MWC Advocacy, Texas Team Members Host ‘Capitol Day’ for Texas LGBTQ Chambers of Commerce

On February 14, 2023, Kate Zaykowski, Joshua Canter and Kwame Walker helped their client, the Texas LGBTQ Chambers of Commerce, to have a successful Day at the Capitol in Austin, Texas. The Texas LGBTQ Chambers of Commerce is a coalition of regional-based Chambers that focus on advocating for a LGBTQ+ friendly business environment, including nondiscriminatory laws, and inclusion of LGBTQ-owned businesses in minority business opportunities. The day was filled with one-on-one meetings with legislators, recognition in both the House and Senate, and media coverage elevating the Chambers’ priority issues. Zaykowski and Canter are vice presidents on MWC’s national advocacy team, focusing on strategic communications and digital advocacy respectively, and Walker is senior vice president on MWC’s Texas government relations team.

Ahead of the event, the team deployed a Digital Advocacy Toolkit that allowed people to participate remotely by emailing their legislators and sharing a personalized graphic with their name on social media.

The Day at the Capitol kicked off with breakfast and training to provide supporters with guidance on how to meet with legislators effectively. Lunch was hosted with members of the House LGBTQ Caucus. In both the House and Senate, the Texas LGBTQ Chambers were recognized by members on the floor.

The event garnered over 75 media stories, including several from broadcast networks and large newspapers. Our team facilitated on-the-ground support for in-person media interviews and inclusion of Chamber leadership quotes in several articles. We wrote a press release detailing the day’s events for distribution afterwards and provided rapid response communications to the Chambers on developments at the capitol.

MWC’s national advocacy team has a depth of experience organizing effective fly-ins across the country. Our efforts raise the profile of issues, change the tide on legislation, and enable clients to achieve victories at their state capitols. For more information, contact kzaykowski@mwcllc.com or jcanter@mwcllc.com.