Politics & Government

Wheaton Resident Takes Advocacy to the White House

Michael Mack was one of 150 leaders from The Arc who attended a White House briefing session, with a surprise visit from President Barack Obama.

 

Last Friday, Michael L. Mack, a resident of Wheaton since 2005, joined 150 leaders from The Arc at a Community Leaders Briefing with senior White House officials. The Arc is a national organization that advocates for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Mack, who serves as secretary for The Arc United States, was one of three representatives from Montgomery County at the Feb. 9 event. He was joined by Carol Fried and Joyce Lipman.

Find out what's happening in Wheatonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The highlight of the day for Mack and other attendees was an unexpected appearance by President Barack Obama at the event. Topics of discussion ranged from Medicaid to education to community living and employment for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, Mack said.

"The visit was very informative," Mack said. "It is always better to get a firsthand update. We appreciated that they were eager to take questions and listen to our concerns."

Find out what's happening in Wheatonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here