ReMA鈥檚 2026 Fly-In brought together more than 120 recyclers from across the country to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. to meet with lawmakers and legislative staff. For Laura Davis, Chief Strategy Officer at Midland Davis Corp., it was her first time participating in this type of advocacy effort on either the state or federal level. 鈥淲hile registering for ReMA鈥檚 Winter Board Meetings, I thought volunteering for the Fly-In would be a good experience, so I signed up,鈥� she said.
Since it was her first time advocating on behalf of the industry, she was happy to be paired with several ReMA members who were no strangers to Capitol Hill. 鈥淢y first meeting included Gary Champlin, Tamara Mayberry, and Neil Byce,鈥� Davis said. 鈥淭hey all had a lot of experience engaging with lawmakers. Watching them helped me learn and get more comfortable with the process. Since we represented a variety of recycled materials from metals and paper to tires, we provided the staffer with a better understanding of our industry.鈥�
By the end of the day, Davis felt comfortable meeting with representatives on her own and sharing her company鈥檚 story. 鈥淚 think I鈥檒l do this again next year too,鈥� she reflected. 鈥淭his is an important area of advocacy for ReMA members to engage in. Going in person to tell your story resonates with elected officials. And I think it鈥檚 important that the people making these asks aren鈥檛 just from large recycling operations but also from small, family-owned businesses. These issues are really impacting us, and we can put a face to these problems.鈥