Wisconsin Economic Summit III will include several concurrent sessions during which summit participants will hear from experts around the state about important economic development issues. We encourage you to use the following summary to generate story ideas before and during the summit.
Wisconsin Economic Summit III will be held Oct. 14-16 at the Midwest Express Center in Milwaukee. The concurrent sessions will start at 1:30 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 15.
We invite you to attend these concurrent sessions, which promise community- and business-related stories of great interest to local and statewide audiences.
The following summary includes topics and participants in each session. For a complete list of panelists and a full agenda, please visit wisconsin.edu/summit/.
CONCURRENT SESSIONS
* The Entrepreneurial Effect in Wisconsin: Many factors feed into an entrepreneurial effect: access to talent, access to capital, a variety of networks and a robust support infrastructure. Learn how developing an entrepreneurial development system can transform community/regional economies.
MODERATOR: Erica Kauten, State Director, Small Business Development Center, UW-Extension
PANELISTS:
Adam Bock, Research Manager, Early Stage Research
Debra Malewicki, Director, Wisconsin Innovation Service Center, UW-Whitewater
Jeff Rafn, President, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College
Floyd Rose III, Student, Edgewood High School, Madison
Penny Scheuerman, Community Development Manager, WE Energies
* As Health Care Goes, so Goes the Health of the Economy. How Healthy Are We?: Leaders in Wisconsin’s health care industry describe the challenges they face with a shortage of essential health care workers.
MODERATOR: Nino Amato, Vice President, Wisconsin Technical College System Board
PANELISTS:
Daniel Manders, President/CEO, Mile Bluff Medical Center
Norma Tirado, Vice President of Employee Services, Agnesian HealthCare
Gerald Worrick, President/CEO, Door County Memorial Hospital/Ministry Health Care
* Vision 2020: A Model Wisconsin Economy: Wisconsin needs to foster the development of high-tech clusters. These experts will discuss the knowledge strategy at the core of the project the creation of high-tech clusters.
MODERATOR: Tom Still, President, Wisconsin Technology Council
PANELISTS:
John Byrnes, Chairman & CEO, Mason Wells
David J. Ward, President, NorthStar Economics, Inc.
* Investing in Pre-College Scholarship ProgramsDocumented Success in Milwaukee: Our educational efforts must ensure that young Wisconsin residents are highly skilled, highly educated and have access to opportunities. A number of innovative pre-college programs have pointed in the direction it takes to ensure these opportunities for students. Panelists will discuss what they have learned.
MODERATOR: Elizabeth Burmaster, State Superintendent, Department of Public Instruction
PANELISTS:
Andrea-Teresa “Tess” Arenas, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs and Senior Advisor to the President for Multicultural Affairs, UW System
Paul Barrows, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, UW-Madison
Stanley F. Battle, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, UW-Milwaukee
Paul La Schiazza, President, SBC Ameritech Wisconsin
Gerard Randall, CEO, Private Industry Council of Milwaukee County; member, UW System Board of Regents
Tim Sheehy, President, Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce
Keita Williams, former Pre-College Academy participant
* Brain Gain: It’s about TalentKeeping, Attracting and Growing Our Own: Attracting, keeping and “growing our own” young talent is how we will show a “Brain Gain” in the future. This session will provide a look at some new information, share some creative solutions to making a community a place where young people want to live and highlight opportunities for Wisconsin students to complete college degrees.
MODERATOR: Jennifer Alexander, Secretary, Department of Workforce Development
PANELISTS:
Dean Amhaus, President, Spirit of Milwaukee
Kathleen Cullen, Bureau Director, Program Development & Operations, Wisconsin Technical College System
Melissa Genich, Student, UW-Parkside
Terry Ludeman, Economist, Department of Workforce Development
Anne Stathum, Professor of Sociology, UW-Parkside
* Health Care Industry Growth and Costs?Impact on Wisconsin’s Competitiveness: Prominent leaders discuss the impact of health care costs and what can be done.
MODERATOR: Jim Nellen, President, Competitive Wisconsin; Partner, Michael, Best & Friedrich
PANELISTS:
T. Michael Bolger, President and CEO, Medical College of Wisconsin
Tom Hefty, Chairman and CEO, Cobalt Corporation
David Newby, President, Wisconsin AFL-CIO
John Torinus, CEO, Serigraph Inc.
* The Role of the Media in Economic Development: These panelists will discuss the media and Wisconsin’s economyreporting what matters.
MODERATOR: Neil Heinen, Editorial Director, WISC-TV Channel 3, Madison
PANELISTS:
Rich Kirchen, Managing Editor, The Business Journal
Scott Klug, CEO, Wisconsin Trails Media, former US Congressman, former broadcast journalist
Gary Miller, Senior Business Editor, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Tom Still, President, Wisconsin Technology Council, former Associate Editor, Wisconsin State Journal
* Technology Advances, Skilled Worker Competition Manufacturing down-turn or turn-around?: Experts in labor and manufacturing discuss Wisconsin’s economic future.
MODERATOR: Phil Neuenfeldt, Secretary-Treasurer, Wisconsin State AFL-CIO
PANELISTS:
Kenneth Heins, President, KLH Industries, Inc.
Pete Ollman, Plant Manager, Hutchinson Technology Inc.
Mike Schmitt, Process Manager, Materials Management Group, Harley-Davidson Motor Company