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Keynote Speakers

Keynote speakers and moderators include some of the region’s most influential decision makers.

Rahm Emanuel has served as the 55th mayor of the city of Chicago since 2011. During that time he has made the tough choices necessary to secure Chicago’s future as a global capital. The Mayor added more than 200 hours to the school day and year, taking Chicago from having the least educational time of any large school district in the country to being on par with its peers. He implemented full-day kindergarten for every Chicago child, and fought for and won new accountability measures to ensure every teacher and principal had the necessary resources to succeed. The Mayor’s comprehensive public safety strategy is focused on expanded prevention programs for at-risk youth, smarter policing strategies, and empowering parents and communities to reduce violence in their neighborhoods. He attracted numerous companies to Chicago and helped to build the next generation of start-ups, while investing in the infrastructure, public transportation, open space and cultural attractions that make Chicago a great place to live, work, and play. And he has worked to make our government more effective, to deliver better services at a more competitive price, and to open government to the public.

Prior to becoming Mayor, Emanuel served as the White House Chief of Staff to President Barack Obama and served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives representing Chicago’s 5th District. He previously served as a key member of the Clinton administration from 1993 to 1998, rising to serve as Senior Advisor to the President for Policy and Strategy.

Mayor Emanuel graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1981 and received a Master's Degree in Speech and Communication from Northwestern University in 1985.

His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, C.C., C.M.M., C.O.M., C.D., Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada

David Johnston began his professional career as an assistant professor in the Faculty of Law at Queen’s University in 1966, moving to the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law in 1968. He became dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Western Ontario in 1974. In 1979, he was named principal and vice-chancellor of McGill University, and in July 1994, he returned to teaching as a full-time professor in the McGill Faculty of Law. In June 1999, he became the fifth president of the University of Waterloo.

Mr. Johnston has served on many provincial and federal task forces and committees, and has also served on the boards of a number of public companies. He was president of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada and of the Conférence des recteurs et des principaux des universités du Québec. He was the founding chair of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy and chaired the federal government’s Information Highway Advisory Council.

His academic specializations include securities regulation, information technology and corporate law. Mr. Johnston holds an LL.B. from Queen’s University (1966); an LL.B. from the University of Cambridge (1965); and an AB from Harvard University (1963). While at Harvard, he was twice selected for the All-American hockey team and was named to Harvard’s Athletic Hall of Fame. He was the first non-American to chair Harvard’s Board of Overseers.

He is the author or co-author of 24 books including new editions, holds honorary doctorates from over 20 universities and is a Companion of the Order of Canada. He was born in Sudbury, Ontario, and is married to Sharon Johnston. They have five daughters and 11 grandchildren.

Sworn in on October 1, 2010, His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston is the 28th governor general since Confederation.

Bruce Rauner (Republican) was sworn in as the 42nd Governor of Illinois on Jan. 12, 2015.

His goal as governor is to create a more prosperous state, where everyone has an opportunity to succeed.

Bruce will remain focused on delivering value for taxpayers, creating a pro-jobs economic climate, ensuring world-class schools and educational options for every Illinoisan, and bringing term limits and greater accountability to state government. Bruce was born in Illinois and is a self-made businessman who had no inheritance or family wealth.

A dedicated and diligent student, Bruce worked while he attended Dartmouth College, where he graduated with top honors. He went on to earn an M.B.A. from Harvard.

Returning to Illinois in 1981, Bruce began working at then startup investment company Golder, Thoma, Cressey (later GTCR). As one of its earliest partners, Bruce helped build the firm into one of the most successful and respected businesses in Illinois.

GTCR has been trusted for decades to oversee the retirement investments of first responders, teachers and other Illinois workers and has created tremendous returns for them – far surpassing the stock market’s performance – providing exceptional value for taxpayers.

Bruce has reinvested much of his success into the state he loves through supporting education, the YMCA, local hospitals and community organizations. His greatest passion is education. Bruce and his wife, Diana, have devoted a tremendous amount of their personal time and resources to improving education throughout the state.

Bruce has never let his success change him. He still drives a 20-year-old camper van, wears an $18 watch, and stays in the cheapest hotel room he can find when he’s on the road. He is the proud father of six children – two boys and four girls – and Diana is the love of his life. He hunts birds, hikes, loves riding his Harley, and jumps at every opportunity to fish.

The United States-Canada Relationship – Taking Care of Business

Bruce Heyman presented his letter of credence to the Governor General of Canada on April 8, 2014, having been confirmed as President Obama's personal representative to Canada on March 12, 2014, and having been sworn in on March 26, 2014. He is a 33 year veteran of Goldman Sachs, where he served as a regional managing director of the Midwest private wealth management group, which covers 13 states and half of Canada, from 1999 until December of 2013.

Mr. Heyman has served as a board member for the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and the Northwestern Memorial Hospital Foundation. He also served as an advisor to the Fix the Debt CEO Council of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. He has been a member of The Economic Club of Chicago, The Executives' Club of Chicago, and the Facing History and Ourselves Chicago Advisory Board.

A magna cum laude graduate with both a BA and an MBA from Vanderbilt University, Mr. Heyman continues to maintain close ties to his alma mater. He is past president of the Alumni Board and a former member of the Board of Visitors at the university's Owen Graduate School of Management.

The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Region: Our Bi-National Gateway to North
American and Global Markets

In October, 2009, Gary Doer assumed his responsibilities as Canada’s 23rd to the United States of America.

Prior to taking up his current position in Washington, Ambassador Doer served as Premier of Manitoba for ten years. During that time, he worked extensively with U.S. Governors to enhance Canada-U.S. cooperation on trade, agriculture, water protection, climate change and renewable energy.

Ambassador Doer won three consecutive elections as Premier of Manitoba with successive increased majorities. In 2005, he was named by Business Week magazine as one of the top 20 international leaders on climate change. His government introduced balanced budgets during each of his ten years in office while reducing many taxes, including a plan to eliminate small business tax. As Premier, he led strategic investments in health care, education, and training and infrastructure.

Ambassador Doer hails from Winnipeg. He is married with two daughters.

Multi-modal Logistics

Betty Sutton was sworn in as the tenth Administrator of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC) on August 13, 2013. As Administrator, Ms. Sutton leads the U.S. federal government agency that partners with the Canadian St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation to operate and maintain the locks and vessel traffic control areas in the St. Lawrence Seaway. In addition, the SLSDC performs trade development functions designed to enhance Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System utilization.

The youngest of six children, Betty Sutton is the daughter of a library clerk and a boilermaker. She attended public schools and earned a bachelor’s degree in political science at Kent State University in 1985, and a law degree at the University of Akron School of Law in 1990. Her law school achievements included both the Federal Bar Association and American Jurisprudence Awards for Excellence in Constitutional Law.

Ms. Sutton commenced her career in public service while still in law school, running for and winning an at-large seat on the Barberton City Council in 1990. A year later, she was appointed to an at-large seat on the Summit County Council and served until 1992, including service as the council’s elected vice president. That same year, she became the youngest woman ever to win election to the Ohio House of Representatives, where she served for eight years until term limits prevented her from seeking re-election in 2000.

Leaving public service, Ms. Sutton worked as a labor attorney with the Cleveland firm of Faulkner, Muskovitz & Phillips from 2001 to 2006, where she represented workers, including first responders, teachers, and members of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), the union that represents dock workers throughout the Great Lakes Seaway System.

In 2006, Ms. Sutton ran for and won a seat representing Ohio’s 13th Congressional district, winning re-election in 2008 and 2010. While in Congress, Ms. Sutton successfully sponsored and passed a number of measures, including the effective and popular “Cash for Clunkers” program, which was responsible for creating and saving 60,000 U.S. auto industry jobs.

Ms. Sutton was elected President of her Congressional class, earned a seat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee in her second term, and was chosen to co-chair the Congressional Jobs Task Force. She is the recipient of many awards, including Legislator of the Year Awards from the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force, Ohio AMVETS, the National Urban League, and was named an Automotive All Star by Automotive News.

State of the Great Lakes Economy Session

Douglas Porter has over 25 years of experience analyzing global economies and financial markets. As Chief Economist at BMO Financial Group, he oversees the macroeconomic and financial market forecasts and co-authors the firm’s weekly flagship publication, Focus. Mr. Porter manages the team that won the prestigious Lawrence Klein award for forecast accuracy of the U.S. economy, and was named by Bloomberg as top Canadian forecaster.

As a respected commentator on economic and financial trends, he is regularly quoted in the national press and often interviewed on radio and television.

Before joining BMO, Mr. Porter held the positions of Economist and Country Risk Analyst with other Canadian financial institutions, and also worked at the Bank of Canada.

Mr. Porter has been a member of C.D. Howe’s Monetary Policy Council since 2008 and also serves on the Investment Management Committees of the Bank of Montreal’s Pension Fund Society and Western’s Endowment Fund.

Mr. Porter has been a Chartered Financial Analyst since 1995 and earned a masters degree in Economics from the University of Western Ontario.

Moderators


Workforce Development and Labor Mobility Panel

Chris Smillie’s current role is Senior Advisor – Government Relations and Public Affairs for the Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO, Canadian Office, also known as Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU). CBTU represents more than 550,000 skilled tradespeople in 15 trades in every province and territory.

Chris is responsible for government relations and legislative affairs with the Government of Canada in Ottawa. Chris interacts with Members of Parliament and various federal government departments on national issues affecting our industry. Chris works for and with the affiliated construction trades to deliver a united message for our membership in Canada.

Chris attended and graduated from the University of Western Ontario in London, ON and holds an honours Political Science degree.

Border Management Panel

Eric Miller is Vice President of Policy, Innovation, and Competitiveness with the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE) in Ottawa. The CCCE represents the CEOs of the 150 largest companies in Canada. Mr. Miller is responsible for the areas of microeconomic policy, productivity, technology, and border/trade facilitation issues. He also manages North America issues for the CCCE and is actively growing the Council’s profile in the United States and Mexico.

