DC: Part 2

by Matt Kelley, Chamber board member, Verizon

Well, it's hard to believe but today was even better than Day 1. We were fortunate enough to have Q & A sessions with Congressmen Souder and Pence followed by Senators Luger and Bayh. All of them are so knowledgeable and informative. Even though this is a historic week and is jam packed with important meetings, reporter interviews and votes, all were very grateful that this sizable group of business leaders from northeast Indiana took the time and expense to come all the way to Washington DC to meet with them. This was a great opportunity to share with them what issues we faced back home.

Another great thing about this trip is meeting and getting to know other community and business leaders from northeast Indiana. It gives us a chance to sit down together and share our experiences and ideas. Being in this "foreign" environment seems to facilitate the process. I made many new friends and colleagues that I will be keeping in touch with and possibly even be doing business with.

Finally, the visit to the Pentagon was incredible. I thought airport security was tight. The men and women of our armed forces are truly the best America has to offer. The meeting gave all of us a better understanding of how much they do for us. So the trip is coming to a close and my feet will be wearing tennis shoes tomorrow. Did I mention that the Pentagon is really, really big and we have been walking a lot? So the puppies are tired.

I can't wait until next year's DC fly-in. Don't miss out. Join your northeast Indiana local Chamber of Commerce if you aren't a member yet and get on their e-mail newsletter. See you in '09.

Matt Kelley