摘要: |
That's how Martin Whitmer Jr., founding partner with Whitmer & Worrall LLC, described the timing (Oct. 19-20, 2021) of the first in-person Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA) Lobby Day since the pandemic began, a time when not a lot of face-to-face meetings were happening on Capitol Hill. With the citywide indoor mask mandate in the District of Columbia and the politics of the time focused on infrastructure, it was apparent to attendees that this would be unlike any GMA Lobby Day of the past.Eleven industry leaders (John Bolton, Tensar International Corp.; Keith Gardner, Dalco Nonwovens LLC; Bryan Gee, Tensar; Nathan Ivy, AGRU America Inc.; John Lostumbo, TenCate Geosynthetics Americas; Sachin Mandavkar, Maccaferri Inc.; Adam Maskal, Solmax; Keith Misukanis, Berry Global Inc./TYPAR; Flavio Montez, HUESKER Inc.; Noah Nichols, Propex; and Aaron Smith, Maccaferri Inc.) participated in the meetings with representatives, senators and their staffs. Also present were Whitmer, Tom Worrall, Gabe Pellathy, Angela Acampora, Lindsay Bencick and Natasha Epperly of Whitmer & Worrall, as well as Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) employees Fred Chuck of GMA and me. The meetings included direct virtual or in-person conversations with legislators and legislative staff from states across the country, representing both Democrats and Republicans. |