“If you are not investing in women in your organization, you will be left behind.”
As Women’s History Month comes to a close, we’re diving into how women have impacted a historically male-dominated field — lobbying. As Florida’s largest lobbying firm, The Southern Group has forged a path of excellence by creating a culture of opportunity and collaboration. We sat down with two female Managing Partners at The Southern Group — Rachel Cone and Kelly Cohen — to understand how diversity has been a secret to the firm’s success.
For a long time, lobbying was seen as a men’s profession. When did that start to change?
Cohen: When you think about the core of what it means to be a lobbyist, it’s about being an advocate. Women have been engaging in advocacy efforts for centuries. Think about big movements like women’s suffrage, labor rights and social reform — women played a major role in advancing and modernizing policy in these areas.
Cone: Women’s involvement in the lobbying industry is directly correlated to the rise of women in leadership roles in board rooms and the halls of power in government. Women like Attorney General Ashley Moody, Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, and Florida’s first future female Speaker Jennifer Canady. They, and many of their peers, are role models for all women in the process.