Letter From The Partnership:
Effective advocacy is at the heart of what has made the Buffalo Niagara Partnership the premier employer organization in our region. Central to our advocacy efforts is our ongoing commitment to connect our members with local, state, and federal officials to champion the needs of local employers. A commitment all the more important given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on employers and businesses throughout our region.
The BNP’s annual Public Officials Directory provides you with important contact information for the region’s government and economic development leaders. The information contained in this directory helps you work together with the BNP as we continue to push for legislative action and common-sense reforms as employers struggle to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The BNP’s advocacy and government affairs initiatives work to educate elected leaders and decision makers on the issues that matter most to our members and the impact public policy has in fostering or curbing job creation and private sector investment in our community.
As we face a challenging year ahead, the BNP will continue to be a strong and effective voice for the Buffalo Niagara employer community. On behalf of my colleagues, thank you for your commitment to the BNP and our shared goal of building a stronger, more competitive regional economy.
–Grant Loomis | Vice President, Government Affairs
Passwords were distributed via email following our 2021 Advocacy Agenda Release.
If you have misplaced or lost your password, please reach out to your Member Rep to receive another one.
Effectively communicating with elected officials at the local, state, and federal level doesn’t have to be difficult. Below are our best tips for making sure your voice is heard.
Call in advance to set up an appointment and explain the reason for your visit. Some offices also allow you to request a meeting through the elected official’s website. Ensure you understand the official’s position on a particular issue. Consider inviting other individuals from like companies with similar concerns to participate in the meeting. You should also be open to meeting with a key member of an elected official’s staff if the principal is not available. Developing relationships with legislative staff members is an important part of the advocacy process.
Letters may be formal or informal, typewritten or handwritten. Letters are read and they elicit responses. If you write to an elected official who does not represent you, you should expect your letter to be referred to your actual representative. At the federal level, letters are often screened for security purposes. As a result, you should plan to wait a longer period of time for a response.
Depending on the official, email can be an effective way to communicate when issues are time sensitive. Keep the message short and to one screen, and always provide your complete contact information. Many elected officials require to you use an online submission form from their website to communicate via email. This process has its advantages as it is easier for the office to track the email and ensure it has been received and reviewed.
Phone calls are appropriate, especially when there is not enough time to write a letter or visit your official prior to a vote. A call is best used to ask an official to support or oppose a particular bill before a public hearing or committee/floor vote. Make phone calls sparingly.
Call in advance to set up an appointment and explain the reason for your visit. Some offices also allow you to request a meeting through the elected official’s website. Ensure you understand the official’s position on a particular issue. Consider inviting other individuals from like companies with similar concerns to participate in the meeting. You should also be open to meeting with a key member of an elected official’s staff if the principal is not available. Developing relationships with legislative staff members is an important part of the advocacy process.