Click here for a PDF Version of this Newsletter (Free Adobe Reader required)
The President's Message
by Andy Hilt
 Wow, what a summer. Last time I wrote we were awaiting the running of the “fake” budget. The House never ran the “fake” budget.
My family took a vacation this summer to Sea Isle City. We stayed a block from the beach (if you've ever been to Sea Isle you know there isn't much that isn't a block from the beach). It was the second year that we went there, although I spent many weekends there as a kid. See it the town were I grew up you went to Sea Isle, vacation meant “down da shore” and “da shore” meant Sea Isle. Going anywhere else would have been exotic.
We had a great time, the weather was perfect. There was only one problem; we were there the week the budget was finalized. I snuck phone calls to friends on the Hill and checked email on my phone when no one was looking. We had laid a lot of groundwork on transportation funding and things were in motion. There wasn't much I was going to change at that point, but I had to know what was going on. I even dictated a few e-mails to send to members.
We spent lots of time on the beach, and everyone but my wife played in the water. (OK the water was close to freezing and my wife was the sane one). My oldest and I went fishing and, as he was proud to point out, he caught a fish and I didn't. When I got home I found that a friend from high schools whole family had been staying six blocks from us. It would have been nice to see Rob and his family, and I know his mother would not have noticed three extra kids at night while my wife and I took in the night life. We took a couple of trips to Ocean City and walked the Boardwalk. My middle son loves videos games and he was in heaven. My daughter, the youngest, loved playing in the sand. I never realized all the things sand could be, it is a building material AND a baking ingredient.
The other big news of the summer is that in May I was offered, and accepted, the position of Executive Vice President at the PA Design Association Center. This is the same group that I have worked for the past six years. I started on August 1 but since I was already on the ground I was setting things up all summer. I am excited about this new challenge. The Design Center is an association management company that is owned by our two clients, The American Council of Engineering Companies of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Society of Land Surveyors. We have four employees, including me and my predecessor as EVP, who is staying until the end of the year. I still planning on doing the lobbying for the associations, but will be hiring a fourth person to do our communications and member relations. There is a lot of opportunity for both associations to change and grow over the next few years and I look forward to helping them recognize those opportunities and seize them.
It’s shaping up to be an interesting fall for all of us.
And that's what I did on my summer vacation...
2007/2008 Legislative Directories Are HERE!
PAGR ordered extra copies. If you would like to order some, contact Christine at the PAGR office. They will be sold on a first come basis.
Cost is $7.50 each for PAGR members.
Directories are available right now.
Schedule Change
Please note that our next Membership Meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 8, 2007, not October 1 as originally announced. Please see below for details.
Thank you.
PA Legislative Correspondents’ Assn
77th Annual GRIDIRON DINNER
Monday, October 15, 2007
6:00 PM Cash bar
7:00 PM Dinner and Program
$80.00 per plate
$800 per table
FOR TICKETS:
Call 717.540.0296
or email pagridiron@gowebway.com
Kudos
Kudos to Gretchen Ramsey, Sherry Bonawitz, Leah Kithcart, and their team for a successful WPGR (Women in PA Government Relations) celebrity caddy auction and golf event. A great time was had by all involved and a whopping $7,500 was raised for the PA Breast Cancer Coalition.
Meeting Notice
NOTE NEW MEETING DATE:
Monday, October 8, 2007
11:30 am—12:30 pm
Firehouse Restaurant
Third floor
606 N. 2nd Street • Harrisburg
OUR GUEST WILL BE:
Congressman Tim Holden
ALL MEMBERS WILL BE CHARGED $10.
ALL GUESTS OF MEMBERS WILL BE CHARGED $20.
PLEASE RSVP BY October 4 TO
717-540-4391 OR INFO@PAGR.ORG.
THANK YOU.
2007 Board of Directors
Officers
President...................................Andrew Hilt
Vice President........................Peter Calcara
Secretary.....................................Deb Kisela
Treasurer.................................Gregg Taylor
Board of Directors
Association................Brinda Carroll Penyak
Corporate...................................Kris Snader
Lawyer........................................Tony Crisci
Independent...............................Ted Mowatt
At Large.............................Judy Eschberger
At Large.................................Mark Richards
Immediate Past President
Brian Barno
Executive Director
Christine Corrigan
Attention Members:
If you did not receive this Newsletter electronically, we do not have your email address. Please send it to info@pagr.org immediately. You are missing out on important and time sensitive information.
|
