A12_-_Method_of_Approach_Pinnacle.pdf

Request for Proposal

Solicitation No. BPM006852 Lobbyist

Arizona Department of Administration State Procurement Office

Solicitation Attachment – Method of Approach | Revision No. 1 | Revised 11-22

Attachment 12 – Method of Approach

The Offeror shall provide a narrative response to each section that demonstrates their understanding of the Scope of Work requirements and describes the company’s overall method of approach for providing the Service(s) stated in this Solicitation. If there is a section that is not applicable to the Services required by the Scope of Work, you may mark it “N/A”.

Offeror shall provide a response either after each section or in a separate document entitled: “Attachment - Method of Approach.” If a separate document is used, please clearly designate each section and double-check to ensure that each question has been answered. If any information provided is considered CONFIDENTIAL by Offeror, the information must be specifically included in the Confidential Information Designation Attachment and related documentation to be assessed for confidential treatment under A.A.C. R2-7-103.

1. List the employees of your company who are currently registered as lobbyists, their type of lobbyist registration, the clients for which they are registered to lobby, and how long they have been registered as lobbyists.

Offeror Response:

Pele Fischer and Steven Moortel , Lobbying as Employees of Pinnacle Public Affairs LLC.

We are registered for our clients as Designated Lobbyist or Lobbyist for Compensation.

Pele Fischer has been a registered lobbyist since 2015.

Steve Moortel has been a registered lobbyist since 2012.

Current Lobbying Client List:

PPB ID REF TYPE PPB NAME STARTED

108561 DL AMERICAS REHAB CAMPUSES, LLC 8/29/2023

108474 DL AREVIA POWER 2/29/2024

108853 DL ARIZONA CONSUMER BANKRUPTCY COUNSEL 1/28/2025

104753 LFC ARIZONA COUNCIL OF HUMAN SERVICE PROVIDERS 1/25/2023

100545 LFC ARIZONA DENTAL ASSOCIATION 11/7/2023

107456 DL ARIZONA DISPENSARIES ASSOCIATION 10/4/2022

107375 DL ARIZONA MASSAGE THERAPY ASSOCIATION 1/1/2023

900071 APL ARIZONA SECRETARY OF STATE 1/7/2025

108701 DL AURORA OPERATIONS, INC. 2/29/2024

104757 DL AZ ASSOCIATION OF AREA AGENCIES ON AGING 1/1/2023

100540 LFC BANNER HEALTH 5/2/2023

107734 DL BUSINESS FOR WATER STEWARDSHIP 10/4/2022

107339 DL C.P.I., INC. 1/1/2023

107549 DL CERES INC. 10/4/2022

100136 LFC CHILDREN'S ACTION ALLIANCE 1/8/2024

107687 DL CONTEXTURE 10/4/2022

105463 DL DONOR NETWORK OF ARIZONA 1/1/2023

107707 DL GRADUATION SOLUTIONS, LLC 1/6/2025

108787 LFC HIMS & HERS, INC. 9/25/2024

900163 LFC MESA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT 1/20/2023

106825 DL MITCHELL INTERNATIONAL, INC 1/1/2023

https://apps.azsos.gov/scripts/Lobbyist_Search.dll/ZoomPPB?PPB_ID=108561 https://apps.azsos.gov/scripts/Lobbyist_Search.dll/ZoomPPB?PPB_ID=108474 https://apps.azsos.gov/scripts/Lobbyist_Search.dll/ZoomPPB?PPB_ID=108853 https://apps.azsos.gov/scripts/Lobbyist_Search.dll/ZoomPPB?PPB_ID=104753 https://apps.azsos.gov/scripts/Lobbyist_Search.dll/ZoomPPB?PPB_ID=100545 https://apps.azsos.gov/scripts/Lobbyist_Search.dll/ZoomPPB?PPB_ID=107456 https://apps.azsos.gov/scripts/Lobbyist_Search.dll/ZoomPPB?PPB_ID=107375 https://apps.azsos.gov/scripts/Lobbyist_Search.dll/ZoomPPB?PPB_ID=900071 https://apps.azsos.gov/scripts/Lobbyist_Search.dll/ZoomPPB?PPB_ID=108701 https://apps.azsos.gov/scripts/Lobbyist_Search.dll/ZoomPPB?PPB_ID=104757 https://apps.azsos.gov/scripts/Lobbyist_Search.dll/ZoomPPB?PPB_ID=100540 https://apps.azsos.gov/scripts/Lobbyist_Search.dll/ZoomPPB?PPB_ID=107734 https://apps.azsos.gov/scripts/Lobbyist_Search.dll/ZoomPPB?PPB_ID=107339 https://apps.azsos.gov/scripts/Lobbyist_Search.dll/ZoomPPB?PPB_ID=107549 https://apps.azsos.gov/scripts/Lobbyist_Search.dll/ZoomPPB?PPB_ID=100136 https://apps.azsos.gov/scripts/Lobbyist_Search.dll/ZoomPPB?PPB_ID=107687 https://apps.azsos.gov/scripts/Lobbyist_Search.dll/ZoomPPB?PPB_ID=105463 https://apps.azsos.gov/scripts/Lobbyist_Search.dll/ZoomPPB?PPB_ID=107707 https://apps.azsos.gov/scripts/Lobbyist_Search.dll/ZoomPPB?PPB_ID=108787 https://apps.azsos.gov/scripts/Lobbyist_Search.dll/ZoomPPB?PPB_ID=900163 https://apps.azsos.gov/scripts/Lobbyist_Search.dll/ZoomPPB?PPB_ID=106825