Previously, Mr. Miller served as the representative of Industry Canada in Washington, DC. He was responsible for advising senior officials on U.S. economic issues. In addition, Mr. Miller was a member of the Canadian negotiating team that developed the Beyond the Border Action Plan with the United States.

Prior to this appointment, Mr. Miller was the Washington adviser to the Canadian government team that undertook the complex negotiations for Canada’s participation in the restructuring of the North American auto industry.

Before entering government service, Mr. Miller was President of Millers Rock Consulting, LLC, a trade and government affairs firm based in Alexandria, VA. He was retained by clients to advocate before the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Administration on international economic issues. In this capacity, he testified before the House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services.

In addition to his work in Washington, Mr. Miller has extensive experience in advising governments in the Latin America, Caribbean, and Asia-Pacific regions on trade and economic policy issues. He served as one of the lead advisers of the Inter-American Development Bank in organizing “aid for trade” assistance to Central American and Andean countries in their free trade negotiations with the United States.

A native of rural Nova Scotia, Mr. Miller holds a Master’s Degree in International Affairs from Carleton University and a Graduate Diploma from the Bologna Center of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

Economic Clusters and Corridors Panel

John Tennant was Canada’s Consul General in Detroit from 1998 to 2002, subsequently serving from 2002 to 2008 as CEO of Canada’s Technology Triangle Inc., the public-private regional economic development partnership for Ontario’s Waterloo Region, which comprises the cities of Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo. John’s career in the Canadian foreign service also included assignments in New York, Chicago, Japan, West Africa, Central America, the Eastern Caribbean and Australia.

John currently serves on boards of directors and heads W2N2 Partnership, his strategic consulting firm based in the Waterloo Region, which leads initiatives and advises government, economic development and innovation organizations and academic institutions.

Great Lakes Energy Future Panel

Ted Gruetzner is Vice-President, Corporate Relations and Communications at Ontario Power Generation (OPG), Ontario’s publicly-owned electricity generating company. OPG has operations and staff on all but one of the Great Lakes and has been maintaining stewardship on these waterways for more than 100 years. OPG recently ceased using coal in its operations and close to 100 percent of the electricity it creates is free of carbon and smog causing agents. The company also has successful partnerships with First Nations, who own equity in two facilities.

In his role as Vice-President, Ted oversees a staff of more than 50 people and is responsible for the company’s First Nations and community relationships across the province. This gives him a unique perspective on the role energy plays in the economy of the Great Lakes, and how important it is to obtain social licence to operate and build facilities.

He’s held a variety of positions in the energy industry, including managing community outreach during the construction of a power plant in downtown Toronto. While this plant was controversial at first, the company’s ongoing commitment to community engagement has allowed the station to become part of the neighbourhood.

The Blue Economy Panel

The Michigan Economic Center at Prima Civitas (www.MiEconomicCenter.org) is a center for ideas and network-building to advance Michigan’s economic transformation. John Austin was elected in 2000, and re-elected in 2008, by the people of Michigan to the State Board of Education, and unanimously elected President by his peers. He also serves as a Nonresident Senior Fellow with the Brookings Institution.

With the Michigan Economic Center, Austin is spearheading the “Michigan Dream Restored” initiative to develop citizen-informed strategies for better supporting Michigan’s foundational that drive Michigan’s economy: strong education and higher education institutions, improved transportation and communications infrastructure, vital and attractive cities and communities; protection of our lakes, waters and outdoor recreation assets. He also coined the term “Blue Economy” to describe the way our waters, and water innovation contribute to economic growth, and is leading a “Growing Michigan’s Blue Economy” Initiative, to support stakeholders and the Michigan Governor’s Office to develop a State Water Strategy that builds on Michigan’s natural water, and water research, education and innovation assets for economic development and new business and job growth.

In 2006 Austin created and directed the Great Lakes Economic Initiative for the Brookings Institution where he authored key Brookings reports that directly shaped the region’s economic development agenda: “The Vital Center: A Federal-State Compact to Renew the Great Lakes Region;” “The Vital Connection: Reclaiming Great Lakes Economic Leadership in the Bi-National Great Lakes Region;” and “Healthy Waters, Strong Economy” which led to federal support for Great Lakes clean-up and restoration, and regional understanding and actions to build on our Great Lakes and water resources as an economic asset.

Mr. Austin also served in 2004 as Policy Director for Michigan’s Governor-appointed Commission on Higher Education and Economic Growth, and was principal author of the Commission’s influential report. He was the founding Director of the New Economy Initiative for Southeast Michigan—a $100 million effort by the region’s philanthropies to aid in the area’s economic transformation, and initiated the Global Detroit program to welcome immigrants as a source of economic strength and renewal.

Austin received his Masters in Public Administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and a Bachelors from Swarthmore College in Economics & Political Science, with High Honors and Phi Beta Kappa. Mr. Austin has been married 26 years to his wife Terese. They and their three children reside in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Infrastructure Modernization and Financing Panel

David is a leader in building partnerships between business and government regarding infrastructure and economic development.

At Infrastructure Ontario he is the member of the senior management team responsible for business strategy, industry partnerships, communications and government affairs. He is also on involved in leading cooperation with Public-Private-Partnerships Canada and the US-based National Governors Association. His work has included appearances at the US Congressional Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce Economic Summit.

David previously worked with Ontario’s Ministry of Finance, the Government of Canada’s Privy Council Office and Infrastructure Canada, Manitoba’s Ministry of Finance and the Manitoba Innovation Council. His dedication to public service earned him the Award of Merit from the Government of Canada and the Service Excellence Award from the Government of Manitoba.

David completed a Masters in Public Administration with distinction, and was selected to represent Canada as a fellow in the US State Department’s International Visitors Leadership Program and the UK Foreign Office’s Chevening Program.

Multi-modal Logistics Panel

Marc-André is a Partner with CPCS and heads the company’s North American Division. He has led transportation-sector management consulting assignments for public and private sector clients in North America, Asia, South America, the Middle East and Africa. Most recently, he was the lead advisor to the Council of Great Lakes Governors’ [and Premiers’] Maritime Initiative Task Force. He was also the Principal Investigator on the TRB’s National Cooperative Freight Research Program Project 35 on the Multimodal Freight Transportation System in the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Basin. Marc-André was the top MBA graduate from the Schulich School of Business (2004) and is also the President of the Canadian Transportation Research Forum (CTRF).

Regulatory Cooperation Panel

In her role as President of Dawson Strategic, Dr. Dawson provides advice to business on cross-border trade, market access and regulatory issues. She is also the acting director of the Council of the Great Lakes Region.

Previously, she served as senior advisor on U.S.-Canada economic affairs at the United States Embassy in Ottawa. She has extensive experience designing and providing post-graduate level and professional training courses in policy analysis, regional economic integration and international negotiations.

Dr. Dawson conducts research for business clients on investor-state dispute settlement, cross-border labor mobility, government procurement, technical barriers, energy, telecommunications, financial services, softwood lumber, foreign investment review and corporate-social responsibility in the extractive sector.

As a specialist in international business relations, Dr. Dawson contributed to the launch of the U.S.-Canada Regulatory Cooperation Council, the Border Vision Strategy, and the bilateral Government Procurement Agreement. She is a Public Policy Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, DC, a Senior Fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute in Ottawa and an International Economic Fellow at the CD Howe Institute in Toronto.

From 1998 to 2008, she was a senior associate at the Centre for Trade Policy and Law advising governments in developing and transition economies on trade and investment issues. Dr. Dawson taught international trade, comparative economic relations and policy analysis at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs. She holds a PhD in political science.


Matthew grew up in Montreal and comes from a long line of peddlers. He now peddles evidence-based policy ideas¬¬¬—particularly those designed to strengthen Ontario in Canada and transform how governments deliver public goods.

Matthew founded the Mowat Centre at the University of Toronto School of Public Policy & Governance in 2009. It delivers research-driven recommendations on Canada’s most challenging policy problems and serves as Ontario’s independent voice on public policy.

From 2004-2009, Matthew served as a Deputy Minister in the Ontario government, where he held responsibility for Intergovernmental Affairs, the Democratic Renewal Secretariat, and the Office of International Relations and Protocol. He also served as Associate Secretary to the Cabinet in Cabinet Office.

Matthew spent 10 years as a member of the Political Studies Department at Queen’s University and served as the Director of the Canadian Opinion Research Archive. From 1996-1998, Matthew was a senior advisor in the Privy Council Office in Ottawa.

An active volunteer with many not-for-profit organizations, Matthew currently serves on Boards of Directors for Civix, the Council of the Great Lakes Region, l’Idée fédérale, and United Way Toronto.

Matthew received his B.A. from McGill University and Ph.D. from the l’Université de Montréal, and held a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of British Columbia. He has travelled across Canada several times by motorcycle and believes that Canada is home to some of the world’s great cities. He still misses snowboarding outside Vancouver and the Montreal Expos.

Advanced Manufacturing Panel

Ed Wolking Jr., CCE, is executive vice president at the Detroit Regional Chamber and oversees the Detroit Regional Chamber Foundation, grant development, health care and Great Lakes regional groups such as the Great Lakes Metro Chambers Coalition and the Great Lakes Manufacturing Council. In this role, he works to develop opportunities for Detroit and the broader region and provide solutions in economic development, products, health care, manufacturing and collaborations that will also be of value to the Chamber and its members.

Prior to becoming executive vice president, Wolking was the Chamber’s senior vice president of strategic directions, member services and marketing. Since joining the Chamber in 1986, Wolking has developed and implemented the Chamber’s affinity programs and the tiered dues concept and platform.

In more recent years, Wolking’s responsibilities have included development of the Great Lakes Metro Chambers Coalition and the bi-national Great Lakes Manufacturing Council in response to the region’s economic challenges, as well as projects including: a study on the impact of offshoring on manufacturing in Michigan; and the Great Lakes Manufacturing Forum. His health care duties have included national and state legislative advocacy; group product design, development, and marketing; leadership in regional and state organizations; regional issues and initiatives to reduce costs and increase quality.

