Merrie was pleased and honored to bring her experience working on Capitol Hill for former Representative Lindy Boggs of Louisiana on flood, housing, banking and appropriations issues to play a part in this development and expansion of ASFPM and its engagements and recognition. Her master’s degree in public administration from George Washington University was also helpful in navigating the policy making and legislative processes.

Knowing that policy makers and legislators’ value “boots on the ground” expertise and experience, Merrie helped to bring those recommendations and comments from members into the policy process. She helped to identify agency and Congressional contacts. She arranged meetings for ASFPM leaders with those contacts and participated in the meetings. She also helped to identify educational opportunities as well as to plan the timing for those meetings and contacts to be welcome, to be heard and to be impactful.

Several ASFPM chapters planned visits to Washington, D.C. and Merrie arranged appropriate meetings for them, including with their own Representatives and Senators’ offices. Those offices appreciated learning how various policies, programs, and proposals affect the people and areas they represent. In all meetings with members of Congress and their staffs, it was important to let them know how to contact their state and/or local floodplain managers who could be helpful resources on flood-related issues.

Merrie assisted in writing and editing Congressional testimony for both authorization and appropriations legislation, at which Congressional Committees often asked ASFPM to testify.  She helped to prepare witnesses for Congressional hearings. Testimony was provided by ASFPM’s elected officers, committee chairs and other experts as well as executive office leaders. Merrie helped guide witnesses through the process and supported them at the hearings and during follow-up.

Developing coalitions and alliances with partner and interested organizations was important to facilitate information sharing and to join together, when appropriate, with administration officials and Congressional policy makers. She attended meetings, hearings, and listening sessions and reported back to ASFPM leadership. Merrie represented ASFPM and provided input for meetings, agendas, speakers, and group letters, including the Stafford Coalition, Flood Map Coalition, Flood Alliance, USGS Coalition, 3DEP Coalition, Digital Coast Coalition, and Natural Hazards Caucus. Among participating organizations in some or most of these are: National Emergency Management Association (NEMA), International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), Coastal States Organization (CSO), American Planning Association (APA), National Association of Realtors (NAR), National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), National Association of Counties (NACo), League of Cities, Conference of Mayors, National Association of Flood and Stormwater Agencies (NAFSMA), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), American Public Works Association (APWA), National Governors Association (NGA), National Association of Development Organizations (NADO), National Flood Association (NFA), National Wildlife Federation (NWF), American Rivers, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Pew Charitable Trusts, Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), Reinsurance Association of America (RAA), Association of Wetland Managers (ASWM), Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), American Bankers Association (ABA), Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers (CIAB), Association of Property and Casualty Insurers of America (APCIA), Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers (Big I), Professional Insurance Agents (PIA), and National Association of Professional Surveyors (NSPS).

Merrie also followed floodplain and related activities across many federal agencies and areas of Congressional jurisdiction including: FEMA, DHS, USACE, NOAA, USGS, EPA, NRCS, OSTP, OMB and CEQ – the latter three being part of the Executive Office of the President.

During Merrie’s 29 years with ASFPM, she supported ASFPM engagement with four NFIP reform bills (1994, 2004, 2012 and 2014) as well as numerous other proposed reform bills that did not result in enactment. There were appropriations bills every year as well as 25 short-term NFIP reauthorization measures. Some of the appropriations bills included report language providing direction to federal agencies resulting from information provided by ASFPM contacts. Often, ASFPM also worked to explain why certain proposals, either legislative or at the agencies, were not workable or would not accomplish intended objectives on the ground – bringing ASFPM members’ practical experiences into the process.

Also, during this time, there were many other pieces of legislation that moved through the Hill, including the Hazard Mitigation Act of 2000 (HMA 2000), numerous iterations of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), the recently enacted FLOODS Act and PRECIP Act to update precipitation data and elements of major legislation such as the recent Investment in Infrastructure and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). After some gaps in passage of WRDA bills, the Congress has been able to resume passage of a WRDA every two years since 2014. ASFPM engagement with those bills has focused on water resources policy and technical assistance programs at the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) rather than specific water projects. Merrie has supported and facilitated comments and input by many ASFPM members, officers, policy committee leaders and executive office staff and policy team members.

Merrie wrote bi-monthly comprehensive legislative update articles for our newsletters News & Views and Insider. She provided an annual legislative report to the ASFPM Board of Directors as well as legislative and policy updates at ASFPM Conferences and Committee Co-Chairs Retreats. She often addressed committee meetings at NEMA, IAEM, and NACo during their conferences.

Merrie’s contributions to ASFPM’s effectiveness and respect in Washington and on the Hill are immeasurable.