We put wheels on your idea and turn the key.
Two decades on Capitol Hill and at the helm of national transportation coalitions. ELY Public Affairs helps non-profits and public agencies win support for thorny issues.
Erika Young has spent her career breaking down barriers between people and power.
Erika Young is an outreach and engagement specialist with more than 20 years of experience working with non-profit organizations, as well as local, state, and federal governments to turn their ideas into action.
She has run nationwide transportation campaigns for Transportation for America, relaunched and rebranded a national advocacy organization at the National Association of Regional Councils, and helped local agencies win competitive federal grants at ELY Public Affairs.
Read Erika's Story
From idea to action, in four moves.
Analyze
We dissect complex legislative ideas using federal, state, and local policy expertise, and tell you where the votes, the money, and the risks really are.
Engage
We design coordinated advocacy campaigns using coalition building and grassroots tactics. Success through addition, not subtraction.
Communicate
Message strategy and branding that turn a technical policy into something a council member, a reporter, and a neighbor all understand.
Execute
We run the campaign, in person and online: meetings, hearings, town halls, digital outreach, and follow-through.
Explore Our Public Affairs ServicesSee Our Federal Grant Strategy
How we can help: advocacy training, stakeholder interviewing, full-service engagement campaigns, and federal grant strategy.
Perspective from Erika.
Expert perspectives on public and external affairs, government relations, and stakeholder engagement in the transportation, infrastructure, and workforce development fields.
Trusted by
We don't slice and dice your audience until you have the smallest possible target. Our approach creates success through addition, not subtraction.ELY Public Affairs
Questions, answered.
What does ELY Public Affairs do?
ELY Public Affairs is a Washington, D.C. public affairs firm that helps non-profits and public agencies turn policy ideas into action. It analyzes legislation, builds coalitions, shapes messaging, and runs outreach and advocacy campaigns, with a focus on transportation, community development, and the environment.
Who leads ELY Public Affairs?
ELY Public Affairs is led by Principal Erika Young, a public affairs strategist with more than 20 years of experience. She previously directed strategic partnerships at Smart Growth America and Transportation for America, ran the transportation program at the National Association of Regional Councils, and served as Legislative Director to Congressman Nick J. Rahall.
Is ELY Public Affairs a certified woman-owned small business?
Yes. ELY Public Affairs is certified by the U.S. Small Business Administration as a Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB), which can help public agencies meet contracting goals.
What kinds of organizations hire ELY Public Affairs?
Clients include cities such as Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Yuba City, California; regional planning bodies such as the Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson Metropolitan Planning Commission; colleges such as Northeast Wisconsin Technical College; and industry groups such as the Small Shipyard Grant Coalition.
Have a thorny issue that needs support?
Book a free, 30-minute strategy call. Erika will look at your policy goal, your audience, and your timeline, and tell you plainly what it will take.