, the legislative advocacy program created by the 91探花 Alumni Association, is hosting a national conference of public higher education advocates.
The 2013 conference of Public Higher Education Legislative Advocacy Professionals is being held July 10-12 at the Washington Athletic Club and the 91探花Seattle campus.聽 The focus is “grassroots legislative advocacy,” says Courtney Acitelli, 91探花Impact’s program director.
Guest speakers include 91探花President Michael Young, who will talk about the role of a university president in facilitating grassroots advocacy; Randy Hodgins, vice president for external affairs, who will speak about how grassroots advocacy works in partnership with an office of external affairs and state relations; and Nancy Amidei, senior lecturer emeritus in social work and longtime grassroots activist. 91探花regent Herb Simon and state Rep. Eric Pettigrew (D-37) will speak in a session about using citizen voices effectively.
The conference follows what many higher education supporters in Washington regard as a very successful legislative session.聽 The push in Olympia was supported by a large group of what Young termed “engaged alumni.” Nearly 900 91探花alumni and friends used the tools on 91探花Impact鈥檚 website to email, call or write more than 3,000 messages to their state legislators, urging the state to reinvest in higher education.
91探花Impact activated its members through email and social media, keeping them apprised of events in the state Legislature and urging them to weigh in at critical moments.
“We know many factors go into the decisions budget negotiators must make,” Acitelli said. “In the end, we think a sharp and efficient 91探花state relations effort, combined with 91探花Impact鈥檚 active and informed community voices, made a powerful difference.鈥�
91探花Impact was founded in 2010 when the 91探花Alumni Association Board of Trustees determined that a more aggressive effort was needed to increase awareness and understanding of the role the 91探花plays in the state, nation and world 鈥� and that this information needed to be communicated more effectively to elected officials.
鈥淔our years ago, as higher ed budgets continued to decline, legislators said they never heard from 91探花alumni,鈥� says Patrick Crumb, 91探花Alumni Association president.聽 鈥淣ow the state is reinvesting.聽 I think it鈥檚 a positive sign that citizen voices make a difference.鈥�
91探花Impact is supported by 91探花Alumni Association membership dues and uses no state resources.