Several weeks ago I helped Jeremy Lewis, director of golf course maintenance at the Clubs of Kingwood, get signed up to become a Grassroots Ambassador. After speaking with Michael Lee and myself and learning the talking points, Jeremy had set an appointment to meet with Congressman Dan Crenshaw. Jeremy advised me of the meeting and I let him know that I would be happy to attend the meeting with him. I informed Jeremy that these meetings usually involve one of the staffers from the congressman’s office and we might not even meet the congressman. To both of our surprise, the congressman was there to greet us and meet with us when we arrived for the appointment.

We met with him in his conference room and one of his staffers that was an avid golfer.  Mr. Crenshaw told us that he did play but his skills were lacking some for this sport.  He said he liked being on the golf course when he had time for it but his time is very limited now that he is in office. Jeremy and I discussed the Best Management Practice document that was developed by Lone Star GCSA, the H-2 Visa program and the PHIT Act. Congressman Crenshaw was very attentive and eager to learn more about these issues and he asked us many questions on how these issues would benefit the golf course industry. Mr. Crenshaw was very candid during our meeting and he gave us some insight as to how things worked in Washington D.C. At the conclusion of the meeting, Jeremy and I thanked the congressman for his time and he thanked us for representing the golf course industry and for our time as well. Mr. Crenshaw said he would be communicating with us in the coming months to give us and updates on our discussion.

I encourage all Grassroots Ambassadors, especially in my region, to schedule meetings with their congress people to get discussions started.  A phone call to the office scheduler will get the ball rolling and Michael Lee and myself are always there to help.  The experience is very rewarding and this is how we can tell our story and build a relationship with our elected officials.