Government Affairs

Government Affairs Summit

The National Rehabilitation Association was proud to present its 29th Annual Government Affairs Summit which began on Sunday, March 14, continued through Monday, March 15, and culminated on Tuesday, March 16, 2010 with NRA's "Day on the Hill." The 2010 Summit was entitled "Leveraging Our Legislative Legacy: Today, Tomorrow, Together" and was held at the Old Town Alexandria Hilton Hotel, which is directly across the street from the King Street Metro, in Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia.

The National Rehabilitation Association is fortunate to have a history rich in advocacy awareness and outreach. And, today -- now more than ever -- we will need your collective and individual advocacy and outreach as we wend our way to reauthorization of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). We anticipate reauthorization to occur early in 2010, and we assure you this will be a very challenging reauthorization, perhaps even more challenging than we have experienced in some time.

The 2010 Government Affairs Summit occurred early enough in the Second Session of the 111th Congress that you WILL make a difference in ensuring that the programs administered under the Rehabilitation Act maintain the integrity that the architects of the Act -- including the Congressional architects -- intended when they wrote one of the most enduring, endearing and effective laws in the history of our great country -- the Rehabilitation Act.

Following immediately below is the Program for your reference

2010 NRA Government Affairs Summit

March 14-16, 2010

Hilton Old Town Alexandria , Virginia

“Leveraging Our Legislative Legacy:

Today, Tomorrow, Together”

SUNDAY, March 14, 2010 -- All Events at the Hilton Old Town

8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Welcoming Remarks

9:00 a.m. to 10:45 Legislative Advocacy 101: The People's House and

Senate (pre-conference session for first-timers)

10:45 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. BREAK

11:00 a.m. to 12 noon The Honorable Fredric Schroeder, former

Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services

Administration (RSA)

LUNCHEON KEYNOTE: The Honorable Lynnae Ruttledge, RSA

Commissioner

2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. From Consumer to Capitol Hill: One Man's Journey

Kent Keyser, Chief of Staff to Congressman Nick Rahall, Eleanor Williams, Virginia DRS, and Janet Fiore, The Sierra Group; Patricia Leahy , moderator

3:00 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. BREAK

3:15 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Presentation of 2010 NRA Issue Statements

Patricia Leahy and members of the GA Committee

5:00 p.m Adjourn for the Day

MONDAY, March 15, 2010 – All Events at the Hilton Old Town

8:00 .m. to 9:30 a.m. Partnering for Success: Doing Business with Business

–Beth Butler, VP, Accommodations Management; Wachovia, a Wells Fargo Company; Chair, U.S. Business Leadership Network; Joe Kelley, Consortia of Administrators for Native American Rehabilitation; Brian Radford, Supervisor, Employment Services and Outreach, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment, VetSuccess, U.S.Department of Veterans Affairs; Kathy West-Evans, Director of Business Relations, the National Employment Team, Aditi Dussault, Director, Affiliate Relations & Disability Supplier, Diversity Program, U.S. Business Leadership Network

9:45 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Congressional Panel:

Aaron Bishop, Senior Disability Policy Advisor to

Senator Mike Enzi; Sharon Lewis, Senior Disability

Policy Advisor to Congressman George Miller; Dr. Connie Garner, Senior Disability Policy Advisor to the

Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP)

Committee under the Chairmanship of Senator Tom Harkin;

Lee Perselay, Senior Disability Policy Advisor to Chairman of

the HELP Committee, Senator Tom Harkin

11:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. BREAK

11:15 a.m. to 12:15 a.m. The Honorable Alexa Posny, Assistant Secretary, Office of

Special Education and Rehabilitative Services,

U.S. Department of Education