FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 11, 2011

HEATH – The Heath-Newark-Licking County Port Authority will lead a contingent of public and private officials meeting with members of the Ohio delegation to Congress in Washington, D.C. on this coming Wednesday, February 16.

The contingent is set to meet with seven member offices on Capitol Hill. Meetings are set with U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, U.S. Representative Pat Tiberi, U.S. Representative Steve Austria, U.S. Representative Bob Gibbs, and U.S. Representative Bill Johnson in their respective Capitol Hill offices. Further meetings are scheduled with officials in the offices of U.S. Senator Rob Portman and U.S. Representative Steve Stivers. The Port Authority is also hosting an Ohio Delegation Briefing expecting to be attended by other members of the Ohio delegation and their staffs.

The day-long visit is organized by the Heath-Newark-Licking County Port Authority as part of its caucus-building strategy aimed at increasing knowledge among federal, state, and local officials about the value and impact of the Aerospace Center.

Officials from major employers at the Port Authority’s Aerospace Center campus—Boeing, Bionetics, and Goodrich—are attending along with local leaders from the City of Heath, Licking County Commissioners, Licking County Chamber of Commerce, and the Port Authority. On the agenda are updates on initiatives underway at the Center and a look ahead at the long-term challenges.

“In the five years we’ve been doing this, there’s never been a more critical time to go to Washington and tell our story,” said Rick Platt, President and CEO of the Port Authority. “There are many new faces among both members and staff in Washington.”

The Port Authority considers the fly-in a “no frills” day. The contingent expects to see a 20-hour day, flies coach, and uses public transportation.

For more information, visit http://hnlcpa.com/dcflyin. Also, look for Twitter updates that day from Port Authority President and CEO Rick Platt with the hashtag #hnlcpa.