U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin Visits NPI Corp.

On October 10, Brooke Hamilton, president and CEO of NPI Corp., and incoming first vice chair of the PRINTING United Alliance board of directors, provided U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) with a facility tour to highlight the value of print in Tulsa, Oklahoma and beyond. Accompanying Hamilton on the tour was Alliance lobbyist Julie Philp with ACG Advocacy, and Lisbeth Lyons Black, director of the Women in Print Alliance (WPA).   

The visit was an ideal fit for the WPA. Founded in 1973, NPI Corp. consists of three generations of Tulsa women leading developments in nameplates, industrial product identification, and a wide variety of visual communication printing applications. Hamilton was promoted to CEO of NPI Corp. in January 2016, following in her grandmother and mother’s footsteps, to become the third-generation woman to run the family-owned business. For more information on NPI Corp. visit: https://npicorp.com/. 

Sen. Mullin is one of the only current business operators in the Senate and understands the needs of the small business community. Over the past 25 years, Markwayne and his wife, Christie, have expanded Mullin Plumbing to become the largest service company in the Tulsa region. Sen. Mullin is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation and is the first Tribal citizen to serve in the Senate in nearly two decades. He is the second Cherokee Nation citizen to ever serve in the chamber. Sen. Mullin serves Oklahoma on the Senate Armed Services Committee; the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee; the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee; and the Indian Affairs Committee. For more information on Sen. Mullin visit: https://www.mullin.senate.gov/. 

During the tour Sen. Mullin learned about the opportunities and challenges facing the printing industry. One challenge discussed was the way the government views and tracks print’s economic importance. In addition to gaining insight into print’s vast economic footprint, Sen. Mullin learned about the industry’s innovation, sustainability, and societal benefits.

We greatly appreciate Brooke Hamilton and NPI Corp. for hosting the tour, and we are thrilled to have gained a printing industry advocate on Capitol Hill.   

If you are interested in hosting an elected official at the federal, state, or local level of government, please send a message to govtaffairs@printing.org. The Alliance will provide you with resources and guidance, and it is a fantastic way to build relationships and promote your business. 

 

 

Stephanie Buka Government Affairs Coordinator

Stephanie Buka is the Government Affairs Coordinator for PRINTING United Alliance. In this role, she supports Ford Bowers, CEO, the Government Affairs team, and coordinates efforts with lobbying firm, ACG Advocacy. She manages all aspects of grassroots advocacy campaigns, including facilitating timely call-to-action alerts and updates to The Advocacy Center on key federal and state legislative issues. As a member of the Office of Corporate Communications, Buka manages the content and audience building responsibilities for the Government Affairs team. She is also responsible for the administration of the Alliance's political action committee, PrintPAC.

Prior to joining the Alliance, Buka served as a senior legislative researcher, and later as a constituent services coordinator, for the 15-member legislative body representing 1.3 million residents of Allegheny County, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In addition to drafting legislation and addressing constituent concerns, Buka cultivated strong relationships with appointed and elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels of government.

Buka holds a master’s degree in Public Policy and Management from the University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA). She also earned a master's degree in Criminology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, along with a Certificate in Forensic Science and Law from Duquesne University.

}