106115 AL MOHAVE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES COOPERATIVE INC 2/8/2023

107606 DL NATIONAL COUNCIL OF STATE BOARDS OF NURSING 1/9/2023

106310 DL RESCARE, INC., DBA BRIGHTSPRING HEALTH SERVICES C/O MULTISTATE

ASSOCIATES LLC 1/25/2023

108285 LFC SECURE DEMOCRACY USA AND IT'S AFFILIATES 4/28/2025

108524 DL SONORA QUEST LABORATORIES 3/28/2023

107594 LFC THE ARIZONA CENTER FOR ECONOMIC PROGRESS 3/14/2025

108487 DL VERIFIED VOTING 1/25/2023

2. Describe your experience working on elections administration and other Secretary of State issues at the Arizona Legislature.

Offeror Response:

Pele Peacock Fischer and Steve Moortel lead the Pinnacle Public Affairs ("PPA") team. They have been intimately involved in Arizona government affairs for 20+ years. Pele and Steve have served as legislative staff, and Pele is an attorney. This depth of experience is invaluable. Our combined expertise and experience have cultivated lasting relationships, an unparalleled understanding of legislative and administrative processes, the ability to quickly identify potential issues, technical skills in drafting, and a strategic approach to advocacy.

This skill set is critical to ensure the Secretary of State's ("SOS") interests are advanced in the fast-paced public affairs process.

We have direct experience and the necessary relationships to help the SOS's office achieve its goals. Our team has strong relationships with policymakers of both parties, the Governor's office, key staff members, agencies, and stakeholders. We have extensive relationships with election-related stakeholders, including the Arizona Association of Counties, various County Boards of Supervisors, County Recorders, the Voting Rights Coalition, and ancillary stakeholders interested in election policies for Arizona in general, and all their related lobbyists and representatives.

Pele and Steve have been representing clients and lobbying specifically on election-related legislation as early as 2016. Before direct lobbying, Pele and Steve developed extensive background, knowledge, and expertise of Arizona Revised Statutes, Title 16, Elections and Electors, during their time as legislative staff.

Our election and democracy work has primarily included representing clients who work to ensure confidence, security, transparency, voter access, and fairness of election laws in Arizona. We have been instrumental in building coalitions capable of reaching both Republicans and Democrats and ensuring a robust bipartisan approach and support for our election system. Most of our work has been primarily focused on ensuring reactionary legislation does not interfere with or harm Arizonans' ability to participate in our election process.

However, we have been able to pass legislation with bipartisan support that has helped strengthen our election system.

Furthermore, we have worked intricately as legislative staffers and consultants within the state budget process.