With nearly 40 years of experience in chamber management, Wolking has served as president of the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce, a manufacturing center in Indiana; group executive at the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce; and executive vice president at the Clermont County Chamber of Commerce in Ohio.

Wolking holds Bachelor of Arts and Master of Business Administration degrees from Xavier University and numerous awards from the National Association of Membership Development. He and his wife have four sons and belong to St. Clare of Montefalco Parish.

Great Lakes Policy Leaders Roundtable

Christopher Sands is Senior Research Professor and Director of the Center for Canadian Studies at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC, and a Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute where he directs the Hudson Initiative on North American Competitiveness. Concurrently, he is the G. Robert Ross Distinguished Visiting Professor of Canada–United States Business and Economic Relations in the College of Business and Economics at Western Washington University.

Dr. Sands is a member of the advisory boards of the Canada-United States Law Institute (a joint initiative of the law schools at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH and the University of Western Ontario in London, ON) and the Macdonald-Laurier Institute in Ottawa. He is also a fellow of the Border Policy Research Institute in Bellingham, WA and the George W. Bush Institute in Dallas, TX. A native of Detroit, MI he earned a B.A. from Macalester College in St. Paul, MN and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University.

Business Roundtable - creating a transformational bi-national economic agenda for the Great Lakes-St.Lawrence Region

David Scanlan is the managing editor for Canada at Bloomberg News. He's responsible for the news coverage in the country from bureaus in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Ottawa, Montreal and Winnipeg.

Scanlan joined Bloomberg in 1996 when he opened the office in Bogota, Colombia. He later served as bureau chief in Lima, Sao Paulo and Madrid, before returning to his hometown of Toronto in 2003.

His awards and scholarships include the Canadian Committee to Protect Journalists scholarship to report on human rights abuses in Guatemala; a finalist notation for investigative reporting by the Canadian Association of Journalists and an Ottawa community service award for his series on the homeless in Canada's capital. He speaks Spanish and Portuguese.

Before joining Bloomberg, Scanlan was a business and features reporter at the Ottawa Citizen. The honors journalism graduate from Carleton University has also worked for the CBC, The Economist, The Financial Times, Miami Herald, Toronto Star and Maclean's magazine. Scanlan is married with three children, who, like him, love to play hockey.

Great Lakes Economic Development, Trade and Investment - A State-Provincial Perspective; In Conversation With Ambassador Doer
The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Region: Our Gateway to Continental and Global Markets

Andrew Mayeda covers the global economy for Bloomberg News in Washington, DC. His beat includes the IMF, World Bank and international affairs at the Treasury Department. Andrew previously covered the national economy and Canadian government for Bloomberg in Ottawa. Before joining Bloomberg, he was a national reporter for Postmedia News, where he covered two election campaigns, the earthquake in Haiti and the Afghanistan war. Andrew also worked as a business reporter for the Ottawa Citizen and a copy editor for the Asahi Shimbun's English edition in Tokyo. He's a native of Toronto and has a master's degree in English literature.

Networking Reception


As the Consul General of Canada based in Chicago, Roy Norton represents Canada in Illinois, Missouri and Wisconsin. The Canadian Consulate General, which he heads, promotes Canadian interests - trade, investment, the environment, culture and academic relations being among the principal ones. The office also provides consular and passport services.

Until March, 2014, Roy served as Canada’s Consul General to Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio, based in Detroit. From 2006 to 2010 he was Minister (Congressional, Public and Intergovernmental Relations) at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C., with responsibility for the Canadian government's relations with the U.S. Congress, as well as for media and public relations, cultural and academic relations, the interests of Canadian provinces & territories in Washington, D.C., the activities of Canadian legislators in Washington, and outreach to U.S. states.

That was his second posting in Washington; he served in the Embassy's Economic Section from 1990-1994 and was a member of Canada's negotiating teams for the intellectual property and investment chapters of NAFTA.

From 2000 until 2006 Roy was based in Toronto, working for the Government of Ontario (in '05-'06 as Assistant Deputy Minister, International Relations & Chief of Protocol in the Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairs; previously as Assistant Deputy Minister Export Development, and President/CEO of Ontario Exports Inc., in the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade).

Prior to his earlier Washington assignment, Roy worked in the Canadian Parliament (first in the House of Commons, then in the Senate) and, subsequently, for five years, as Senior Policy Advisor to the Canadian Foreign Minister. After leaving the Embassy in 1994 he worked as a consultant to the Canadian Departments of Foreign Affairs and Industry and to several private sector firms.

Born in Ottawa, Roy graduated initially from Carleton University (MA in Canadian History). He also holds Masters Degrees from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government (in Public Administration) and Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies (in International Public Policy), as well as a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins SAIS (in International Relations).

Jim Dickmeyer arrived in Toronto on August 9, 2012 to take up his duties as Consul General of the United States of America. A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Mr. Dickmeyer has served in six countries during his 30 years of diplomatic service. Most recently he was a faculty member at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C., where he taught national security studies. During this latest tour in Washington, Mr. Dickmeyer also served as Director of the Office of Policy, Planning and Resources of the Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, and for two years was Director of the State Department’s Foreign Press Centers located in Washington, D.C. and New York City, serving over 3000 foreign journalists based in the United States.

In his most recent overseas assignment, Mr. Dickmeyer was Minister Counselor for Public Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico. In his other foreign postings he served in press and public affairs positions at U.S. diplomatic missions in Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Guatemala.

Jim earned a Masters degree in History from the Ohio State University and completed his undergraduate studies at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He is married to Heather Dickmeyer. They have two grown sons.

Panel Speakers


Business Roundtable - creating a transformational bi-national economic agenda for the Great Lakes-St.Lawrence Region

Prior to joining BMO, Mr. Jacobson served as the 22nd United States Ambassador to Canada, holding the role from 2009 to 2013. As Ambassador, Mr. Jacobson worked to expand the bilateral trading relationship between the United States and Canada, which resulted in a 43% increase in two-way trade, raising it to the highest level between any two countries in history. Ambassador Jacobson led the Beyond the Border and Regulatory Cooperation efforts to improve the security and efficiency of the border between the two countries. He worked to strike a balance between using North America’s energy resources and preserving the environment, and to foster the shared values of the United States and Canada around the world. For his efforts, Ambassador Jacobson received the State Department’s 2012 Sue M. Cobb Award for Exemplary Diplomatic Service.

Business Roundtable - creating a transformational bi-national economic agenda for the Great Lakes-St.Lawrence Region

Robert J. Deluce is one of Canada’s most knowledgeable and respected airline owners and operators. He brings to the industry over 60 years of Deluce family experience in successfully owning, financing, restructuring, operating and managing a number of regional airlines in Canada.

His involvement in the aviation industry includes White River Air Services, norOntair, Austin Airways, Air Creebec, Air Ontario, Air Manitoba, Air Alliance and Canada 3000 Airlines.

He has been President of Deluce Capital Corp. since 1987, and is currently President and CEO of both Porter Aviation Holdings Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary Porter Airlines Inc.

Business Roundtable - creating a transformational bi-national economic agenda for the Great Lakes-St.Lawrence Region

Bruce Wood was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of the Hamilton Port Authority in 2008, bringing extensive senior management experience.

An accomplished business leader, Mr. Wood is skilled in directing businesses through strategic positioning to drive organizational improvements and has a consistent record of delivering extraordinary results in growth, revenue and operational performance.

Prior to joining the Hamilton Port Authority, Mr. Wood served as Chief Executive Officer for the Canadian Automobile Association, as well as a number of other nationally recognized companies such as the Canadian Tire Corporation, where he held progressively responsible roles.

Mr. Wood graduated from Acadia University with a BBA, specializing in Marketing and Business Development. He completed a Chartered Director (C. Dir.) program at McMaster University in 2005. Mr. Wood is a Board Director for the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce and is the Past Chair for the Association of Canadian Port Authorities (ACPA).

Multi-modal Logistics Panel

Vee Kachroo was appointed Vice-President, Supply Chain Solutions at Canadian National Railway in May 2012 and is currently based in Brampton. Prior to that, he had been Vice-President, Industrial Products since 2010.

Mr. Kachroo joined CN in 1986 as an engineer in the Signals and Communications group. Since 1988, he has been in the Sales and Marketing department where he has held positions as Account Manager; Director of Marketing in the Forest Products as well as the Metals and Minerals group; Assistant Vice-President, Forest Products Sales; and Assistant Vice-President Forest Products Sales and Marketing.

Mr. Kachroo holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from McGill University, in Montreal.

Advanced Manufacturing Panel

Mike Packer leads Advanced Production Programs at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works®. He was elected to the SME International Board of Directors in 2012 and again in 2014, serves on the Mergers and Acquisitions Committee and was elected to the SME College of Fellows in 2014. Mr. Packer currently Chairs the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) Board of Directors and serves as Director and Treasurer on the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC) Board. Mike is also active in SAE International (General Chair for past AeroTech World Congress), American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (conferred Associate Fellow in 2011) and the National Defense Industrial Association (past Manufacturing Division Executive Committee Chair). Mike is Shingijutsu Lean Production System certified and is a past Board Member of MIT’s Lean Aerospace Initiative (LAI). Mr. Packer has published numerous articles concerning manufacturing strategy, advance manufacturing technologies, team-based organization development and talent management. He earned a BS in Industrial Technology from Eastern Michigan University, an MBA from Washington University at St. Louis and completed the Manufacturing Executive Program at the University of Michigan.

Infrastructure Modernization and Financing Panel

Lyle McCoy is head of the U.S. Public Finance and Infrastructure Capital Markets groups of BMO Capital Markets. With expertise in financial services including financial advisory, infrastructure M&A advisory, debt underwriting, leveraged finance, public finance, project finance and public-private partnerships (P3) the groups service North American clients including state and local governments, public and private educational institutions, healthcare institutions, public power, as well as, port and transportation sectors. Currently headquartered in Chicago, the group also has offices in Toronto, San Francisco and New York.

