Be a Voice for the Industry: How Chapters Can Support AMPP Advocacy
Lead & Succeed | Chapter Leader Toolkit
Chapter leaders can help connect members’ real-world expertise with the policy conversations that affect infrastructure, workforce development, materials protection, and the future of the industry.
The Key Idea
You don’t have to be a policy expert to support advocacy. Chapter leaders can help by keeping members informed, sharing AMPP resources, and giving professionals simple ways to participate.
What You’ll Get From This Guide
- A simple explanation of AMPP advocacy
- Examples of issues Government Affairs works on
- Links to AMPP’s Advocacy Toolkit and legislative resources
- Ideas for introducing advocacy at chapter meetings
- Ready-to-use language for newsletters and chapter communications
- Simple ways members can get involved
Why Advocacy Matters to Chapters
Chapter leaders do more than organize meetings and events. You also help connect members to the larger issues affecting their profession.
Advocacy is one way AMPP brings the expertise of corrosion prevention, coatings, materials protection, and asset-performance professionals into conversations with policymakers, regulators, agencies, and other decision-makers.
Those conversations can affect:
- Infrastructure investment
- Workforce development
- Pipeline and asset integrity
- Maritime and defense readiness
- Industry standards
- Research and innovation
What Is AMPP Advocacy?
AMPP’s Government Affairs team works to make sure materials protection and performance expertise is represented in public-policy discussions.
That work includes meeting directly with lawmakers, coordinating advocacy events, submitting information to congressional and administrative offices, supporting grassroots engagement, and helping increase awareness of the industry at multiple levels of government.
IN SIMPLE TERMS
Advocacy helps make sure the people making policy decisions understand how those decisions affect the professionals, infrastructure, standards, and industries AMPP members work with every day.
What Kinds of Issues Does AMPP Advocate For?
Government-affairs priorities evolve as legislation and regulations change, but AMPP’s advocacy work frequently touches issues such as:
- Infrastructure durability and long-term performance
- Corrosion prevention and materials protection
- Workforce development and technical training
- Pipeline safety and integrity
- Water infrastructure
- Maritime and defense readiness
- Industry standards and asset management
These are not abstract policy issues. They connect directly to the work AMPP members perform every day.
YOUR ROLE AS A CHAPTER LEADER
You can help members make that connection. When advocacy topics come up, explain not only what AMPP is working on, but why those issues matter to the people in the room.
Meet AMPP’s Government Affairs Resource
Kern Williams, AMPP’s Director of Government Affairs, helps lead AMPP’s legislative and advocacy efforts.
His work includes monitoring policy developments, building relationships with policymakers, coordinating advocacy efforts, and helping connect the expertise of AMPP members with government decision-makers.
If members have questions about advocacy, legislative activity, or ways to participate, AMPP’s Government Affairs team is a valuable resource.
Use the AMPP Advocacy Toolkit
Chapter leaders do not need to build advocacy materials from scratch.
AMPP provides tools designed to help members communicate more effectively with policymakers.
READY-TO-USE RESOURCE
AMPP Advocacy Toolkit
Use the toolkit to help members understand how to communicate with policymakers and participate in advocacy efforts.
HOW CHAPTERS CAN USE IT
- Share the link in your chapter newsletter
- Include it in a chapter resource page
- Mention it during a meeting or event
- Use the talking points to help members understand current issues
- Share it when members ask how they can make their voice heard
What Advocacy Looks Like in Action
AMPP’s 2026 Advocacy Days brought members, technical experts, and staff to Washington, D.C., for direct conversations with congressional offices, committees, and federal agencies.
More than 40 participants took part in 54 meetings focused on topics including pipeline safety, water infrastructure, maritime and defense readiness, corrosion prevention, workforce development, and industry standards.
ADVOCACY DAYS
Events like Advocacy Days give industry professionals an opportunity to bring real-world technical experience directly into policy conversations.
5 Simple Ways Chapter Leaders Can Encourage Advocacy
1. Talk About It
Advocacy becomes easier to understand when members hear about it in the context of their own work.
Consider including a short advocacy update during chapter meetings or announcements.
SAY THIS AT A MEETING
“AMPP’s advocacy work helps bring materials protection and performance expertise into conversations with policymakers. If you’d like to learn more about the issues AMPP is working on or ways members can participate, we’ll share the Government Affairs resources after today’s meeting.”
2. Share the Resources
Make it easy for interested members to find the next step.
- AMPP Government Affairs page
- Advocacy Toolkit
- Legislative Agenda
- Advocacy Days information
3. Connect Policy to Real Work
Advocacy becomes much more meaningful when members can see how a policy issue affects actual projects, jobs, assets, safety, or workforce needs.
Invite members to share examples from their own experience when appropriate.
4. Highlight Opportunities to Participate
When AMPP announces an advocacy initiative, action alert, event, or other opportunity, share it through your existing chapter communication channels.
You do not need to create a separate campaign every time.
5. Keep It Approachable
Advocacy can sound intimidating to someone who has never participated.
Avoid assuming members already understand legislative terminology or government processes. Give them the resource, explain the purpose, and make the next step simple.
COPY THIS
Advocacy Newsletter Blurb
Make Your Industry Voice Heard
AMPP’s Government Affairs team works to ensure materials protection and performance professionals are represented in important policy conversations. Learn about current advocacy efforts, explore tools for communicating with policymakers, and find ways to get involved through AMPP’s Government Affairs resources.
COPY THIS
Chapter Social Post
The people working every day to protect infrastructure have valuable expertise—and that expertise belongs in policy conversations. Explore AMPP’s Government Affairs and advocacy resources to learn how our industry is engaging policymakers and how members can participate.
KEEP THESE LINKS HANDY
AMPP Advocacy Resources
Government Affairs:
Explore Government Affairs
Advocacy Toolkit:
Tools for Effective Communication
Legislative Agenda:
Review the Legislative Agenda
Advocacy Days:
Learn About Advocacy Days
Government Affairs Contact:
Kern.Williams@ampp.org
CHAPTER ADVOCACY CHECK
Are We Making Advocacy Easy to Discover?
- Have members heard that AMPP has a Government Affairs team?
- Have we shared the Advocacy Toolkit?
- Do members know where to find current legislative information?
- Do we explain how policy issues connect to members’ work?
- Do we share participation opportunities when AMPP announces them?
TRY THIS THIS MONTH
Add a Five-Minute Advocacy Moment
- Choose one upcoming chapter meeting.
- Give members a brief introduction to AMPP Government Affairs.
- Explain one current issue in plain language.
- Share the Advocacy Toolkit link.
- Tell members where they can learn more or ask questions.
What to Take Away From This
Chapter leaders do not need to become government-affairs experts to support advocacy.
Your role can be much simpler: help members understand why advocacy matters, connect policy issues to their work, share AMPP’s resources, and make opportunities to participate easier to find.
AMPP CAN HELP
Want to Bring Advocacy Into Your Chapter?
If you need Government Affairs information, advocacy resources, or help introducing these topics to your members, AMPP can help.
Government Affairs:
Kern.Williams@ampp.org
Chapter support:
chapters@ampp.org
What Are You Working On?
Explore more Lead & Succeed resources based on what your chapter needs right now.
Get More Chapter Leadership Resources
Subscribe to Lead & Succeed for practical ideas, templates, and resources designed to make chapter leadership easier.
We’re here to help you grow and strengthen your chapter.
If there’s a topic you’d like us to cover, let us know—we’re always looking for ways to better support AMPP chapter leaders.
.gif)
