When Jumana Madanat Misleh was hired in May to be the voice for Certified American Grown in Washington, D.C., it didn’t take her long to get up to speed on the issues facing America’s flower farmers.
Jumana Misleh (far left) attended this year’s First Lady’s Luncheon along with Certified American Grown representatives shown here with Second Lady Karen Pence (center). Also pictured from left to right: Kasey Cronquist, Benno Dobbe, Second Lady Karen Pence, Pamela Arnosky, Kelly Shore and Klazina Dobbe.
In her previous job at a Washington law firm she had handled the group’s legislative efforts in the capital. She came out of “early retirement” at the request of Certified American Grown Administrator Kasey Cronquist.
“I don’t think I would have done it for anyone else,” she said. “I believe in their issues and I was happy to jump back in.”
Misleh urges flower farmers to come to Washington for the annual fly-in in February (24-26). It will give them a chance to talk to members of Congress and have an impact on issues that affect them.
“It is critical that we have as many participants as possible from as many states as possible,” she said. “Members (of Congress) want to hear from their constituents. I can go in and meet with people every day and they’ll listen to me and we’ll have a successful meeting. But when they hear from their own constituents, it has much more of an impact.”