Tuesday, May 21

9:30am – 11:30am     NGA Government Relations Committee Meeting (Committee Members Only)

12:00pm – 1:30pm    Welcome Luncheon & General Session

1:30pm – 2:00pm      Networking Break

2:00pm – 3:00pm   How to Tune Your Pitch to Resonate with Any Member of Congress featuring Brad Fitch, Deputy Director, Congressional Management Foundation

Despite the narrative presented by Hollywood and the media, lawmakers are people too. Before being elected, they had careers, attended schools and universities, or volunteered in their community. This presentation will explain how the best citizen advocates research their Members of Congress; use their Members' profiles to adjust their communications with those Members; and connect the dots between issues advocates care about to those that their Members care about.

3:00pm – 4:15pm Speak Up, Stand Out: NGA's Guide to Effective Policy Advocacy

Step into the arena of advocacy prepared and empowered! Join the NGA team as they delve into the pressing policy matters directly affecting your businesses. In this session, we'll equip you with the tools and knowledge to effectively communicate your concerns to your Member of Congress. Guiding us through this journey are seasoned experts Mark Meador and Neal Patel, whose insights into what Congress needs to hear right now are invaluable. Together, we'll uncover the strategies and messages necessary to drive action and create real impact. Together, we will make a difference and ensure that your concerns resonate with those who have the power to enact meaningful change.

• Chris Jones, Chief Government Relations Officer, SVP, & Counsel

• Stephanie Johnson, Vice President of Government Relations

• Mark Meador, Kressin Meador LLC

• Neal Patel, Patel Partners

4:15pm – 5:15pm      Keynote Presentation featuring A.B. Stoddard

A.B. Stoddard is a columnist for the political news and opinion publication The Bulwark, and a contributor and guest host for SiriusXM’s POTUS channel. Since 2006 she has appeared as a nonpartisan political commentator on CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Channel, and BBC. Stoddard began covering the U.S. Congress in 1994 as a regional newspaper reporter, then covered the House for The Hill newspaper, and the Senate for ABC News. Prior to The Bulwark, she was associate editor and columnist for the political news site and polling data aggregator RealClearPolitics, as well as associate editor and columnist for The Hill newspaper. Her column with The Hill won first place Dateline Awards from the Society of Professional Journalists’ Washington, D.C., chapter in 2010 and 2011.

A.B. Stoddard offers a nonpartisan perspective of the political landscape of the day and our nation’s upcoming elections. Frequently meeting with sources and politicians of all stripes, Stoddard has her finger on the pulse of Washington, D.C., as she offers detailed and smart political and electoral analysis. In a talk as up-to-date as the day’s headlines, Stoddard will cover the latest on the campaign trail, the most recent happenings between Congress and the White House, ongoing budget battles, and the electoral prospects for the two parties.

5:15pm – 6:00pm      Networking Reception