With over 30 years of experience, Lyle is a corporate finance industry veteran. Since joining BMO Capital Markets in 1982, he has held various roles of increasing responsibility. In his extensive career Lyle has held positions in financial products, debt products, structured finance and credit groups.

Lyle holds an MBA from York University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Economics from Queen’s University in Canada.

The Blue Economy Panel

Dean Amhaus has served as the first President and CEO of the Water Council since March 2010. The Council was formed with the express purpose of growing the Milwaukee region into the world hub for water research, education and economic development. Created by business and education leaders, the Water Council is convening the region’s water companies and research clusters, developing education programs to train talent, and building partnerships that cut across all sectors and geographic boundaries.

The Council’s most significant achievement occurred in September 2013 with the opening of the Global Water Center, a one-of-a-kind water technology research and business accelerator located in a 98,000 sq. ft., seven-storey refurbished Silver LEED warehouse in Milwaukee’s downtown. One of the programs within the Center is The BREW, which assists water technology entrepreneurs develop their company and expand their commercialization opportunities.

Prior to leading the Water Council, Dean served as the President of the Spirit of Milwaukee, which is dedicated to enhancing Milwaukee’s image. Dean has served as the President of Forward Wisconsin, the state’s economic development organization, and as Executive Director of the Wisconsin Sesquicentennial Commission. For six years, Dean was with the Wisconsin Arts Board, first as Deputy Director and later as Executive Director. During the 1980s, Dean worked in government relations in Washington, D.C.

Schooled in Wisconsin, Dean received his MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and his BS in Business from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.

The Blue Economy Panel

Jon Grant comes from a strong research background and experience in the commercialization of new products. After graduating from the University of Cincinnati with a double major in Finance and International Business and a minor in Philosophy, Jon worked as a new product consultant at the Nielsen Company. Following that position, he worked with a start-up healthcare company to develop a commercialization strategy.

Seeking to focus on global issues, Jon attended the London School of Economics for an MSc in International Political Economy. There he focused on the politics, economics, and driving force of behaviours directed towards environmental issues (specifically water). After studying at LSE, Jon completed an LLM in Water Governance and Conflict Resolution as a joint degree between the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education in Delft, Netherlands and the IHP-HELP Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science (under the auspices of UNESCO) in Dundee, Scotland.

Economic Clusters and Corridors Panel

Iain Klugman is the CEO of Communitech in Waterloo Region, Canada’s hottest technology cluster. Under Iain’s leadership, Communitech has become one of North America’s leading tech-enabling organizations, supporting the growth of more than 1,000 small, mid-sized and large technology companies. He is the architect of Communitech’s five-year $107-million digital strategy, which delivered more than $900 million in economic impact in 2012. He believes passionately in the power of the entrepreneur-driven economy, and its ability to deliver big results for Canada.

Previously, Iain was the CEO of a provincial crown corporation, Executive Director of Communications for the CBC, Director of Global Branding and Advertising for Nortel, and held numerous roles with the Privy Council Office and Industry Canada. Iain began his career as an entrepreneur and has never lost his passion for technology and start-ups. He sits on numerous local and national boards that include the business, academia and social sectors.

Iain holds an MBA from Laurier University, an MPA degree from Dalhousie University, an HBA from Laurentian University, and has completed the Advanced Program in Human Resources at the Rotman School of Management.

Economic Clusters and Corridors Panel

Paul Krutko is Ann Arbor SPARK’s President and CEO. In this role, he leads the organization’s efforts to expand the regional economy through business attraction, and retention initiatives to support entrepreneurs and start-up companies to accelerate their growth to their full potential in order to benefit the region.

Paul has more than 31 years of economic and business development expertise. Before joining Ann Arbor SPARK, he led San Jose California's economic development efforts, where he served as Chief Development Officer. He has also worked in economic development for the cities of Cleveland and Jacksonville.

Paul is the immediate past chair of the International Economic Development Council. He was selected as a Fellow Member of IEDC in 2009. He earned a Bachelor ofUrban Planning and Design degree from the University of Cincinnati, College of Design, Architecture and Art.

Regulatory Cooperation Panel

Bob Carberry began work with the Canada-United States Regulatory Cooperation Council upon its creation in Spring 2011.

Mr. Carberry has an extensive background in science-based regulatory organizations and has played a lead role in several high-profile technical trade issues, all of which involved Canada and the U.S.

He was previously Vice-President of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and most recently held Assistant Secretary positions in the Treasury Board of Canada and Canada’s Privy Council Office.

Mr. Carberry has a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (Food Science) from the University of Manitoba and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Ottawa, for which he won the Academic Award of Excellence.

Great Lakes Energy Future panel

Mr. Tehranian joined Meketa Investment Group in 2007. A Senior Vice President of the firm, Mr. Tehranian works in the Private Markets Group specializing in infrastructure investments. He focuses on performing due diligence of infrastructure opportunities, maintaining and establishing new relationships, and reporting. In addition, he assists clients with the development of investment policies, strategic planning, and program implementation. Mr. Tehranian sits on a variety of fund advisory boards, and speaks at numerous industry events.

Prior to joining the firm, he worked in capital budgeting, allocation, and financial management for the Gulf Power Company, a subsidiary of the Southern Company. Mr. Tehranian was previously employed as a portfolio analyst at Franklin Templeton Investments, and as an investment analyst at Segal Advisors.

He received a Master of Science in Finance from Boston College and a BS in Finance and International Economics from the University of Florida.

Multi-modal Logistics Panel

Laura J. Mester is the Chief Administrative Officer of the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), overseeing the Bureaus of Finance and Administration, and Transportation Planning, and the Offices of Aeronautics, Passenger Transportation, and Rail, as well as the operations of the International Bridge. Prior to her appointment in February 2011, Mester directed the Accounting and Financial Reporting Division of the Office of Financial Management in the State Budget Office, a position she held for 13 years.


A registered C.P.A., Mester's distinguished career in governmental accounting and financial management spans over 25 years. She earned a master's degree in business administration from Central Michigan University in 1994, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in accounting from Michigan State University in 1987.

Mester has been honored by the National Association of State Auditors, Controllers, and Leaders for directing the early implementation of the GASB Statement 34, the most significant governmental accounting and financial reporting requirements issued by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board in 20 years. She is the recipient of the Government Financial Manager of the Year Award from the Greater Lansing Chapter of the Association of Government Accountants, and the William R. Snodgrass Leadership Award from the National Association of Government Accountants. Mester is the past president of the Greater Lansing Chapter of the Association of Government Accountants.

Advanced Manufacturing Panel

Mathew is the Vice President of National Policy for Canadian Manufacturer & Exporters (CME), the largest and most influential industry and trade association in Canada – representing over 10,000 companies across Canada. As Vice President, Mathew leads and coordinates the public policy and government relations activities and staff of the association.

In this role, Mathew is constantly meeting with senior executives from a wide range of industrial sectors across Canada to discuss the challenges and opportunities for their companies and how the association can work to support the growth of their business in Canada. Mathew uses this intelligence and advice to work with federal, provincial and municipal politicians and officials to shape public policy to ensure the business environment is supportive of CME’s members’ interests.

Mathew has chaired and been an active participant on several senior government advisory committees including on international trade, customs, skills development and immigration. He has authored research papers on a variety of issues including manufacturing opportunities in Alberta’s oil sands, business competitive taxation, North American manufacturing competitiveness, border simplification and skills shortages in Canada’s manufacturing sector.

Mathew is also the Secretariat for the Canadian Manufacturing Coalition – a group of 55 sectoral trade associations that is chaired by CME – that works on policy and regulatory issues of common importance for their members with the federal government.

Before rejoining CME in 2011, Mathew worked for the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association (CVMA). Mathew began his career as a policy analyst and director for CME.

Border Management Panel

Cristina Falcone is Vice President of Public Affairs for UPS Canada.

During her fourteen year tenure at UPS, Cristina has held several management roles in the areas of Product Management, Customer Loyalty and Public Relations.

In her current role, Cristina works actively with governing bodies to enable global trade opportunities for Canadian businesses; particularly on solutions that help to reduce friction at the North American border.

Cristina serves on the board of the Canadian Courier and Logistics Association (CCLA) which represents a broad-based membership of time sensitive delivery and logistics services providers operating in Canada. She also serves on the board of the Canadian American Business Council; which is dedicated to elevating the private sector perspective on issues that affect Canada and the United States.

She leads UPS’s Women’s Leadership Development Committee; including mentorship of candidates for development into future leadership roles.

Infrastructure Modernization and Financing Panel

Tariq Taherbhai is Senior Director with Aon Infrastructure Solutions (AIS), Aon’s global risk advisory group for public-private partnerships (PPPs). AIS helps Aon’s clients succeed in PPPs by providing effective and market leading risk, insurance and performance security advice. In addition to serving as a project risk advisor, Tariq also advises construction clients on the North American PPP market and is a strategic advisor to numerous firms developing infrastructure development entities. Previously, Tariq was Vice President, Project Legal, at Infrastructure Ontario. As Vice President, Project Legal, Tariq was responsible for providing strategic legal and procurement advice on all facets of PPP projects procured by Infrastructure Ontario. Tariq has advised on PPP projects in a broad range of sectors including healthcare, justice, government services, urban redevelopment and civil infrastructure.

Border Management Panel

Deborah Meyers is Director for Canadian Affairs, where she coordinates DHS engagement with Canada in support of the Department’s goals. Her portfolio covers the full range of DHS missions, including counterterrorism, law enforcement, border management, immigration, information sharing, critical infrastructure protection, cybersecurity, and emergency preparedness. Ms. Meyers played a leading role in the development of the 2011 Declaration by President Obama and Prime Minister Harper Beyond the Border: A Shared Vision for Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness, and she now leads DHS efforts to implement the Action Plan.

