• Collins & Company understands the critical nature of the Representative-constituent relationship. It is important, therefore, to bring Members face-to-face with leaders in their communities so policy makers can hear first-hand what community needs are, how polices affect them, and what remedies might be pursued. Collins & Company, working with a National Association, initiated and organized an annual “Washington Fly-In” for state Chief Information Officers (CIOs). CIOs from up to 20 states participated in May 2001, 2002 and 2003, attending nearly 100 meetings over a period of a day and a half. The CIOs spent the last half-day in an “intergovernmental roundtable” which featured CIOs from several federal departments; in the 2003 Fly-In this included more than 10 federal CIOs. Collins & Company’s initiation of the Fly-In, enabling direct communication between Members and state leaders and interaction with their federal counterparts, has moved the Association’s Washington agenda to a new level of visibility.

• In 1997, the President of a major state university approached Collins & Company with the idea of working with an informal coalition of universities to address the precipitous decline in funding for international agricultural development by USAID. In 1985, funding for international agriculture was $1.2 billion. However, by 1997, only $240 million was being provided. The president of the university believed that international agriculture needed an advocate; the environment, HIV/AIDS, women, and population causes had advocates and had seen large increases in funding. He saw an important opportunity for university leadership and he asked Collins & Company to assist him in forming the International Agriculture Group and ensuring that the coalition had an impact. In 2000, the IAG formally became part of the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges (NASULGC) and was renamed the International Agriculture Coordinating Committee. Collins & Company has worked closely with the leadership of the group to advocate for increased funding for international agriculture and rural development with Congress and USAID. By presenting a unified and consistent message, IACC has achieved success: the Administration requested $400 million for fiscal year 2003, a 60% increase from the time of our first intervention. The fiscal year 2004 request was over $470 million. This dramatic increase is attributable to the work of the coalition – the only voice in support of this issue for a long time – and the knowledge and expertise of Collins & Company. The original goal the group established was to have international agriculture funded at $500 million. With continued efforts, this goal – representing a doubling of the budget – that once seemed improbable, can soon be achieved.

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