Workshop on Getting Elected Officials to Act

I recently gave an online workshop titled “Getting Elected Officials to Act” for the National Peace Corps Association. As a former state legislator, I emphasized a few key points: (1) remember that legislators are people, too (so try to put yourself in their shoes); (2) tell them your name and where you live (hopefully in the official’s district); (3) be respectful and thank them for their service; (4) be specific as to what you are asking them to do (such as vote a certain way on a specific bill number); (5) highlight one or two reasons why you think it is important; and (6) be part of a team – when people with a common interest work together with a consistent message and well thought out plan, you can have more influence. In sum, keep you pitch short, simple, and to the point!

I also shared about my volunteer work with Braver Angels (https://braverangels.org/), a national citizens movement that bridges the partisan divide by embracing respect, humility, honesty, and responsible citizenship.

Serving in the Peace Corps in Morocco was one of the most important aspects in my life, and I recently was blessed to attend a 50-year reunion in DC.