Talking Politics and Policy with Executive Director of the LBJ Public Policy School's Washington Center Bill Shute

Today's guest is Bill Shute, a highly experienced government relations executive, strategic advisor, podcast creator/host, graphic designer, and author. During his 30 years of leadership, Bill has  demonstrated how to be effective across a range of key activities, including strategic planning, contract capture, employee management, public speaking, and advocacy. Bill is currently Executive Director of the Washington Center for the LBJ School of Public Affairs, where he both manages a graduate student fellowship program in the District of Columbia and creates a beachhead policy hub for LBJ School faculty to engage with federal policy makers. At the LBJ's Washington Center, Bill also serves as Inaugural Professor in the Center's Master's program, teaching institutions, processes, and negotiations in the federal arena to the Center's Master's degree students. For almost 18 years, Bill served as Vice Chancellor for Federal Relations for the entire University of Texas System, a wide-ranging executive-level leadership role. Bill previously had worked in senior government relations roles at several companies, including for 11 and a half years as Executive Director of Federal Relations for Southwestern Bell.  Bill earned his B.A. with Honors from the University of Texas at Austin and his J.D. from the University of Houston Bates College of Law. On this episode of the show, Mark and Bill discuss a range of policy and communications topics, including: Bill's podcast, 80-proof Politics, on which Mark was a guest. What led Bill to launch 80-Proof Politics and what's the focus of the show  The essence of politics and how it differs from partisan politics. As Executive Director of the prestigious LBJ School of Policy Policy's Washington, DC Center, Bill talks about the Center, its mission, and its goalst The effective qualities, techniques, or strategies federal policymakers used when Bill was accompanying them during visits with policymakers and helping them shape their messaging Bill's favorite stories about his many years of advocacy leadership for the UT System with  - of course - names withheld to protect the innocent, as needed. The qualities that made President Lyndon Johnson one of the most persuasive communicators we've ever had in the White House The one thing listener can do today to improve their skills in communicating their work to non-experts, whether that's U.S. Representatives and Senators, their grandma, or 8-year-old cousin