A Governor, a representative, dozens of congressional staff, hundreds of federal and state officials and other VIPs crowded the National Geographic Society Tuesday evening to participate in the 1999 Congressional Reception. The evening's events and displays were an unmitigated success and represent a high point in the ever more impressive organizational outcomes of UCGIS and its members. I want to recognize the efforts of the 23 member Universities of UCGIS who voluntarily contributed their time and energy to provide the displays and presentations at the 1999 Congressional Reception, and were the backbone of the reception's success. The visual impact was outstanding and the work spoke very loudly about our contribution to livable communities. Let's build on this remarkable achievement as we enter our Summer Assembly later this month, and continue to build towards greater participation in next year's Congressional outreach. We should and can feel extremely proud of our consortium's visibility and accomplishments.