GSBA Lobbyists Represent Group’s
Best Interests
By Angela Holmes
It was a no-brainer for attorney Katie Kolan to sign on as GSBA’s lobbyist for this year’s session of the Washington State Legislature.
“Choosing GSBA was deliberate. I have a history with GSBA that goes back a long way,” she said. “They financed my way through college through their scholarship program. They helped cover many of my living and academic costs at the University of Washington. I came to know them in such a beautiful way. They were so generous with their resources and keeping me afloat.”
Kolan’s business partner, Jean Leonard, has the same passion for GSBA.
“I’m grateful that their assistance to Katie in her younger years has brought me such a great business partner here in Olympia,” Leonard said.
Together, they are advocating for the GSBA in the first in-person session since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the state capitol in 2020.
“Jean and I represent the association’s interests before the executive and legislative branches of government,” Kolan said. “We have the privilege of knowing GSBA’s interests, its history and its wants, and we get to translate that into legislative and executive branch speak. We call ourselves advocates, protectors, defenders, explainers and educators.”
They are also the Seattle-based organization’s boots on the ground at the statehouse.
“In addition to the legislative agenda that the GSBA would like to pursue in Olympia, they also rely on us to be their eyes and ears, because things are popping up all the time,” Leonard said. “So, we just need to be everywhere at all times paying attention to issues that would be of interest to the GSBA.”
Two specific issues they are following this session are tourism funding and legislation addressing employee ownership of a business.
“When business ownership structures change, that would give employees the option to purchase that business,” Kolan said of the ownership issue. “We’ve encouraged our in-house government affairs for GSBA to testify publicly on that bill as an effort to get GSBA better connected on business-centered issues before the legislature in a positive way.”
With all of the ideas funneled through the legislature, it is the lobbyists’ responsibility to filter out what is best for GSBA.
“We’re also working with the organization to focus their interests. Because we know from experience that you can’t be everything to everybody, you really need to come up with specifics that you want to focus on, and dedicate your attention to those matters instead of being too broad in your approach,” Leonard said.
The lobbyists also recognize GSBA’s desire to become more of a statewide organization.
“We’re hoping to help them have more of a presence in the business world from a statewide perspective as they grow their outreach into other areas in the state, outside of Seattle and Puget Sound,” Leonard said. “We’ve been involved as business lobbyists for quite some time. We have access and interest in introducing GSBA to people who will help them in that effort of having a stronger voice on business issues for the association.”
The changing membership and broadening boundaries present a unique opportunity for the lobbyists to secure GSBA a seat at the table.
“They’ve had representation and we wanted to make sure that it only gets better,” Kolan said. “It’s a pretty exciting opportunity, as their membership has changed, and their profile has changed, turning into a statewide association. It’s exciting to get them even better connected with the legislature.”
