Contracted to be the medical claims administrator with authority to approve all non-
emergency, non-routine services and that all military service personnel, their family
members and medical service personnel were required to seek such approval before any
service was rendered. Worked with the third-party payment processing service to ensure
that all claims received directly from medical providers were denied payment until proper
authorization was received. All military personnel and their families were relayed the new
regulations and any proposed or considered treatment needed approval before
scheduling.
The subsequent result of this oversight was an organized process of approval and denial
leading to medical cost controls and the elimination of a free for all mentality among
service members and their families. The client was able to greatly reduce their annual
medical expenses as compared to prior years. This saved hundreds of thousands over the
years. Met biannually with Service Commander to review approved medical and dental
services, those requests that were denied, and present the compilation of six-month data
of services provided and their expenditures.
Alicia Dugan Sykes
Public Policy Advocacy | External Affairs |
Government Relations | Lobbyist | Stakeholder Relations
8. Delay of Superfund Reauthorization
Legislations Pass
Success Indicators Superfund reauthorization was of keen concern to corporate entities with compliance and
financial obligations to the Superfund. Due to the nature of Superfund, a broad cross-section of
the corporate community has an interest in EPA’s reauthorization process especially as it affects
cleanup regulations and costs. Superfund has been one of the most contentious of
environmental issues for the corporate community and one of the most volatile for the minority
community as Environmental Justice is a prominent issue. Objective was to focus solely on the
areas of commonality and the potential economic impacts on a community.
As a contractor to a Superfund coalition representing many fortune 500 manufacturing, oil and
chemical companies, reached out to the minority allied groups that I had developed
relationships with to educate them on Superfund, the difference between Superfund
remediation and brownfields, and what is required under either situation and the financial
obligations by the corporate community to the Superfund and possible consequences stemming
from a hasty implementation of a poorly reauthorized statute. As with other client base,
mobilization efforts concentrated on minority local elected officials and business organizations.
Grassroots focus was necessarily the National Conference of Black Mayors and the Black
Chamber of Commerce as the mayors represented the communities of many existing sites and
the chamber of commerce’ interests were in business development and growth opportunities.
Successful in delivering public statements, declarations, and letters of support for coalition’s
position to the EPA and Congress. Successful in getting on the record statements calling for
careful consideration on developing Superfund reauthorization legislation, and until favorable
regulation was achieved, bar the EPA from reinstituting financial contributions from the
corporate community to the Superfund.
Alicia Dugan Sykes
Public Policy Advocacy | External Affairs |
Government Relations | Lobbyist | Stakeholder Relations
9. Community Leaders Educated Regarding Economic
Vitality
Success Indicators Under the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, the EPA is authorized to reevaluate the
individual statutes that make up the CAA. Two of those statutes are Particulate Matter
and Ozone, and are the two that are of most concern to communities and the businesses
that operate in them. Addressing PM and Ozone from their sources is a very expensive
proposition as any new determination means added technological devices on
manufacturing or limiting activities that are associated with PM and Ozone creation. The
most prominent adversarial effect in redetermining the statute levels is economic activity
and job creation. Secondly, the most affected areas of PM and Ozone are urban
communities.
As with Superfund Reauthorization, and on behalf of my client, set out to educate
minority community leaders on the Clean Air Act Amendment related to PM and Ozone,
why they need to understand the significance that adjusting the standards to a lower
basis will have on economic vitality for their communities, and what they can do to have
their voices and concerns heard.
The results of advocate education and mobilization efforts were that only slight to
moderate adjustments to the PM and Ozone standards were enacted thereby greatly
reducing adverse economic impact on business creation and expansion and the jobs that
come along with such activity. The success of my actions bore tremendous fruit, and was
able to return to these groups to mobilize them on further proposed adjustments to CAA
amendments.
Alicia Dugan Sykes
Public Policy Advocacy | External Affairs |
Government Relations | Lobbyist | Stakeholder Relations
10. Funding Secured for Important Projects
Success Indicators Two clients were seeking funding for the testing and expansion of
infrastructure for alternative fuels as a means to lessen dependence on foreign
imported crude. Client number one was facing difficulty with local fueling
stations agreeing to commit one pump station to carry their higher ethanol
blended fuel without adequate compensation which was based on the
number of vehicles on the road that could potentially utilize this higher
ethanol-blended fuel. Client number two was seeking funding for alternative
fuel testing with one US military branch as a means of meeting the military’s
directive of lowering their dependence on foreign imported fuel.
Secured the interest of key members of the Senate to have both clients
projects funded through Congressionally appropriated dollars, totaling
approximately $12 million.
Successful in securing this funding over a five-year period for each client. With
the environment towards Congressionally directed funding more difficult due
to House and Senate imposed moratoriums, supporting such projects going
forward will necessarily require legislation that directly advocates
development of projects such as my clients, obviously a more difficult and
time-consuming process. .
Alicia Dugan Sykes
Public Policy Advocacy | External Affairs |
Government Relations | Lobbyist | Stakeholder Relations
11. Legislative Action Sought in Effort to Advance
Renewable Fuel
Success Indicators A Cellulosic ethanol-fuels project was hindered by a law that prevented the use of
required and readily available feedstock. Secondly, funding was sought to develop a
facility that would utilize the available feedstock to manufacture the alternative fuel.
Secured the support of a key member of the Senate for funding of $5 million toward the
development of a manufacturing plant and had the request placed in the Senate Energy
appropriations legislation. Met with Department of Agriculture staff in an effort to gain
their support for changes to the law limiting access to the needed feedstock. They were
noncommittal but were sympathetic to argument and were in agreement that changes
needed to be considered. Met with Senate Energy committee staff lobbying for reopening
of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) portion of the Energy Independence and Security
Act (EISA) 2007 arguing that in order to meet the EISA requirement of 36 billion gallons of
renewable fuels by 2012, less restriction on feedstock had to be legislated.
As a result of no budget being introduced in the Senate for fiscal years 2011 and 2012 the
manufacturing plant did not receive the requested funding. As well, since there has been
no new energy legislation introduced, the feedstock restrictions legislated in EISA remain,
creating an obstacle in meeting the fuels mandate, thereby forcing EPA to reconsider its
renewable fuels content objectives.
Achieving success in changing language in existing law is difficult and has many
competing interests. A new Congress and Senate, along with more time, is what will be
needed to address this situation.
Alicia Dugan Sykes
Public Policy Advocacy | External Affairs |
Government Relations | Lobbyist | Stakeholder Relations
