• 2013 Governor's Economic Summit

  • Speakers

    Governor Rick Snyder

     

     

      

    Governor Snyder Three years ago, businessman Rick Snyder was a virtual unknown in the political world. When he first decided to run for governor, his standing in the polls was so low that taking the margin of error into account, he theoretically could have had negative numbers. Political pundits said there was no way he could compete against the better known field of experienced political rivals.

    The pundits were wrong.

    Governor Rick Snyder won in a landslide victory after running as "One Tough Nerd" ready to make the tough decisions career politicians refused to make. The tactic led one particularly snarky pundit to quip "I guess nerd tested better in the focus groups than dork."

    As a candidate, Gov. Snyder pledged to eliminate the job-killing Michigan Business Tax and replace it with a flat, 6-percent corporate income tax that is simple, fair and efficient. He pledged to structurally balance the budget without using accounting gimmicks or quick fixes. He pledged to create an environment where small businesses can grow and create jobs.

    The businessman-turned-politician has delivered. As promised, he eliminated the job-killing Michigan Business Tax. He ended the unfair double tax on small business owners. Working together with lawmakers, the governor eliminated the state's $1.5 billion deficit. And in stark contrast to the partisan fighting that led to two government shutdowns under his predecessor, Gov. Snyder got the budget done by the earliest date it has been completed in 30 years.

    When Gov. Snyder came into office, Michigan barely had enough money saved in the rainy day fund to run the state for approximately 30 minutes. Under Gov. Snyder, the state is doing the responsible thing by saving for the future and paying down its long term debt.

    Gov. Snyder earned his undergraduate degree, MBA and law degree from the University of Michigan - all by the age of 23. After teaching at the University of Michigan, he went to work as a tax accountant at Coopers & Lybrand - now PriceWaterhouseCoopers - where he made partner after only six years. He then joined the fledgling computer company Gateway and helped it grow from a little over 700 employees to a Fortune 500 company with more than 10,000 employees before leaving to form his own successful venture capital firm.

    Serving as an elected official brings challenges that are different than working as a CEO in the private sector. Now that he is the making tough decisions needed to Reinvent Michigan, Gov. Snyder is encountering resistance from entrenched special interests, protestors and recall efforts.

    But anyone who has had an opportunity to hear the governor speak knows that he is not interested in being negative or getting bogged down by unproductive partisan fighting. It's this same spirit of "relentless positive action" that has him working on an accelerated schedule of "dog years" as governor.

    As the governor said during his inauguration, we can only achieve extraordinary things if we aspire beyond traditional thinking. Do not shy away from high expectations - deliver on high expectations.  
       

    Jim Clifton

     

    Jim Clifton Since 1988, Jim Clifton has served as CEO of Gallup, a leader in organizational consulting and public opinion research. His most recent innovation, the Gallup World Poll, is designed to give the world’s
    7 billion citizens a voice in virtually all key global issues. Mr. Clifton has pledged to continue this effort to collect world opinion for 100 years in 150 countries.

    Under Mr. Clifton’s leadership, Gallup has achieved a fifteenfold increase in its billing volume and expanded Gallup from a predominantly U.S.-based company to a worldwide organization with 40 offices in 30 countries and regions.

    Mr. Clifton is the creator of The Gallup Path, a metric-based economic model that establishes the linkages among human nature in the workplace, customer engagement, and business outcomes. This model is used in performance management systems in more than 500 companies worldwide. He is also the author of many articles and of the book The Coming Jobs War.

    Mr. Clifton serves on several boards and is Chairman of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. He has received honorary degrees from Jackson State, Medgar Evers, and Bellevue Universities.
       

    Paul Traub

     
    Paul Traub Paul Traub (BBA, MBA) currently holds the position of Business Economist at the Detroit branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago where his responsibilities include both research and current analysis. Paul currently servers on advisory boards for the Business Schools at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan and Baker College in Flint, Michigan. Prior to joining the research department of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Paul was the President of Scenario Economics LLC and Senior Economist for Americas Commercial Transportation Research Company, LLC (ACT Research).

    Paul retired in 2008 from the position of Corporate Economist with 25 years of service at Chrysler LLC. Paul worked in Chrysler’s Corporate Economist’s office for over 17 of those years where his responsibilities included tracking the economy and forecasting its impact on North American auto sales; supporting new product development; and speaking to auto dealers and numerous professional organizations. His speaking engagements have included the Michigan and Ohio Governors’ Councils of Economic Advisors, the Society of Automotive Analysts Automotive Outlook Conference, the Forum on Global Energy, Economy, and Security (The Aspen Institute) and the Bear Stearns Global Transport & Logistics Conference. Paul currently is on the Board of Directors of the Detroit Association of Business Economists; is a member of the National Association of Business Economists; serves on advisory boards for the School of Business Administration for Baker College of Flint and the College of Management for Lawrence Technological University; and has served as an adjunct faculty member and is on the Economics department advisory board in the School of Business Administration at Oakland University. He holds the BBA degree from the University of Michigan - Dearborn and the MBA degree from Oakland University.

