Category: William Crozer

BGR Group Expands with New Atlanta Office

Posted on by Anna Sullivan

Will Serve Clients in Georgia and throughout the Southeast Region

 

Atlanta, GA, (January 25, 2024) – BGR Group, Washington, D.C.’s premier bipartisan lobbying and public relations firm, today announced the opening of an office in Atlanta, Georgia. Building off the firm’s successful expansion in Austin, Texas in 2018, the Atlanta office will provide strategic representation and advocacy for clients in various industries at the local, state and national levels. The new office will physically expand the firm’s presence in the Southeast and enable the delivery of effective and innovative advocacy solutions to clients before state and local officials across the region and country.

BGR will be represented in Georgia by Thomasville, Georgia native William Crozer, a firm Principal and Co-Head of the firm’s bipartisan State and Local Advocacy Practice, and metro-Atlanta native Labriah Lee Holt, a Vice President and the newly named Managing Director of the Atlanta office. With the support of the entire firm’s bipartisan lobbying team, William and Labriah will focus on representing Georgia-based clients in Washington, D.C., as well as growing the firm’s bipartisan work in the City of Atlanta, State of Georgia, and throughout the Southeastern region.

Georgia is consistently ranked as a top state for business, and Atlanta has the nation’s third-largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies. “BGR ‘s history is rooted in the southeast and Atlanta is the epicenter for business and politics in the booming region. The best policies come from state and local decision-makers, and Georgia has some of the best public servants in the nation today,” former Governor and BGR Founder Haley Barbour said. “Having William and Labriah based in Atlanta will enable the firm to effectively service our clients with deep issue expertise and critical relationships and help drive synergies between the state and Washington.”

Before rejoining BGR in 2021, William served as a Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs (IGA) beginning in 2018. IGA serves as the primary liaison between the White House and the more than 500,000 state, local, territorial, and tribal leaders from the 50 States, 5 major Territories, and the District of Columbia.  He previously served in the Counsel’s Office for then-Georgia Governor Nathan Deal. Labriah most recently served as State Government Affairs Director for Microsoft, based in Atlanta, where she led engagement across the southeast region with state and local officeholders to advance policy. Before joining Microsoft, Labriah worked with federal, state, and local leaders throughout the country on some of the most pressing foreign policy issues as AIPAC’s National Director of Outreach.  Labriah started her career as an Intellectual Property Attorney at Alston & Bird LLP in Atlanta. Labriah currently serves on the Business Council for the African American Mayors Association (AAMA) and is a Board Member of the CareerRise, a workforce intermediary in Atlanta.

William Crozer commented, “With world class infrastructure, a competitive economic development and tax environment, a dedicated workforce, and a leading education system, businesses from around the world are thriving in Georgia’s economy. While remaining focused on BGR’s national and regional engagement, I am excited to provide a more concentrated level of support for clients with the state’s bipartisan Congressional delegation, the Governor, and other state and local officials. Having a full-time presence in Georgia will help BGR position our clients to be part of Georgia’s continued success.”

Labriah Lee Holt offered, “I am honored to open a new BGR office in the city that helped raise me and that has remained at the forefront of economic development and innovation in the Southeast.  Atlanta is not only a great place to do business, but also a vibrant hub of culture, creativity, and diversity. Atlantans know this vital culture influences everything from business, film production, sports teams, cutting edge technology, to the music industry. I have extensive experience working with governors, attorneys general, mayors across the region, and I look forward to helping our clients navigate the opportunities and challenges they face. I joined BGR to help its state and local team continue to expand, and I’m thrilled Atlanta will anchor the firm’s growth in the Southeast.”

BGR’s Atlanta office will be located at One Buckhead Plaza, 3060 Peachtree Road, Suite 1880, Atlanta, GA 30305.

About BGR Group

Founded in 1991, BGR Group is a premier government affairs and public relations firm with offices in Washington, D.C., Austin, Texas, London and now Atlanta, Georgia. BGR specializes in three key areas: bipartisan government affairs, strategic communications, and business advisory services. BGR brings together some of the most accomplished policy experts, public opinion influencers, and issue advocates from across the political spectrum.

