Page 97 - BWM Dec 2012

December 2012 | Business World Magazine | 97
standards of training, its creation of resourc-
es for information and financial support,
its organization of international events that
annually draw thousands of participants to-
gether, and its unwavering advocacy that
communicates the value of its professional
members. And their message isn’t simply di-
rected at audiences of common consumers,
it goes all the way to Capitol Hill.
In recent years, PBA has dramatical-
ly expanded its capabilities in the realm of
public policy, enacting measures that Sleeper
credits for “driving and building a robust
government affairs program.” He says a di-
versity of issues poses both challenges and
opportunities, but thus far, PBA has attained
certain victories that ultimately benefit the
wide range of industry professionals.
LICENSED TO THRILL
One example of success involves defeating
the enactment of legislation that would elim-
inate occupational licensing. In the last leg-
islative cycle, Sleeper says the emergence of
Tea Party Governors (combined withNGOs
supporting mandates for government to get
Crowds ISSE LB 2011