Schedule

6:00 p.m. – 6:15 p.m..

Doors open for attendees
(Access will not be available prior to 6pm)

6:15 p.m. – 6:30 p.m

Registration
National Press Club 13th Floor, Holeman Lounge
Pick up your name badge and materials

6:30 p.m.

Welcome and Opening Prayer

6:30 p.m. – 7:15 p.m.

Dinner
Included in your registration fee

7:15 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

SESSION 1
Billy Baldwin and Robert Marbut
Brandan Thomas and Tom De Vries

7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.

Hot Breakfast served at Courtyard Marriott Hotel in private room for Citygate Network
(Included in room rate)

8:00 a.m. – 8:15 a.m.

Entrance to Library of Congress (Jefferson Building) Open
10 First Street SE, Washington, DC 20003; Room LJ-119, 1st floor, just above ground floor entrance
Meeting room opens for attendees at 8:15 a.m.

8:30 a.m. – 8:50 a.m.

Welcome/Guided prayer for our country and new administration
Brandan Thomas

8:50 a.m. – 9:10 a.m.

SESSION 2:
Walter Kim • President, National Association of Evangelicals
Walter Kim, pastor, scholar and thought leader, brings a unique combination of skills to his presidency at the National Association of Evangelicals. He is the son of immigrant parents and has lived in New York City, Vancouver, and Boston, as well as the suburbs of Chicago and Pittsburgh, and a fading coal town at the foot of the Appalachians.

9:10 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.

SESSION 3:
Jeff Olivet
Jeff Olivet has worked in the homelessness, behavioral and public health arena for more than 30 years as a policy maker, speaker, writer, and thought leader. His work has shaped new directions for organizations across the United States and internationally. Jeff served as executive director of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness under the last administration and has a deep commitment to social justice, equity, and equality.

9:45 a.m. – 10:20 a.m.

SESSION 4: 2025 Tax Superbowl
Aaron Mercer • Senior Strategist, ECFA
Aaron Mercer serves as senior strategist at ECFA. A seasoned communications and public policy professional, Aaron has more than two decades of experience in church and ministry communications, as well as the worlds of government and associations.

10:20 a.m. – 10:40 a.m.

SESSION 5:
Steve Berg • Chief Polilcy Officer, National Alliance to End Homelessness
Steve Berg serves as the chief policy officer for the National Alliance to End Homelessness. He specializes in employment, economic development, and human services, and how they interact with and impact homelessness. Previously, Steve worked on state-level welfare reform and employment with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and as a legal services attorney covering housing, government benefits, employment, and family integrity.

10:40 a.m. – 10:55 a.m.

Break

10:55 a.m. – 11:25 a.m.

SESSION 6: Current Legal-Legislative Issues
Jon Ruybalid • Citygate Network Attorney

11:25 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Morning visits by various Congressmen and Senators to include Congressman Valadao from California and Senator Barrasso from Wyoming and others.

12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Lunch on own (Great lunch spots near Miracle Theater)
*Afternoon/evening meeting location: The Miracle Theater, 535 8th St. SE

2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

SESSION 7:
Sabah Muhammad • Treatment Advocacy Center
Sabah Muhammad provides legal counsel and robust advocacy for the improvement of state and federal laws and reforms of systems of care affecting those with severe mental illness (SMI). Previously, Muhammad served as a public defender promoting college and career readiness with The Scholarship Academy and advancing community servant leadership through AmeriCorps Atlanta.

3:30 p.m. – 3:55 p.m.

SESSION 8:
Stephen Eide • Senior Fellow, Manhattan Institute
A senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and contributing editor of City Journal, Stephen Eide researches social policy questions such as homelessness and mental illness. He holds a B.A. and Ph.D. and published his first book, Homelessness in America: The History and Tragedy of an Intractable Social Problem in June 2022.

3:55 p.m. – 4:10 p.m.

Break

4:10 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.

SESSION 9:
Michael Gray • Deputy Director, NAMI
Considered a subject matter expert on several areas of healthcare policy, Michael Gray has directed advocacy, policy, and political affairs at multiple organizations, including NAMI Maryland, Inc., where he also serves as Deputy Director. Mike has also advised and managed political campaigns, guided legislators, organizations, and grassroots advocates through regulatory processes in several states and on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C.

4:45 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.

SESSION 10:
Caitlyn McKenney • Discovery Institute Center on Wealth & Poverty
Caitlyn McKenney focuses on government fiscal accountability, housing, and addiction with a concentration on human dignity ethics for the Discovery Institute’s Center on Wealth & Poverty. As a research fellow and program coordinator, Caitlyn makes local and national media appearances and has published articles in the British Journal of Psychiatry, The American Spectator, and the Federalist.

5:15 p.m. – 5:35 p.m.

SESSION 12:
Jeremy Montgomery • CEO, Philly House
Jeremy Montgomery will share tips and techniques you can employ to educate senators, representatives, and their congressional staff members about critical issues you face on a daily basis. He will focus on how to develop meaningful long-term relationships that best help people experiencing homelessness.

5:35 p.m. – 6:15 p.m..

Dinner at Miracle Theater

6:15 p.m. – 7:15 p.m.

Fentanyl Death Incorporated, documentary movie

7:15 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Closing

6:45 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.

Hot Breakfast served at Courtyard Marriott Hotel in private room for Citygate Network
(Included in room rate)

8:35 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Capitol Hill Meetings

You’ll meet with lawmakers and/or their staff in Senate and House office buildings. In most cases, you will meet with staff members (e.g., legislative directors, legislative assistants, etc.) who have the job of clearly articulating both your thanks and concerns to the elected representative for whom they work.

Proceed directly to the location of your first meeting. Citygate Network staff will be available to assist you and accompany you as requested throughout the day. Citygate Network staff, when not in meetings, will “camp out” in the Longworth Cafeteria on the House side. Stop by between meetings or if you need anything during the day!

When your appointments are done, you are free to leave…or hang around in Washington and enjoy the sights and sounds of this always-buzzing city. We encourage you to connect with others in our group and get together for dinner, if you have the time.

When you get home, text or email the outcomes of your Capitol Hill meetings to the Citygate Network staff. Contact info will be given at the event.