I won't even be a poor one. That's where I depend on the members and need to listen to what they have to say. In a nutshell, what needs to be done for the reporting profession is to identify what we want the future to be and make it happen. Increasingly, government plays a role in accomplishing that, regardless of the trade or profession. So, yes, a strong government relations profile for NCRA is critical.
Government can be a great facilitator or a great obstacle.
I first got to know of NCRA when I met Brian Cartier through government relations events of the American Society of Association Executives. NCRA has an established reputation that is growing, so we can feel pretty good about that. I think, though, that more and more the government relations focus will be shifting to the states. We obviously cannot be everywhere, but there is an extraordinary amount of work we need to be doing to coordinate or help activity at the state level. And grass-roots support for efforts at the federal level is equally critical.