A small Mississippi Gulf Coast community with the population of 18,600 was seeking federal funding to help address a critical infrastructure problem that was affecting the health and safety of its residents and inhibiting economic growth and viability. Cogent’s government relations team worked to communicate the urgency of the city’s issues to key congressional and administration audiences, particularly members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, the Senate Environmental and Public Works Committee, the Office of Management and Budget and the U.S Army Corps of Engineers. This included educational collateral and letters of support from representatives of the city’s various business and economic sectors, including defense, health care, education and hospitality.  

We recruited congressional champions and supporters and kept them engaged during the lengthy and laborious appropriations process. In just three years, we secured a total of nearly $14 million in federal and state funding to repair and improve their sewer system, address water quality issues and meet additional infrastructure needs.