(Community Matters) Tuesday night I joined DNC National Finance Chair Jane Stetson at a reception honoring EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson.
Jane (center), Administrator Jackson (second from right), Frank Loy (right)Jane’s husband, Bill, and Austinites Linda & Glen Neland also joined us. Wow – Administrator Jackson completely blew away the audience. She’s a Tulane & Princeton degreed engineer, a scientist running the EPA. She’s enforcing regulations which went unenforced during the Bush Administration, the agency’s budget has been restored – even strengthed – after taking more cuts than any other federal agency during the pervious eight years. And she promised to use her powers to enforce clean air and clean water acts.
She’s also economicly sensitive and keenly attuned to the economic development opportunities by promoting and investing in clean energy alternatives, believing as most do, that this industry will lead in job and wealth creation in our future.
I met Frank on the street earlier in the day while walking with Kirk on Pennsylvania Ave. The Loys and Rudys campaigned in Philadelphia during the primary. I was surprised to meet him again when we walked into his lovely Georgetown home. He is friends with Tom & Lynn Meredith – Tom has recently joined Frank on the national Nature Conservancy Board.
During the evening I was haunted by a painting on their wall which I loved. I asked Dale about it and she told me she’d painted it. She is a very gifted artist. As we talked, realized we had dear friends in common, Suzanne & David Booth. So enjoyed our conversation and connection, I joined her & Frank back at their house yesterday for a cup of coffee.
Another timely connection – Frank & Dale are very close friends with Secr. Madeline Albright. I’m having lunch with her at an intimate fundraiser for Jack McDonald on Friday and can’t wait to relay their greetings, though I think they just had dinner together this weekend.
Community Matters 