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Services

At DBS Public Affairs Group, we provide comprehensive strategic services to help our clients achieve their government relations objectives. From lobbying and budget advocacy consulting to coalition building and government contracting acquisition services, to strategic communications consulting services, we are dedicated to achieving success for our clients in the public policy arena where decisions are made each year regarding where local, state and federal government agencies will allocate billions of dollars in revenue each year.

LOBBYING & GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

  • DBS Public Affairs Group represents clients before the Virginia General Assembly, before the Governor’s Office, local, regional, and state government agencies and departments, and before City Councils and Boards of Supervisors as well as before local, regional and state regulatory boards and commissions.

  • In addition to decades of state and federal government experience, members of our DBS team have worked as senior staff and agency heads for a total of six Governors from both major political parties in Virginia and in Maryland and in the Executive Branch. Our experience navigating these governmental arenas is second to none.

  • At DBS Public Affairs Group, we are focused on knowing both the policy and the politics. It’s not enough just to show up and advocate, which is why we believe it’s important to develop an intimate understanding of the issues we work on — and at DBS Public Affairs Group, we will accomplish that goal across a broad array of policy areas.

  • We also realize that politics shapes every issue, which is why we maintain a keen awareness of the background, the dynamics, and the objectives of each decision-making elected official .

Coalition Building

  • Whether advocating for legislation or trying to stop a bad legislative bill, building a broad-based coalition of supporters helps to increase our client’s success. That’s why at DBS, we focus intensely on building the right support network for the most effective lobbying effort.
  • We work with a broad array of advocates — from business leaders and issue advocates to community groups, trade associations, to grassroots organizers and local elected officials. It is our long-term relationships with these groups that allow us to help bring advocacy partners together to form a coalition and make our legislative efforts successful for our clients.
  • With each coalition that we put together, we use our understanding of Virginia’s political landscape to assemble an effective team of messengers, give them the tools they need to communicate the right message, and then deploy them to achieve our clients’ goals.
  • Whether we are leading a coalition or working collaboratively with one, we understand the importance of selecting the right messenger to deliver an effective message to a policy maker.
  • DBS senior partners also utilized their coalition building skills and advocacy experience to develop and execute a strategy that successfully led to the securing of over $1.5 million in donations from major sports betting companies for Virginia’s five Historically Black Colleges and Universities and for advocacy organizations that represent minority owned businesses.

Political Affairs Consulting

  • Virginia’s political landscape shifts on a regular basis. We help our clients effectively navigate the constant change resulting from each election cycle and the dynamics at play between those cycles. Understanding how the political currents are flowing allows us to effectively navigate the landscape to protect our clients’ interests.
  • At DBS Public Affairs Group, we believe it’s not enough to simply throw money into the political process. We strive to make our clients’ participation as strategic and as meaningful as possible. That means using political action to increase our clients’ visibility, make progress toward strategic goals, and build the right relationships for long-term benefit.
  • In each election, we evaluate the key state legislative and local races and the most critical ballot initiatives and advise our clients on how and when to participate.
  • We also develop a comprehensive strategy every two years when the voters of Virginia decide who will serve in and control the State Senate and State House of Delegates and every four years when the voters elect a new Governor, Lt. Governor, and Attorney General.
  • During every election cycle, DBS Public Affairs Group will assist our clients in thoughtfully deploying a significant amount of money in political contributions to candidates and statewide ballot measures.
  • Even for our clients with no political budget, we will provide ongoing updates and strategic advice about the political environment and how it will impact the ultimate goals of their institution, organization, or business.

BUDGET ADVOCACY

  • Our DBS Senior Partners have several decades of experience as leaders of state government agencies and as department heads who oversaw government programs that are valued at over $10 billion.

  • We are experienced at working around the intricacies of the budget maze and as such, our DBS partners are widely respected by key decision makers in government leadership positions at the local, regional, and state levels. Our DBS team is well versed in the budget process and knows how to best advise our clients to be successful in advancing or opposing a budget deal.

  • Virginia’s budget process is an ever-changing maze of moving parts. The Commonwealth suffers from excessive demands on limited resources, institutes complex and cumbersome funding formulas, and mandates sometimes unrealistic and detrimental requirements on its contractors and private partners.

  • From the announcement of the Governor’s proposed budget to the deadline for the General Assembly to pass a budget, the process happens quickly and sometimes very quietly behind closed doors. That’s why there’s no one better to advocate for the budget interests of institutions, businesses, local municipalities, and organizations than DBS Public Affairs Group. Whether fighting to secure funding for a client’s project or defending against budget cuts, we will work with our clients to manage the state budget process every step of the way, and to find creative solutions to budget challenges and meet the needs of our clients.

STRATEGIC PLANNING

  • It is always better to prevent a crisis than to be confronted with one. That’s why our lobbying team at DBS Public Affairs Group work with clients to develop strategic plans that anticipate threats and highlight opportunities.
  • We are constantly gauging the impact of issues that are most likely to be at the forefront of each General Assembly legislative session or at each local City Council or Board of Supervisors session. This allows us to protect our clients against potential threats to their best interests by staying ahead of the game, anticipating change, responding to local or state legislation, and crafting administrative solutions to move their agendas forward.
  • Cookie-cutter public affairs strategies don’t work in Virginia. The Commonwealth’s political environment requires not only strategic planning, but creative thinking to break through the noise and make sure our client’s message is heard by the relevant decision makers. We believe in a tailored approach for each client and for each issue.
  • In partnership with our client, we establish and exceed strategic objectives and together, we achieve long-term success.
  • At DBS, we view ourselves as an ongoing partner with our clients, sharing their focus on meeting strategic objectives and achieving long-term success.

Government Contracting & Procurement Strategy Consulting

  • The Commonwealth of Virginia spends billions of dollars annually on purchasing all kinds of goods and services from businesses and organizations. This reality makes Virginia a market that is ripe with opportunity. However, accessing those potentially lucrative state contracting opportunities is challenging due to complex procurement rules and policies, the state’s ever-changing budget situation, and the nuances of politics in the overall process.
  • The leaders of DBS Public Affairs possess the unique experience of having served as senior officials who played leadership roles as the Governor’s top advisors on increasing the procurement budget that was contracted with small, woman owned, minority owned and veteran owned businesses. A DBS team member also served as the Director of the Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity and as head of the Virginia Small Business Financing Authority, which is a special financing program for Virginia small businesses that totaled $8.5 billion annually in state funded grants and loans. Another Senior DBS Partner also served as an Assistant Secretary of a state agency who oversaw over $2 billion in state programs including a $300 million statewide fuel contract and a statewide capital grants program that provides over $1.5 billion annually to over one thousand infrastructure projects.
  • Our team’s familiarity with the challenges of procurement laws and policies has uniquely positioned DBS as one of the most experienced and knowledgeable firms that can assist clients with successfully securing contracts with state and local government agencies.
  • At DBS, we are constantly searching for opportunities for our clients to do business with the state, even before such opportunities are formally announced. We will work with our clients to develop a comprehensive procurement lobbying strategy tailored to their specific needs.
  • We will also craft a bid development strategy and provide guidance on bid protests, if needed, for our clients. Throughout the process, we will work diligently to strengthen our client’s relationships with key state officials.
  • By taking a multi-faceted approach, anticipating threats, and capitalizing on opportunities, DBS is well-equipped to accomplish our clients’ procurement goals.

Company

DBS Public Affairs Group
4445 Corporation Lane, Suite 162 Virginia Beach, Va. 23462

Contact

(757) 717-0349

E-mail

jhoward@dbspublicaffairsgroup.com

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