New strategic and long range planning committee.

• Author: Heck, Mathias H., Jr.
• Position: President's page

THE FIRST QUARTER of 2007 has been eventful and exciting for NDAA. We have held an executive committee meeting, hosted the NDAA Capital Conference, and made local and international excursions to promote the work of prosecutors.

In January, NDAA's Executive Committee met to discuss housekeeping and governance issues affecting our organization. Financial matters were the center of discussion as the Executive Committee (and the NDAA Board of Directors) works to ensure that NDAA's finances are secure, accurate and sound. Our effort to build a working relationship between NDAA and the American Bar Association (ABA) was discussed at length. I look forward to continuing to develop this rapport. In addition, the Executive Committee also addressed several issues facing prosecutors that have dominated media headlines in recent weeks and months. It was a very productive meeting.

Also in January, we hosted the annual NDAA Capital Conference in Washington, D.C. The conference was a spectacular success, with outstanding attendance, an organized and prepared agenda, exceptional speakers and appearances by several congressmen and women who voiced their support for our causes. The two main issues addressed at this year's conference were our search for funding the NDAA training programs at the National Advocacy Center in South Carolina and our efforts to secure student loan repayment assistance for prosecutors. Several speakers also addressed federal Byrne Grants and other legislation important to our nation's prosecutors. I would like to thank all of the presenters for being candid in their statements. Their honesty was a great benefit to those in attendance. In addition, it was an honor to have Senator Kerry and Senator Durbin take time to speak to our members. Senator Kerry provided guidance about how prosecutors should approach legislation, and Senator Durbin presented his vision of the "John R. Justice Prosecutors and Defenders Incentive Act of 2007," which he recently introduced in Congress. The bill would provide loan repayment assistance to prosecutors and public defenders who are struggling with law school debt. To demonstrate the need for student loan repayment assistance, two assistant prosecutors shared moving stories of how their lives have been affected by various loans and debts from law school. We are grateful to Senator Durbin for introducing this bill and we will continue to work to get it passed in Congress.

The Capital Reception was also...