Previously, Ms. Meyers served as Senior Policy Analyst at the Migration Policy Institute and as a Policy Analyst at both the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform. Her work over the last two decades has focused on immigration, refugee, visa policy, and border issues, with particular focus on Mexico, Canada, and the United States. She has done consulting work for the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations, Inter-American Dialogue, and RAND, and is the author of approximately 40 published reports, articles, chapters, and policy briefs. Ms. Meyers earned her MA from the Elliott School of International Affairs at the George Washington University and her BA from Brandeis University (Phi Beta Kappa). She also completed Georgetown University’s Nonprofit Management Executive Certificate Program, is proficient in Spanish, and is a member of the Association of Canadian Studies in the United States and Association of Borderlands Studies.

The Blue Economy Panel

Steven Renzetti is a Professor of Economics at Brock University and Scientific Director for the Water Economics, Policy and Governance Research Network. He earned his PhD in Economics at UBC in 1990. Professor Renzetti’s research is principally concerned with the economics of water resources and has addressed issues related to water demands, pricing and the structure of water utilities’ costs of supply. His research has been published in leading peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Renzetti has extensive experience working with interdisciplinary teams and as an advisor to governments. He was recently appointed by the IJC to serve on the Science Priorities Committee of the Great Lakes Science Advisory Board.

Regulatory Cooperation Panel

ADAM C. SCHLOSSER is director of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Center for Global Regulatory Cooperation, where he develops the intersection between trade and regulatory policy. He leads the Chamber’s role in reshaping the international role of U.S. regulatory and technical agencies and advancing core principles of better regulations abroad. Adam focuses extensively on developing policies to preserve cross-border data flows and addressing trade concerns stemming from data privacy issues. He leads private sector engagement in multiple international venues, including the serving as co-chair of the Digital Trade group of the Business Coalition for Transatlantic Trade, leading the Stakeholder Coordination Council of the U.S.-Canada Regulatory Cooperation Council.

Prior to coming to the Chamber, Adam spent time with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, serving as lead U.S. delegate for food and agriculture issues at the WTO Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) as well as participating in bilateral and multilateral negotiations with foreign officials. He served as a Presidential Management Fellow and worked at the General Services Administration Office of Governmentwide Policy, where he drafted domestic regulations. He currently serves as Vice Chair of the International Committee of the ABA Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice.

Economic Clusters and Corridors Panel

Steve Rodgers is the President of GS Global Solutions, an organization focused on assisting automotive suppliers, governments and partners to find solutions in dealing with the rapidly changing automotive industry. These challenges included issues such as global integration, supply chain transformation and changing technology including hybrid technologies and powertrain evolution. As we move towards the 2017-2025 environmental regulations and the evolution of the autonomous car, such issues drive the competitiveness of our industry and our country. Previously Steve was president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association. APMA is the national association of original equipment producers of parts, equipment, tools, supplies and services to the worldwide automotive industry. The association was founded in 1952 and has over 400 members which account for 90% of independent parts production in Canada. In 2013, the auto parts industry had over $C25.3 billion in sales and 89,100 employees. Steve also served as the Chairman of the APMA from 2005 to 2007.

A 22 year career with leading automotive parts supplier Magna International and a 7 year career with General Motors of Canada have provided Steve with a very comprehensive and wide-ranging insight into the global automotive industry. During his tenure with Magna Steve served with the Body Systems, Interior and Powertrain groups of Magna as well as serving at the corporate office.

At the time of his departure from Magna, Steve was Vice President, Global Business Development covering the Asia-Pacific region focused on the countries of Japan, Korea, China, India and Thailand. Steve joined the Magna Corporate Office in August 2003 as Vice-President, Marketing and was appointed to the Asia focused position in September 2004. Prior to his appointment to the Magna Corporate Office, Mr. Rodgers served as Senior Vice-President, Marketing for Intier Automotive and Vice-President, Sales and Marketing at both Tesma and later, Atoma. He also served as the Assistant General Manager at Karmax Heavy Stamping within the Cosma Group.

Steve was born and raised in London, Ontario and has a B.M.E. degree from Kettering University (formerly General Motors Institute) in 1972.

Economic Clusters and Corridors Panel

Kim Hill is the director of the Sustainability & Economic Development Strategies group (SEDS) at the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He is also responsible for directing the Automotive Communities Partnership (ACP). The ACP is a program aimed at helping governments and public sector officials in communities across the upper Midwest and Canada understand, adapt, and interact with the ever-changing North American and global automotive industry.

Mr. Hill’s work with CAR has long focused on economic and business modeling, for the purpose of public policy analysis. As Director of the Sustainability & Economic Development Strategies Group, he is focusing on sustainable solutions for communities whose traditional auto sector is undergoing unprecedented restructuring. Under his guidance, the SEDS group is developing a holistic (cradle-to-cradle) understanding of competitive business issues, environmental impacts and community needs, while mapping the manufacturing process chain in order to identify junctions where best business practices and environmental stewardship intersect.

Mr. Hill has authored and co-authored numerous studies, including those that examine the total annual economic activity of the domestic automotive industry; the economic well-being of the top suppliers in the State of Michigan; an analysis of the effects state regulations have on automotive capital investment; and facilitating an effective permitting process to protect both the environment and manufacturing investment in the State of Michigan. Mr. Hill led a study to provide policymakers and key stakeholders (particularly environmental advocates) an understanding of the product development and decision-making processes at vehicle manufacturers. Mr. Hill is also CAR’s lead investigator on economic industry contribution analyses. These analyses estimate employment and economic impacts on the national and state economies that result from automotive industry and transportation sector activities.

Mr. Hill has previously worked on the staff of the City Administrator’s Office with the City of Ann Arbor, Michigan, with the Center for Environmental Policy, Economics, and Science, and for CFI Group, of Ann Arbor, Michigan, before joining CAR.

Mr. Hill received his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.

Border Management Panel

Kim Hill is the director of the Sustainability & Economic Development Strategies group (SEDS) at the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He is also responsible for directing the Automotive Communities Partnership (ACP). The ACP is a program aimed at helping governments and public sector officials in communities across the upper Midwest and Canada understand, adapt, and interact with the ever-changing North American and global automotive industry.

Mr. Hill’s work with CAR has long focused on economic and business modeling, for the purpose of public policy analysis. As Director of the Sustainability & Economic Development Strategies Group, he is focusing on sustainable solutions for communities whose traditional auto sector is undergoing unprecedented restructuring. Under his guidance, the SEDS group is developing a holistic (cradle-to-cradle) understanding of competitive business issues, environmental impacts and community needs, while mapping the manufacturing process chain in order to identify junctions where best business practices and environmental stewardship intersect.

Mr. Hill has authored and co-authored numerous studies, including those that examine the total annual economic activity of the domestic automotive industry; the economic well-being of the top suppliers in the State of Michigan; an analysis of the effects state regulations have on automotive capital investment; and facilitating an effective permitting process to protect both the environment and manufacturing investment in the State of Michigan. Mr. Hill led a study to provide policymakers and key stakeholders (particularly environmental advocates) an understanding of the product development and decision-making processes at vehicle manufacturers. Mr. Hill is also CAR’s lead investigator on economic industry contribution analyses. These analyses estimate employment and economic impacts on the national and state economies that result from automotive industry and transportation sector activities.

Mr. Hill has previously worked on the staff of the City Administrator’s Office with the City of Ann Arbor, Michigan, with the Center for Environmental Policy, Economics, and Science, and for CFI Group, of Ann Arbor, Michigan, before joining CAR.

Mr. Hill received his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.

Workforce Development and Labor Mobility Panel

David Tsubouchi is the Registrar and CEO of the Ontario College of Trades. Mr. Tsubouchi holds a B.A. from York University, a J.D. from Osgoode Hall Law School an LL.D. from Assumption University in Windsor and a D.S.Litt. from Huntington University.

David Tsubouchi holds the distinction of being the first Japanese Canadian to have been elected to any position in Canada. In 1988, he was elected as a Councillor for the Town of Markham serving for 6 years. In 1995, he became the first Japanese Canadian to be elected to a provincial legislature and also to serve as a Cabinet Minister. David Tsubouchi has served as the MPP for Markham for two terms and has held several cabinet posts in the Ontario Legislature including Minister of Consumer and Commercial Relations, Solicitor General, Chair of Management Board and Minister of Culture. Prior to serving in the Ontario Legislature, Mr. Tsubouchi served as a Councillor for the Town of Markham for two terms.

Mr. Tsubouchi currently sits on the Board of Governors for Seneca College, the largest college in North America and the board of directors for the Markham Stouffville Hospital. He was appointed as the Honorary Consul General for Mongolia (Toronto). He has served on many boards of directors including Hitachi Canada, York University, the Canadian Professional Golf Tour and Teranet Income Trust. He was also appointed as the Co-Chair of the Canada Vietnam Business Council by the Republic of Vietnam.

Mr. Tsubouchi, as the campaign chair, has raised millions of dollars for non-profit organizations and institutions including Seneca College, George Brown College, the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre and the Rising Sun Campaign to assist the victims of the tsunami and earthquake in Japan.

Mr. Tsubouchi has received numerous awards and honors including the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal, The Bruce Bryden Award (York University), The Award of Merit From the Japanese Canadian Community, the Canadian Horse Racing Industry Award of Recognition and the NAAAP 100 Award from the National American Association of Asian Professionals.

David Tsubouchi has been an international key note speaker in many countries including Dubai, Macau, China, Japan and the United States. He is a frequent lecturer at universities and colleges on a number of topics including equity, the imprisonment of the Japanese Canadians during WWII, politics and business development. His memoir, “Gambatte” was recently published by ECW Press and was nominated for the Speaker’s Book Award.

Regulatory Cooperation Panel

Kelly Johnston joined Campbell in July 2002 as Vice President-Government Affairs. He coordinates activities and relationships with local, state, federal, and international government legislative and regulatory agencies, as well as the company’s participation in trade associations. He reports to Ellen Oran Kaden, Senior Vice President, Law and Government Affairs.

