---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Kim Joy <Kim@nationalrehab.org>
Date: Mon, Dec 28, 2009 at 11:20 AM
Subject: From the desk of Patricia Leahy: NRA's Washington Wire: Recently-Senate-Confirmed Commissioner Ruttledge to Keynote NRA's Government Affairs Summit
To: NRA <NATIONALREHAB@nationalrehab.org>

To:       Members of the National Rehabilitation Association

From:    Patricia Leahy, Director of Government Affairs

Re:       Recently-Senate-Confirmed Commissioner Ruttledge to Keynote NRA's Government Affairs Summit

Date:    Monday, December 28, 2009

For those who read on the run, this Washington Wire announces that Lynnae Ruttledge was confirmed last Thursday morning, December 24, 2009, by the United States Senate to be the next Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) in the U.S. Department of Education.

On behalf of all in the National Rehabilitation Association, we heartily congratulate Commissioner Ruttledge on her Presidential appointment and Senate confirmation to be the next Commissioner of RSA. 

The National Rehabilitation Association is also pleased to announce that Commissioner Ruttledge will be the Keynote Luncheon Speaker on Sunday, March 14, 2010, the first day of NRA's 29th Annual Government Affairs Summit.

Following immediately below this announcement is the second draft agenda for the forthcoming Summit.

The National Rehabilitation Association is proud to present its 29th Annual Government Affairs Summit which begins on Sunday, March 14, continues on Monday, March 15, and culminates on Tuesday, March 16, 2010 with NRA's "Day on the Hill."

The 2010 Summit, entitled "Leveraging Our Legislative Legacy: Today, Tomorrow, Together, and will be held at the Old Town Alexandria Hilton Hotel, which is directly across the street from the King Street Metro, in Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia. Link to hotel reservations: http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/groups/personalized/DCAOTHF-MRA-20100312/index.jhtml

The National Rehabilitation Association is fortunate to have a history rich in advocacy awareness and outreach.  And, today -- now more than ever -- we will need your collective and individual advocacy and outreach as we wend our way to reauthorization of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA).

We anticipate reauthorization to occur in 2010 and we assure you this will be a very challenging reauthorization, perhaps even more challenging than we have experienced in some time.

We must ensure to the fullest extent possible that the programs, services, and supports of the Rehabilitation Act are preserved for those eligible individuals with disabilities who qualify for the program.  One principal way to do this is to ensure the integrity of the funding of the Rehabilitation Act which the Congressional and community architects ensured would always be assured for those who qualify.

On November 30, 2009, the National Rehabilitation Association was represented by our Executive Director, Beverlee Stafford and me, at meeting with the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. 

The purpose of this meeting, which was scheduled by the Co-Chairs of the Employment and Training Task Force of the Consortium of Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), was to collaborate on ways in which to enhance the programs and supports offered to eligible individuals with disabilities who qualify for the VR program, as well as ways to improve the access to information to individuals with disabilities who visit the one-stop career centers, which their non-disabled peers have been able to do for some time.

One of the aspects of this meeting, which was extraordinarily well attended by Senate HELP Committee staff, was the attentiveness and genuine interest that the Senate staff had in consulting with the community on ways in which the workforce system can better serve individuals with disabilities.

One issue on which all agreed was to begin by sharing effective practices and success stories of those served by the workforce systems.  Accordingly, if you are aware of an effective practice, or a promising practice, in the VR program, would be you please e-mail me at patricia@nationalrehab.org and I will see to it that Hill staff is made aware of your information. 

This information includes, but is not limited to, effective practices in transitioning eligible students with disabilities into the workforce, supported employment practices that benefit the consumer, as well as the business community, and other practices that result in successfully securing careers and community living for individuals with disabilities.

As you know, this country is in the throes of a jobless recovery and, while the stock market may be rebounding, jobs, we are story to say, are not.

The 2010 Government Affairs Summit occurs early enough in the Second Session of the 111th Congress that you can -- and we are confident that you will -- make a difference in ensuring that the programs administered under the Rehabilitation Act maintain the integrity that the architects of the Act -- including the Congressional architects -- intended when they wrote one of the most enduring, endearing and effective laws in the history of our great country.

So, SAVE THE DATE NOW, to attend the 2010 Government Affairs Summit on March 14-16, 2010, and be a part of history in the making.  The registration form for the Summit is on the NRA website and can be accessed at: www.nationalrehab.org ;

We also strongly encourage you to make your appointments with your respective Representatives and Senators as soon as possible to ensure access to YOUR Members of Congress and/or his or her staff.

Following immediately below is the second DRAFT Program, which is subject to -- and will -- change over the next several weeks.

