Advocacy Coordinator
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Grassroots organizer and government relations staff with the Illinois Connection program of the University of Illinois System Office of Governmental Relations. We build relationships with local, state and federal legislators through grassroots advocacy by engaging alumni, students, faculty, staff and supporters of the U of I System and higher education to advocate on behalf of the U of I System.Additional responsibilities include:• Developed advocacy, communication and event strategies for the Office of Governmental Relations to advance the U of I System’s relationships with local, state and federal lawmakers and our students, faculty, staff, alumni and supporters.• Managed a team of three, half-time student employees to accomplish day-to-day tasks for the office, execute our communications strategy and help them develop skills so they are well equipped to work in government relations.• Designed a small-group lobby day program that brings diverse groups from across the U of I System to the Illinois State Capitol to meet with state legislators and advocate for their programs. I tailor advocacy days for each group to maximize impact and help programs create relationships with key state legislators. • Led in-district legislator meetings with state legislators from across Illinois. Successfully redeveloped the program into a virtual format that has hosted meetings with 50 legislators and engaged over 750 advocates since March 2021.• Managed vendor relations with Quorum, the U of I System's public affairs software used for state and federal legislative bill review, relationship management, and advocacy database. Responsible for training all staff on using the program, creating usage protocols and structuring the database for efficiency and ease of usage.
