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GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

Your Voice on Legislation and Policy

NJPSA members count on the professionalism, talent, many legislators, including legislative leadership, education
and diligence of the Government Relations team to committee chairs, NJ Department of Education and legislative
best represent their interests before the U.S. Congress, staff, the Governor’s office, administration personnel, and
State Legislature, Governor’s Office, State Board of her peers in our partnering education organizations. In 2018,
Education, and other federal and state agencies on all Jennie Lamon, former Chief of Staff for Senator Diane Allen,
issues affecting the quality of public education in the joined the team as Assistant Director, bringing her direct
state. NJPSA’s Government Relations (GR) staff analyzes, legislative experience, connections and perspective to the
monitors, and participates in the legislative and regulatory work.
process advocating on proposed legislation, code
provisions, and policies affecting public schools and Member Engagement
school leaders.

The GR Team strives to engage members in developing
The GR staff develops association positions and advocacy
priorities through direct interaction with NJPSA members the advocacy positions of the association through the
via NJPSA committees, member surveys, and meetings. By extensive NJPSA committee structure, including its
developing trusting relationships with the decision makers active and engaged Legislative Committee. Members
at all levels of government, the GR staff has access to those are also encouraged to present the perspective of principals
who ultimately write, pass, and uphold legislation that affects and supervisors by opening their schools for legislator
all NJPSA members and their schools and districts. NJPSA’s “principal-shadowing” visits during National Principals Month
GR Team communicates these views formally through official each October, joining GR staff for lobbying visits in local
testimony during legislative committee hearings and Board legislator offices and on Capitol Hill, and by member service
meetings, as well as informally through direct conversations on numerous legislative, agency-led or executive branch
with state and federal lawmakers. They also work closely with task forces, focus groups, and commissions that have been
NJPSA’s communications team to craft editorials, member established over the years.
alerts, and legislative updates to keep NJPSA members’
perspectives at the forefront of education policy discussions in To ensure member input on issues in real time and to promote
New Jersey. member networking and collegial learning, the GR Team also
initiates NJPSA Member Roundtable Discussions on “hot”
topics, including those that were held regularly throughout
For the past 30 years, Debra Bradley, Esq. has led the
government relations efforts for NJPSA. She prides herself the pandemic to bring members’ needs, challenges, and
on building strong bipartisan working relationships with perspectives to key decision-makers in the Governor’s Office,