Today RVCC working group participants, who communicate primarily through conference calls throughout the year, sat down face to face in the American Forests conference room to strategize for the week ahead. Convening the meeting were some of the most experienced and policy tested veterans of RVCC and the Coalition’s working group leaders.

We began the day’s events with a crash course and review of our most critical issue areas and received advice on how to advance our goals in what is expected to be a very competitive environment. We discussed basics of meeting etiquette: proper presentation form, different personalities of staffers and offices, and some of the finer details, such as how to properly maneuver oneself in a meeting room the size of a broom closet.

Maia challenged the issue leads to practice and rehearse their best pitch for some of the briefer meetings (lasting for as little as 15 minutes) and be prepared for moments of improvisation when conversations take an unexpected turn. The group also carried out the rigorous task of reviewing each of the meetings in the schedule over the course of the next few days. It took a while, but we’re on the same page, and we’re ready for the real deal.

Some of this may have seemed a bit overwhelming, but we were fortunate enough to get some friendly and insightful advice and learn about the political landscape from three Washington insiders:

Amelia Jenkins: U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources

Shayna Cherry: USDA Rural Development

Meryl Harrell: USDA Natural Resources and Environment

After a long day of planning, discussing our issues, and prepping for meetings, the group headed to Logan Tavern to have dinner, catch up, and talk about our lives and key policy issues some more.  Grab a dictionary and I’m pretty sure you’ll see the RVCC banner next to the definition of relentless.  I don’t even know why we rent hotel rooms when these people don’t sleep in them.