Burbank Company in Business of Building Coalitions

President: Wendy James The Better World Group has literally been seeing green as business has increased in recent years as environmental issues and technology have taken off. But just as important for the Burbank-based woman-owned business that handles strategy, branding and media efforts for environmental non-profits and political organizations, has been the firm’s ability to help its clients spend their dollars more wisely. The company is ranked No. 37 in this issue’s List of Women Owned Businesses. “Our policy work never relies solely on environmental voices,” says Wendy James, company president. In addition to a “greening” economy, she says, California itself is a starting point for non-profits and political activity in the green arena. So while donations to non-profits are down, and such groups are usually outspent by political opponents anyway, James says, they’re not down as much here. Second, she says, many groups, including consumers, seniors, labor and entrepreneurs, want some of the same things concerning environmental issues. “Lots of businesses,” James said. “Whether it be clean-tech companies or mom-and-pop shops.” So her role often means building bridges between such groups, and better communication among them, even before the public hears anything about an issue. Former press secretary James has been a congressional press secretary, lobbyist for a natural gas industry group, electric vehicle executive at Southern California Edison, and staffer at a small environmental media non-profit effort working with Hollywood studios. She launched BWG in 1999 “I put all the pieces together: government, media, and environmental,” James said. Business is part of the mix, too. James said one of her staff used to run a chamber of commerce, and now heads the California Business Alliance for a Green Economy. It’s a coalition of more than a thousand businesses supporting clean energy. “If businesses really want to save energy and reduce pollution, they can save money doing it,” she says. “But they have to approach it seriously.” A little creativity never hurt coalition building and political campaigning, either. Work on Measure O For Measure O, a Los Angeles ballot initiative in 2004 that sought a tax hike for storm water projects, James got several L.A. City Council Members to appear in their districts adjacent to “O-shaped” items to promote the measure. Janice Hahn, representing the ports area, held up a life preserver. Alex Padilla pointed to a sign highlighting a baseball at Dodger Stadium. Eric Garcetti was photographed at Hollywood and Vine, in front of a wall of film canisters. Wendy Greuel and her son Thomas posed for cameras on a playground tunnel slide. Ed Reyes appeared next to a Chinatown doorway that was adorned with circles. “Circles are very important in Chinese culture,” James said. There was no opposition to the measure, but the letter “O” would be far down on the ballot, and easy to ignore. And as a tax increase it needed two-thirds to pass. It passed with more than 76 percent. New project Now BWG is working to get the next round of state Clean Car standards adopted by the ARB — Air Resources Board. These are to be announced by September 1, and adopted in late October by the ARB. Last week’s Congressional budget vote included language blocking California Clean Car standards, James said. “BWG will play a lead role in organizing a broad-based coalition to support strong clean car standards in California,” she said.