Now’s the time to reach out to your elected officials

This month’s edition of Business Record Iowa focuses on the future of the finance industry in Iowa. It is an important sector of our economy, involving thousands of jobs and millions of dollars of economic activity. Let us know what you think of the feature story inside this journal.

In the meantime, be assured that the November election was important to ABI. Not because of who is or is not in control of the Iowa General Assembly or the U.S. Congress, but because it marks the end of the campaign season. Now we know who our elected officials are and we can work with them to improve our state.

With the election behind us, the single most important thing you can do is to reach out to your legislative and congressional delegations. Get your elected officials into your plant or office. Show them what you do and explain the impact of their decisions on your business. Next, be sure to attend the 2017 ABI Legislative Briefing and Reception. This annual meeting is one of ABI’s most popular events. Because of your participation, it draws more Iowa legislators (of both parties) than any similar event hosted by other organizations. Your local legislators will enjoy this opportunity to visit with you and your fellow Iowa business leaders in a relaxed and informal setting.

As always, all 150 legislators (many of whom are newly elected) and Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds have been invited to join you at the reception. The legislative reception will take place next month, on Jan. 11, in Des Moines. Find more information click here. Speaking of events, remember to mark your calendars now for ABI’s biggest annual event, the annual conference. The 2017 ABI Taking Care of Business Conference will be terrific, and you do not want to miss it. I look forward to seeing you in Dubuque June 6-8 of next year.