Community Leader Fly In 2018

Learn about the Development Coalition Community Leader Fly-In that took place April 16-18.

Below is the welcome letter attendees received. 

Dear Community Leader:

Welcome to our 34th Annual Dayton Region Community Leader Washington Fly-In! Thank you for being a part of this effort to share our community’s vision with our nation’s leaders. We started the annual Fly-In more than three decades ago, and in that time, our Fly-In has become one of the nation’s oldest and largest annual regional trips to the nation’s capital. It is vital to helping the federal government understand the needs of our local community. We often talk about collaboration at the DDC, and we take great pride in how business, government, academia, and the non-profit sector come together to support our region and “speak with one voice.” We see the Fly-In as this collaborative ideal come to life. When 115 community leaders converge on Washington, it sends a powerful message. As you know, the Fly-In is more than just a show of support for the community’s interests. We believe the Fly-In offers attendees an opportunity to learn more about Washington. Our sessions this year include presentations from the House and Senate Congressional delegation representing the Dayton region. The annual Capitol Hill reception is a chance to mingle with members of the delegation and their staffs, as well as other government officials and business leaders with an interest in Ohio. On Tuesday morning, we will have three keynote speakers, Barry Jackson, former top aide to former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives John Boehner; Lucian Niemeyer, Assistant Secretary of Defense in charge of installations; and Loren B. Thompson, prominent Washington defense analyst. Tuesday afternoon, we have set up groups that will meet with Federal agency officials, Washington experts, and Congressional staff aides to engage in discussions on legislation, regulations, government operations and funding. The groups will focus on topics important

to our region, including the opioid epidemic, issues affecting local government, and the National Park Service. Attendees can also choose to get an insider’s perspective of the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum from a senior curator or can take the afternoon off and network with DC contacts. The main focus of the trip remains supporting the Dayton region’s federal installations, which include Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Springfield Air National Guard Base and the Dayton Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Each of these installations has a combined annual economic impact on our area of more than $4.8 billion. As in past years, other important federal issues include transportation and infrastructure, health, human services, education, and quality of life. We encourage you to ask questions, dig deeper into the issues that matter to you, and share your vision for Dayton. I’ll see you in Washington.

All my best,

Jeff Hoagland President and CEO Dayton Development Coalition 

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