Colleen Francis

What do International Paper, Dow, the National Association of REALTORS® and the American Kennel Club have in common?  They have all turned to Amy Showalter for her expertise and motivation to elevate their government relations influence.  Amy is a grassroots and PAC influence expert who founded The Showalter Group to help associations and corporations increase their grassroots and PAC effectiveness. In fact, over 85% of her long term consulting clients have experienced an increase in budget, staff, PAC contributions and senior management recognition after collaborating with Amy.

She has delivered over 300 workshops and keynotes to over 25,000 grassroots advocates, PAC contributors, and PAC boards of directors, government relations staff, and non-profit volunteer leaders about how to maximize their political and civic influence. For nine years she directed the efforts of the highly acclaimed Nationwide Insurance Civic Action Program (CAP). During her tenure, over 2,000 public affairs professionals across the country ranked Nationwide's program as one of the top two corporate grassroots programs in the country. (Ed Grefe and Martin Linsky, The New Corporate Activism)

Amy has had over 30 columns published on Forbes.com and Bloomberg Government. Over 600 media outlets have featured her insights, including the Wall Street Journal, The Washington Times, Politico, CNN Money.com, Foxnews.com, CNBC.com, and Roll Call.  She is the author of “The Underdog Edge: How Everyday People Change the Minds of the Powerful . . . and Live to Tell About It.” (Morgan-James) and “The Art and Science of the BFF: 105 Ways to Build Relationships on the Hill, at the State House, and in City Hall”, which has sold over 16,000 copies. Amy also is the Executive Editor of Creating and Managing an Association Government Relations Program, published by the American Society of Association Executives.  

She has served as a faculty member at the U.S. Chamber's Institute for Organization Management, as a guest lecturer at George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management, Wright State University, Kent State University, and the University of Texas at Austin’s LBJ Graduate School of Public Affairs, where her “Underdog Edge” book is on the LBJ’s Graduate School Curriculum.  Amy has served in several national government relations leadership positions, as a past Chairman of ASAE’s Government Relations Section Council, as a board member of the Washington Area State Relations Group, and is the Producer of the annual Innovate to Motivate ® conference for political involvement professionals. 

Amy has a BA in Political Science from Wright State University and an MSA from Central Michigan University. 

She and her husband, Randy Boyer, co-exist with their dogs Eli and Finn in the greater Cincinnati area.  Finn is a registered Pet Partners® therapy dog.  Finn and Amy are regular visitors at the Cincinnati Ronald McDonald House and the “Barks and Books” program at the Clermont County Library.