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Fort Myers Beach Chamber official invited to State of the Union address by First lady Jill Biden

The U.S. Flag flies at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Feb. 6, 2023. President Joe Biden on Tuesday night will stand before a joint session of Congress for the first time since voters in the midtem elections handed control of the House to Republicans. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
Mariam Zuhaib/AP
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AP
The U.S. Flag flies at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Feb. 6, 2023. President Joe Biden on Tuesday night will stand before a joint session of Congress for the first time since voters in the midtem elections handed control of the House to Republicans. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce President Jackie Liszak will be attending the 2023 State of the Union address Tuesday night as a guest of First Lady Dr. Jill Biden.

Liszak will also attend the State of the Union address dinner at the White House and will join the First Lady during the State of the Union address.

“I am thankful for this opportunity to draw attention to the need for continued assistance for Fort Myers Beach at both the Federal and State level." Liszak said. "Even though progress has been made, and we are so very thankful for the support we have received, we still need significant help to rebuild our island.”

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WGCU
Jackie Liszak

The SW Florida community, including Fort Myers Beach, continues to recover from the destruction of Hurricane Ian.

How, where to watch the State of the Union address

The Fort Myers Beach area was one of the hardest-hit on the state's southwest coast, with extreme storm surges and extensive flooding causing wide-spread damage.

“To those I meet at the White House dinner and at the State of the Union address, I hope to share my story of losing both my home and business to hurricane Ian and I hope to share the stories of my friends, neighbors and colleagues so that I may help put faces and names on what would otherwise just be numbers,” she said.

The Causeway leading to Fort Myers Beach and at the end, the Times Square area, which was heavily damaged by Hurricane Ian.
Thomas James for WGCU/NPR
The Causeway leading to Fort Myers Beach and at the end, the Times Square area, which was heavily damaged by Hurricane Ian.

Liszak said she feels that the community just needs a hand up during this difficult time.

"I look forward to continuing to work with the residents, the business community, nonprofits, environmental groups, and our elected officials in this effort to rebuild our community," she said. "I do not want the nation to forget that we are still recovering and that we need their support now and into the future as we work to build back our island paradise.”

The State of the Union address will air on WGCU.

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