Monday, April 21, 2008 to Thursday, April 24, 2008

This trip to Washington, DC - carefully arranged and full of extraordinary experiences - is one of the highlights of The Lugar Series.   If you have ever been to Washington, DC as a tourist or business traveler €“ this is not that kind of trip.   The Lugar Series Washington Trip is an insight into the personal stories of the great people who have dedicated their lives to public service and you will leave thrilled and inspired to effect real change in your community and the world.

We stayed at the elegant Renaissance Washington, DC hotel and spent four fabulous days together.  This is the event where we truly became Lugar Series Sisters.

Highlights of each day included:

Monday:
Winning Women Reception, hosted by the Republican National Committee at the Capitol Hill Club, for women from all across the United States in Excellence in Public Service Series €™ similar to The Lugar Series.   How exciting it was to know that the Richard G. Lugar Series started it all!

Excellence in Public Service Series Dinner back at the hotel with our own Judy Singleton, one of the founders of The Lugar Series, as Mistress of Ceremonies.

Ambassador Cathy Bailey, US Ambassador to Latvia from 2005-2008, gave the keynote address.   She had recently returned from Latvia and gave a thrilling account of her ambassadorship.   Another honor was having Iron Jawed Angels (representing women who were instrumental in the suffrage movement) sitting at each table to inspire us with their stories!

Tuesday:
Once again, gathering with Excellence in Public Service Series women from all over the US, we convened in the hotel ballroom.   Our outstanding political speaker, Nancy Bocskor, spoke on €œAll Politics is Still Personal:   How Personal Relationships Still Matter in this Age of New Media.   Her comments were note-worthy and I hurried to write down all the insightful comments she made.

Pam Pryor, a dynamic and enthusiastic supporter for Senator John McCain, gave a rousing speech about Senator McCain and his quest for the Presidency.

The Honorable Elaine Chao, Secretary of Labor, spoke to us eloquently about her road to Washington, DC, her role in the current administration, and labor in general.

Next we heard from Jo Ann Davidson, Co-Chair of the Republication National Committee and Anne Hathaway, Chief of Staff of the RNC (and fellow Hoosier!) on "The Role of the Party:   'Who, What, Why and Where' ' and all of this was before noon!

Our luncheon speaker was Stephanie Monroe, Acting Assistant Secretary for Congressional Affairs, US Department of Education who spoke on the €œNo Child Left Behind €� act, the role of education,  and its future.

The next highlight was the Energy Policy Panel at the Capitol Building.   We could not enter the Capitol when we arrived because Vice President Cheney was in the building and security was extremely tight, but it was fascinating to watch how security works.   When the Vice President left, his motorcade headed out and drove right in front of where we were standing!

The Energy Policy Panel proved to be interesting because of the first-hand knowledge we received from Mark Helmke, Senior Professional Staff Member and Neil Brown, Special Advisor, both of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

After a short walk to the Republican National Committee, we took a fascinating tour and met with Chief of Staff Anne Hathaway.

We had an informative and interesting meeting with four very busy politicians:     Congressman Steve Buyer, Congressman Mike Pence, Congressman Dan Burton, and Congressman Mark Souder at the Capitol Hill Club.   What an honor to get to meet with four Congressmen at the same time!

The day culminated in a very special event:   an After Hours Tour of the White House.   This outstanding event was arranged by our fellow Lugar Series member, Amy Fumarolo and her friend, Sam Conrad €“ who works at the White House.   This is a tour that few are able to take and it left lasting memories for each of us.   [There is evidence to support the fact that one of our illustrious Lugar Series women even took her picture in the bathroom of the White House!].   Seeing the Oval Office and walking the halls of the West Wing gave each of us a sense of the history and the power of the White House.

Wednesday:
We were privileged to get to meet with Ambassador Elena Borislovova Poptodorova, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria to the United States of America.   Such an honor!   We went to the Bulgarian Embassy on Embassy Row and were able to speak with the Ambassador and hear her wonderful stories about Bulgaria.   She served us delightful chocolates and treats and welcomed us with open arms.

Our next highlight was the historical Sewell Belmont House and our graduation luncheon with Senator Lugar and members of his staff.   Just being in the presence of this great man and hearing him speak so eloquently about his life in public service is awe-inspiring.   This is a luncheon that will live forever in our memories and is truly a special highlight of being in The Lugar Series.

The tour of the Capitol was next.[We were instructed not to bring any lotions or liquids in our purse for security reasons and found one of our members with a huge can of hair spray in her purse.   The group will remember this as a comical highlight of our trip!]   For those who have not been in the Capitol Building, this was a special treat.   For those of us who have been there, this tour inspired once again the goose-bumps of being at the heart of our government.

Following the tour, the meeting with the Foreign Relations Staff held in the Foreign Relations Room of the US Capitol was a chance to hear about the inner workings of the Foreign Relations Committee and meet with members of the staff (who were open for questions and candid with their answers).

The day was capped by an elegant reception at the Chevy Chase Club in Chevy Chase, Maryland.   This marvelous event was hosted by Marty Morris, Senator Lugar's Chief of Staff.   It was a golden opportunity to speak with female members of Senator Lugar €™s staff and to enjoy the historical ambience of the Chevy Chase Club.   Such a treat!

All the Lugar Series ladies went out for a fun evening beginning at an Irish Pub in Chinatown (and it was a good Irish Pub, too).   This was a fun time to get to know each other and have an evening of laughs.

Thursday:
An awe-inspiring morning began at Arlington National Cemetery where we visited the Women in Military Service Memorial.   Our speaker and hostess was General (ret.) Wilma Vaught the driving force behind the establishment of the memorial.   The account of her life in military service left all of us deeply moved.

The Pentagon was a memorable stop because of the tight security, the extensive tour, and the delightful meal served by the US Navy staff.   Our speaker was Mary Beth Long, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Security Affairs, who gave a humorous and candid perspective of her €œlife so far €�.   She was available for questions and left no stone unturned in her answers.  

Back to Reagan National Airport for the flight back to Indianapolis filled with more memories than our hearts could hold.

Conclusion:
Many, many hours of hard work goes into the details of this wonderful trip.   Everything is timed so that there are delightful surprises and insights at every turn.   Special thanks to the unflappable and hard-working Executive Director of The Lugar Series, Sandi Huddleston.   Also kudos to those who traveled with us:   Jan Abbs, Tory Castor, Gail Lowry, and Judy Singleton.   Of course, Senator Lugar and his outstanding, professional, and personable staff make all of this possible by €œopening the doors of Washington, DC €� to the Lugar Series and making a trip-of-a-lifetime come true.

The specialness of the trip, and indeed The Lugar Series, is the fact that all of our speakers were so open and candid in their personal stories.   €œHow I Got Here and How You Can, Too €� is a common theme throughout.   This insight into public service makes it real and attainable and that is truly the highlight of The Lugar Series.