Quite simply, the mission of the Defense Alliance of North Carolina (“DANC”) cannot be achieved without an engaged and effective Government Relations program and Forum.
The Government Relations Forum and program focus on the forming of relationships and monitoring of government entities and elected officials from local government to the Federal government.
These actions are essential to the DANC mission to “Grow North Carolina’s defense economy in a way that creates new long-term investments and job opportunities.” The Alliance has the unique ability to lead government, military, industry, and academic partners in collaborative efforts toward common objectives and continues to create opportunities for North Carolina.
How do we do that?
- We ASSIST the Executive Director and Senior Director by reviewing issues relevant to the DANC membership and provide advice and recommendations to the DANC Executive Board and Management Council regarding same.
- We MONITOR State and Federal legislative agendas to identify legislation that is relevant to the DANC membership. We also provide recommendations on legislative issues, if appropriate, to the DANC Executive board and Management Council on policy positions.
- We develop strategies to EDUCATE DANC members on relevant government related issues.
- We also develop strategies to EDUCATE and COMMUNICATE with legislators, organizations and other relevant parties regarding DANC and our position on any particular legislative issue as directed by the DANC Executive Board and Management Council, guided by our membership needs and direction.
- Finally, we IDENTIFY & COLLABORATE with statewide and national associations with similar interests and provide recommendations and advice to the DANC Executive board and Management Council concerning opportunities to align organizations to strengthen advocacy on key issues.
- All of our actions are supportive of our mission to grow the defense economy in North Carolina and protect our military, their installations and their surrounding communities. We often achieve that through collaborative efforts with like-minded organizations such as the North Carolina Military Affairs Commission, the North Carolina Military Business Center, the Defense Technology Center, the UNC system of universities, the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, local chambers of commerce, veterans’ organizations and businesses, etc.
We consistently employ the communication and thought leadership power of our Government Relations Forum to help distribute our message or to understand the issues prevalent at levels of our government.
For example, some of our recent monthly Forums included a mix of significant speakers and issues that featured:
- NC State Representative Grier Martin, who also serves as the Chair of the North Carolina Military Affairs Commission, discussed state legislative and administrative efforts to improve the quality of life around military installations, to protect against future potential Base Realignment and Closure efforts, and, most importantly, grow the North Carolina defense economy.
- Jim McCleskey, Director of the North Carolina Washington DC office, provided an update on federal legislative issues relevant to the North Carolina defense industry and defense economy. He also discussed the impact of the recent election on relevant legislative initiatives in Congress.
- Scott Dorney, Director of the North Carolina Military Business Center, addressed the efforts that the State has provided through the NCMBC to assist businesses in North Carolina to find new opportunities in government contracting and expand the NC defense economy.
- Former NC State Representative Lee Daughtry, a member of the UNC Board of Governors, along with several representatives of the UNC system, provided insights on efforts by the academic institutions in NC to support the military veterans and the defense industry using the vast resources and educational opportunities present in North Carolina.
Take a discerning glance and review our results. You will rapidly see and determine the WHY of DANC Government Relations initiatives and Forums. They constitute and implement an important strategy as a viable part of executing our mission. DANC is dedicated to keeping all of our affiliated audiences informed on issues that relate to the Defense economy in North Carolina.
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