Last night as I watched President Obama announce that U.S. Special Forces had taken out Osama Bin Laden, I felt transported back to September 11, 2001. At the time, I was the Vice President of Government & Public Affairs for the National Community Associations Institute (“CAI National"). Our offices were located in Alexandria, Virginia which is a suburb of Washington, DC and a stones throw away from Reagan National Airport and the Pentagon. 

Barbara Byrd Keenan, then CEO of CAI National, was convening our weekly Executive Team meeting when we heard about the first plane hitting the World Trade Center. We thought it was odd and assumed a propeller plane had hit one of the towers. Minutes later, we received word that planes had hit the World Trade Center and Pentagon. Several of us ran up to the patio located on the roof of our high rise building and could see black smoke billowing out of the Pentagon. There was no doubt about it – the United States was under attack.   Continue Reading Community Association Unity in the Wake of September 11th