A Strong Start to the Week
Great Lakes Week has a way of bringing the region’s shared priorities into focus, and this year’s gathering in Washington, D.C., was no exception. Leaders, advocates, and policymakers from across the region came together to elevate the issues that matter most to the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence, and CGLR were proud to be part of the conversations shaping the region’s future. CGLR’s President and CEO Vance Badawey and Program Officer Ally Walker traveled to the capital to participate in the week’s events and connect with partners committed to strengthening the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence economy and environment.
The Great Lakes Commission’s Semiannual Meeting and the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Cities Initiative Roundtable took place on March 3, 2026. They have both long served as a touchpoint for collaboration across the region, and this year’s discussions reflected both the complexity of the challenges ahead and the determination to address them. Participants shared updates, exchanged ideas, and looked ahead to the work that will define the coming year. It’s the kind of gathering where the value of regional collaboration is unmistakable, and where the shared responsibility of stewarding the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence feels both urgent and achievable.
Great Lakes Day on Capitol Hill
Two days later, the focus shifted to Capitol Hill for the Great Lakes Day Congressional Breakfast on March 5. Hosted by the Great Lakes Commission in partnership with the Northeast-Midwest Institute, the event took place in the Cannon House Office Building’s historic Caucus Room. The annual Congressional Breakfast Reception set the tone for a day centered on dialogue between regional leaders and members of Congress who play a critical role in shaping Great Lakes policy.
Throughout the day, speakers underscored the critical role of sustained federal investment, modernized water infrastructure, and long-term stewardship of the lakes, grounded in a strong commitment to binational collaboration. The discussions were candid, constructive, and rooted in a shared responsibility to protect and advance the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence system, recognizing its significance as both an environmental treasure and a powerful economic engine.
Great Lakes Day continues to strengthen the connection between the region and the policymakers who shape its future, and this year’s event carried that tradition forward with clarity, purpose, and a renewed sense of collective responsibility on both sides of the border.
CGLR’s Role and the Road Ahead
For CGLR, Great Lakes Week was far more than a series of meetings, it was a platform for partners to convene, align, and elevate dialogue from across the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence region. It reinforced the importance of bringing together public, private, and non-profit leaders to advance shared priorities through meaningful binational collaboration.
Throughout the week, the focus was not only on engaging directly with federal partners, but on strengthening the connective tissue across the region, ensuring that diverse voices are aligned around a common purpose: protecting the system environmentally while unlocking its full economic potential.
Vance Badawey and Ally Walker spent the week actively connecting with partners, fostering dialogue, and reinforcing the message that the region’s long-term success depends on our ability to convene, collaborate, and act together. As CGLR continues to grow its role as a trusted convener, the path forward is clear, deepen partnerships, scale impact, and ensure the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence remains central to national and binational policy agendas.
