CapItol
Investment
IREM Member shares rewards &
insights from her Capitol Hill Visit Days
by linda Jackson, Cpm®, Rpa
www.irem.org 42 mar.apr 2009
I don’t know about you right
at this moment, but I’m con-
templating what shoes I’m
going to take to Capitol Hill
Visit Day with IREM in April!
Yes, I really am. And do you know
why? Quite simply because it is just
that important.
If you have been to the IREM
Leadership and Legislative Summit
(LLS) in Washington, D.C., you know
about the shoes. And if you haven’t
been to the Summit and plan to make
the visit this year, do put comfortable
shoes high on your list of things to
pack (and believe me, this applies to
all you men, too!).
This spring marks the ninth con-
secutive year that I have attended our
LLS conference. Each year has been
decidedly different and has brought
new experiences, new learning, new
friends and new fun. Don’t worry—I
am not going to go through all eight
years, but let me touch on a few high-
lights from those trips.
I smile as I remember that first year.
Admittedly, I was more than a bit
timid on that trek up the Hill. It was
during the first year’s meetings that it
seemed at a moment’s notice some of
our group announced their departure
to catch planes! Oh dear. This meant
a fellow member and I had to go on a
few appointments by ourselves. And
that meant I would have to step up
and discuss at least half of our issues
on my own. The terror! But the terror
soon dissolved: The IREM leadership
team had prepared us well, as did
Chuck Achilles, IREM Vice President,
Legislation and Research, and his
team before our day on the Hill.
[RIGHT] lInda Jackson, cPM®, enJoys
HeR TIMe In THe caPITol BuIldInG.
[oPPosITe PaGe] IReM dallas
cHaPTeR 14 MeMBeRs sTRIke a
Pose aT THe 2007 leadeRsHIP and
leGIslaTIve suMMIT. PIcTuRed fRoM