SUNDAY, March 14, 2009 -- All Events at the King Street Hilton Hotel

8:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.     Continental Breakfast at the Hotel

10:00 a.m. to 11 a.m..    Government Affairs Co-Chairs Dr. Ralph Pacinelli, Kathy West-Evans,

                                     Ellen Sokolowski  will discuss Legislative Advocacy 101:  The People's

                                     House and Senate

This Session is encouraged for new NRA Members and first-timers to the Government Affairs

Summit, as well as those seasoned in the art of effective advocacy

We are pleased to announce that Ms. Stacy Cervenka of Senator Sam Brownback's (R.KS.)

will do an encore presentation on effective Congressional advocacy.  Ms. Cervenka, who

is a VR consumer and is one of the most effective presenters we have

had on this topic in some time.

Patricia Leahy will moderate this Session

11:00 to 11:15 a.m.                BREAK

11:15 to 12:15 p.m.               Keynote Address: The Honorable Fredric Schroeder, former Commissioner of RSA

12:15 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.       LUNCH AT THE HOTEL

LUNCHEON KEYNOTE:  The Honorable Lynnae Ruttledge, Commissioner,

                                      Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA)

1:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.         BREAK

2:00 p.m. to 3:00  p.m.      Kent Keyser, Chief of Staff to Congressman Nick Rahall (D.W.V.)

                                       From Capitol Hill to Consumer to Capitol Hill:  One Man's Journey

3:00 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.          BREAK

3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.          Presentations by the Government Affairs Co-Chairs and the Government Affairs

                                          Committee on the 2010 Issues Statements

5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.          NRA's President's Reception at the Hotel

MONDAY, March 15, 2010

7:15 a.m. to 8:15 a.m.   Continental Breakfast at the Hotel

8:15 p.m. to 9:30 a.m.    THE BUSINESS NETWORK AND THE NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT TEAM (NET)

                                     Kathy West-Evans, Director of the National Employment Team (NET),

                                     discuss new and exciting collaborations and partnerships within the corporate world.

                                     List of Business and Employers to be Announced

9:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.     BREAK

9:45 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.   CONGRESSIONAL PANEL

Aaron Bishop, Senior Disability Policy Advisor to Senator Mike Enzi (R.WY.),

Ranking Member, Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP)

Committee

Sharon Lewis, Senior Disability Policy Advisor to Congressman George Miller (D.CA.)

Congressman Miller is Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee

Dr. Connie Garner, Senior Disability Policy Advisor formerly to the late Senator

Edward M. Kennedy and presently to the Senate Health, Education, Labor

and Pensions Committee under the Chairmanship of Senator Tom Harkin (D.IA.)

Lee Perselay, Senior Disability Policy Advisor to Senator Tom Harkin (D.IA.),

the Chairman of the Senate Help, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee

11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.   KEYNOTE SPEAKER;  Kareem Dale, Director of Disability Policy to President Obama (invited)

12 Noon to 1:30 a.m.        LUNCH ON YOUR OWN

1:45 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.      Ellen Sokolowski and Patricia Leahy will discuss Senator Harkin's

                                      New Employment Initiative

3:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.       BREAK

3:45 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.       New Partners Panel to be announced

TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2010

The National Rehabilitation Association's Day on the Hill

This year, we are inviting Senator Tom Harkin, the Chairman of the Senate HELP Committee and the Senator's Senior Disability Policy Counsel, Lee Perselay, to discuss the Senator's New Employment

Initiative for Individuals with Disabilities, which is subject to the Senator and Mr. Perselay's availability on Tuesday, March 16.  We will secure a room on the Senate side to accommodate the discussion as soon as we have a confirmation from the Senator and a time when this presentation can occur.

8:30 a.m.   Depart Hotel for Capitol Hill

9:00 a.m. to 12 Noon -- Appointments with Members of Congress

12 Noon to 2:30 p.m.  NRA's Congressional Luncheon (The Rayburn House Office Building Banquet

                                   Rooms (B-339 and B-340)

Presentation of NRA's "Lead On" Awards

Presentation on National Rehabilitation Counselor Appreciation Day

in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate

2:30 to 4:00 p.m.          Resumption of Hill Visits

4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Wrap Up Session - Room 121 Cannon House Office Building

                                     Patricia Leahy to Moderate.  Room 121 Cannon has been

                                     secured as of 2:30 p.m. to accommodate those who may have

                                     completed their Hill visits or if members just want a place to

                                     relax.

SO, MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR MARCH 14 TO 16, 2010, TO ATTEND THE NATIONAL REHABILITATION ASSOCIATION'S 29TH ANNUAL GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS SUMMIT IN NATION'S CAPITOL AT A TIME WHEN EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE!

THIS IS A DRAFT AGENDA OF EVENTS FOR THE 2010 GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS SUMMIT AND IS SUBJECT TO AND WILL CHANGE OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS.

Patricia Leahy

Director of Governmental Affairs and Public Policy

National Rehabilitation Association

633 South Washington Street

Alexandria, VA 22314

1-888-258-4295

NRA Office - 703-836-0850

NRA Fax - 703-836-0848

TDD - 703-836-0849

E-mail - patricia@nationalrehab.org

NRA Website - www.nationalrehab.org