Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston has received a very special invitation.

Joe Biden, the president of the United States, has asked Alston to come to Washington, DC, for the event celebrating the passage and the signing of the Inflation Reduction Act.

Alston, who knows you don’t turn down an invitation from the president, will be in Washington on Tuesday, Sept. 13 for the event.

The invitation notes, “There is no parking on the White House grounds. The best vehicle drop-off point is 15th and E Street, NW. Arriving earlier during this timeframe is encouraged to avoid long lines.”

Alston will also have to attest to his COVID-19 vaccination status, but he won’t be required to wear a mask.

The attire is  “Business” and the event is scheduled to take place outdoors – largely because there is still plenty of COVID-19 making the rounds these days.

Alston said he was thrilled to get invited and said the invitation isn’t related to his work as the chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners.

He also said he wanted people to know that his visit to the White House would be paid for entirely by him – not by Guilford County taxpayers, who do foot the bill when Alston or the other commissioners take trips for county business or for training and education as elected officials.

Alston said he has met several presidents before  – including Bill Clinton, George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

He said that was largely due to his work with NAACP, where Alston has held several key positions over the years.

Alston also said he still knows people who work at the White House.

“I am no stranger to the place,” he said.

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