Great report, Karen. Thanks for the good work. --Alan Alan Parks On Fri, Mar 24, 2017 at 1:02 PM, - MEEOA-L - Maine Educational Opportunity Association members communication <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Many thanks, Karen and all! I appreciate the team's efforts! > > Best, > > Debbie > > Sent from my iPhone > > > On Mar 24, 2017, at 12:46 PM, Jane Foley <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > > > Hi Karen, > > Great Summary! Can you send me a copy of your fact sheet so I can use as > a formatting model? Thanks, > > Jane > > > > Jane Kimball Foley, M.S.Ed > > TRIO Student Support Services, Project Director > > York County Community College > > 112 College Drive > > Wells, ME 04090 > > 207-216-4424 <(207)%20216-4424> > > > > Also proud to be NEOA president-elect > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: - MEEOA-L - Maine Educational Opportunity Association members > communication [mailto:[log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>] > On Behalf Of Karen Keim > > Sent: Friday, March 24, 2017 12:34 PM > > To: [log in to unmask] > > Subject: Program Fact Sheets & Maine Hill Visits > > > > Hello MEEOA, > > > > Your Maine Delegation took the Hill and we had some great results. The > team included: > > > > - Karen Keim, Director TS & EOC and Maine Team Leader > > - Megan Kidder, USM UB Alumni and English Teacher > > - Jane Kimball Foley, Director SSS YCCC and President-Elect NEOA > > - Betty McCue Herily, Assistant Director SSS UMA Bangor Campus and > > President-Elect MEEOA > > - David Megquier, Retired TRIO Director > > - Kevin Richards, UM UBMS Alumnus and Director of Student Life at KVCC > > > > *We had meetings with all four members:* *Senator Collins* 30-minutes > plus a photo op, we spent another hour with six of her staff about > 20-minutes with her education aide. Collins said yes to all our asks, she > also hosted a TRIO Caucus meeting prior to our Hill visits to help us move > our agenda along. Her staff tried to get her to leave us four different > times, she refused to leave until *she* was done talking and listening to > us. > > > > *Senator King* 15-minutes plus a photo op. We met with 5 of his staff > and 30-minutes with his education aide. At the end of our meeting the > Senator said "I feel a floor speech coming!" Taking TRIO and Gear Up to the > floor of the Senate is exactly what we need. > > > > *Congressman Poliquin* did not meet with the delegation. We met with > his new education aid. It was a positive meeting. She said although he > wouldn't sign the TRIO letter he would author his own and she would work > with Senator Collins' staff to make sure the language was similar to her > letter (GREAT NEWS). > > > > *Congresswoman Pingree* met with the delegation for about 5 minutes > stating "I support TRIO and will do all in my power to move the TRIO agenda > forward." Her education staff had a lot of questions and although they did > not agree to all of our requests we were told that the aid would take the > issue back to Pingree and get back to me with her answers. > > > > *THE ASKS:* > > > > 1. Will the Member of Congress support an omnibus appropriations bill > to > > fund the remainder of FY2017? [*A Continuing Resolution would be flat > > funding for TRIO and GU, the Omnibus has an increase for both.] > *(Collins, > > King yes. Pingree doesn't think this is possible to get agreement on an > > Omnibus but would sign if she could agree to the funding contained. > > Poliquin is not interested in another Continuing Resolution, wants an > > Omnibus but can not commit to yes). > > 2. Will the Member of Congress reject devastating cuts to "non-defense > > discretionary programs" including TRIO and Gear Up in FY2018?* [A 10% > > cut to TRIO and 32% cut to GU resulting in a loss of services to 92,000 > > students.] *(Collins, King, Pingree Yes, Poliquin a likely yes) > > 3. Will the Member of Congress sign the FY 2018 TRIO Appropriations > > Letter? (Collins, King, Pingree Yes, Poliquin's office will write their > > own letter and try to match as closely as they can the Collins letter) > > 4. Has the Member of Congress or his/her staff visited a TRIO program > > within the last year? (Collins, King, Pingree Yes, Poliquin No) > > 5. Would the Member of Congress or his/her staff be willing to visit a > > TRIO program within the next 6 months? (Yes from all - they need to see > > more than UB programs folks) > > 6. Would the Member of Congress be willing to join the bipartisan, > > bicameral Congressional TRIO Caucus? (Collins, King, Pingree are > > members, Poliquin will consult with Collins) > > > > Our Thanks to our amazing Alum who were well informed, persuasive and > laser-focused. They were the reason we were successful on the hill. > > > > *WHAT CAN YOU DO?* > > You need to drop off your program fact sheet (if you haven't already) to > our congressional leadership's local offices. If you can't get there in > person please send it and ask them to support TRIO and Gear Up. > > > > Write/ call/ email Maine's congressional leadership and ask them to > support our 6 questions. > > > > Invite members and their local offices to your events. Please let > Laurie Davis know when you have a member/staff visiting so she can add that > to her annual report and her NEOA report. > > > > Karen Hadley Keim > > Maine Team Leader > > > > “Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit > there” > > – *Will Rogers* > >