A big part of the value of DCA is the relationships with legislators and policymakers that our organization has. DCA supports the whole construction industry in Delaware is respected and known as the “Voice of Construction” in Delaware.” This year, our government affairs efforts have changed a bit as we have a new lobbyist. His name is Quinn Johnson, he is a business owner and a former State Representative from the Middletown area who served on both the Bond and Finance committees. He is our “eyes and ears” in Dover.

Please utilize DCA and Quinn to help inform your company about legislation, regulation, and policies that affect your business. The best time to stop or amend a harmful or incomplete policy is early. Quinn and I meet each week to go over proposed legislation, arrange visits for DCA members to Dover and plan together on how to best advocate for DCA members. For you to get to better know your lobbyist, we conducted an interview with Quinn, and broke the responses into 2 parts, with part 1 being below. As always, please reach out if I can be of assistance to you.

Quinn Johnson interview Part 1:

Background and Experience

-Can you share a bit about your time serving in the Delaware General Assembly? 

I served 12 years serving the 8th District in New Castle County, Middletown and its surrounding areas. I served 6 years as the Chair of the Capital Infrastructure Committee and 2 years as the Joint Finance Chair. I served on the Boards of the Riverfront Development Corp and the Port of Wilmington. I was a member of DEFAC and sat on several workgroups dealing with the States Revenue Streams. Under Governor Markel I was a member of the Infrastructure Investment Fund where we approved investments into areas for business growth. I was JFC Chair when we created and implemented the Budget Stabilization Fund. This fund sets aside usable savings that can and will be used during revenue downturns, to maintain state services. 

-What were some of the key lessons or experiences from your tenure that you bring to your role at DCA? 

It is good fiscal policy to have a required balanced budget, until you learn about how the budget was balanced over the years. My time as a legislator gave me insight into the States Budget process and the long-term issues that have to be dealt with based on the methods of obtaining balanced budgets each year. 

-How did your experience as a legislator and business owner prepare you for your current role as a lobbyist and government affairs specialist? 

First, I took my experience as a business owner and applied it to the work I was doing as a legislator. In essence, every business owner is a problem solver. Each day brings a new set of issues that must be addressed. Knowing that each problem has a solution is what I brought and continue to bring to the table. 

-Can you describe your transition from serving in the General Assembly to working in government affairs and lobbying? 

Government Affairs work has allowed me to stay involved with the process while focusing on the topic areas I know best. As a legislator we are required to become knowledge-based on all topics. That takes a lot of time. In this role, I am able to be more focused and spend time on a set number of issue areas. 

-Sometimes “lobbying” gets a bad rap. Is “lobbying” a bad word? What role does a lobbyist play in public policy?

The general assembly is made up of people with all types of backgrounds. As an elected official you are required to make decisions on topics that you are not knowledgeable about and need to seek out accurate information. The lobbyists I worked with while elected were that source of information. As the person representing DCA, I will be that trusted source of information that legislators and cabinet members will be able to rely upon and trust. Lobbyists are an integral part of the legislative and regulatory process in Delaware. 

Role at DCA

-As DCA’s government affairs specialist, what does a typical day or week look like for you?

My first focus for DCA is to continue to develop and maintain relationships with legislators and cabinet members. As Governor Meyer’s Administration gets underway, meetings and connections are made. As new legislation is introduced, we review it and share any items that may impact all aspects of the construction industry and business management. I attend DCA meetings and have weekly communication with the Executive Director on activities we are addressing that week. 

-What are the biggest challenges you face when advocating for the construction industry at the state and local levels? 

The biggest challenge is educating people on the issues. It is impossible for one person to do it all. This is a team effort and initiative and is why member participation is so vital. Each member needs to know and regularly communicate with their elected officials. You can't wait until there is a problem because usually it is too late. Proactive communication and education will help mold future policy. 

Part 2 of the interview will be in a future newsletter