Author: LFontaine
BGR’s Amb. Volker on defending against “a dictator on the prowl”
BGR Views: State of the Union Address 2022
BGR Public Relations Principal Jo Maney talks to BGR Financial Services Practice Co-Head Andy Lewin (D) and BGR Defense and Aerospace Senior Vice President Dan Greenwood (R) about President Biden’s upcoming State of the Union Address.
OP-ED: America’s Afghan Imperative
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The international community must confront the harsh reality that Afghanistan is descending toward catastrophic human suffering and state failure. America should take urgent steps to provide essential funding while also setting clear criteria for the Taliban government to gain international recognition and sanctions relief.
The chaos produced by the US-led military withdrawal from Afghanistan last summer made daily headlines. Yet global attention has faded, even though the suffering that accompanied the fall of Kabul pales in comparison to the effects of cutting off external economic support after the Taliban takeover. Under Afghanistan’s previous Western-backed regime, international development aid financed 75% of the government’s budget, and foreign assistance accounted for over 40% of GDP. Withdrawing this support has triggered a dire humanitarian crisis, with disease spreading and half of the country’s population of roughly 40 million facing life-threatening food shortages. The United Nations estimates that 97% of Afghans will soon be living below the international poverty line ($1.90 a day).
The international community is well aware of Afghanistan’s plight, and is seeking to increase funding for the many organizations delivering humanitarian assistance on the ground. The UN aims to raise $4.5 billion in humanitarian aid, the largest single-country package in its history. But even this sum will fall well short of what is needed to rescue Afghanistan. The unraveling of the country’s economy and state institutions means that humanitarian assistance is a bandage, not a remedy.
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Mayors Confront Today’s Challenges, Build a Better Future
By Mayor Steve Benjamin, BGR Advisory Board Co-Chair
As the nation’s mayors gathered in Washington, D.C., for their annual winter meeting earlier this year, I was able to connect with friends and colleagues on both sides of the political aisle. Having had time to reflect after completing three terms as mayor of Columbia, S.C., at the end of 2021, I can faithfully say the role of a mayor has never been more important in addressing the most pressing economic, health, public safety and climate priorities facing our nation’s communities.
Whether leading big cities with large populations and bigger budgets than some states or managing small municipalities in rural areas, mayors are on the front lines of nearly every challenge facing our communities today. They are tackling a wide range of issues including combating the COVID-19 pandemic, promoting broadband adoption, addressing opioid addiction, responding to extreme weather emergencies, and working with employers to create jobs with fair wages.
It is not a surprise to me that President Biden recruited several current and past mayors to serve in critical leadership positions in his administration. These include former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg as transportation secretary; former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh as secretary of labor; former Warrensville Heights, Ohio, Mayor Marcia Fudge as secretary of housing and urban development; and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti as ambassador to India. I am particularly excited that President Biden selected my friend and former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu to lead implementation of the historic infrastructure package that will improve the lives of American families. As a former president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Landrieu knows how to get the job done. Each of these leaders made measurable, positive impacts on the lives of their constituents and are serving the president and the nation with distinction.
Mayors are also leading our communities as they navigate some of the most pressing economic, health, public safety and climate priorities facing our nation. We have made much progress over the past several decades, but great challenges still lie ahead. While I am no longer an elected official, I will continue to devote my energy and skills to help address the problems that vex our society. Work titles are fleeting. However, I carry with me every single day the knowledge that the opportunities I have had are because of the labors and sacrifices of so many who were voiceless and powerless before me. They gave everything so that I would be able to serve and strive to make the world a better place.
And like those before me, I feel a responsibility to provide my shoulders to help pull up younger generations and show them what is possible when we dream big and work together. The fight against racial and social injustice must continue even when it is not easy or convenient. While encouraging future leaders, I also intend to work with today’s business leaders to help them engage with pressing health, infrastructure and social justice issues to help make measurable differences in the lives of their employees, their customers, and the next generation of Americans.
Leading with compassion, CEOs can take ownership of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts and intentionally drive change at all levels. By making an inclusive culture a top priority and engaging with community leaders, starting with mayors across the nation, corporate America can “do well by doing good.”
