Voices in Advocacy Podcast

Need an MBA?  How Cattlemen's Beef group provides the Masters of Beef Advocacy. Today we speak the Director of Grassroots Advocacy and Spokesperson Development for an organization that began in 1898 representing the largest segment of the nation’s food and fiber industry. Stay tuned as we learn about their advocacy efforts for more than 1,000,000 cattle farmers and ranchers.   ABOUT the GUEST Chan...

What is Too Much or Too Little to Have in Your Legislation? This and many more fabulous advocacy tips are shared as we speak with the CEO of an organization that defends and protects the ecosystem beneficial to the success of wheat growers in the United States.   ABOUT the GUEST Chandler Goule is NAWG’s Chief Executive Officer, coming into that role in July of 2016. In this capacity, Chandler will...

The Future of Agriculture Advocacy is in Good Hands with this Former National Officer of the National FFA. Today we speak an advocate who has been engaged as a national leader of an organization that has over 760,000 members with over 8800 chapters. It is among the largest youth organizations and the largest career and technical student organization in the United States. The National FFA Organizat...

Today we speak the Executive Director of Government Affairs for an organization has 26 affiliated state associations representing 30 soybean producing states. Stay tuned as we learn about their advocacy efforts for more than 500,000 soybean farmers. ABOUT the GUEST As Executive Director of Government Affairs, Christy Seyfert leads the American Soybean Association’s Washington, D.C., office. In thi...

Do you know what 340B program is? If you said no, you are not alone. Today we speak with the National Advocacy Manager of Community Voices 340B. Come with me as we learn more. ABOUT the GUEST Since 2017 Rhiannon Klein has been the National Advocacy Manager for Community Voices for 340B. Rhiannon began her career in Global HIV/AIDS advocacy as the government relations intern for the ONE Campaign in...

Today’s guest represents the developers, manufacturers, formulators and distributors of plant science solutions for agriculture and pest management in the United States. Come with me as we learn more.   ABOUT the GUEST Chris Novak is the President and Chief Executive Officer of CropLife America (CLA).  CLA’s member companies  produce, sell and distribute virtually all of the vital and necessary cr...

Normally this podcast is dedicated to the art of advocacy. Today the show is dedicated to the act of advocacy. Today’s show is an editorial on gun violence in light of the all too familiar recent events. This is an editorial by Roger Rickard, the opinions expressed our those of the host.   Contact Voices In Advocacy at: www. VoicesinAdvocacy.com 480 488-9150 At Voices in Advocacy, we work with org...

Our guest began on the family farm growing cotton, tobacco, watermelon, and peanuts. He rose from Legislative Specialist to Chief Administrative Officer and shares the value of quality and quantity of grassroots farm advocacy.   ABOUT the GUEST Jeffrey Harvey is the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) for the Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) Companies.  In this role, Harvey works with the Farm Bureau Pres...

This trade group which is 125 years old and has more than 1,000 member companies is the leading organization in North America advancing construction and agriculture equipment manufacturers in the global marketplace while using some unique programing to achieve their advocacy goals. ABOUT the GUEST Wade Balkonis is the Director, Grassroots Advocacy at the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM...

This organization has over 760,000 members with over 8800 chapters. It is among the largest youth organizations and the largest career and technical student organization in the United States. Today we speak with the Advocacy and Literacy Officer of the National FFA Organization, known to many as the Future Farmers of America. ABOUT the GUEST Celya McCullah Glowacki, the Advocacy and Literacy and A...

On today’s show we talk with a distinguished professor of communications at the highly esteemed Carnegie Mellon University on the topic of Storytelling – which is recognized as an important component to a successful advocates’ meeting with elected officials. We speak with Ed Barr, Communications Coach for select master’s students at Carnegie Mellon University located in Pittsburgh, PA. ABOUT the G...

You can see the signs of advocacy success - especially locally, as we talk with the Vice President of Advocacy for the International Sign Association, Mr. David Hickey. ABOUT the GUEST David’s main goal in his professional life to is to help government officials understand the value of signs and to enact regulations at the local, state and federal level so that businesses and communities benefit....

The power of storytelling in the face of personal tragedy. We speak with Julie Walker of the Peyton Walker Foundation. In 2013, life threw her a huge curve ball with the tragic and unexpected death of her 19-year-old daughter. Her response to this devastating tragedy was to dust herself off and immediately launch a nonprofit foundation to keep what happened to her daughter from ever happening agai...

