He might lead you to believe otherwise, but Marty Fiorentino is a big shot. In addition to owning and operating a successful government consulting firm in Jacksonville, he has played large roles in the development of CSX and the Seaport Authority. Additionally, he has served on the financial committee for the George W. Bush presidential campaign, the National Victory 2000 Finance Committee of the Republican National Committee and he co-chaired the Duval County gubernatorial campaign for Jeb Bush in 1994. While taking time to come up for air, he met recently with Daily Record staff writer J. Brooks Terry.
Question: I want to ask you about your role as a government consultant. I don’t think a lot of people really understand what that means. Care to clear up any misconceptions?
Answer: For starters, I like to think that we do more than just lobbying. Like you said, it’s more consulting than anything else. We have a consulting practice and in that practice, typically, a client comes to us and describes an issue or something that they would like to advocate or change, or sometimes they just want access to the government. Government really has gotten so large today at all levels that the average company can’t access it without professional help. What we do is work with them to establish the right message. What is it that you want? How do you want to deliver it? Is it through lobbying? Is it through the media? Is it through a grassroots campaign? We do all of those things here. We basically help our clients define their goals and help them achieve them. I’m a firm believer that you have to have an integrated approach because the lobbying approach alone isn’t always effective.
Q: Has anyone ever come to you with a goal that is impossible to realize or is anything possible in the beginning?
A: Well, no, actually. A good consultant will tell their client what the realm of possibilities are and what it takes to get it done from the beginning. The client then needs to decide if they’re going to spend their resources on moving forward. Particularly with the economy being the way that it is, the state budget is under significant duress. The deficit in Florida is at a couple billion dollars while we’re operating at a $50 billion budget. That may sound like a lot, but California has a $30 billion deficit. So our state has been managed well from a fiscal perspective, but it’s going to be hard to get new programs to go through or to increase appropriations. A lot of clients are saying, ‘We just want to stay where we are. Help us do that.’ It is really a time of reflection while it is being determined what programs are absolutely necessary.
Q: When looking at factors such as government channels or budget restraints, do you take more of a realistic approach or an optimistic one in achieving a client’s goals?
A: I believe it’s realism. I also think that it’s developing the right
strategy. A lot of clients will say, ‘You know so-and-so, help us do this or that.’ I just have to tell them that, yes, we do know the players and we do know how to play the game, but that doesn’t mean that what you want is necessarily going to happen. We have a lot of good leaders who are going to do the right thing. What you want to do for your client is clear up the clutter so that they are at least going to be heard. They get a fair hearing and a level playing field. Because of our knowledge of government, that may or may not give them an advantage. The best thing we can do is really just provide a solid strategy.
Q: With your role as a lobbyist, how important is compromise?
A: What I really like, actually, is being able to take the client’s issues and say, ‘How would the governor’s office or mayor or the legislature think? How do we help them achieve their goals with what we want to do?’ You can forge a merger, hopefully, that will meet all the objectives for everyone. I like win-win situations; when the executive branch or legislature comes back and says that what we want to do helps them solve their objectives. We like to operate in a way where everyone feels good about what we are trying to do at the end of the day. If it’s diametrically opposed to the administration, it’s not always possible. But when your client and the government’s interest converge, you have a tremendous opportunity for success.
Q: You are president of Fiorentino and Associates. What path did you take to get where you are now?
A: I started in 1983 when I graduated from law school, going to Seaboard System Railroad as an attorney. From there I served in a lot of managerial roles. I was director of risk management. I was assistant to the president of CSX Technology when it was formed. I then became vice president of government affairs, vice president of corporate communications and public affairs. In that capacity I managed the communications department, the media relations, the internal communications, things of that nature. I spent about 16 years at CSX. Then I served as council at Holland & Knight for about two years when I decided to go back into law. At that point, I had really come full circle here in Jacksonville. I also had a Tallahassee office where I started to do a lot of lobbying, particularly when the legislature was in session. I really enjoyed my time at Holland & Knight, but then I decided that it was time for me to go out on my own. A year ago this month I did.
Q: What was the transition like from working for a massive firm such as Holland & Knight to stepping out on your own?
A: You can even take it a step back from there, which was the transition coming from CSX. Of course, CSX is a major client that we have here now. I remember the first time I had an issue in Tallahassee and I wanted to call my lobbyist, which I used to manage at CSX, and I realized that that was me. Now going from Holland & Knight to the smaller firm was a little different. Holland & Knight really provided a solid infrastructure with insurance, payroll, bookkeeping, record keeping and that sort of thing. They had a lot of administrative help, too. Now, we do all that in a much smaller shop. It’s a little more difficult, but having said that, we are able to be more nimble than a larger firm and react quickly and without some of the bureaucracy that comes from working with large organization.
Q: What’s the most difficult thing about your job?
A: The toughest is probably just the demands on your time. It doesn’t ever stop. The wheels of government are always moving and you have to stay on your toes and on top of your game 24/7. For me personally, the challenges of time and space; having to be in Jacksonville or Tallahassee or Washington. Just coordinating that can be very difficult. A demanding schedule is part of the job. The hours are very tough but if you’re going to be successful in any business, you have to put in the time.
Q: Talk about your work with the port.
A: One of the things that I enjoy about being a native of the city is public service. I’ve never been called to elective service, but I’ve been very fortunate to serve on different boards and commissions. Currently, I serve as chairman of the Seaport Authority. I’m very excited about where we are positioned nationally and internationally with Jaxport. We have an infrastructure here that is as good as any on the East Coast. With Dames Point coming online, that is probably one of the largest unpaved terminals that soon will be. We have spent, over the past seven years, $500 million to develop these assets. Now we will have those available to grow Jacksonville business that will be beneficial to the community. That’s a lot of fun. We’ve got a great asset and great people. Separating the Airport and Seaport authorities has been a very positive thing. I think it will leave a strong legacy. Now, at the Seaport, we are able to concentrate on the Seaport. It’s hard, as a board, to concentrate on what’s going on at the airport, especially post Sept. 11. We’re out aggressively selling our strong infrastructure to the rest of the world.
Q: You’re not, as you said, an elected official. Is that something that you think you might ever get into?
A: I don’t think so. I used to want to very much. But it’s just so difficult to balance that with families and, also, to maintain a business. I applaud our elected officials who are working in a business and then turn around to attend meetings and constituent calls. I don’t think people truly appreciate the level of sacrifice that comes with serving in office. Right now, we have a full client roster here. I think it’s best to serve them as best I can without becoming an elected official.
Q: As far as local issues are concerned in Jacksonville, what are some of the things that we are going to be seeing in the near future?
A: Certainly, there will be an increased need to develop a fluid transportation system, a balanced system. It will be important to look at how we can work with scarce capital to build roads or light bridges or further develop public transportation. There will also be a lot of land use concerns. How do we address those issues? We’re blessed, in Florida, to have the kind of climate that people want to live in. We have a strong economy and people really do want to come here and they’re not going to stop. We’re going to have to accommodate them. Another issue that will affect the community is the balance between the great environment throughout the state and economic development. How do you strike that balance in a way that doesn’t hurt the environment and in a way that maintains the quality of life? I think that, broadly, is going to be one of the biggest issues in our state and community for the next 25 years.