Washington, D.C. - Capitol Advantage, the creators of Capwiz·XC, today announced the creation of a new company, Knowlegis, to provide new software and services for government relations professionals. Knowlegis (www.knowlegis.net) will be led by Brad Fitch, former Deputy Director of the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) and a 13-year veteran of Capitol Hill. The new company represents a partnership of the largest provider of Internet advocacy tools with the leading expert on communicating with Congress.

“This is a significant entry into the marketplace,” said Bob Hansan, President and founder of Capitol Advantage. “There is growing demand among government relations professionals at the state and federal level for tools and services to make their interactions with elected officials simpler, faster, and more effective. Knowlegis will combine Capitol Advantage’s proven mechanisms for delivering communications to elected officials with Brad Fitch’s strategic insight and understanding of how to effectively influence legislators,” he said.

Knowlegis will provide a variety of online tools and services to government relations professionals to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their operations. Knowlegis' first product will be “GR Tracker,” which enhances the abilities of groups and individuals to manage and track all contacts with elected officials. GR Tracker also will include a “lobby disclosure compliance” function, allowing customers to quickly produce information that could be required of lobbyists if Congress changes current reporting requirements. The tool will allow customers to track meetings, meal expenditures, or other interactions, which are specific lobbying activities that Congress is currently considering making part of new lobbying disclosure reports.

Knowlegis also will take over management of Congress.org, a free service and Web site created by Capitol Advantage, allowing all Internet users to easily research and contact elected officials at the federal, state, and local level.

“We have finally reached the era where the Internet is having a profoundly positive impact on democratic processes,” said Fitch, CEO of Knowlegis. “Knowlegis will provide the most sophisticated tools available for enhancing citizens’ and groups’ abilities to connect to democratic institutions. As citizens and their affiliated groups become more sophisticated at using online tools to interact with their representatives in government, the public can gain a broader understanding of how democratic institutions work, and leaders can collect greater insight into the feelings and wishes of the electorate,” he said.

Fitch recently supervised a two-year research project and co-authored the CMF report, Communicating with Congress: How Capitol Hill is Coping with the Surge in Citizen Advocacy. The project was the first comprehensive analysis of how the Internet has affected grassroots communications to Congress. From 2001 to 2005, Fitch served as Deputy Director of CMF, providing confidential consulting to dozens of Members of Congress and staff, conducting training programs on Capitol Hill, and researching methods for improving the management of congressional offices and the institution. He was the editor of the 108th and 109th Congress editions of Setting Course: A Congressional Management Guide. CMF is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization which provides services, training, and research to improve management practices in Congress.

Fitch previously worked on Capitol Hill for four Members of Congress in the House and Senate serving as a press secretary, legislative director, and chief of staff. In 2004, Fitch authored Media Relations Handbook for Agencies, Associations, Nonprofits, and Congress (TheCapitol.Net), a 340-page guide for public relations professionals in the public affairs community. He also is an adjunct associate professor in American University’s School of Communication.

Capitol Advantage is part of a family of four affiliated companies. Capitol Advantage Publishing, founded in 1986, is the nation’s largest publisher of congressional directories, including Congress at Your Fingertips. In 1996, Hansan created Capwiz·XC, an online grassroots tool utilized by 1,500 associations, nonprofits, and corporations nationwide that is sold under the Capitol Advantage brand. In 1999, e-Advocates was founded by Hansan and Pam Fielding to provide full-service Internet advocacy consulting services.

Knowlegis is the fourth company and will be led by Fitch as CEO. Capitol Advantage is transferring additional assets and personnel to Knowlegis as part of its creation. Barkley Kern, CEO of Capitol Advantage, will serve in a dual capacity as President of Knowlegis. Robb Hill, formerly Capitol Advantage’s Director of Product Engineering, will serve as Chief Technology Officer. Tim Yoder, formerly Capitol Advantage’s Director of Research, will serve as Director of Research for Knowlegis.

For more information, visit: www.knowlegis.net.