The White House invited the president of the Outdoor Advertising Association of Texas to a national summit against human trafficking.

On January 31, Lee Vela of Clear Channel Outdoor-Houston attended at all-day summit at the White House, with President Trump, Vice President Pence, Ivanka Trump, and Attorney General William Barr. Vela leads the Outdoor Advertising Association of Texas.

Insider caught up with Vela this week, to find out more about the White House summit and efforts to combat human trafficking.

What has the billboard industry done in Texas and elsewhere to fight human trafficking?

In October, the OAAT (which includes Clear Channel Outdoor, Lamar and OUTFRONT) launched a campaign in Texas – in 70 communities – in English and Spanish.  Five different designs raised awareness on labor, sex trafficking and child exploitation.  Since the main launch, there have been 14 local press launches throughout the state; this campaign is scheduled to run throughout 2020.

We worked the global organization A21, Governor Abbott, First Lady Cecilia Abbott, Senator Ted Cruz and state and local elected officials. The Texas campaign was the first time that A21 has used roadside signs to deliver its message.

This model is being replicated in other states (Nevada, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, and more to come).

How did you get invited to the White House, and what happened there?

I received a written invitation from the President, in recognition for our statewide efforts.  At the Summit, President Trump signed an executive order.  We heard keynote speeches from President Trump, Vice President Pence, and Ivanka Trump.

The workshops shared information about activities around the country.

We know that children have been returned to their homes because of these awareness campaigns.

Politicians seem to fight about everything.  Is this topic nonpartisan?

Party doesn’t matter; this topic is important across the political spectrum. In our experience in Texas, the Democrats compliment the Republicans working to right human trafficking, and the other way around.

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