Steve Benjamin served three terms as mayor of Columbia, S.C., from 2010 to 2021. He was president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors from 2018-2019 and president of the African American Mayors Association from 2015-2016. He is the founder of the Benjamin Firm and Co-Chair of BGR Group’s Advisory Board. In October 2021, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo named Steve Benjamin the FirstNet Authority’s board chairman.
BGR expert and former U.S. ambassador to NATO looks at what is at stake for the military alliance
Amb. Douglas Lute speaks with NPR’s Michel Martin about why NATO is at the heart of the tension between Russia and the West and where the alliance might be headed.
BGR Elects Four New Firm Principals
January 25, 2022 – BGR Group, Washington, D.C.’s premier bipartisan lobbying and public relations firm, today announced that Dan Farmer (Health and Life Sciences), Pete Landrum (Financial Services), Joe Lai (Commerce), and Jerry Strickland (State Advocacy and Appropriations) have been elected by their colleagues to be principals in the firm.
“BGR continues to expand and offer our clients top notch analysis and guidance on key policy challenges,” said Erskine Wells, President of BGR Group. “Dan, Pete, Joe and Jerry have been outstanding colleagues and contributors to BGR’s success. Their election as principals reflects their hard work and high level of performance in service of BGR’s clients.”
Principal Jo Maney Named BGR Foundation President
January 11, 2022 – BGR Group, one of Washington, D.C.’s premier bipartisan lobbying and communications firms, today announced that Jo Maney, a principal at BGR Public Relations, has been named president of the BGR Foundation. Through the BGR Foundation, BGR and its employees support many important charitable causes and have stepped up donations during the pandemic including to the Salvation Army, the March of Dimes, Soldiers‘ Angels, and Feed the Fight, which buys meals from local restaurants and delivers them to frontline workers. Over the last decade, the Foundation has distributed more than $2.5 million.
Jo joined BGR Public Relations in July 2012. She uses her insider knowledge of Congress and her expertise in strategic communications to assist BGR clients. Jo also leads BGR Group’s marketing efforts and has become a familiar face on BGR interview videos, which the firm disseminates online.
“We’re thrilled that Jo has agreed to take on this important responsibility for the firm,” said BGR Group chairman and CEO Bob Wood. “She has a keen understanding of the Washington community and has been instrumental in broadening the charities the foundation has helped in recent years. She is exactly the right person to take on this important leadership role.”
“I’m honored to take on this new assignment,” Jo said. “BGR is already a force for good, but there is more work to do. I look forward to assisting BGR play a larger role in helping the Greater Washington community, especially related to the challenges created by COVID-19.”
Prior to joining BGR, Jo was the longtime Communications Director for the House Rules Committee, the influential panel that serves as the traffic cop for all significant legislation that moves through the House of Representatives. As the chief spokeswoman for the committee and Chairman David Dreier (R-Calif.) from 2000 to 2012, Jo provided strategic advice to members of Congress and staff and interacted daily with national and international television, print, online and radio reporters.
Jo also worked for two years for former representative Dan Miller (R-Fla.) and the U.S. House Subcommittee on the Census. Jo attended Florida State University where she received bachelor’s degrees in English Literature and Political Science.
CONTACT: Jeff Birnbaum
jbirnbaum@bgrpr.com
202-661-6367
Mayor Steve Benjamin to Co-Chair BGR’s Advisory Board
WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 5, 2022) – BGR Group, Washington, D.C.’s premier bipartisan lobbying and public relations firm, today announced that the Honorable Stephen K. Benjamin will become Co-Chair of its Advisory Board. Mayor Benjamin, who did not run for reelection after serving three successful terms as Mayor of Columbia, South Carolina, joined the Advisory Board in 2020. He will lead the firm’s outreach to the nation’s mayors on issues including infrastructure, broadband, education, telecommunications and public finance. Mayor Benjamin will also advise the firm’s clients on strengthening Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs as critical components of their Environmental, Social and Governance strategies.
