Columbus, OH – AmericanHort today announced the 2019 Impact Washington Summit, September 16-18 in Washington, D.C. to unite leaders across the green industry to hear from dynamic speakers about the issues facing the industry along with educating Congress on our challenges and priorities. The 2019 Summit will feature a program of senior administration officials, leaders in the non-profit community, as well as Congressional champions of good policy benefiting horticulture.
Confirmed keynote speakers include:
Andrew Wheeler, Administrator – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Andrew Wheeler was confirmed the fifteenth Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in February. He began his career during the George H. W. Bush Administration as a Special Assistant in the EPA. He has served in several positions on the Senate Environment and Public Works committee staff, and as Principal at FaegreBD Consulting.
Daniel Garza, President – The Libre Initiative
Daniel Garza was born in the Central Valley of California and would migrate with his family annually from their ancestral hometown of Garza Gonzalez in Nuevo Leon, Mexico, throughout California, Nebraska and Washington State following the crop season as farm workers until he was 19 years of age. Garza has worked in the House of Representatives, served in local government, and was appointed to the Interior Department in the George W. Bush administration.
Additional speakers will include Laurie Flanagan, chair of the H-2B Workforce Coalition on behalf of AmericanHort, and Lynn Jacquez, managing partner at CJ Lake, LLC and renowned immigration policy expert. Additional speakers will be announced as the event draws closer.
Legislative and regulatory priorities at the Impact Washington Summit will center around workforce and transportation issues, research funding and implementation, and business and marketplace regulation. These issues are of critical importance to horticultural businesses across the nation.
“Every Impact Washington Summit serves to establish and solidify the important connection between our members and their elected legislators,” said Craig Regelbrugge, AmericanHort Senior Vice President for Advocacy and Research. “The hard work and time our business owners dedicate to lifting up Congress’ understanding of our industry are vital to ensuring smart and sensible policy makes it from Washington back to the states. With our prime lineup of speakers, this industry-leading conference allows members to learn, connect, and successfully represent their interests in Washington.”
For more information on the 2019 Impact Washington Summit, visit: AmericanHort.org/Impact.
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About AmericanHort
Green industry businesses perform better, grow faster and prepare for the future as a member of AmericanHort, the green industry’s leading association. With a rich history of serving horticultural professionals, AmericanHort supports nearly 14,000 member and affiliated businesses that include breeders, greenhouse and nursery growers, garden retailers, distributors, interior and exterior landscape professionals, florists, students, educators, researchers, manufacturers, and all of those who are part of the industry market chain. The horticulture industry’s production, wholesale, retail, and landscape service components have annual sales of $196 billion, and sustain over 1.6 million full- and part-time jobs.
