Making the Human Connection
For 15 years, Steve Japinga has worked as a lobbyist breaking down political silos and creating a better community for all.
By: Steve Japinga / 6-Minute Read
“Steve, you talk a lot, you don’t sit in your seat, and you bring people together. I think you’d make a great lobbyist.”
I was a junior in high school when my Western Civilization teacher, Ms. Burns, said those words and unknowingly set my career in motion. I didn’t even know what a lobbyist was at the time, but after Ms. Burns mentioned it, I did some research, and I knew that’s what I wanted to be.
Starting at 18-years-old, I started working for the Michigan State House of Representatives as a page. My job was to run errands, deliver documents to different offices around the state capitol building, and talk to people. Midway through college, I started paging for the state Senate. Being a page was the perfect opportunity to learn the ins-and-outs of the state Legislature, and to start building relationships with representatives, senators, and other stakeholders in the legislative community. When I graduated from college, I had the opportunity to work for a lobbying group in downtown Lansing and officially started my career as a lobbyist — and 15 years later, I’m still working as a lobbyist in this community.
Throughout my entire adult life, I’ve lobbied for different causes and connected the community by helping to provide solutions for the challenges we all face together. My work crosses the political spectrum, and I regularly work with Democrats and Republicans, on the far left and the far right, and everywhere in between. Over the years, I’ve discovered that there is always more that people on opposite sides agree on than they don’t, and there is almost always common ground. I’m passionate about working with people across all political identities, ethnicities, and socio-economic backgrounds. To me, the issues aren’t about raising taxes or how a property is zoned, it’s more about coming together to find that common ground, building relationships and eventually establishing trust.
An issue is about the people it impacts.
For the last seven years, I’ve lobbied for the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce. Our chamber has more than 1,000 members, and our membership spans all business sectors. As the chamber’s lobbyist, all our members have access to me, and they all have different issues. I’m the trouble shooter, always trying to deliver a solution. Some issues are more challenging than others, and I may not always provide the answer they are looking for, but I always provide an answer. It’s a privilege and extremely humbling to be part of the city’s transformation and such a big variety of projects and issues, and more importantly, to watch everything come together and unfold.
I grew up in the Lansing region, and I’ve seen a lot of change in the community over the years. In Michigan, manufacturing is a big sector and a cornerstone of our economy. We rely on major manufacturers like General Motors, but for me, the real focus and number one issue is how we continue to invest in our people. At the end of the day, my job is to build trust and foster relationships with whomever I’m working with. I try to be a straight shooter, even when it's difficult, and attribute a great deal of my success to my willingness to be honest, my ability to establish trust and my commitment to following through.
I am very blessed to have parents with strong core values, which they instilled in me and my siblings at a young age.
They taught us the importance of being kind, humble and compassionate to everyone because everyone has a history, a story, and is coming from their own experience and point of view. Being taught this mindset is why I make an effort to see issues from all angles and consider other people’s perspectives - I want to walk a mile in their shoes. And every day, I hope to be challenged about my ideas of how things should be and my perspectives.
People can come to me with problems and feel safe, and I’ve learned to respond rather than react. When we pause for a second, we might be able to perceive what the other person is experiencing. If someone is angry or argumentative, they may have just had a bad day.
During the COVID-19 pandemic the silos grew, and trust eroded.
Social distancing practices and the COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult to get people together physically, which was a real challenge. The pandemic presented a whole new set of challenges, especially when bringing people together in a room to talk about issues is one of the core functions of my work, and it was difficult not being able to get together in a room and discuss issues. People went back to their silos, and it made things that much more difficult. A lot of these issues are big and have a lasting impact on the community, having trust in your colleagues is crucial. Building that trust through a screen and in a virtual environment is much more challenging.
As we’re learning to adjust to the environment and navigating the new post-pandemic landscape, we’re coming up with plans to bring groups back together in a way that is accessible and safe for everyone and working on rebuilding trust in places where it’s needed most.
Every day, people come to me with so many different issues, and it’s not always easy to bring together groups with opposing viewpoints and create an environment where people feel safe expressing their views and concerns openly and honestly. When people are passionate about an issue, conversations can get heated. It’s my role to bring these people together and find that common ground. Sometimes I feel like a duck on water. On the surface, I’m gliding along, but beneath the water, my feet are moving furiously to keep me afloat. Sometimes I have to recalibrate and take a step back. I take a walk to clear my head or talk things over with my wife, who is a great listener and provides excellent guidance.
I want to be helpful to people all the time, and sometimes that means I have to say no, which is challenging for me. It’s hard to set boundaries and figure out the priorities of the day, because everything is a priority to someone. What is the focus? What is the goal? I want to be able to provide a solution to whatever that issue may be for that individual, knowing that there is a balance, and I can’t be everything to everyone all of the time.
I think I get a lot done because I don’t have a political label.
I’m not a Republican or a Democrat. I don’t take sides based on a generalized label. I deal with a lot of different personalities. A lot of people don’t have the opportunity to meet people and interact with others outside of their direct circle, so when issues arise, my relationships and experience allow me to connect all the dots to bring people together and accomplish their shared goals. My aim is to always consider who needs to be at the table, who may not have been invited, and make sure that all points of view are represented. Sometimes it’s difficult, but everybody brings value and their own unique perspective.
At the end of the day, whatever the issue may be, it’s my job to respect and consider different viewpoints, and not let any personal or other biases come into the picture. I aim to be fair as possible because when I make recommendations to our chamber policy committee, board of directors or any other business I am working to support, I want to know I’ve done my research and that I’m considering all angles and viewpoints. Everyone deserves to be heard, and it’s my job to be that listening ear.
Ms. Burns could not have prepared me for what it really meant to be a lobbyist. In many ways, though, I’m still the same guy I was in high school: always in motion, talking a lot, and bringing people together.
Steve Japinga is the senior vice president of public affairs for the LRCC. In his role, Japinga leads the LRCC’s public policy, advocacy and the LRC-PAC. Additionally, Japinga works closely with the LRCC’s marketing/communications and membership teams with an external focus on growing regional partnerships, supporting the needs of the business community and members as well as strengthening the LRCC.
Before joining the LRCC, Japinga worked as chief of public policy and legislative affairs for state and federal government relations for the Michigan State Medical Society, representing more than 15,000 Michigan physicians. Before working on behalf of MSMS, Japinga was the Managing Director for Capitol Strategies Group, a multi-client government relations firm based in downtown Lansing representing several trade associations and companies, including MSMS, Johnson & Johnson, Michigan State University, and the Michigan Association of Independent Agents.
Japinga graduated from Michigan State University with a bachelor’s degree in political science pre-law and resides in Lansing with his wife Katherine and their two dogs Charlie and George.
