NAIOP in Washington

Each year, NAIOP's national staff invites chapter leadership to Washington for the Leadership Conference and Legislative Retreat. The conference features workshops and seminars on membership development, event programming, and government affairs. On the final day of the conference, NAIOP members have went to Capitol Hill to present issues of concern to their congressional representatives and senators.

This year, on February 5, the NAIOP members from Florida invited legislators and aides to join them for a luncheon at Florida House. Florida House opened in 1973 as the first "State Embassy" in Washington. It is an education and information center and provides exclusive meeting, classroom, and reception space for Floridians. Located behind the Supreme Court, Florida House is an easy walk from the Capitol.

NAIOP Tampa Bay Public Affairs Chair Keith Bricklemyer (at left) and national board member Gregory Morgan talk with Stacy Pavolini from Congresswoman Karen Thurman's office.

Kimberly Warden, an aide to Senator Bill Nelson (seated, at left), attended the NAIOP luncheon at Florida House. She was knowledgeable on one of NAIOP's key issues - the availability of insurance coverage for acts of terrorism. During the reception, she met with Alan Sheppard of the LeBoeuf Lamb Law Firm from Jacksonville (standing, at left), Julio Maggi of Echelon Development in St. Petersburg, and Cheryl Taubensee of Professional Engineering Consultants in Orlando.

Prior to the Chapter Merit Awards Dinner on February 4, NAIOP Tampa Bay members posed for a photograph with national Chairman, Dave Jellison of Liberty Property Trust in Minnesota. (From left) Julio Maggi of Echelon, Carol Scheafnocker of King Engineering, Jim Shapiro of Peter Lawrence Commercial Real Estate, Jellison, Jill Collins of Linx Resources, Gregory Morgan of Advantis, and Wendy Patton of The Business Journal.