DDC Public Affairs

This month, we’re congratulating Blair Gottfried for celebrating 3 years at DDC! When asked about her time at DDC, Blair said, “These past three years have been filled with growth, challenges, and countless opportunities to learn and collaborate with amazing colleagues. From executing last-minute client activations, to pivoting and joining internal operations to help improve processes and procedures, the years seem to have flown by.” Join us in thanking Blair and all our DDC colleagues as we head into an exciting new year!

As 2024 comes to a close, we want to thank our clients, colleagues, and state partners for your trust and collaboration this year. We’ve worked hard this year to strengthen our relationships with you, enhance your experience, and position our team to be your trusted partners for the future. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to collaborate with you to achieve shared goals throughout a transformative year. We look forward to continuing to achieve great things together in the new year.

Each year DDC brings the best and brightest political and media strategists across the DDC network to Washington, DC, for a set of conversations to look back on the year that has been (and it’s been quite a year!) and turn our focus to the next. We call it Horizon, and last week's event was the best yet. In addition to several of our state partners, we were joined by a number of DDC clients who shared what they're anticipating in the next legislative session and the new Trump Administration. Read about some of the key takeaways from Horizon 2025: Public Affairs in the Age of Disruption in our latest blog post by Chief Growth Officer Michael Shue. https://bit.ly/4gtTlc5 #PublicAffairs #Communications #Advocacy #StakeholderEngagement Omnicom PR Group

Last week, we had the privilege of hosting our second-annual Horizon 2025: Public Affairs in the Age of Disruption event in Washington, DC, and it was inspiring! Bringing together many of our incredible state partners, we dove deep into how the evolving communications landscape is reshaping public affairs and advocacy. Through dynamic conversations, we explored how building greater authenticity, trust, and local impact is key to delivering real results for our clients in the years ahead. A special highlight? Hearing directly from some of DDC’s clients during an exclusive off-the-record session. Their insights on the upcoming legislative cycle and how consultants can bring even greater value were invaluable and thought-provoking. A huge thank you to everyone who traveled to DC and to our clients who so graciously offered their time to make this year’s event even more impactful. We’re energized for the opportunities ahead in 2025 and beyond, and we look forward to continuing to drive meaningful change—together! #Horizon2025 #PublicAffairs #Advocacy #Leadership Goodman Schwartz Public Affairs Impact Advocacy Group JCI Worldwide, Inc. Align Public Strategies LS2group Nolan Rollins The Garrity Group Moore & Van Allen PLLC Capitol Partners Novak Strategic Advisors Alliance Group Ltd.

DDC’s Chief Political Officer, Kevin Lawlor , and Senior Vice President, Katie Wright , joined The Crux of the Story to break down the impact the 2024 elections will have on public affairs and issue advocacy. Tune in for insight on navigating the new political landscape and the rise of AI as a tool to authentically connect with your audience, create campaigns that break through the noise, and achieve your policy goals. Check out the podcast here: https://lnkd.in/gGSfpt7w Enbridge #2024elections #publicaffairs #issueadvocacy #communications

DDC is conducting a 2024 “State of the PAC” survey to help our clients plan for 2025. If you’re a PAC professional working with a corporate or association PAC, please take a few minutes to share your experiences with us. Your insights will help shape future strategies and initiatives in the 2025-2026 election cycle. Click here to participate now: https://lnkd.in/eZh_GQkT #PACprofessionals #survey #publicaffairs #corporatePACs #TradePACs #NABPAC2024 #externalaffairs

This Thanksgiving, we’re filled with gratitude for the incredible clients, employees, and teams who make our work possible. Your collaborative partnership has made this year one to celebrate. From our family to yours, wishing you and your loved ones a happy holiday!

DDC SVP of Healthcare Dan Sweet and Account Coordinator Stella Kustra recently attended Health Equity in Black America, an event sponsored by BlackDoctor.org highlighting the importance of early and consistent #StakeholderEngagement and collaborative #CoalitionBuilding in shaping positive public policy outcomes for key programs like #340B. Read more in our latest blog post: https://lnkd.in/e-meSN2q #healthequity #healthcare #healthcarereform #publicaffairs

Navigating transitions at any stage of your career can be a challenge. During seasons of change, it's important to have someone ground you in the present and provide a path forward. Check out this quote from ConnectUp mentee, Madison McCullough, about her mentor experience with DDC Senior Vice President, Shannon Manning!

Mentorship is a cornerstone of personal and professional growth. Through DDC’s ConnectUp mentorship program, we aim to share fresh perspectives and empower the next generation of public affairs professionals. Hear from DDC’s Senior Director, Raheel Sohail, about what being a ConnectUp mentor means to him!