The National Air Transportation Association’s (NATA) annual “Day on the Hill” attracted nearly 100 association members to the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., last Wednesday to visit members of Congress and their staff. The event started with a luncheon, and participants then dispersed for meetings with their congressional representatives. According to NATA, those meetings allowed members to have one-on-one conversations with their congressional representatives about issues critical to the future success of their aviation businesses. “I can’t stress enough the immense value our members contribute when they personally deliver their message to Congress,” said NATA president James Coyne. The event concluded with NATA’s annual Industry Excellence Awards dinner, where Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Ill.), chairman of the aviation subcommittee, and Gary Driggers, retired senior vice president of Midcoast Aviation, were honored with the association’s distinguished service and William Ong awards, respectively. U.S. Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Thomas Donohue, the host and guest speaker for the dinner, reiterated the importance of meeting face-to-face with congressional representatives to tell them how they are helping or hurting your business. In other news, NATA appointed Key Air president and CEO Bob Marinace, Fargo Jet Center president James Sweeney and Nantucket Memorial Airport airport manager Alfred Peterson to its board of directors.