Grow & Fortify, LLC seeks interns each semester to assist in its public relations and governmental affairs efforts to support its clients, including the Maryland Wineries Association, Brewers Association of Maryland and Maryland Distillers Guild. The position will report to the intern coordinator.
The internship is unpaid and interns are expected to work in G&F’s Baltimore office for at least 8-10 hours each week. Some duties may be performed out of the office, but interns will benefit from the collaborative work environment.
General Requirements. Successful candidates will have willingness to learn and engage in government relations and governmental affairs, and:
• Have excellent writing, editing and verbal communication skills;
• Be punctual;
• Respect deadlines;
• Be a self starter and be proactive;
• Be able to work in a goal-oriented environment;
• Thrive in a high pressure environment;
• Be a strategic and creative thinker;
• Have extreme attention to detail.
Due to the G&F’s promotion of the state’s alcohol beverage producers, interns must be at least 21 years old.
Students interested in applying should send resume and cover letter via e-mail to:
Janna Howley
janna@growandfortify.com
Public Relations Internship
Duties. Since G&F is a small organization, interns will be involved in all aspects of public relations.
- Media Relations – Work with staff to build strong relationships with media, including:
• Developing a current press list.
• Developing news releases and alerts for to announce news and events.
• Creating new opportunities for editorial placement in local and regional publications.
• Meeting with media sales representatives to identify appropriate avenues for advertising and marketing the industry. - Consumer Relations – Work with staff to manage consumer relations, including:
• Writing numerous monthly articles about Maryland wine, grapes and industry issues for a variety of publications.
• Developing new content for Marylandwine.com and create monthly e-newsletter distributed to 10,000+ Maryland wine fans. - Event Management:
• Festival management – Assist in managing G&F’s weekend festivals throughout the internship.
• Special events – Assist in planning and management of special events sponsored by G&F.
Governmental Affairs Internship
Scope of Internship. While the G&F is a small organization, the legislative and regulatory issues it encounters are often high-profile, and life-threatening to the small producers it represents. G&F is charged with protecting the interests of its associations and their members, and thus, it must be vigilant during the state General Assembly’s legislative session every January through April.
Much planning goes into G&F’s work for legislative sessions. Planning begins in September in most years, though some larger issues are multi-year efforts. There are some years when G&F has issues/legislation is has sponsored, and in other years G&F must simply keep watch to ensure no legislation is passed that would compromise the industry.
Maryland alcohol producers are regulated by the State via the Office of the Comptroller, and by the liquor boards in their residing county.
Intern duties will include:
- Governmental Affairs/Relations – Work with staff to manage government and public relations, including:
• Attending G&F Governmental Affairs conference calls (weekly during the legislative session).
• Developing single-issue policy statements for various audiences.
• Meeting with regulators and elected officials to further G&F issues.
• Attending legislative events to discuss issues with attendees. - Member Relations
• Assist staffr in notifying members of regulatory or legislative issues.
• Updating our “action center” if members are needed to testify in Annapolis or attend important functions. - Additional Experience the Interns May Gain
• Contract Negotiations – G&F revises event contracts annually.
• Association Management – attend G&F meetings and manage internal communications.
Students interested in applying should send resume and cover letter via e-mail to:
Janna Howley
janna@growandfortify.com