America's Brightest Students Create Life Transforming Technologies for Our Country's Wounded Heroes. A fascinating look at the work behind the Quality of Life Plus program and how they advocate daily for veterans, first responders and others that serve our community. ABOUT the GUEST Mark Robbins was selected to be executive director of Quality of Life Plus in July 2021. His career has spanned the...

Best of 2021: We look back on this memorable interview with Mary Kate Cunningham of the American Society of Association Executives. Find out how ASAE and their members play an important role in how associations make America stronger.  Guest Mary Kate Cunningham, CAE, is the Sr. Vice President of Public Policy at ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership. Since taking the reins of ASAE’s public p...

Best of 2021: We look back on this memorable interview with Gail Adams of International Association of Geophysical Contractors. Gail comes with extensive high level Washington DC experience and during this interview she explains advocacy as an art and discusses what one needs to know about a person’s real advocacy why. Gail has more than 20 years of experience in the environment and natural resour...

Best of 2021: We look back on this memorable interview with Cody Lyon of the American Farm Bureau where among the many items we discussed is his advocacy work in defending and protecting the family farm.  Cody is the Managing Director of Advocacy and Political Affairs programs with the American Farm Bureau Federation. Cody Lyon  Managing Director of Advocacy and Political Affairs American Farm Bur...

Best of 2021: We look back on this memorable interview with former U.S. Senator from Alaska, Mark Begich. Mark and I got together back in April and among the many items we discussed was how does an elected official make policy decisions when they are pulled in many directions. This podcast is dedicated to the art of advocacy. Contact Voices In Advocacy at: www. VoicesinAdvocacy.com 480 488-9150 At...

On today’s show we speak with a grassroots advocacy expert whose organization created a Member Activation Program (MAP) that has sent over 4 million advocacy emails in its first 2 years. Now that is some advocacy production. ABOUT The GUEST Kristen Prather has been a grassroots professional working at the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) since 2008. In her role as State Director of Grassro...

On today’s show we have the creator of the U.S. Chamber’s Women Taking the Lead initiative, Ashley Wilson. This important major advocacy initiative brings together high-performing women leaders in business and in government to solve critical problems and advance a growing network of leaders at the VP-level and above. Today our guest is a recognized voice on women in leadership. ABOUT The GUEST Ash...

Roger Rickard believes in advocacy and believes in the right of each and every American citizen to be an advocate, in fact, it is our role and responsibility to participate in our form of self-government. Catch up on his advocacy reflections this Thanksgiving. Roger is the Founder & President of Voices in Advocacy®, author of 7 Actions of Highly Effective Advocates, and host of the Voices In Advoc...

Promoting Better Health – Voices for Kidney Health Advocacy Campaign. Our interview with Matthew Fitting, Director of Grassroots Advocacy at the National Kidney Foundation. ABOUT The GUEST Matthew Fitting is Director of Grassroots Advocacy with the National Kidney Foundation, where he provides strategic direction and oversees implementations for all of NKF’s advocacy activities. Prior to joining N...

Advocacy Success Delivered by Multiple Touch-points with State Legislators. Our conversation with Zach Shamberg, CEO of the Pennsylvania Health Care Association (PHCA).  ABOUT The GUEST Zach Shamberg, CEO of the Pennsylvania Health Care Association (PHCA). Zach is the former Director of Government Affairs at PHCA, and was also Chief of Staff to state Representative Todd Stephens. Zach was recently...

The Vital Nature of Cultivating Meaningful Relationships between Advocates and Members of Congress. Our conversation with Meghan Cruz, Director of Grassroots Advocacy at the National Retail Federation. Meghan is part of the team that was awarded the 2021 Reed Award for Grassroots Trade Association of the Year given by Campaigns and Elections. ABOUT The GUEST Meghan Cruz, the Director, Grassroots A...

On this episode we speak with Davon Gray, Senior Director of Advocacy Capacity Development at The American Institute of Architects, where he is build grassroots champions that empower their voices. Davon Gray, Senior Director of Advocacy Capacity Development at The American Institute of Architects. He is an advocacy strategist and leader in political affairs with a demonstrated record of leading P...