Previously, Kelly spent nearly 25 years in Washington, D.C., in several leadership positions within the executive and legislative branches of the federal government, politics, and the trade association world. He was Executive Vice President for Government Affairs and Communications at the National Food Processors’ Association (NFPA), serving as the organization’s chief government affairs and communications officer for nearly 6 years.

From 1995 to 1997, he was the Secretary of the U.S. Senate, the Senate’s chief legislative, financial and administrative officer. Kelly has also served as Staff Director of the Senate Republican Policy Committee; Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs in the U.S. Department of Transportation; and chief of staff or press secretary to three Members of Congress.

Kelly is active within the food industry and in the community. He serves as vice chair of the non-profit Congressional Management Foundation (CMF), which provides management training and services to the U.S. Congress. He serves on the Board of Directors for the New Jersey Food Council (NJFC). He is a founding board member of the Convergence Center for Policy Resolution, a non-profit group dedicated to bipartisan public policy resolutions. He is a board member and former Chair of both the Canadian American Business Council (CABC) and the Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey.

A native of Oklahoma, Kelly earned his B.A. degree in Communications in 1976 from the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, where he has been named to the Alumni Hall of Fame. He attended Georgetown University’s Graduate School of Demography in Washington, D.C. He has guest lectured on politics, government, lobbying and communications at several universities, including Yale University, the Annenberg School of Communications at the University of Pennsylvania, George Washington University, and Burlington County College in New Jersey.

Border Management Panel

Dan is an international trade and customs lawyer who specializes in Canada-United States matters. He regularly assists businesses that are entering and navigating cross-border markets on issues such as customs and regulatory compliance, corporate structuring, business immigration, intellectual property protection, and financial incentives. Dan also provides public policy counsel to government officials and industry leaders on matters relating to Canada-US regulatory cooperation, border security and management, trade and investment attraction initiatives, government procurement, and public-private-partnerships.

A US-trained lawyer, Dan previously served as an officer in the Canadian government where he was responsible for coordinating a network of government departments and Canada-US industry associations toward improving North America’s borders and ports-of-entry. Dan also served a liaison between government officials in Canada and the US, as well as routinely assisted companies in dealings with Canada-US regulatory agencies.

Dan additionally served as the Managing Director of the Canada-United States Law Institute, an organization of cross-border corporate leaders, law firms, public policy experts and the media. Dan was as a member of the visiting law faculty at Case Western Reserve University (2004-11) where he taught Canada-United States Legal Relations as well as a program operated in partnership with the US Department of Homeland Security/United States Coast Guard. Dan was the co-faculty advisor to the Canada-United States Law Journal and the Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law.

Dan’s prior US litigation experience includes labor and employment defense, civil rights, products liability, and criminal matters. Dan served as a Senior Judicial Law Clerk to United States District Judge Peter C. Economus (OHND) for more than five years where he participated in federal criminal and civil litigation, including performing by designation in cases pending before the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

Professional Involvement:
 American Bar Association
 Ohio State Bar Association
 Columbus Bar Association
  Vice-President, Henry T. King, Jr. Greater Cleveland International Lawyers Group
 Association of Ohio Commodores
 Member, Steering Committee, JP Morgan Chase and Brookings Institution Metropolitan Export Initiative (MEI) at Columbus 2020
 Member, Great Lakes Manufacturing Council
 Member, Canada-US Business Association
 Principal/co-Founder, Canada-US SAGE Group (a network of international trade law and policy and policy practitioners that provide Canada-US strategies, advocacy, gateways and engagement counsel)

Infrastructure Modernization and Financing Panel

Deborah is the CIO and Head of the Infrastructure Debt Team at Allianz Global Investors. The team was established in September 2012 to develop the institutional investor debt market in infrastructure and to secure investments in the sector for Allianz Global Investor’s parent, Allianz SE and third party investors. Since its inception, the team has made over €2 billion of debt investments in a variety of infrastructure sectors, including greenfield PPPs, utility financings and re-financings, including various landmark transactions, such as the L2 Marseille bypass and the M8 in Scotland.

Before joining AGI she was CEO of Trifinium Advisors Limited, and head of Public Finance EMEA for MBIA UK Insurance Limited. She was responsible for the oversight for new business efforts in infrastructure, including government-supported entities, transportation, utilities and Public Private Partnerships/Private Finance Initiative financings. She also previously served as a Director of MBIA UK Insurance Limited, and as President of MBIA Assurance S.A. Previously, she managed MBIA’s Paris office, where she was responsible for both structured and public sector business, and worked on a variety of transactions including French securitisations and European local government financings.

Deborah holds an MBA from Yale School of Management, and a BA from Wellesley College. She’s a member of the International Project Finance Assoc. (IPFA) Council of Management.

Economic Clusters and Corridors Panel

A serial entrepreneur having started over 20 businesses in a variety of industries, Patrick Whalen is the Chief Operating Officer of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC).  In addition to managing the BNMC day-to-day operations, Pat is the BNMC’s unofficial “entrepreneur–in-residence.” As such, Pat works to foster collaboration and job creation on campus and throughout the bi-national region. Pat also works to attract dynamic companies and people from around the world to the BNMC.

The Blue Economy Panel

Bryan Stubbs is the Executive Director of the Cleveland Water Alliance, an effort to foster water innovation throughout Northeast Ohio. Stubbs is recognized for his management and actions in building/implementing stronger, impactful and more sustainable economies and communities through more than ten years of experience leading sustainability based economic development projects including as Managing Director of the Oberlin Project, where he worked to create an implement an internationally recognized pilot model to grow a local economy while reducing greenhouse gas emissions (a partnership of Oberlin College and the City of Oberlin). Previous projects include manager of the Regional Economic Competitiveness Strategy (RECS) for Northeast Ohio and as Director for the Chicago Westside Entrepreneurship Center, a program of the Illinois Dept. of Commerce, University of Illinois at Chicago, and Chicago Community Ventures that included a triple bottom-line approach to growth for the Chicagoland region. Stubbs holds an MBA from University of Illinois at Chicago, BA from the University of Kansas, and an Executive MBA from the Presidio School of Sustainable Management in San Francisco.

Infrastructure Modernization and Financing panel

John McBride was appointed as the inaugural CEO of PPP Canada by the Governor in Council on February 16, 2009. He has significant experience working with both the public and private sectors in infrastructure development and finance. He previously held positions as Executive Vice-President of the Canadian International Development Agency (2007-2009) and as CEO of the Canadian Commercial Corporation (2005-2007). He also held senior executive positions with Industry Canada, Treasury Board Secretariat and the Department of Finance, as well as with the Australian Government. He was awarded the Senate Medal from Carleton University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree.

Workforce Development and Labor Mobility Panel

Peter Creticos is founder, President and Executive Director of the Institute for Work & the Economy, a small Chicago-based research collaborative specializing in workforce and economic development. He is also a Research Fellow at the Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development at DePaul University in Chicago. Previously, Dr. Creticos was Senior Research Associate at the Center for Governmental Studies after serving as Regional Vice President for the National Alliance of Business (NAB). Creticos also has served in several senior positions on the Illinois State Senate staff, in state and local governments and other non-governmental organizations. He also has consulted on international as well as domestic U.S. policy issues, especially in workforce and economic development. Dr. Creticos earned his Ph.D. at the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Northwestern University. He has a Master of Management from Northwestern’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management, a Master of Arts in Political Science from the University of Missouri at St. Louis and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Washington University in St. Louis.

Great Lakes Energy Future Panel

Michael Bernstein is the President and Chief Executive Officer at Capstone Infrastructure Corporation. He is responsible for the company’s overall portfolio management of power infrastructure and utilities businesses in Canada and internationally.

As an executive with extensive experience in the Canadian infrastructure and utilities sector, Michael was formerly the President of Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets Canada Ltd. and a Senior Managing Director of Macquarie Group Limited. Prior to this, Michael served as the Senior Managing Director of Infrastructure and Utilities Advisory for Macquarie Capital Markets Canada, as well as a senior executive with CIBC World Markets’ Power & Utilities investment banking group. Michael has been involved in a wide range of significant projects and transactions, such as advising on Autoroute A-25, Quebec’s first public-private partnership project, and working with the Province of Ontario on the $40 billion restructuring of Ontario Hydro.

Currently, Michael is the Vice Chairman of the Association of Power Producers of Ontario (APPrO), a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), and serves as a board member of BUILD TORONTO, the real estate and development corporation created to generate value from the city's real estate assets.

Michael Bernstein holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Philosophy from Dartmouth College and an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst and ICD.D designations.

Business Roundtable - Creating a transformational bi-national economic agenda for the Great Lakes-St.Lawrence Region

Allan O’Dette is the President and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC), the voice of 60,000 businesses from across Ontario which collectively employ over two million people and produce nearly 17 percent of Ontario’s GDP.

Prior to joining the OCC, Allan was a senior executive in the biopharmaceutical industry with over 25 years of experience.

Allan serves on the CivicAction Steering Committee, and is a mentor to a DiverseCity Fellow through CivicAction’s Emerging Leaders Network. He is also active on the boards of Life Sciences Ontario and the Markham Stouffville Hospital.

Allan has served on numerous public and not-for-profit boards and committees. He was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his contributions to his community and his philanthropic and volunteer activities.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Trent University and an MBA from the Rotman School of Business at the University of Toronto.

Border Management Panel

Jennifer Fox is the Vice President, Trade and Security for the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) and the Ontario Trucking Association (OTA).

During her career she has held various senior roles related to international trade for a major Canadian importer, a Canadian manufacturer, an exporter and a large North American transportation company.

Jennifer has extensive involvement with both US Customs and Border Protection and Canada Border Services Agency working as industry’s representative for reducing regulatory burden and facilitating border crossing experiences for trucking.

