If you heard or read Mitch Pomerantz's President's Report from the 2008 convention, you may have picked up the information regarding plans to move both of ACB's offices. Just in case you missed that detail, here's the scoop.
The lease on our Minneapolis office expired at the end of August. Since the space was not really meeting our present needs, and it is not necessary for us to maintain an office in downtown Minneapolis when more suitable and economical space is available just outside the city, the board agreed that we should move that office to a new location. The good news is that only the address of our financial office in Minnesota has changed. It is now located at 6300 Shingle Creek Parkway, Suite 195, Brooklyn Center, MN 55430. There is also a new fax number, but the telephone numbers will remain the same, (612) 332-3242 or 1-800-866-3242.
In December, we will also be moving our Washington, D.C. office. The lease on our current office space in Washington will expire on Dec. 31, 2008 and we were not able to renew it, as another tenant in the building wants our space. After considering many locations throughout the District of Columbia, most of which were unsuitable for our purposes, we decided that this office should move to the suburbs as well. By Jan. 1, 2009, ACB's national office will be located just across the Potomac River in Arlington, Va. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the geography of the Washington, D.C. area, Arlington, Va. is considered part of the D.C. metropolitan area. Many other non-profit organizations, as well as government agencies, such as the Department of Homeland Security, are located in Arlington, so we will not be far from Capitol Hill or other advocacy centers. The office we have chosen is also across the street from a Metro station and accessible by bus, so it will still be easy for folks to find us. Our new address will be 2200 Wilson Blvd., Suite 650, Arlington, VA 22201. Although we are moving the office, we will keep the same telephone numbers, so although you may need to make note of a new mailing address, you won't have to remember a new phone number.
As I write, ACB is right in the thick of several significant legislative and advocacy initiatives. We are confident that our new home will enhance ACB's ability to not only maintain but expand its role as a key leader in the national advocacy arena. The staff in the Minneapolis office is already up and running, having completed their move with very little disruption. It is our hope that the Washington, D.C. staff will have a smooth transition as well and we will do all that can be done to see that it is as painless for our members and friends as possible. We'll keep you posted on our progress, but there will be lots of other news on other topics as well between now and the time of our anticipated office relocation, so stay in touch.