The DeMenna family has helped shape Arizona law for generations as one of the Arizona Capitol’s most recognizable and respected public affairs firms. Nearly two decades after Kevin DeMenna founded DeMenna & Associates in 1998, his sons Joe DeMenna and Ryan DeMenna rebranded the firm to DeMenna Public Affairs in 2017, ushering in the next era of work at the Capitol under the DeMenna name alongside their father. In a recent interview with the Arizona Capitol Times, Joe DeMenna spoke about his role as a partner of the firm. 

The questions and answers have been lightly edited for style and clarity.

Tell me about your background. What got you interested in working in this field?

I’m an Arizona native. I’m fifth or sixth generation, depending on who you ask. I graduated from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication and then quickly realized that journalism was not for me. It became very clear that you had to really have a thirst for that. But I always really enjoyed writing. I was never a math guy. I was always the language guy. After graduating from college, I worked at the Goldwater Institute, a congressional campaign, and Secretary of State Ken Bennett’s reelection campaign. I finally ended up as a House researcher which was really cool because it’s a bit different from how my brother came up.

What was it like growing up seeing your dad do the work you’re now doing yourself?

When I was growing up, our mindset was that my dad talked on the phone for a living. I had no idea what he did. He’d come home with these big brick cell phones attached to his head, pacing the pool in the backyard and having these intense conversations. Whenever I get a random call, I always have to tell my kids, ‘This is what I do for work.’ It’s scary because history is repeating itself. We totally grew up in the process. I have photos of dad and Barry Aarons holding fundraisers in my backyard for John McCain back when I was a baby. Whether I recognized it or not, that allowed me to learn how to approach people whom others might otherwise find unapproachable.

How influential was your experience working as a House staffer?

I was, in my own words, useless when I got there. I could barely read a bill. I didn’t know what the heck I was doing, and I was honestly going through a divorce, so it was a super hard time for me. Still, the House staff under Speaker Andy Tobin felt like a family. They were so understanding and so loving. I know that I was frustrating. They could have canned me any time, but they really helped me grow, especially Ingrid Garvey. She really invested in me as an individual and I owe her so much.

So you joined with your father and brother in 2013. Take me through that process.

In 2013, I came to what was then DeMenna & Associates. Ryan had done his internship in the Senate and then came to work for Dad right out of that. So he had a couple of years on me and they really had quite a little duo that they were doing. It was super cool. I was really honored to be a part of that team and to be added to the mix. We went through a merger with another firm that didn’t turn out quite as well as we’d hoped, which kind of set us back quite a bit. However, it created a situation where we were able to move on to the next chapter of DeMenna, which is DeMenna Public Affairs. We are just lifers here at the Capitol and have a real reverence for the process. 

I think what’s especially cool about the family business that we have is that I kind of turned my nose up at it originally, and that’s part of the reason I went to school for journalism. It just seemed a bit silly to just go in nepo baby kind of stuff, but at the same time, when I finally took a good look at the reputation, and the professionalism, and what my dad’s been able to to build here, and the idea that I can work with my brother and continue the family business in a really smart and fun way, how could I possibly pass that up? I get to hang out with them. I get to bring dogs in. We typically work on issues that we like, and I genuinely enjoy what I’m doing. We have a rule here that if our relationships outside of this office go downhill or degrade as a result of what we’re doing, then we walk away. We haven’t walked away yet. I kind of view myself as the John C. Reilly of this office, and I don’t consider that a knock on myself. I’m sort of a jack-of-all trades in that respect. I have a handful of clients, but I also back up Kevin, and I back up Ryan. They are the lobbyists I would hire if I needed to hire a lobbyist, just because of how they operate. They’re so effective and excel at what they do. In 2018, we were voted the best family business by the Phoenix New Times, which is such a huge honor, considering there are so many family businesses in Arizona. The idea that they picked us — I still say that as one of my best accomplishments. 

You specialize in marijuana policy. How does one get into that area of politics?

In 2015, my dad had a DUI. He has pancreatitis, which is a well-known fact throughout the Capitol. He was taking oral medication to deal with that. Definitely shouldn’t have been on the road that day. Ryan and I went and got him, and we were like, ‘This is going to be on the front page of the newspaper,’ and sure enough, it was. It was a difficult moment for him and for our family business because we’re Republicans. The white Latter-day Saints, stuffy, chicken dinner, chamber luncheon type of deal. Dad had some marijuana on him at the time, which was included in the arrest record. I had given it to him and we said he’s gotta get off the pills and use cannabis as a titration method. Very quickly after that he and I went and got our medical cards and got legit. I had always found relief with cannabis use but I don’t think I quite recognized what it was that I found as a youngster. We got calls from medical marijuana operators at the time. Mom and Pop shops that needed help and government navigation. Eventually, I became the executive director of the Arizona Dispensaries Association, and it was such a fun learning experience. I have a huge fondness for a lot of operators and a lot of good memories from that time.

What do you do during the interim when lawmakers aren’t in session?

On the lobbying side, the work never stops. For the lawmaker, depending on which one we’re talking about, the work may very well come to a halt. The interim is the time when you take a moment to go door-to-door, talk to lawmakers, and discuss the issues that will arise in the next session, ensuring they have a line of communication and a clear understanding. If your issue is being heard by lawmakers in a January committee for the first time, you’ve messed up. 

What’s something people don’t know about lobbying?

A lot of people don’t recognize how benign in nature it can be. They hear about backroom dealings and all the fun things the media portrays, as well as the horror stories. When you break it down into what it is that we do, people are like, oh yeah, that seems like a very basic, smart job. If you are getting sued or are having a legal issue, you can go to court and do it all by yourself. But you probably should hire a lawyer. Not every lawyer is a good person. Just like not every individual in the world is a good person. We’ve got icky and not-icky in all professions. Showing how involved the government is in your daily life, especially if you’re a business that deals with the government, it really becomes an essential component to a lot of businesses. Now, I recognize that politics, just by its very nature, is not something that everybody has an appetite for. In terms of functionality, I view the lobbyist role as essential. And frankly, a lot of the laws written have sort of created that situation, like term limits. We have a new crop of lawmakers who come in every couple of years and we want people to stick around. We like statesmen. I’m not saying anything negative about newbies, but having to educate and update lawmakers on issues every few years can get tedious and it does empower some of the more icky actors.