By Fiona Hutton

Welcome to the inaugural President’s Corner. As you all know too well, the COVID landscape is profoundly impacting how we interact as business professionals. The very foundation of business is being interrupted — personal networks that foster trusted relationships with industry partners and ultimately help build sustainable businesses are missing that intangible factor born from interpersonal connections. Basic foundational approaches to running a healthy PR agency are being rethought as California shifts back into a more restrictive shelter in place order.

Our employees here at FHA are textbook extroverts and thrive on personal connections. We’ve enjoyed building meaningful relationships across a statewide network of political and communications professionals working in some of the most high-profile and complex issue areas. We thrive off the camaraderie, collaboration and find genuine pleasure in meeting new people with similar values and missions.

But, with today’s new world, FHA is increasingly focused on expanding our digital footprint and virtual outreach for the near future – at least until we can safely attend all those in-person opportunities we love so much, including the classic Monday morning Southwest flight to our State Capitol. I’m hopeful doing so will help us continue to forge relationships and expand our network.

In the editions that follow, we’ll plan to share observations on industry trends in public affairs and my personal passion for leadership and teaching team management skills, highlight recent communications and advocacy work and issue expertise, recognize team accomplishments and showcase some fun elements that pull the layers back a little on FHA and help illustrate who we really are. Because at the end of the day, this business really is all about personal relationships.