“Mayor Benjamin is an outstanding leader and we are thrilled he is expanding his role at BGR,” said BGR Chairman and CEO Bob Wood. “His broad experience as a mayor and national advocate for diversity makes him uniquely qualified to advise our clients on a wide range of issues.”
“I have been incredibly impressed with the BGR team and am excited about expanding my role with the firm,” Mayor Benjamin said. “Promoting inclusive policies and expediting equitable infrastructure development will continue to be key areas of focus for me. Mayors will play an even more central role in policy development as they implement the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act across the country. As this process moves forward, it is vital that business leaders engage stakeholders at all levels on a consistent basis.”
“Mayor Benjamin’s advice and counsel has been invaluable to each of us at BGR and all of our clients,” said Jonathan Mantz, Co-Head of BGR’s Commerce, Infrastructure & Energy Practice and the leader of the firm’s Democratic outreach. “In his expanded role, he will help our clients engage in public-private partnerships as well as navigate complex environmental, social and governance challenges. We are thrilled to have him as a Co-Chair of our Advisory Board.”
Benjamin was elected in 2010 as the first Black mayor of South Carolina’s capital city and served until the end of 2021. As mayor, Benjamin focused on economic development, job creation and maintaining a just, diverse, and trusted law enforcement department. He served as President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors from 2018-2019 and as President of the African American Mayors Association from 2015-2016 He has also been Executive Chairman of Municipal Bonds for America, a member of the Federal Communications Commission’s Intergovernmental Advisory Committee, and a member of the Accelerator for America Advisory Council. In October 2021, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo named Mayor Benjamin as Board Chair of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority).
In 2016, President Barack Obama highlighted Mayor Benjamin’s work on behalf of My Brother’s Keeper (MBK), an initiative to empower boys and young men of color through combinations of federal grants, public-private partnerships and ingenuity. The city’s MBK efforts, in addition to Mayor Benjamin’s leadership, led to Columbia being seen as a nationwide leader in implementing and upholding the missions of the program.
Prior to his service as mayor, Benjamin served in South Carolina Governor Jim Hodges’ cabinet as the Chief Executive of the state’s second-largest law enforcement agency, the Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services. He also served as special counsel at a national law firm, serving as co-bond counsel on the issuance of over $150 million in municipal debt. Benjamin has been a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta Affordable Housing Advisory Council, Co-Chair of the Sierra Club’s Mayors for 100% Clean Energy. He was awarded the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2017 Phoenix Award for Outstanding Contributions to Disaster Recovery by a Public Official for his leadership during an October 2015 flood.
Benjamin began his public service career in Columbia as student body president of the University of South Carolina and later as Student Bar Association President at the USC School of Law. He and his wife, the Honorable DeAndrea Gist Benjamin, Judge of General Sessions for South Carolina’s Fifth Judicial Circuit, are the proud parents of two daughters.
Governor Haley Barbour Statement on Passing of Former Senator Bob Dole
“Bob Dole was a genuine American hero: as a soldier, as a leader of the Republican party – including as its Chairman and its Presidential nominee in 1996 – who, as GOP Leader, led passage of major legislation that gained bipartisan support.
“After his retirement from the Senate, he led in the formation of the Bipartisan Policy Center, a much needed institution in this day and age.
“Senator Dole had a brilliant wit, often on display; but he also was a serious patriot, a true friend and a devoted family man.
“Marsha’s and my thoughts and prayers are with Elizabeth, the Dole family and the entire, large number of staff members who were so loyal to him throughout his career.”
Haley Barbour was Chairman of the Republican National Committee when Senator Dole was the GOP Presidential Nominee in 1996. He was Founding Partner of BGR Group.
WASHINGTON, DC – The United States may have lost the war in Afghanistan, but it can still salvage the peace. To prevent Afghanistan from becoming a failed state, the US must end its economic isolation of the country and, instead, jumpstart international efforts to resuscitate its collapsing economy. The US also needs to develop a road map that could open the door to recognizing and working with the Taliban-led government, which, like it or not, is set to remain in control of Afghanistan for the foreseeable future.