The Governmental Affairs Task Force of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce met Tuesday, November 16, 2010 from noon until 1:30 pm to discuss legislative priorities for the coming legislative session, develop relationships with new elected officials, and establish areas of focus for upcoming meetings.
The Governmental Affairs Task Force of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce met Tuesday, November 16, 2010 from noon until 1:30 pm to discuss legislative priorities for the coming legislative session, develop relationships with new elected officials, and establish areas of focus for upcoming meetings.
The Governmental Affairs Task Force had the opportunity to meet the Chamber’s new President & CEO Kit Cramer. Kit Cramer spoke to the group and explained her background and interest in public policy. This interest stemmed from her time with the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce and her service in public office on the Charlotte Mecklenburg School Board.
Representative-Elect Chuck McGrady of House District 117 also joined the group. Representative McGrady spoke of his desire to work on transportation and regional issues when the North Carolina General Assembly starts session on January 26, 2010. Representative McGrady told of his broad range of experience as he is a lawyer, county commissioner, and has served as the head of the Technical Advisory Committee for the French Broad Metropolitan Planning Organization. The Chamber is pleased to have Representative McGrady serving the people of Western North Carolina and looks forward to working with him.
The Chamber recognizes that the projected budget deficit for North Carolina will have a huge affect on the coming legislative session. It is for this reason that the Chamber desires to be precise and hard hitting with the legislative agenda. Laura Copeland, Vice President of Public Policy and Workforce Development, told task force members that the Chamber will make the position statements as focused as possible.
The Governmental Task Force will reconvene on Tuesday, November 30, 2010 to discuss education and tax reform issues. If you have interest in the taskforce or would like to attend a meeting, please contact Jeff Joyce at jjoyce@ashevillechamber.org.