Immigration Reform is finally on center stage in Washington DC! I was involved in three different meetings trying to influence the result with our Ohio legislators.

First, we hosted Caryn Candisky, NE OHio Coordinator for Senator Rob Portman, at Sunleaf Nursery a couple weeks ago. Host, Bob Lyons, also invited Bob Jones from Chef’s Garden in NW Ohio and Bill Dodd for the Apple Cooperative. Great conversation! And it was great to meet these bright and committed gentlemen who have their own take on Immigration Policy.

One of our comments to Caryn was that we would like to meet the Senator sometime. A week later she gave us an opportunity! Tom Demaline, Bob Lyons and I joined a round-table discussion at Playhouse Square at which Tom and Bob went over the Ag provisions of the Senate bill in great detail. I came away with a very positive impression of the Senator. Astute, amicable and straightforward, he came across as a constructive problem-solver rather than the ‘typical politician’! One of the high points of the afternoon was my ride back and forth to Cleveland with crusty curmudgeon, Bob Lyons!

Several days later I attended an immigration round-table with Congressman Dave Joyce at the Greenbriar Suite in the Terminal Tower. Veronica Dahlberg got me on board this discussion with the Global Cleveland group. Before the meeting I introduced myself to host and facilitor Al Rattner of Forest City Enterprises. Congressman Joyce appeared to have ‘grown into the role’…poised and confident…even more than just a couple months before. We shared a pointed exchange about the ‘de-linking’ of Compression Reform from business concerns, but I remain hopeful that he will support and promote a solution in the House of Representatives.