TO: Members of NAIFA-Florida
FROM: Glenn Ritchie, NAIFA-Florida Grassroots Chair
Our incoming NAIFA National President and NAIFA-Florida member Tom Cothron reminded us all in a recent article that “All politics are local.” And he’s right! They are!
In that vein, NAIFA has asked us to try and meet with all 28 Members of Congress from Florida during their August recess. The good news is we don’t have to go very far because they’ll be here in their home districts. And they will want to meet with you, either at a scheduled time or maybe just a town hall gathering of theirs. Any way you can make contact, introduce yourself and remind them of who you are, your NAIFA membership, and that you’re available to help them with information about insurance and financial services, would be helpful.
So, I need your help:
1) We have state leaders who are currently setting up appointments with members of Congress. If you’d like to be a part of the meetings, please let me know & we’ll let you know when and where the meetings are. Contact me at: garitchie@mac.com. So you’ll be up to speed, NAIFA’s talking points (brief) and issue papers will be sent to you.
2) If you have a personal relationship with a member of Congress & could help us set up an appointment, we’d sure appreciate it. First, please contact me at garitchie@mac.com to coordinate our efforts, and then please keep me posted on your progress. Remember, your appointment may be with an aide or district director which is also beneficial to us!
3) Following the appointment, let me know who you met with and how it went: garitchie@mac.com
Advocacy is at the core of what we do. Effective advocacy comes with relationships developed locally. The best appointment I attended in Washington, DC was set by a NAIFA-Central-Florida member who has developed a close personal relationship with his Member of Congress. The Member came to dinner and stayed with the Central-Florida delegation for almost two hours! Think he listened to our concerns?? You bet he did! But that only happened because of the meetings which took place back home.
All politics are local! Help NAIFA be better at the local level by setting appointments for Members of Congress during August!
Thanks,
Glenn