cbuzz: Derrick Clay, Shumaker Advisors: Building Relationships With Your Local Government

June 1st, 2022

Derrick Clay’s leadership skills and strong public policy background make him an effective and efficient advocate when assisting clients with government and regulatory affairs. Drawing from his combined experience working with legislative and regulatory matters, Derrick guides his clients through the complexities of the social, economic, and political landscape of government.

Prior to joining Shumaker Advisors, Derrick spent nearly two decades with the government relations and lobbying firm, New Visions Group, where he started as Vice President and Partner in 2004, and moved into the position of CEO when he acquired the firm in 2014.  

Derrick’s previous experience also includes serving as Midwest Political Director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Ohio State Director for the Gore-Lieberman 2000 Presidential Campaign, serving as a member of the historic Florida Recount Committee, and Executive Director of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus, among other leadership roles.

Guided by the principles of accountability, responsibility, focus, and teamwork, Derrick’s passion for business and politics dates back to his days as president of the Undergraduate Student Government at the University of Akron.

A graduate of the University of Akron, Derrick is a registered lobbyist and is affiliated with the Ohio Lobbying Association and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He is a regular political commentator on WOSU’s Columbus on the Record and WCMH NBC 4’s The Spectrum television programs.

A resident of Columbus, Derrick enjoys cooking, golf, music, traveling, and, spending time with his wife Sydnee and their children Kennedy, Kole, and Ethan.

To learn more about Shumaker Advisors, visit www.shumaker.com/shumaker-advisors.

Tune in today as Derrick sits down with cbuzz host Mikaela Hunt to talk about the different definitions of success and how to communicate with clients and professionals within your local government.


A note about cbuzz production: We are thrilled to be back recording episodes for our Central Ohio community. Stay tuned for new episodes, which will share the stories of some of our best and brightest Columbus Chamber members. Thank you to our listeners for their patience and understanding as we worked to establish a virtual recording setup. You can learn about Capital University here and learn more about cbuzz host Mikaela Hunt here.

Cbuzz is the Columbus Chamber of Commerce’s business-focused podcast and was named Best Business Podcast in 2019 by the Columbus Podcast Awards. The show is produced in partnership with Capital University and its students, and the show is hosted by Mikaela Hunt, brand journalist and storyteller.