As a legislative analyst, Steve staffed the Appropriations Committee, where he coordinated with members, legislative leadership, the Governor's office, the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, and the Office of Strategic Budgeting and Planning to ensure the accurate fiscal analysis of legislative policy. As policy advisors, Steve and Pele worked to negotiate and advise on the state's fiscal policy. Following our time as staff, we have https://apps.azsos.gov/scripts/Lobbyist_Search.dll/ZoomPPB?PPB_ID=106115 https://apps.azsos.gov/scripts/Lobbyist_Search.dll/ZoomPPB?PPB_ID=107606 https://apps.azsos.gov/scripts/Lobbyist_Search.dll/ZoomPPB?PPB_ID=106310 https://apps.azsos.gov/scripts/Lobbyist_Search.dll/ZoomPPB?PPB_ID=108285 https://apps.azsos.gov/scripts/Lobbyist_Search.dll/ZoomPPB?PPB_ID=108524 https://apps.azsos.gov/scripts/Lobbyist_Search.dll/ZoomPPB?PPB_ID=107594 https://apps.azsos.gov/scripts/Lobbyist_Search.dll/ZoomPPB?PPB_ID=108487 worked extensively in budget and appropriations legislation. Representing our clients, we have been responsible for drafting, building support, and negotiating to implement some of the last decade's most bipartisan and consequential fiscal initiatives. Our budget work has included, but not limited to, funding for the following:

- AHCCCS

- 2025 Arizona Secretary of State

- Area Agency on Aging

- Development Disabilities

- Education

- DES

- Arizona Department of Child Safety

- Contexture, Arizona Healthcare Directives Registry Funding

- Medical and Adult Use Marijuana Taxing and Funding

3. Who would be the main principals working on this account? Describe their experience working at the Arizona State Legislature and any relationships that may be uniquely advantageous to the Secretary of State’s office. Please include bios/resumes.

Pele Peacock Fischer would be the primary principal representing the Secretary of State’s office. Pele will work in consultation with Steve Moortel and with the support of our staff. We work as a team to provide unparalleled quality and service to our clients. We have over three decades of combined experience, creating a deep understanding and knowledge of the legislative process, strategies for success, legislators, staff, and all players involved. Specifically, we have fostered a reputation for our bipartisan approach to advocating for our clients. We maintain strong relationships on both sides of the aisle, which makes us uniquely qualified to advocate on behalf of the Secretary of State's office in this environment of divided government.

Pele Peacock Fischer, Esq., Principal Pele Peacock Fischer leads the firm’s professional team of advocates, community builders, and communicators to create impactful policy across the state. Her extensive work in government relations, representing a broad range of public and private clients before legislative and administrative bodies, has earned her wide recognition as an Arizona policy expert and a highly successful lobbyist with unwavering ethics. With more than 15 years of experience working at the intersection of law and policy, Pele understands the intricacies of lawmaking at the local, state, and federal levels. Pele brings deep expertise in health care and public health, human services, commerce, appropriations, water, energy, and elections to the Pinnacle Public Affairs team.

Prior to founding Pinnacle Public Affairs, Pele led the Arizona office for the national government affairs firm, Strategies 360’s Arizona office. Her background includes serving as Vice President of Policy and Political Affairs for the Arizona Medical Association where she directed strategies in legal, political, and regulatory development and advocacy. Before joining the Arizona Medical Association, Pele served as a Senior Policy Advisor and Staff Attorney for the Arizona House of Representatives for multiple committees including Health, Human Services, Commerce, and budget and appropriations matters. She began her legal career as a Law Clerk in the U.S. Senate.

Pele is very active in the community and currently serves on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee for the Cactus-Pine Council of the Girl Scouts, and the beach ball committee for Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

She has served on the board for the Arizona Public Health Association including its President, on the Board of Directors for the Institute of Mental Health Research, on the Fresh Start Auxiliary Board, and is a member of the Arizona International Women’s Forum. She was a member of the 2018 Cohort for the Take the Lead Healthcare Leadership Program 2018, was a Flinn-Brown Civic Leadership Academy Fellow in 2013 and graduated from Scottsdale Leadership in 2011.

Over the past decade, Pele has been intimately involved in some of the most complex and impactful policies in Arizona. Pele is a near-native Arizonan, growing up in the Phoenix area since she was one year old. She earned a bachelor’s in business administration from Southern Methodist University and her J.D. from the University of Idaho College of Law. Pele loves Arizona and is passionate about policy that ensures Arizona’s bright future. It is Pele’s hope that every day she is working to help improve people’s lives, businesses, and Arizona.

Steve Moortel, Principal With over twenty years of experience in state and local politics, Steve has amassed a wealth of experience as a legislative staffer and consultant and with some of the state's largest companies, school districts, and nonprofits.

Steve began his career as a staffer at the Arizona House of Representatives, where he worked as a legislative analyst. By the age of twenty-four, he became one of the youngest policy advisors, guiding a wide range of legislative issues, including budget, healthcare, banking, insurance, energy, government, infrastructure, and immigration.