During her career in the trucking industry, Jennifer has served on numerous provincial, national and international committees and task forces dealing with international trade, border management, safety and security. Jennifer is a member of both US CBP’s Trade Support Network and CBSA’s Border Commercial Consultative Committee, maintaining active contribution to such initiatives as Canada’s Advanced Commercial Information, Partners in Protection, Customs Self Assessment, and the US’ Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism and Automated Commercial Environment and the bi-national Free And Secure Trade. Jennifer serves as lead on cargo crime and works closely with Insurance Bureau of Canada, local, regional and federal law enforcement agencies as well as all levels of government.

Jennifer handles all day-to-day trade, security and compliance issues for both the Ontario Trucking Association and the Canadian Trucking Alliance.

Economic Clusters and Corridors Panel

Bill Mantel is the Assistant Deputy Minister of the Research, Commercialization and Entrepreneurship Division serving both the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation and the Ministry of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure. In this role, Bill oversees the delivery of a number of key ministry programs and initiatives focused on supporting Ontario’s research excellence, commercialization networks, and entrepreneurial expertise.

Previously, as Director of the ministry’s Commercialization Branch, Bill was responsible for implementing a wide range of strategies and programs that accelerate growth in Ontario’s knowledge-intensive industries; namely, by harnessing and integrating Ontario’s public and private innovation capacity through the launch of an innovation network that builds on provincial and regional strengths.

As Director of the Life Sciences and Technology Branch, from 1999 to 2005, Bill headed the development and implementation of provincial initiatives supporting medical and assistive technologies, biotechnology and related health industries. While in this role, he managed the establishment of significant organizations such as the MaRS Discovery District and the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR).

Since joining the Ontario Public Service in 1987, Bill has held a number of positions in Cabinet Office and at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs where his work focused on the development and implementation of key provincial policy and program initiatives including the Red Tape Review Commission. During this time, Bill also led the design of an Ontario farm finance policy intended to increase access to risk and operating capital, and the province-wide implementation of the restructured farm property taxation program. Bill also served as a Board member on the Agricultural Commodity Corporation.

Bill holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture and Business.

Infrastructure Modernization and Financing Panel

Kirk Dillard is the Chairman of the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA). The Regional Transportation Authority is the unit of local government charged with regional financial and budgetary oversight, funding and transit planning for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Metra and Pace bus and Pace Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Paratransit Service. The RTA region’s system provides more than two million rides each weekday on bus and rail services in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will Counties. The region’s system covers approximately 3,700 square miles and serves approximately 8.4 million residents. The RTA also provides rider services, including online and telephone travel planning assistance and travel training for seniors and people with disabilities. The RTA’s regional system is the second largest transit system in the country by passenger miles traveled, behind only New York, and the third largest in the country by ridership, behind only New York and Los Angeles.

Before assuming the RTA chairmanship Dillard was a prolific Illinois state senator representing Chicago's western suburbs in President Abraham Lincoln's hometown of Springfield the Illinois State Capital. He chaired the Senate's Judiciary and Local Government Committees and served on the Transportation and Appropriations Committees. Prior to his election as senator, Kirk served with distinction as former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar's chief of staff. Senator Dillard is also a longtime partner in Chicago at one of the world's largest law firms Locke Lord LLP. He lives in Hinsdale, Illinois with his wife and daughters.

Infrastructure Modernization and Financing Panel

As Vice President, Government Affairs Mr. Delvecchio is responsible for representing Siemens Canada Limited at the government level and providing strategic guidance to the Siemens management group. He is responsible for establishing and managing relationships with key government stakeholders throughout Canada and defining the Siemens approach to this market segment.

Prior to joining Siemens in 2006, Mr. Delvecchio served as Consul General for the Government of Canada. His responsibilities included representing Canada in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky where he promoted Canadian interests in trade, investment, immigration, environment, culture and academic relations.

From1996 through 2002, Mr. Delvecchio was Executive Director of Investment Partnerships Canada, a joint venture of Industry Canada and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade with a mandate to attract, retain and expand foreign investment in Canada. He was successful in securing large-scale investments in information technologies, pharmaceuticals and resource sectors throughout Canada.

Mr. Delvecchio is a graduate of the University of Toronto, holding a Masters of Applied Science in Aerospace Engineering and graduate studies at the Harvard School of Business (PMD89).

For more than 100 years the innovative ideas from Siemens have helped make Canada a better place. From the Atlantic to Pacific oceans, more than 4,500 employees in Canada work together to provide answers that last in the fields of electrification, automation and digitalization. Since it was federally chartered in 1912, Siemens has stood for innovation, quality, reliability and internationality. Sales for Siemens Canada in fiscal 2014 (ended September 30), were $2.7 billion CAD. The company has 39 offices and 12 manufacturing/assembly facilities across Canada. Further information is available at www.siemens.ca.

Multi-Modal Logistics Panel

Arnold Weinfeld joined Prima Civitas as Chief Executive Officer and Board Chair in March 2014, after having served as treasurer of the Prima Civitas board. For the prior nine years, he worked at the Michigan Municipal League, a statewide nonprofit organization representing cities across Michigan.

Prior to that, Arnold worked for the Michigan House of Representatives from 1983-2004 in a variety of capacities including legislative aide, policy analyst and policy director.

Arnold is a graduate of Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in social science, a multi-disciplinary program with coursework in economics, industrial sociology and political science.  He also is a board member of the Michigan Parks and Recreation Association, and Michigan Rural Development Council.

Arnold and his team at Prima Civitas work with the public and private sectors to strengthen Michigan's economy. Prima Civitas is recognized as a statewide leader in providing innovative solutions to challenging economic and community development situations, and as an impartial, independent and expert resource. The nonprofit economic and community development organization offers direct services to municipalities and public and private agencies, which include workforce and economic development consulting; workforce and economic transformation; manufacturing diversification; crisis recovery; legal services; and commercialization of intellectual property.

Prima Civitas also provides strategic planning; financial management; grant administration; and project team leadership and facilitation. In addition, the organization provides facilitation and management of collaborative groups; consortium development; and helps organizations to gain access to key agencies and networks.

In 2011, Prima Civitas, Michigan State University, and Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia hosted the Great Lakes International Trade and Transport Hub (GLITTH) Summit at MSU. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder joined with government leaders, economic developers and trade specialists from the two counties to help businesses to move trade across borders.  Participants formed the GLITTH Initiative, charged with examining and developing a truly bi-national export/import strategy.

The initiative leverages assets of the shared region, including the Great Lakes supply chain infrastructure, world-class universities, land and agricultural resources, and advanced manufacturing. The resulting multifaceted US Midwest-Canada network is motivated to see this regional partnership become an economic force in the global economy. Members of the GLITTH network share information and connect resources to advance regional business investment, job creation, environmental sustainability, and economic vitality.

Great Lakes Policy Leaders Roundtable

Mark Romoff is President and Chief Executive Officer of The Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships (CCPPP). Established in 1993, CCPPP’s mission is to promote innovative approaches to infrastructure development and service delivery through public-private partnerships with all levels of government.

Previously, Mark was founding President and CEO of the Ontario Centres of Excellence, Canada’s leading innovation, technology commercialization and entrepreneurship development organization.

Over his twenty five year career with the government of Canada, Mark served as Executive Director in the Department of Industry and as a senior diplomat in the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, serving in Nigeria, Mexico, Malaysia, Japan and the United States.

He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Quebec City Conference, the Central Canadian Public Television Association (PBS-WNED), the Empire Club of Canada, the i-CANADA Governors Council; the World Economic Forum “Strategic Infrastructure Initiative” Advisory Committee; and is Vice-Chair of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Team of Specialists on Public-Private Partnerships Governing Council.

He earned a Bachelor of Science from McGill University, a Masters in Applied Science from the University of Waterloo, and is a graduate of the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government Senior Executives Program and the Directors Education Program of the Canadian Institute of Corporate Directors and holds the ICD.D (Certified Director) designation. Mark is also a recipient of the 2012 Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Great Lakes Energy Future Panel

Bob Riga is general manager of Northeast business development for Spectra Energy’s U.S. transmission business. In this role he is responsible for managing the development of incremental expansion projects for Spectra Energy’s Texas Eastern Transmission pipeline unit and for building commercial relationships between Spectra Energy and producers and mid-stream operators in the prolific Utica and Marcellus shale areas.

Riga was named to his present position in 2009. Previously, he was general manager, Northeast marketing and has held several senior level positions in LDC marketing, business development and LNG marketing for Spectra Energy Transmission and its predecessor companies.

He joined the company in 1979 as market analyst, marketing and rates for Algonquin Gas Transmission. Prior to that, he held a staff position in the gas supply planning department for Consolidated Edison Company of New York.

Riga received a Bachelor of Science degree in economics and business administration from Wagner College in Staten Island, N.Y.

Great Lakes Policy Leaders Roundtable

As president and CEO, Todd Maisch establishes the goals for the Chamber and coordinates the efforts of the various councils and staff. Maisch has spearheaded such critical achievements as directing and releasing the Waterways: A Crisis Continued report on the state's waterways transportation system, and the Illinois Military Base and Defense Industry Assets Economic Impact Study: State and Regional Analyses report. Each have become the basis for legislative testimony, public outreach, and have been cited in planning documents by various groups. Within hours of the November 2014 election, Maisch was tapped by Gov.-elect Bruce Rauner to sit on his economic development transition committee. Because of Maisch's extensive experience in government and business, he is uniquely qualified to provide insight into how government can encourage a healthy economy. He has been featured on the Illinois Channel and numerous publications, and speaks to several business-related organizations about the business community's needs and the Chamber's successes. Maisch has been with the Chamber for 20 years.

Maisch holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois, Urbana, and an MBA from Illinois State University. Prior to joining the Chamber in 1994, Todd worked for the General Assembly as a research analyst for the House Republican staff. While working for the General Assembly, he staffed the House Revenue and State Government Committees. He also served as a policy analyst for the House Republican Campaign Committee where he managed political campaigns.

