Advocating in the Age of COVID: Best Practices
By: Cornerstone Government Affairs
As you manage how meetings have changed in the age of COVID-19, consider these best practices as you connect with policymakers in the age of COVID-19:
Before the Meeting
- Email materials that you will use during the meeting, such as one-pagers, one day in advance. Make sure you have the materials handy during the meeting so you can resend them if necessary.
- Know your technology. Especially with video, different platforms have different features. Do a test run with your team so everyone feels comfortable.
- Establish your speaking order. Interruptions are the bane of socially distanced meetings, especially by phone. Limit them by planning ahead and knowing who will speak when.
- Join the video/call a few minutes before the meeting is scheduled to begin to work out any technical issues.
- Seek explicit permission from the official or staffer with whom you are meeting if you want to record the call or video.
During the Meeting
- Begin by having everyone introduce themselves. It’s basic etiquette and also serves as a sound check.
- Be present. It’s easy to get distracted when you’re not meeting face to face. Distance yourself from pets, children and any phone or computer screens that aren’t necessary for the meeting.
- Mute yourself when you’re not speaking and remind others to do the same.
- Remember to state your name each time you begin to speak.
- Get to the point and keep the meeting short. There are no more handshakes, no more settling into seats around a table. If your typical in-person meeting lasted about 20 minutes, plan on 15 minutes for your typical phone/video meeting.
Special Tips for Phone Meetings
- Use a script! No one can see if you’re reading from a computer screen or piece of paper, so use that to your advantage. Script out “asks” and answers to difficult questions. Use a script to facilitate smooth transitions between speakers.
- Make sure you don’t sound scripted. Read your script aloud to yourself first. If it doesn’t sound natural, rewrite and keep practicing.
- You won’t have the benefit of body language or nonverbal cues on the phone. Try to maximize engagement by avoiding long monologues and building in occasional breaks to ask if the staffer has any questions. If you’re using a script, designate in writing where to take a pause.
Special Tips for Video Meetings
- Use basic tricks of the trade to present yourself in the best possible way visually:
- Raise your webcam to eye level
- Light your foreground, so your face is not silhouetted
- Don’t be Will Reeve; wear pants
- If using a virtual background, it should strike the appropriate tone
- If using a physical background (such as a home office), remove anything distracting or use the “blur” feature available on some platforms
- Keep it simple, and don’t use more technology than you need. You probably won’t use many features built into video conferencing platforms in most advocacy meetings with staffers or elected officials. Know what you want to say and who will say it, and stick to your plan.
Staffers may prefer to talk by phone rather than video. Don’t take it personally. Elected officials, on the other hand, may prefer video. Traditional retail politicking is more challenging these days; video is the next best thing. Either way, be gracious. These are new and trying times for everyone, and elected officials’ offices are juggling countless asks and constituent needs while adjusting to this new normal. Be sure to thank them for their time and attention.
The post Advocating in the Age of COVID: Best Practices appeared first on Georgia Bio.
January 20, 2026. Paulding County has been designated a BioReady Silver Community by Georgia Life Sciences, the state’s leading life sciences membership organization. The BioReady designation recognizes communities that demonstrate strong zoning practices, infrastructure capacity, and readiness to support biotechnology and life sciences development. “We are proud to recognize Paulding County as our newest BioReady Silver community,” said Maria Thacker-Goethe, President and CEO of Georgia Life Sciences. “Paulding County’s proactive planning, growing workforce, and access to regional healthcare and transportation infrastructure position it well to support life sciences manufacturing and commercialization. Through the BioReady program, we champion communities that are intentionally preparing to compete for industry investment and job growth.” Paulding County’s designation reflects its commitment to thoughtful land-use planning, scalable infrastructure, and business-friendly development policies that support life sciences and advanced manufacturing uses. Located in the northwest Atlanta metro region, the county offers access to a strong labor pool, major transportation corridors, and regional healthcare systems, making it an attractive option for biotechnology, medical device, diagnostics, and related life sciences companies seeking room to grow. “Georgia BioReady designation validates Paulding County’s readiness to support bioscience investment and strengthens our position as a growing hub for advanced industries,” said Alex Almodovar, President & CEO, Paulding County Economic Development Inc. & Industrial Building Authority The BioReady rating system evaluates communities across three tiers—Bronze, Silver, and Gold—based on their readiness to attract and support life sciences facilities. Through these ratings, Georgia Life Sciences helps municipalities better showcase biotech-appropriate sites, strengthen infrastructure planning, and clearly identify life sciences-friendly locations. This approach enables communities like Paulding County to compete more effectively for private investment and high-quality job creation. Georgia Life Sciences advances innovation, strengthens the workforce pipeline, and grows Georgia’s life sciences economy through the BioReady Community program, modeled after MassBio’s nationally recognized rating system, which assesses a community’s readiness to host life sciences facilities based on zoning practices and infrastructure capacity. About Georgia Life Sciences Georgia Life Sciences, founded in 1989, is a non-profit, membership-based organization that promotes the interests and growth of the life sciences industry. It is the state’s largest and most influential life sciences advocacy and business leadership organization working to improve access to innovative discoveries that have lifesaving impact. The association connects business, academia, government, and other allied entities involved in the application of life sciences products to fuel growth and collaboration through policy development, community programs, national industry initiatives, and a portfolio of educational and networking events. Learn more at galifesciences.org.
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By: Patrick Plues | RealClearHealth January 8, 2026 For decades, America has led the global biotech industry – thanks, in part, to state-level policies that encourage research and manufacturing investments. But other countries, including China, are sparing no expense in the bid to overtake us. Beijing has officially made biotechnology a national strategic priority and is pouring billions into state-backed research and manufacturing efforts. All states should consider impactful biotech policies that grow and strengthen our domestic biotechnology industry. If states fail to utilize and replicate what are considered to be the best and most successful policies in biotech-focused economic development, the United States will soon lose its long-term leadership in developing medicines and medical technologies, which underpin our health, our economy, and our national security. Thankfully, many governors and state legislatures around the country are already answering this call -- as our new study, The U.S. Bioscience Industry: A Powerful Engine for State Economies, demonstrates. Keep Reading at https://www.realclearhealth.com/2026/01/08/americas_biotech_leadership_depends_on_the_states_1157584.html
