WHAT: CADCA (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America) is hosting its 27^th Annual National Leadership Forum, welcoming approximately 3,000 community leaders and experts from around the world to share substance abuse prevention and treatment strategies. The Forum will: kick off with the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Prevention Day; feature 75+ training sessions covering topics ranging from the marijuana legislation landscape and tobacco cessation to the opioid epidemic and underage drinking; offer attendees the unique opportunity to meet with members of Congress on Capitol Hill Day; and welcome hundreds of youth to take part in CADCA’s National Youth Leadership Initiative to learn how to become effective community leaders.

WHEN: February 6 – 9, 2017

WHERE: Gaylord National Hotel & Convention Center, 201 Waterfront St, Oxon Hill, MD 

KEY MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES:

• Tuesday, February 7, 8:30 – 10:30 am – The National Leadership Plenary in Potomac Ballroom AB will feature several renowned experts in the field:
  • General Arthur T. Dean, CADCA’s Chairman and CEO, who is an expert in community coalition best practices and substance abuse prevention.
  • Michael Botticelli, former director of National Drug Control Policy at the White House, a long-time advocate of prevention drug policy efforts during the President Obama Administration.
  • Dr. Robert L. DuPont, founding President of the Institute for Behavior and Health, Inc., who has been a leader in drug abuse prevention and treatment for decades.
     
• Wednesday, February 8, 8:30 – 10:45 am – Capitol Hill Day Plenary & Rally in Potomac Ballroom AB will offer attendees the chance to directly interact with members of Congress via a roundtable discussion. Congressional attendees include:
  • The Honorable Ann McLane Kuster (D-2^nd/NH)
  • The Honorable Tom Marino (R-10^th/PA)
  • The Honorable Evan Jenkins (R-3^rd/WV)
  • The Honorable Paul Tonko (D-20^th/NY)
  • The Honorable Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-40^th/CA)
     
• Thursday, February 9, 7:30 – 8:45 am – The Membership Breakfast in Potomac Ballroom AB. Nathaniel Kendall-Taylor, PhD, CEO, FrameWorks Institute will keynote and discuss the most effective ways to frame social and scientific issues for public impact.
   
• Thursday, February 9, 12:20 – 2:20 pm – National Leadership Awards Luncheon in Potomac Ballroom AB will recognize outstanding coalitions and leaders, including Leon Harris (former anchor, CNN and ABC7) and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).

For more information about the National Leadership Forum, visit cadca.org/events/forum2017.