BGR Group Announces William Crozer as State and Local Advocacy Co-Head

Posted on by Anna Sullivan

BGR Group is proud to announce the promotion of William Crozer to Co-Head of the bipartisan State and Local Advocacy Practice! William is doing outstanding work with mayors and governors across the country! Congratulations William!

BGR Deep Dives: Congress Stalls, States Move

Posted on by Anna Sullivan

In a BGR Deep Dive, BGR State and Local Advocacy Principal William Crozer examines the recent movement in state legislatures across the country.

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BGR Deep Dives: Wild Wild Tech… Regulation

Posted on by Katie McHenry

In a BGR Deep Dive, State and Local Advocacy Principal William Crozer examines the state-level bills addressing big tech issues ranging from child safety and privacy to content moderation.

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BGR Deep Dives: Mayors Come to Washington – What to Watch!

Posted on by Anna Sullivan

By William Crozer, BGR Vice President and Managing Director, State and Local Advocacy

Hundreds of mayors from across America will descend on Washington this week for the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) 91st Winter Meeting. And as former Columbia, SC mayor, USCM President, and now BGR Advisory Board Co-Chair Steve Benjamin often reminds us, “Mayors get the hard work done every day”. The Winter Meeting brings mayors from cities with populations of 30,000 or more to the nation’s capital to engage with policymakers on pertinent issues across the policy spectrum. This year’s conference will focus on mental health, public safety, technology and innovation, infrastructure, affordable housing and homelessness, and workforce. The full agenda can be found here.

William addressing the U.S. Conference of Mayors Annual Meeting in 2019

Structurally, the Conference of Mayors acts to deliver a policy platform on behalf of America’s major metropolitan areas. The Conference is comprised of 11 standing committees and a host of task forces covering major issues areas. These Task Committees and Task Forces will convene during the Winter Meeting. Through this structure, the Conference promulgates policy resolutions that are considered and acted upon at the Annual Meeting in June. These resolutions are designed to inform federal policy development and implementation and are great conduits for advancing public and private sector priorities from the local to the federal government.

One notable task force to keep an eye on is the newly formed Public-Private Partnership Task Force, chaired by Atlanta, GA Mayor Andre Dickens (D). This task force is designed to be a hub for mayors to discuss opportunities, challenges, and best practices around public-private partnerships  and to serve as a conduit to enlist the help of businesses and non-profits for the improvement of local infrastructure and services. Task Force discussions can serve as an excellent guide for the private sector to broadly gauge mayoral priorities and opportunities for engagement.

So what should we expect this week? There will be a great deal of discussion around the Biden administration’s signature legislative achievements including the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), across infrastructure, health care, and the environment. The Biden administration has found ready allies in the nation’s mayors and has used these relationships to help advance a sweeping policy agenda underpinned by equity and racial justice. With an incoming Republican House majority likely to bring stalemate to Capitol Hill, at least for the foreseeable future, expect the administration, and mayors, to double down on implementing these major laws to achieve policy outcomes (see, for example, the Justice40 Initiative).

There may also be significant statements from mayors in cities like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Houston and Miami. While it is certainly worthwhile to monitor discussions across the entire conference, the narrative from these cities often serves as an excellent barometer for issues of import at the local level and how they could help shape policy discussions in the White House and on Capitol Hill. It is also worth noting that following the 2022 midterm elections, this will be the first time the four largest cities – New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston – are led by African American mayors.

As Washington enters a new era of divided government, watch for mayors across the country to rise to the occasion and work to get things  done for their communities and constituencies.

William Crozer is Vice President and Managing Director for State and Local Advocacy. Prior to rejoining BGR in 2021, Crozer served as Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs from 2018-21. In that role, Crozer facilitated bipartisan engagement with state and local elected officials, including the nation’s mayors.