Sterling Hayes, Henriette Carroll, and Cole Wuckert named 2015 AGRP Award Winners

The Association of Government Relations Professionals is pleased to announce that the following individuals will be recognized at the AGRP Annual Meeting (November 12) for their contributions to the profession and the organization.

Government Relations Professionals of the Year – Sterling Hayes, The Federal Group
The Board of Directors takes the opportunity each year to recognize a fellow government relations professional who have displayed unparalleled vision, support and leadership towards the mission and goals of the government relations profession, their clients, and AGRP.  The nominees are assessed on their professional accomplishments for the year, demonstrated integrity and ethical standards, pro-bono work, civic engagement and mentorship.

Sterling Hayes established The Federal Group Inc. in 1999 with the objective of providing affordable, high quality government relations consulting services to companies, municipalities, and non-profit organizations.  Prior to establishing the firm, Mr. Hayes represented the interests of the national clinical laboratory scientists as Associate Director Government Affairs for the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS) and the physical therapists as the Senior Policy Advisor for the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).  He also served as a congressional aide to Congressman Dick Swett (D-NH) and State Field Director on the 1990 reelection campaign of the late Senator Jim Exon (D-NE).

Mr. Hayes and The Federal Group have long been members of AGRP.  This spring they planned and co-sponsored AGRP’s Dialogue on Health Care Reform, which was one of the most successful issue programs ever.

Volunteer of the Year – Henriette Carroll, State and Federal Communications, Inc.
This award recognizes a volunteer member who has gone beyond the call of duty voluntarily in offering exemplary service on behalf of the Association of Government Relations Professionals — its mission, membership and the profession.

AGRP established this annual award to appropriately recognize an individual who has displayed vision, support, and leadership toward improving the lobbying profession and unselfishly supporting the work of the association’s board of directors

Henriette Carroll is the founder, president and CEO of State and Federal Communications, Inc.  Ms. Carroll is the lead planner annually for the State Lobbying LCP program and regularly supports her staff in earning their Professional Lobbying Certificate.  Ms. Carroll is also a supporter of AGRP’s initiative to recruit more state and local members and is sponsoring a new state lobbying series in 2016.  Through her work in the states and outside-the-beltway, she has raised AGRP’s profile to this important audience.

Career Achievement Award – Cole Wuckert, ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership
AGRP established this award to recognize an individual who has displayed unparalleled vision, support, and leadership toward improving high ethical standards, transparency and good government as a model for others in our profession throughout their career.  It is AGRP’s most prestigious honor.

Cole Wuckert, CAE, is the Senior Vice President of Public Policy at ASAE.  In this role, Wuckert oversees ASAE’s Congressional and executive branch policy strategies; ASAE’s public policy committee; the grassroots network of association executives supporting the association community in the legislative process; the “Power of A” public awareness program; as well as the continued development of APAC, the political action committee of ASAE, and the Power of A Fund.   Mr. Wuckert arrived at ASAE after a distinguished career that won him recognition as one of Capitol Hill’s top staffers for former U.S. Representative William F. Clinger Jr. (R-PA).

Mr. Wuckert has long been a supporter of AGRP and the lobbying profession.  Through his work at ASAE, he has led the association community and association GR community in protecting the First Amendment right to petition Congress. Specifically during the 2007 debates over HLOGA, Wuckert and his staff fought to protect lobbyists’ ability to meet with covered officials as well as proactively speak to the benefits of association lobbying.  He has long been a supporter of AGRP and its work, supporting his staffs’ membership and pursuit of the Professional Lobbying Certificate.