Fairfax, VA – Today the National Institute for Lobbying & Ethics (NILE) announced its 2020 Top Lobbyists awards. We set out on a mission to create a yearly Top Lobbyist list that was created BY the profession FOR the profession. A list that truly represents our profession. The nomination process ran for seven weeks and was open to government affairs professionals at the state and federal levels. Members of the NILE Board were prohibited from being considered and nominees did not have to be a member
Our list includes lobbyists, PAC managers, and grassroots professionals that were nominated by their colleagues or clients to be a 2020 Top Lobbyist. Our list includes professionals that saw significant legislative success in 2020, have been innovative in their field this year, are held in high regard by their clients, and are individuals who give back to their community through charity or pro bono work.
“During the pandemic, many leaders in our profession have done remarkable work to ensure that Washington, DC responded to the public health and economic impacts of COVID-19,” said Tommy Goodwin, NILE’s volunteer president. “It is great to see NILE bring the lobbying community together to recognize our peers and colleagues who have gone above and beyond, both for those they serve and the profession more broadly,” added Goodwin.
“The award winners represent both well-known and lesser known Government Relations professionals, many who are toiling diligently without expecting recognition. They are providing tremendous value for their organizational stakeholders. They inspire me, and I believe their accomplishments will inspire many in our profession to raise the bar even higher,” stated Amy Showalter, Principal, The Showalter Group, Inc.”
Each nominee’s identifying information was redacted from their nomination form and considered via a blind judging process. NILE wanted this process to be base solely on merit. We observe the great things members of our profession achieve every day, through uphill battles and often with limited resources. This is our way of giving our profession the recognition it deserves.
NILE named 75 peers as 2020 Top Lobbyists, categorized as:
Associations: 20 lobbyists were awarded
Corporate: 23 lobbyists were awarded
Large Firm: 16 lobbyists were awarded
Small Firm: 16 lobbyists were awarded
“Our profession is filled with outstanding people who don’t get recognized on other lists because they aren’t a household name or don’t work for the biggest organization or corporation. Our list recognizes all the faces of our profession, not just the big names,” stated Paul Miller, board member, NILE.
“State and Federal Communications, Inc. is a proud supporter of NILE and excited to sponsor the list of 2020 Top Lobbyists. We so appreciate all the great work NILE does in the industry and want to congratulate these award recipients for their commitment to ethical standards and integrity,” stated Elizabeth Bartz, CEO, State and Federal Communications, Inc.
