Montpelier--Lt. Governor Brian Dubie embarks today on a multi-tasking three-day trip to Washington D.C.

He will attend the winter meeting of the National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA) and the quarterly meeting of the Aerospace States Association (ASA). He sits on the executive boards of both organizations.

While in the nation’s capital, Dubie will also meet with Vermont Senators Patrick Leahy and James Jeffords.

On Wednesday, Dubie will meet with Colorado Lieutenant Governor Jane Norton and members of her staff to discuss Norton’s innovative efforts to strengthen Colorado families by leading the state’s volunteerism, mentoring, and adoption initiatives. Dubie said, “I have enormous respect and admiration, both personally and professionally, for what Lt. Governor Norton has done in her state. She and I share the same deep concern for families and children.” He added, “I look forward to seeing her this week and learning from her experience.”

He has also scheduled meetings at the Pentagon with Department of Defense officials and Vice Chief of the National Guard, Gen. Paul Sullivan. He will meet on Wednesday with California Congressman Christopher Cox, Chair of the House Select Committee on Homeland Security, and later with Matt Bettenhausen, Director of State and Territorial Coordination for the US Dept. of Homeland Security.

Dubie today will be attending the ASA meeting. Chaired by Oklahoma Lt. Governor Mary Fallin, ASA helps member states explore opportunities in economic development and education in aeronautics and aerospace. Dubie’s own professional resume includes credentials as an engineer and project manager with a Vermont aerospace manufacturer, and as a commercial airline captain. At today’s session, Dubie is scheduled to meet with US Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta. The group will also receive briefings on the future of the industry, and the status of research and technology and workforce development. ASA’s membership mainly consists of Lt. Governors, state economic development officers and governors’ science and technical advisors.

“A significant number of Vermonters from all over our state today work in aerospace and aeronautics,” Dubie said. “Their knowledge and the goods they produce are highly-rated the world over. My goal with ASA is to help position Vermont competitively in these fields, and to help keep those Vermont jobs secure.”

On the NLGA agenda are briefings with US Commerce Secretary Don Evans and U.S. Army General John Gordon, The President’s Advisor on Homeland Security.

Governor Karl Ohs of Montana chairs the NLGA. Thirty lieutenant governors from around the nation are expected to attend. “We meet in a completely bi-partisan fashion to share ideas that can benefit all our states,” Dubie said. Some of the most productive time invested in these meetings, he said, is in networking with colleagues from other states, and building relationships that bridge state and party lines.

In addition to Evans and Gordon, the group will meet with Ambassadors from Lithuania and Austria, and about a half-dozen other individuals regarding job creation and tourism opportunities for their states. The members will also debate five policy resolutions and attend business sessions. The governors will hold their meeting in Washington D.C. February 21 – 24, 2004.

“As Vermont’s Lieutenant Governor, I have taken every opportunity to use my office to open doors for everyday Vermonters, be it in Montpelier or Washington D.C., Quebec or China,” says Dubie. “It’s a big world, and Vermont has a role in making that world a better place.”