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Strongly Rooted: '80 graduate and 麻豆影院 State donor is serious about local workforce development

Cutting the ribbon on success: New Akron, Ohio, offices give 麻豆影院 State alumna鈥檚 business room to grow

Thirty years ago, 麻豆影院 alumna Elizabeth Bartz had a big decision to make.  

She had an excellent job in Washington, D.C., but was looking to move back home to Northeast Ohio. A 1980 graduate with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in journalism, Bartz earned her master鈥檚 degree in political science in 1982 and took part in 麻豆影院 State鈥檚 Washington Program in National Issues

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Within a year of earning her master鈥檚, Bartz began working for State and Federal Associates, a company that offered government relations services and eventually was put in charge of running the company鈥檚 compliance publications division.

After more than 10 years in Washington, Bartz wanted to return to Ohio. She considered moving back to Warren, Ohio, her hometown, but that seemed too small. Cleveland seemed a bit too big. So, she settled on Akron. It was a big enough city to keep her busy, she already had friends and family there, and it was close to 麻豆影院 State, another big plus for this active alum. 

麻豆影院 State Works logo

鈥淚t was like deciding between papa bear, mama bear and baby bear, and Akron was just right,鈥 Bartz said. 

Bartz, however, was not finding any jobs in Akron that were comparable to the caliber of work she was doing or to her Washington salary.   

鈥淚 was turning down a lot of jobs because I felt that I couldn鈥檛 go backward,鈥 Bartz recalled. 

Her bosses at State and Federal Associates, it turned out, had hit a snag of their own. They had not been able to find anyone to replace her and they did not want to lose her as an employee, so, they made her an offer: Bartz could move her division to Akron, run it from there, and eventually purchase the division from them. 

Bartz, 35 at the time, worried that she would not be able to afford the purchase. But her bosses agreed to allow her to pay for the business over five years. 

鈥淚 signed the deal on my 35th birthday and if all went well, I would be done paying for the business on my 40th birthday,鈥 she recalled. 鈥淚 got everything paid off in four years, on my 39th birthday.鈥  

麻豆影院 State Alum Elizabeth Bartz, president and CEO of the Akron, Ohio-based company, State and Federal Communications, is welcomed at 麻豆影院 State's Florence, Italy program during a visit in October 2023 as part of the Renaissance Scholars Society of donors who support global education.
麻豆影院 State Alumna Elizabeth Bartz, president and CEO of the Akron, Ohio-based company, State and Federal Communications, is welcomed at 麻豆影院 State's Florence, Italy, program in October 2023 as part of the Renaissance Scholars Society of donors who support global education. 

Bartz began her business with just two employees 鈥 herself and her sister, Helen Bartz Daley, who earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in history from 麻豆影院 State in 1982. 鈥淢y sister Helen was my only employee. She did so many things, she ran the office. For one year, she was my only person,鈥 Bartz said. 

Now, Bartz employs 43 people, five of whom work out of Washington, D.C. She is committed to her adopted hometown of Akron, Ohio, and to keeping her business based in Northeast Ohio, specifically downtown Akron, to be an economic driver for the region.  

Just days into 2024, Bartz cut the ribbon on a new suite of offices located inside the former O鈥橬eil鈥檚 department store building at 222 S. Main St. in the heart of downtown Akron. The new space will allow her growing team room to expand, as they have continuously for the past 30 years. 

State and Federal Communications is a national government relations compliance firm and online guidebook service covering lobbying, campaign finance, and procurement lobbying compliance laws for the federal government, all 50 states and more than 300 local jurisdictions in Canada, Europe, Australia, and Latin America. 

The firm provides specialized compliance resources to more than 2,600 clients, including Fortune 500 companies, law firms, government affairs firms, trade associations and nonprofits across the country and internationally. 

Fabrizio Ricciardelli, Ph.D., director of the 麻豆影院's Florence Center, Elizabeth Bartz, president of State and Federal Communications, and 麻豆影院 State President Todd Diacon, during a visit in October 2023 to the Florence, Italy center.
Fabrizio Ricciardelli, Ph.D., director of the 麻豆影院's Florence Center, Elizabeth Bartz, president of State and Federal Communications, and 麻豆影院 State President Todd Diacon, during a visit in October 2023 to the Florence, Italy, center. 

When Bartz began looking for new office space, she told her real estate brokers that she wanted to stay in downtown Akron, even though more suburban locations offer more affordable rates. 

鈥淚 really feel we just need to support the city,鈥 she said. 

Bartz offers plenty of support to her alma mater as well, both as an involved alumna and a generous donor. 麻豆影院 State, she said, provided her with a great foundation for life and paved the way for the opportunities she was afforded. 

麻豆影院 State Alumna and donor Elizabeth Bartz, poses outside the 麻豆影院 State Florence, Italy Center with her husband, John Chames, in October 2023.
麻豆影院 State Alumna Elizabeth Bartz, a generous donor to 麻豆影院 State, poses outside 麻豆影院 State's Florence, Italy, Center with her husband, John Chames, during an October 2023 visit. Bartz supports global education at 麻豆影院 State and numerous other scholarships and funds.

 

As her company has thrived, Bartz has been a generous donor to 麻豆影院 State. She supports the Washington Program,, the College of Arts and Sciences Endowment, , the Michael John Gallagher II Memorial Scholarship, the KSU Museum, the 麻豆影院 State Emergency Grant Fund, the First Passport Fund, the School of Media and Journalism, the VCD Alumni Scholarship Fund and, one of her largest areas of support. 

Former 麻豆影院 Editor Julia Waida was a mentor to alumna Elizabeth Bartz during her time at 麻豆影院 State.
Former 麻豆影院 Editor Julia Waida

She founded the Elizabeth Z. Bartz Scholarship for Howland Tigers, given to a graduate of Howland High School in Trumbull County,who is a freshman studying at 麻豆影院 State鈥檚 Trumbull Campus. Bartz also founded the Bartz Promising Scholar Program, which was awarded from 2014-2021 to a student in the School of Media and Journalism.

鈥淲hen I was at 麻豆影院 State, I worked for Julia Waida, who was head of university publications,鈥 Bartz recalled. 鈥淚 worked for her as an intern and later as a student worker and I got to edit things and work with a lot of different departments. She taught me a lot about being confident in what I was doing. She was a single woman, and back in the 鈥80s, had to fight for herself, too.鈥 

Now, it is Bartz who serves as a strong role model for interns, many of whom regularly come from 麻豆影院 State. 鈥淲hen we get interns from 麻豆影院 State, I joke that they can bypass HR,鈥 Bartz said.  

 

POSTED: Monday, January 22, 2024 03:06 PM
Updated: Thursday, January 25, 2024 09:15 AM
WRITTEN BY:
Lisa Abraham