Government, Business &
Public Relations
William C. Shouldice III
Bill Shouldice began his career as business liaison to
government in Vermont. Since that time he has worked with every
governor, every Legislature and nearly every state agency operating out
of Montpelier, Vermont.
Few if any of
Vermont’s 180 “citizen legislators” are better known to the
Capitol staff than Bill. He began his
advocacy career as government liaison for the insurance industry where
he was employed for 17 years. That industry is among the clients still
represented by Shouldice & Associates, which he founded in 1987.
His firm’s
client base is widely diversified, including multi-national and national
companies as well as associations representing an array of enterprises,
including start-up ventures.
As principal
of the firm, Bill directs planning and implementation of the legislative
strategies that Shouldice & Associates custom design for clients.
These strategies include issue research and monitoring, constituency
management, briefings for various audiences including government
decision-makers outside the Legislature, and preparing and delivering
expert testimony.
Shouldice
& Associates also provide public relations services to clients
and they have developed some of the most effective grassroots
campaigns ever employed in Vermont. These campaigns have a very high
batting average in garnering majority support for their sponsors in the
Legislature and state government.
Through his
long experience, Bill has stored up
a big reservoir of knowledge about many industries,
about the marketplace, about the legislative and regulatory
processes, and about how to define and accomplish advocacy missions. He
has watched the political arena with a close eye through two generations
of government leaders. He has seen many changes; and many things that
haven’t changed.
When Bill
began his career, the nation was at war, with a Republican in the White
House for the first time in several years, and Vermont had a Democrat as
governor. The legislative
power was a closely balanced seesaw that could tip either way on nearly
any issue. The economy nationally and in Vermont was in recession. And
the big issue confronting the Vermont Legislature was how to balance the
budget.
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Bill