On October 4, Emory hosted a breakfast reception for Emory alumni serving on Capitol Hill. President Fenves gave a campus update to the congressional staffers and thanked them for their public service.  With Capitol Hill finally opening back up, we look forward to doing more events in the future. OGCA appreciates President and Mrs. Fenves for taking time to be on Capitol Hill!

With less than a month to Election Day, many members of the Emory community are engaged politically. Whether you are sharing research and expertise with lawmakers and voters, volunteering at Emory’s election site, or spending your personal time on the campaign trail, it is important to understand how Emory, as a tax-exempt nonprofit, interacts with elected officials. Read more here. 

Government Funded Through December 16 

During the last week of September, Congress passed a stopgap funding bill to head off a government shut down on the October 1 deadline. The continuing resolution extended current government funding levels through December 16, 2022. The bill includes $12 billion for military and economic aid for Ukraine; $4.5 billion for domestic disaster relief; $1 billion in home heating assistance; and extends the Food and Drug Administration’s user fees for five years. A long term omnibus funding bill is expected to be negotiated and passed prior to the new December 16 deadline.

White House Task Force on Reproductive Healthcare Access

Emory’s Dr. Nisha Verma participated in the second meeting of the White House Task Force on Reproductive Healthcare Access. This meeting, chaired by President Biden and Vice President Harris, included four physicians who spoke to their experience. Dr. Verma has worked closely with Physicians for Reproductive Health and has testified twice before Congress and now the White House.

On October 1, the OGCA team, along with the Emory Healthcare Veterans Program, the Hope Clinic of Emory University, and the All of Us Research Program participated in the Cross Culture 365 Community Wellness Day event. The goals were to provide resources and information, and to foster engagement. OGCA looks to forward to continuing these partnerships alongside our internal Emory colleagues and external community partners.

On October 3, Mayor Andre Dickens hosted the 4th Annual Mayor’s Pride Reception. The event welcomed over 600 Atlantans to Atlanta City Hall and raised money for the Mayor’s Youth Scholarship Program. During the event, Mayor Dickens worked with Fulton County and Emory University to administer free Monkeypox vaccines. Read more here. 

DeKalb Chamber Golf Tournament 

On October 3, the DeKalb Chamber held its annual golf tournament at Stone Mountain. Emory Decatur Hospital was well represented by its new CEO Rashard Johnson, Emory Healthcare Board member Greg Levett and his son Lanier Levett, and Betty Willis, Sr. Associate VP of Government & Community Affairs. While this stellar team did not come home with a trophy, it was a fun day of fellowship in support of the Chamber.

Emory Votes: Make Your Voice Heard 

On October 6, the Emory Votes Initiative, Emory Black Employee Network, Emory Pride Employee Network, and the Emory Chapter of the NAACP hosted a nonpartisan GOTV virtual panel discussion during National Voter Education Week, ahead of the 2022 Midterms. Each person on the panel shared resources and views on why voting is important. Associate Director of Community Programs, Kendra Price, served as a panelist.