Results-driven management professional with strong experience leading external / community affairs and outreach initiatives supporting numerous industries. Effective at leveraging government / business relationships and coalitions to lobby and advocate for public policy issues. Successful at defining and aligning strategies and grassroots campaigns to promote awareness and mobilize support for issues impacting communities. Grassroots Advocacy Expert with proven ability to thrive in environments requiring resourcefulness, flexibility, and initiative. Interacts comfortably / confidently with elected officials and business leaders.
External Relations and Advocacy:
Develops key external relationships, identifying and articulating legislative and regulatory issues; collaborates with key elected officials at the state and local level as well as with senior business leaders. Provides issue education and develops related materials including press releases critical to driving effective and innovative results. Assess advocacy groups for mobilization efforts. Served as Chairwoman of the Energy, Environment and Transportation Committee of the Corporate Roundtable for a prominent advocacy group. Oversaw fundraising and event preparations.
Executive Leadership and Relationship Management:
Corporate visionary exhibiting leadership skills, policy development and advancement, project management, public relations skills, public speaking, negotiations, and exemplary relationship management. Supplemented organization’s operations budget with annual fundraiser gala event netting approximately $50,000 each event.
Government Relations:
Accomplished liaison between client and federal governmental agencies and Congress utilizing skills of lobbying to achieve favorable federal appropriations to advance energy and environment projects. Secured $12 million in Congressionally directed funding for the testing and expansion of infrastructure for alternative fuels in an effort to lessen the US dependence on foreign crude imports. Utilized advocacy efforts to achieve favorable positioning of clients interests with federal regulatory agencies.
Leveraging Key Relationships:
Proactive and personable change agent leveraging business relationships to identify issues, prepare well-supported documentation, and present convincing recommendations key to moving public policy initiatives forward. Partnered with grassroots advocacy groups and members of issue coalitions to highlight commonalities and provide education on the economic impacts of proposed legislation and regulations. A conduit leveraging business opportunities between parties.
Social Media for Advancement of Public Policy
Completed requirements for Professional Certificate in Advanced Social Media. Develops and manages a tactical implementation roadmap to promote and advance public policy within the Social Media environment, as well as, promotes and protects corporate and personal brand.
Linked In Profile URL: www.linkedin.com/pub/alicia-dugan-sykes/15/327/847