Advocacy and the Capital Area Chapter

Since the beginning of NIRI’s advocacy efforts in 2015, the Capital Area Chapter has played a key supporting role.  This includes participating in the annual Leadership Week activities, trekking down to Capitol Hill to visit the offices of senators and representatives, meeting with the SEC staff, and submitting comment letters to the SEC on proposed rules.  It also includes chapter meetings that bring our members up to date on key legislative and regulatory issues on which NIRI’s advocacy efforts are focused.

Our Goal is to Be Involved

Any successful advocacy effort is only as strong as the “grassroots” effort that supports it.  Too often, it is the buy-side, and those organizations that represent or favor the buy-side, that are most vocal through their lobbying effort and through the comment letters they submit to the SEC.  Our community, i.e., public companies, has to effectively counter the buy-side efforts with its own visits to Capitol Hill to educate the legislative staff on our side of the issues or by submitting comment letters to the SEC.  When the Capital Area Chapter is asked by NIRI’s Advocacy Committee to assist on an issue, this is where you, as a member of our chapter, can help make our contribution to that effort meaningful. 

We encourage all members of the Capital Area Chapter to consider getting involved in our “grassroots” effort and take these steps when the need arises:

  1. Get buy-in from your senior management.  Educate your senior management, not just the General Counsel or Corporate Secretary, on NIRI’s advocacy issues and how they impact your company.
  2. When NIRI asks us, visit your senators and representatives and educate them on the importance of modernizing laws and how that will result in better transparency and shareholder and stakeholder engagement.
  3. When NIRI asks us, visit the SEC and tell them how modernizing the rules will also result in better transparency and shareholder and stakeholder engagement.  The SEC staff encourages these visits as they are seeking input from all sides as they consider these issues.
  4. When NIRI asks us, send letters to your senators and representatives and comment letters to the SEC in support of NIRI’s advocacy effort.

By “pitching in” and contributing to our chapter’s advocacy efforts in support of NIRI’s, you can get involved and help to make a difference.