A recognized consensus builder, Andrea Mansfield brings two-plus decades of experience navigating complex policy, fiscal, and budget matters to Manis Canning & Associates. Before joining the lobbying firm, she served as the legislative director for the Maryland Association of Counties, overseeing the nonpartisan organization’s efforts on behalf of 23 counties and the City of Baltimore. During her career, she has also held senior state government roles within three administrations at the Department of Budget and Management, the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, and the Maryland Higher Education Commission. Learn more about Andrea, NASL member, in our Q&A with her below:
Manis Canning & Associates is celebrating 50 years. What do you believe is the firm’s secret to success?
Celebrating 50 years in 2024 is one of our firm’s most significant accomplishments. We are proud to have clients who have been with us that long! Our founding members instilled in us the values of hard work, integrity, and credibility. While still small, as our firm has expanded, we have held those values close, which has allowed us to successfully represent our clients and build strong relationships with General Assembly members, each administration, and local officials.
You are known for your broad legislative expertise. What are your primary focus areas (e.g., budgetary matters)?
We represent an expansive client base, which demands broad knowledge and expertise. Budgetary matters are a primary focus area. I work with several private sector and nonprofit clients who advocate for funding in the state budget. I also pay close attention to revenue generating and tax credit legislation. Over the past several years, education and pharmaceuticals have become a focus. We have promoted education policies to assist first-generation and disadvantaged students and advocated for policies to expand medication access. In addition, procurement and business development work keeps us busy as we’ve helped several clients win state and local contracts.
How do your previous roles at MACo and within state government benefit your current work at Manis Canning?
When you’ve worked in state and local government for more than 20 years, you get to know a lot of people! Developing and maintaining relationships is extremely important not just for work but also for yourself personally. I truly value the friendships I’ve made throughout my career.
Specific to my roles in state government, working at the Department of Budget and Management gave me the foundation for the budget advocacy work I do today. At the Maryland Higher Education Commission, I focused on higher education and financial aid funding policy. I also managed a staff of 30 and ensured state financial aid programs were implemented and administered properly. This experience allowed me to think through the programmatic impacts of legislation, leading to better results and programs.
MACo is an incredible organization that allowed me to hone my lobbying skills and build relationships with state and local officials across Maryland. Budget and tax policy were major areas of focus, which is extremely helpful in my current work. As a nonpartisan organization with members from different political parties, MACo taught me how to balance interests and be more strategic to achieve client goals.
What do you see as the biggest value of being involved with an organization like NASL?
We are proud to belong to NASL. Its mission and strong support network mean we never hesitate to recommend an NASL member firm when an existing or potential client may be looking for assistance in another state. It’s also great to be a part of an organization whose members possess the same values as you and are experiencing similar issues and challenges. As an example, during the height of COVID, being able to talk with other Northeast states to learn what their governors were doing was very helpful as we were navigating the uncharted world for our clients.
Additional information about Andrea and Manis Canning & Associates is available here.
