Advocacy Day in Springfield
Members of IACAC and ISCA met with Governor Pat Quinn
to discuss the MAP Grant and counselor ratios for students in Illinois.
From left to right: Dan Stasi, Executive Director for ISCA, Illinois Mental Health Counselors Association, Coalition of Illinois Counseling Organizations PAC; Robert Freitag, St. Charles North High School, IACAC Government Relations Committee Member; Governor Pat Quinn; William Morrison, Highland Park High School, IACAC Government Relations Committee Co-Chair; Sam Stover, Beloit College; Erin Mason, De Paul University, President Elect-Elect for ISCA; Laura Docherty, Fenwick High School, President-Elect for IACAC
On Thursday March 3rd, members of the Government Relations Committee (GRC) partnered with members of the Illinois School Counselors Association (ISCA) in a Springfield Advocacy Day. This annual event has grown in size each year. This year was no exception, with approximately sixty counseling professionals and graduate students in attendance. The agenda for the day included a brunch where participants were trained on how to speak with legislators and a visit to the hill where members of both organizations met with legislators at the capitol and in their offices. In addition, a core group of members representing the two organizations had a meeting with Governor Quinn. This is the second year in a row that IACAC had an opportunity to meet with the Governor, a definite sign of growing name recognition in Springfield (many thanks to President-Elect Laura Docherty for arranging the meeting!).