    Michael Finney

     
    Mike Finney Michael A. Finney is President and CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), a public-private partnership serving as the state's lead agency for business and job growth, talent enhancement, tourism marketing, arts and cultural grants, and overall economic growth. His responsibilities at MEDC also include serving as Governor Rick Snyder’s Economic Growth Group Executive and as President and Chairman of the Michigan Strategic Fund.

    Under Mike’s leadership, the MEDC developed Pure Michigan Business Connect (PMBC), one of the most innovative economic development programs in the country. PMBC provides comprehensive business development, capital access, talent enhancement and marketing assistance to Michigan based companies. PMBC is quickly becoming a national model for economic development.

    Prior to taking the helm at MEDC, Mike served as President and CEO of Ann Arbor SPARK (SPARK), a public-private partnership whose mission is to advance innovation-based economic development in the greater Ann Arbor, Michigan region.

    He also served as President and CEO of Greater Rochester Enterprise, Rochester, New York; Vice President, Emerging Business Sectors, MEDC; Senior Vice President and General Manager, Thomson Saginaw; and, Assistant City Manager, Saginaw, Michigan.

    Mike currently serves on the board of directors for the State Science and Technology Institute, the Michigan Strategic Fund, the Michigan Economic Growth Authority, Governor Snyder’s Talent Investment Board, and the Washtenaw Community College Foundation. He also serves on The University of Michigan Life Sciences Institute, Office of Technology Transfer and Center for Entrepreneurship, National Advisory Councils.

    Mike has received numerous awards and recognition including the 2008 Saginaw Valley State University Outstanding Alumnus for the College of Business and Management; named by Crain's Detroit Business as one of the 2007 Newsmakers of the Year; and the 2005 Minett Distinguished Professor at Rochester Institute of Technology.

    Mike holds a Master of Arts in Human Resources from Central Michigan University and Bachelor of Business Administration from Saginaw Valley State University.  

    Doug Rothwell

     
    Doug Rothwell Doug Rothwell has worked as an executive in the public, private and non-profit sectors having worked for three state Governors in two different states and two Fortune 500 companies, General Motors and Bank of America’s credit card subsidiary. He currently is President and CEO of Business Leaders for Michigan, an organization consisting exclusively of the CEO’s from the state’s largest job providers. Business Leaders for Michigan conducts research, develops strategies, educates the public and both leads and advocates for actions to grow Michigan’s economy. He chairs the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, an organization he once founded and led, and chaired Michigan Governor Rick Snyder’s Transition Team.

    Doug graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Masters of Public Administration degree, the University of Delaware with a Bachelor of Arts degree and the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School’s Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government.

    He’s received the most prestigious honors awarded by the National Governors Association, the Michigan Economic Developers Association and the University of Delaware for his public service.

    Mary L. Kramer

     
    Mary Kramer Mary L. Kramer, Group Publisher, Crain Communications Inc.

    Mary Kramer was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She is a graduate of Grand Valley State University and worked for six daily newspapers before joining Crain's Detroit Business in April 1989 as editor. She has since been promoted to publisher, responsible for all operations for the publication that was founded in 1985. In 2012, she was named group publisher for Crain business publications in Cleveland and Detroit.

    Crain's Detroit Business (CDB) covers business news – including nonprofits and philanthropy -- in the five-county metropolitan Detroit area. Daily “Michigan Morning” and weekly Crain’s Michigan Business enewsletters as well as a monthly print publication extend that coverage statewide.

    Gov. Rick Snyder appointed her to the board of trustees of Grand Valley, effective January 2013. Her volunteer roles include many others support higher education: foundation board member at Wayne State and Grand Valley universities and a director of the Michigan Colleges Foundation. She holds honorary doctorates from Grand Valley, Walsh College, Alma College and Central and Eastern Michigan universities and recently earned an M.S. degree in Integrated Marketing Communications from Eastern Michigan.

    She also serves as a board member for the Detroit Regional Chamber and Metropolitan Affairs Coalition.

    A resident of Detroit, she is the first woman to be elected president of the historic Detroit Athletic Club.