Florida Association of Professional Lobbyists

FAPL re-elects board members for 2017 term

Published on December 27, 2016 in Statewide/Top Headlines by Staff Reports

The Florida Association of Professional Lobbyists has selected board members for the next term. According to an email from the group, a proposed slate of open seats for the 2017 Board of Directors was distributed to the FAPL membership on Nov. 1. The Nominating Committee forwarded a slate of seven candidates, each a current Board member seeking re-election for another two-year term. FAPL members overwhelmingly approved the slate, the email said. The following members were each re-elected for a two-year…

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Florida Association of Professional Lobbyists asks for seat at the table to talk about changes to House rules

Published on November 7, 2016 in Statewide by Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster

Change is coming, but the state’s lobbying association wants to offer some input before new House rules are finalized. David Mica, the chairman of the Florida Association of Professional Lobbyists, sent a letter Monday to House Speaker Designate Richard Corcoran asking weigh in on the House rules before they are released. “There have been several news reports which suggest that part of the new House Rules will include provisions related to how House members interact with lobbyists,” said Mica in…

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Back from vacation with a special message to our readers

Published on September 19, 2016 in Peter by Peter Schorsch

Walt Disney World is billed as “The Happiest Place on Earth” and any regular reader of this blog or any friend on Facebook knows how much I believe that. In fact, I believe that title extends to any place where Uncle Walt’s magic can be found, including the majestic Disney cruise ships. My family and I returned Saturday from aboard the Disney Fantasy and it was nothing less than what the ship’s name suggests — a genuine fantasy of happiness and joy. And yet,…

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Luke Russert talks politics, media at Florida Association of Professional Lobbyists annual conference

Published on September 8, 2016 in Statewide by Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster

The rise of social media has fundamentally changed politics. And that shift has created a system that “rewards loud voices not always backed up by facts,” said Luke Russert, a former NBC News correspondent. “We live in a hyper-connected world,” he said. “It has pushed the media to gin up content to feed the beast. Something in that past that wouldn’t have been front-page news … is front and center. That has enabled actors to come on to the scene…

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Optimism abounds in INFLUENCE Magazine’s 2015 survey of Florida’s lobbying corps

Published on December 11, 2015 in Statewide/Top Headlines by Peter Schorsch

Florida lobbyists are an optimistic lot, so says an exclusive state-of-the-industry survey in the latest issue of INFLUENCE Magazine. In its first-ever “State of the Lobby Corps” poll, conducted with a major assist from the Florida Association of Professional Lobbyists, the magazine asked more than 700 members of the government affairs industry to weigh in on a range of topics. There are 1,977 registered Florida lobbyists working with the Legislative branch, representing about 4,000 principals, and 1,539 for the executive…

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Jeff Kottkamp named to finish Fred Leonhardt’s term on FAPL board

Published on November 2, 2015 in Statewide/Top Headlines by Phil Ammann

On Monday, former Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp was appointed to the board of directors for the Florida Association of Professional Lobbyists. Kottkamp, a three-time Florida House member who served from 2007 to 2011 as the state’s 17th lieutenant governor, will fill the remaining term of FAPL Board Member Fred Leonhardt. Leonhardt died suddenly last month. “We are very honored to add Lt. Governor Kottkamp to the FAPL board of directors,” said FAPL Chair David Mica. “Fred Leonhardt’s passing has created…

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Annual lobbyist conference starts today in Tampa

Published on September 9, 2015 in Statewide/Top Headlines by Jim Rosica

The Florida Association of Professional Lobbyists‘ 11th annual conference kicks off later this week in Tampa. This year’s conference runs Wednesday-Friday at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay on Bayport Drive. The keynote speaker, however, is still in flux after the planned headliner had to cancel because of a last-minute scheduling conflict, executive director Mark Landreth said. Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, commander of the U.S. Central Command in Tampa, was going to talk on “Making America Secure in the 21st Century.” The military command is responsible for security…

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