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Dear Board of Directors,

This past Wednesday was a spectacular day for the USGLC - honestly, one of our best events ever. As you know, the USGLC planned two fall Impact 2016 events - one in Columbus, Ohio and the other in Tampa, Florida. At the event in Columbus on Wednesday - with close to 550 business, veteran, faith, and community leaders - it was truly a privilege to hear the wise words of a national treasure, Secretary Bob Gates. Our team shined, our coalition shined, and most importantly - our issue shined. Thank you to Bill Lane and Tara Hogan Charles for representing the Board!

Here's a readout - for internal eyes only:

1. Changing Tacks Was Smart Move. In a typical election year, this event would have been relatively straightforward with the former Secretary of Defense and the governor of the state. But as we all know, this is not a typical year.

* Initially, we envisioned this event with presidential campaign surrogates, but with your guidance, we shifted gears to focus on amplifying the issue.
* Good thing we did, as our keynote speaker, Bob Gates started telegraphing some of his hesitations on Trump on the Sunday shows and just days before the event, penned an op-ed in the WSJ labeling Trump as "beyond repair."
* I don't know if anyone from the Trump campaign would have attended, but this worked out for the best.

2. Bob Gates Was Best Ever. This was the third time we have hosted the former CIA chief and defense secretary, and he was remarkable once again.

* You could hear a pin drop for the entire hour he was on stage - everyone was riveted, knowing the privilege to listen to such wise words.
* Interviewed by Frank Sesno, Gates gave a full-hearted endorsement of diplomacy and development.
* His comments, before a packed house that included representatives from all the nearby congressional offices, Senators Portman and Brown, and Governor Strickland, were spot on with quote after quote helpful in lifting up our issue forward.
* Check out the best quotes/photos here<https://storify.com/USGLC/secretary-bob-gates-governor-john-kasich-urge-u-s->.

3. Governor John Kasich. While he's a strong and vocal supporter of American global leadership, he has been a skeptic of foreign assistance on and off the campaign trail. So this event was an important opportunity, and it worked.

* We used the full hour and a half that the governor was inside the Columbus Convention Center to our advantage.
* After our VIP reception which featured remarks from both the Democratic and Republican state party chairs - unheard of in an election environment like - I visited with the Governor.
* I shared my concern that he had outdated information, and we wanted to brief him on the new models of development. He agreed, and I have already been in touch with his Chief of Staff and foreign policy advisor.
* On stage, he gave a very strong endorsement of America's global engagement and spoke in great detail of his role in debt relief with Bono. Most was great, some still outdated, but clearly he was listening:
* "I think it is important that we do reform these basic institutions. Liz told me that she wants to update me, there are have been some reforms that have happened in the world and I'm anxious to take a look at them... I believe in the foreign assistance program, but I think there's so much waste in it and all of the rest of government, it needs to be made more effective, more transparent."
* "The world needs us to lead, the world wants us to lead, and we ourselves can never afford to shrink from that... We don't have a right as a nation to retreat from the world, I mean, what are we, crazy?"

* The speaker line-up was impressive: P&G with Tara, former Governor Bob Taft, and Ohio State University's Chair of the Trustees, and of course Bill Lane. Regardless of what happens on November 8th, Kasich will be a player. Perhaps we just held our first Impact 2020 outreach event before the 2016 race even ended!

4. Press. Lots of press from the day, largely focused on our message, though some of the headlines amplified Kasich's comments on NATO and Russia - veiled swipes at Trump without ever saying his name. Here's a run-down of the best of the coverage:

* Stars and Stripes - John Kasich, Robert Gates pick at presidential candidates' foreign policy stances<http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2016/09/john_kasich_robert_gates_pick.html>
* Dayton Daily News - Ohio Gov. John Kasich calls for US leadership around the world<http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/news/ohio-gov-john-kasich-calls-for-us-leadership-aroun/nsgrz/>
* Columbus Dispatch - Kasich criticizes Trump without mentioning Trump<http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/09/28/kasich-criticizes-trump-without-mentioning-trump.html>
* Ohio Public Radio - Kasich Parts With Trump On Global Security Issues<http://wksu.org/post/kasich-parts-trump-global-security-issues#stream/0>
* Cincinnati Inquirer - Kasich: U.S. 'crazy' to 'retreat from world' under Trump<http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/blogs/2016/09/28/kasich-us-crazy-retreat-world-under-trump/91228112/>
* Springfield News Sun - Ohio Gov. John Kasich calls for US leadership around the world<http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/news/ohio-gov-john-kasich-calls-for-us-leadership-aroun/nsgrz/>
* Toledo Blade - Ex-defense secretary Gates warns against reckless foreign policy<http://www.toledoblade.com/Politics/2016/09/28/former-U-S-Secretary-of-Defense-Bob-Gates-warns-against-isolationism-reckless-foreign-policy.html>
* WKYC - Kasich: U.S. 'crazy' to 'retreat from world' under Trump<http://www.wkyc.com/news/politics/national-politics/kasich-us-crazy-to-retreat-from-world-under-trump/327461919>
* Cleveland Plain Dealer - John Kasich, Robert Gates pick at presidential candidates' foreign policy stances<http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2016/09/john_kasich_robert_gates_pick.html>
* WOSU - Kasich Parts With Trump On Global Security Issues<http://radio.wosu.org/post/kasich-parts-trump-global-security-issues>

Plus we got a mention in U.S. News and World Report<http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-09-29/john-kerry-us-russia-talks-for-syria-on-the-verge-of-collapse> on Syria with some of Gates' comments. We're off to Tampa on October 17th for our Florida Impact 2016 event with General Stanley McChrystal. Let Emily Benovitz (ebenovitz@usglc.org<mailto:ebenovitz@usglc.org>) know if you're able to join us.

For the next few days, I will be away to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. It's been a challenging election season for our team. We have been driving ourselves hard - taking advantage of every opportunity to advance our cause. And the environment has been harsh. But with each New Year, it's a time to reflect on the prior year and to look forward with great hope for a year of peace. While none of us knows what the next year will bring, I know it will be so much brighter because of the work that we do together.

The Jewish New Year greeting is to wish a "good and sweet year" - and I wish that to each of you, and so much more.

Liz
Liz Schraye, USGLC

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