The Albany delegation, which included representatives from public and private
sectors, spent time with U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, providing insight on current priorities of the
Albany Area.

The Albany Area Chamber of Commerce last week led a delegation of local leaders to Washington, D.C., for the annual “DC Fly In,” the organization’s long-standing annual federal advocacy event. The delegation, representing the public and private sectors, met with national leaders and lawmakers on issues most vital to Albany and Southwest Georgia.

The two-day event included meetings with the Albany Area Congressional delegation — U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop; the office of U.S. Rep. Austin Scott; U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff; and U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock — and the Pentagon-based leadership of Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany (MCLB Albany) and Marine Corps Logistics Command (Logcom), including Meredith Berger, assistant secretary of the Navy for energy, installations and environment, and Lt. Gen. Edward Banta, deputy commandant of Marine Corps Installations & Logistics. Col. Michael Fitzgerald, commanding officer of MCLB Albany, and Maj. Gen. Keith Reventlow, commanding general of Logcom, participated in the Pentagon discussions.

Meetings allowed the Albany group to provide updates on a variety of fronts including economic development and Albany as a premier industry location; health care delivery and expansion of services to meet regional needs; work force development initiatives aimed at expanding the classroom-to-career pipeline in high-demand fields; infrastructure investment as a component of community and economic development, with a priority focus on broadband expansion; and MCLB Albany as a global leader in innovation and mission readiness.

“Albany-Dougherty County has, through vision and action, positioned itself as a statewide leader in collaborative partnerships, and the distinction is well recognized among state and federal leadership,” said Barbara Rivera Holmes, president and CEO of the Albany Area Chamber. “The DC Fly In is our community’s opportunity to secure face time in our nation’s capital and two-way communication with national leaders who can bolster and advance our local initiatives through federal policy and funding.”

The advocacy event is aimed at informing leaders on local priorities, as well as requesting support for critical components of the community’s overall framework for development. Calls for Congressional support include:

• Continued Investment in broadband expansion, which impacts education, health care, commerce and national defense

• Smart immigration policy reforms to support work force demands, boost economic growth, create jobs, and encourage innovation and entrepreneurship

• $39 million for advancing completion of a mission-critical consolidated communications center at MCLBA

• $56 million for an operational readiness facility at Albany-based U.S. Marine Corps Logistics Command as a required component of the Marine Corps’ Force Design 2030 strategy

The local delegation also met with senior leadership of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, discussing immigration policy; work force and talent; tort reform; and other federal policies and regulations that impact businesses.

“The Albany Area Chamber spearheads our community’s advocacy initiatives and is the conduit through which businesses and people connect and collaborate, and make their voices heard,” said Don Gray, 2022 chairman of the Albany Area Chamber. “The Chamber’s Government Affairs Division – along with the full spectrum of its five member-led committees that help inform the organization’s overall policy positions – embodies the mission of the Chamber as a center point through which the community is empowered to take action and create change.”

The DC Fly In is a component of the Albany Area Chamber’s Government Affairs Division, which advocates for policies conducive to business and community growth. The program is sponsored by Adams Exterminators; Albany Area Primary Health Care; the Albany Convention & Visitors Bureau; the Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission; Albany State University; Albany Technical College; AT&T; the City of Albany; Dougherty County; the Dougherty County School System; Georgia CEO; Georgia Power; Horizons Community Solutions; McLendon Acres; and Phoebe Putney Health System.

Visit bit.ly/AACCLegislativeAgenda2022 to view the Albany Area Chamber’s 2022 legislative agenda, and take the policy survey at bit.ly/PublicPolicySurvey2023 to provide input as the organization develops its 2023 priorities.