Regulatory Cooperation Panel

Allison Orris is the Associate Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). OIRA is located within the Office of Management and Budget and plays a key role in coordinating the review of Federal regulations. As Associate Administrator, Ms. Orris’ responsibilities include helping to lead the development of regulatory policy and White House review of significant Executive Branch regulatory actions, as well as supporting international regulatory coordination efforts.

Prior to joining OIRA, she served in a variety of capacities at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Most recently, she was a Senior Policy Advisor to the Director of CMS’ Center for Medicaid & CHIP Services. In that role, she was responsible for leading special projects related to Affordable Care Act implementation, coordinating Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) policy within CMS, and advising the Center Director. Prior to that, Ms. Orris led a team of analysts in the CMS Office of Legislation during Congressional consideration of the Affordable Care Act. Before joining CMS, Ms. Orris worked as a Senior Legislative Associate at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, where she focused on federal budget and tax issues as well as Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and other policy issues impacting low income individuals. She also practiced law at a Washington, D.C. law firm where she specialized in representing states, national associations, public and non-profit hospitals, and other health care providers on regulatory and legislative matters.

Economic Clusters and Corridors Panel

Melissa Bean is Chairman of the Midwest and national Co-Chair of the Small Business Forward (SBF) initiative for JPMorgan Chase & Co. As Chairman, she serves as the senior executive across all lines of business and functional areas in the Midwest region. As Co-Chair of SBF, she supports initiatives that drive innovation and growth for small businesses. Bean applies a results-driven approach in partnering with experts across the firm to deliver on our commitment to the clients and communities we serve.

Prior to joining JPMorgan Chase & Co., Bean served as President and CEO of the Executives’ Club of Chicago, a premier executive networking and speaker forum, from 2011 to 2014. She partnered closely with a prestigious board of directors, comprised of CEOs from Chicago’s largest and fastest-growing firms, to share best practices.

Bean served from 2005 to 2011 in the U.S. House of Representatives (8th District Illinois), and also served as a leader on the House Financial Services and Small Business Committees. She led a task force that wrote key provisions of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, aiming to protect investors without stifling growth and innovation. She also co-authored key amendments in the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, which provided up to $30 billion in capital to banks to encourage small business lending.

Before Congress, Bean managed high tech sales organizations, including Dataflex, SynOptics, Motorola/UDS and Arrow Electronics. She also founded a consulting firm specializing in providing strategic market segmentation and sales channel optimization to Fortune 1000 high tech clients.

Currently, Bean is on the board of directors of the Executives’ Club of Chicago, and World Business Chicago, which was established to create economic development and jobs in Chicago. She is Vice Chair of the board for One Million Degrees (formerly the Illinois Educational Foundation) and is also a member of the Chicago Network, the Chicago Club, and The University Club of Chicago. Bean regularly provides keynote addresses at business and academic conferences.

She received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa, from Roosevelt University. Bean resides in Barrington, Illinois with her husband of thirty years and their two daughters.

Workforce Development and Labor Mobility Panel

Dr. Donahue is director of the IBEW-NECA Technical Institute, which is sponsored by IBEW Local 134 and the Electrical Contractors’ Association of the City of Chicago. As director, he is responsible for the operation and management of three apprenticeship programs and two training centers in Chicago and Cook County, Illinois. Dr. Donahue served two terms as Chair of the Board of Trustees at Moraine Valley Community College, Palos Hills, Illinois, and was later appointed to the Illinois Community College Board. He also served as Chair of the Board of Directors at St. Rita of Cascia High School, and served on the Board of Directors of ACE Tech Charter High School, both located in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Donahue is an adjunct faculty member in the Industrial Technology and Management Department at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois. He earned a Juris Doctor from The John Marshall Law School, and a Doctorate in Education from Roosevelt University.

Workforce Development and Labor Mobility Panel

Ms. Partee represents multinational companies engaged in the global movement of personnel. She has co-authored multiple chapters on U.S. immigration law and policy for human resource and employment compliance manuals, and is editor of the Firm’s U.S. Business Immigration Manual. She is also actively involved in the Firm’s pro bono and community service programs.

Ms. Partee provides strategic counseling and advice regarding the full range of immigration compliance issues faced by companies with a globally mobile workforce. She works with multinational employers to find compliant and pragmatic solutions for business travelers, trainees, and short and long-term assignees. She also advises on the immigration-related consequences of major corporate changes, such as reductions in force and mergers and acquisitions. She collaborates with clients to develop tailored training programs on immigration-related best practices, and to implement comprehensive immigration policies.

Great Lakes Economic Development, Trade and Investment: A State-Provincial Perspective

MBrad Duguid currently serves as Minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure. He served as Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities in February 2013. Prior to that, he served as Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development and Innovation, during which time Duguid focused on creating jobs, promoting Ontario as a smart place to invest, building a culture of entrepreneurship and growing a strong, innovative economy.

He ushered in Bill 11 (Attracting Investment and Creating Jobs Act 2012), a marquee piece of legislation that established the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund and made permanent the Eastern Ontario Development Fund.

Previously, as Ontario’s Minister of Energy, Duguid launched Ontario’s Long-Term Energy Plan, which built on Ontario’s commitment to clean energy.

As Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, he worked at building relationships and launched PLAY, a program for aboriginal youth using participation in sports and activities to teach life-skills. Duguid’s involvement in politics began more than 25 years ago while working at Queen’s Park and on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

Duguid lives in Scarborough with his wife, Crystal, and has two sons, Kennedy and Jordan.

Multi-Modal Logistics Panel

Henri Verboon is a marketing and business development specialist, focused on port economics, container shipping and Great Lakes shipping. Verboon graduated in 2012 as Master of Science in Economics from the Erasmus University Rotterdam, with a specialization in Urban, Port and Transport Economics.

He became involved with the Great Lakes as graduate intern at the Consulate of The Netherlands in Chicago. In his thesis, “The Great Lakes: The world’s most underutilized waterway.”, he researched the potential of a direct container service between Europe and the Great Lakes from a transport economic point of view. He developed an economic model to calculate the expected freight rate for a door-to-door service between both continents.

Following the findings in his Master's thesis: In the spring of 2014 the Port of Cleveland and the Amsterdam-based shipping line Spliethoff started the Cleveland-Europe Express, a monthly direct service between both regions. For the first time in more than 30 years, the Great Lakes got a direct container connection to Europe.

To share the message of his findings, Henri published several articles in North-America and Europe on this topic and organized a trade mission to The Netherlands (Rotterdam, Amsterdam & Moerdijk). He also aims to connect Maritime and Port professionals by maintaining the Great Lakes St Lawrence Seaway Maritime Network group on LinkedIn.

After graduating, Henri founded his own consultancy firm, Great Lakes Transportation & Advisory. His specializations are logistical development studies (multimodal), port development and maritime strategy. Next to this work as consultant, Henri works as management trainee at the largest container terminal in Europe.

Sister City Remarks from the City of Toronto

Denzil Minnan-Wong is the Deputy Mayor for the City of Toronto and the City Councillor for Ward 34, Don Valley East.

Deputy Mayor Minnan-Wong holds a number of positions on various committees, boards, agencies, and corporations at the City of Toronto. He currently sits on the boards of the Toronto Transit Commission, Invest Toronto, Waterfront Toronto, BUILD Toronto, and Toronto Hydro. He is the Chair of the Striking Committee, the Employee and Labour Relations Committee, and the Civic Appointments Committee. He is the Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee and sits on the Employee and Labour Relations Committee, the Debenture Committee, the Committee of Revision, and is part of the Nominating Panel for Facilities and Finance at the City of Toronto.

Opening Session: Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity

John DeBlasio currently serves as the Director of the Office of International Trade and Investment at the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, a position he was appointed to by Governor Bruce Rauner in March 2015. Under his leadership, his Chicago- based team, and its 10 foreign offices across the world, work to promote the Illinois economy through foreign direct investment and trade.

Prior to his appointment, he Co-Founded and was the Managing Partner of Bootstrap Capital LLC, as well as Founder and Executive Director of the GPD Charitable Trust - both were established following the sale of Sallyport Global Holdings in June 2011, where he was previously the Owner. The Foundation was established to assist at-risk young adults as well as to promote democracy world-wide and has made several significant grants and partnerships since inception, while Bootstrap Capital has focused on enabling strong entrepreneurs leading growth stage companies to succeed without ceding control of their businesses

Previously, as owner of Sallyport Global Holdings, he built an organization which employed over 1,900 people worldwide and became the largest provider of security and facilities management services to US Agency for International Development, USAID, prime contractors operating in Iraq. In addition, they served as a primary contractor for the US Department of Defense and US Department of State in Central Asia and Africa.

He is a 1989 West Point Graduate, who retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army Reserve Civil Affairs branch and was deployed to the Middle East in 2003-2004, where he worked with the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA). During this time, he also served as an Advisor to the Ministry of Trade and as the CPA Liaison with the US Embassy in Amman Jordan. He was awarded a Bronze Star, as well as a Joint Service Commendation medal for his service.

He currently serves on the Boards of The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver, Illinois Joining Forces, and MVP Vets.

Business Roundtable – A Bi-national Economic Agenda for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Region

Jeff Malehorn is the President & CEO of World Business Chicago (WBC), where he is responsible for the attraction, expansion and retention of companies to Chicago. His role includes the overall implementation of the Plan for Economic Growth and Jobs, which was produced by WBC at Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s request and is the outline for the city’s overarching economic development efforts.

A GE Company Officer since 2001 and 28-year veteran of the company, Jeff spent the majority of his executive career at GE leading global financial services businesses based in Paris, Tokyo, and Chicago.

A graduate of Penn State University, Jeff is passionate about giving back to his community. He was the executive sponsor for GE Capital’s global HealthAhead program. He co-chaired the United Way’s Tocqueville Society and serves on the UW campaign cabinet, and co-chaired Workforce Chicago’s Business Leadership Group. He is the outgoing Metropolitan Chicago American Heart Association board chairman and is a board member for the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Junior Achievement and was a founding Midwest Board member for BuildOn.