For the past decade, Steve has been a contract consultant and lobbyist, demonstrating his adaptability by serving a diverse range of clients. His portfolio includes Arizona companies, physician groups, school districts, and nonprofit organizations of all sizes.

Steven is most proud of his work ensuring healthcare coverage for the state's working poor and his instrumental advocacy towards restoring the state's children's health insurance program. Additionally, Steven prides himself on his advocacy for foster youth.

4. Describe your process for analyzing, tracking and communicating legislative activities for issues of interest to clients.

Analyzing and Tracking:

During legislative session, our team is fully engaged at the State Legislature, closely monitoring, and analyzing every piece of legislation introduced and providing comprehensive timely updates of not only this legislation, but of all the internal politics that could impact our desired outcomes. As most lobbyists do, we subscribe to legislative tracking software to help us generate reports and keep our clients up to date. However, we can customize this process to meet the SOS’s office internal functionality as well. Our legislative engagement includes the following but can be customized to meet the SOS needs.

• Legislative activity:

o Review all filed bills and identify legislation of concern.

o Discuss and analyze legislation with SOS and stakeholders.

o Regularly track and monitor legislation in real time.

o Organize and prioritize legislation.

o Monitor, analyze and provide updates on movements of policy priorities.

o Research and analyze all legislation, drafts, and amendments.

o Continuance engagement with stakeholders and analysis of legislation and proposed changes.

o Strategize regarding proposed legislation.

o Monitoring and facilitating legislative processes.

• Daily monitor committee hearings, floor discussions and votes, and any changes to moving legislation.

• Regularly check in with policy staff.

• Work closely with legislators and staff to have up to date amendment proposals and drafts.

o Attend all related meetings to gain as much insight and perspective as possible.

o Work with coalition regarding advocacy and lobbying for proposed legislation and rule amendments.

o Represent at coalition meetings, partner meetings and briefings.

o Closely monitor discussions within the Voting Rights Coalition.

o Stay informed on stakeholder conversations around elections and voting rights.

Communication:

At PPA we believe that communication and collaboration is critical to success. Our communications process is always adapting to meet our client’s needs, but involves the following critical components:

• Regularly scheduled meetings to ensure open lines of communication, to regularly discuss policy developments and progress, to constantly review information and determine next steps.

• Participate in any and all internal or stakeholder meetings to gain expertise.

• Regularly communicate regarding policy developments and progress.

o Report any credible Capitol news or actions that could be helpful / harmful.

o Provide weekly written report including updated tracking lists during the legislative session regarding the status of legislation and key developments.

o Periodic policy reports will be made outside of the legislative session regarding any key actions, policy updates, debates, and news from the Capitol. Anticipated to be provided approximately every two weeks during the interim.

o Immediate communication will be made regarding critical, time-sensitive developments.

5. Describe your process for briefing clients on legislative and other relevant updates in real time.

Offeror Response:

Activity and process:

1. Up until the Bill Filing Deadlines:

a. Daily monitoring of all bills filed on azleg.gov and LOLA. Both are monitored to ensure we have the most up to date information and avoid any lags in the system.

b. During this time frame our entire lobbying team checks and reviews all bills filed on a daily, if not more frequent basis.

2. ALIS

a. The legislative calendar via ALIS and LOLA are checked every morning and evening.

b. Our entire team checks and communicates any activities of interest to our clients.

3. Committees / Agendas / Amendment:

a. All committee deadlines and postings are tracked.

4. Floor Amendments:

a. Due to the inconsistent policies regarding floor amendments, we work closely with key legislators, staff, and stakeholders to obtain any priority bill floor amendments before they are made public.

5. Daily Calendars:

a. Calendars are checked throughout the day by our entire team.

b. At minimum they are checked each morning and evening.

6. Budget: As you know the budget is an ever-developing entity, we work with legislative staff members to make sure our client’s priorities and agendas are being discussed by legislative leadership and the Governor’s office as we negotiate those priorities into a final budget package.

7. News Alerts:

a. We work to constantly monitor the news, the Yellow Sheet, Legislative Reports, and the

Agenda, and other relevant sources.

b. We strive to immediately notify our clients of any relevant updates.

8. Weekly Reports / Tracking Lists:

a. We send reports and updated tracking lists out to our clients on a weekly basis. We work with our clients to determine what day of the week works best to send reports and updated tracking lists.

9. Weekly Meetings:

a. During legislative session, we schedule weekly meetings with our clients to review all legislative activity, strategize, and prioritize.

10. Immediately communication is made regarding any critical updates.