Visionary Leaders Discuss How to Succeed in Turbulent Times 

What do Bill Gates, a

June 24, 2009

constitutional scholar and an MIT economist have in common? They are all addressing NCSL's Legislative Summit participants.

Without a doubt, these are challenging times for states.

State legislators and legislative staff are dealing with budget constraints, decreases in revenue and potential layoffs and furloughs. With that said, now is the time for the nation's leaders to hear some of the best strategies used by visionary business and industry icons that will help move the nation out of the current economic slump.

National figures ranging from Microsoft founder Bill Gates to MIT economist Simon Johnson will share their ideas about leadership, innovation and reform at the National Conference of State Legislatures’ (NCSL) Legislative Summit in Philadelphia in July.

"This year we've all seen states struggle to find solutions to budget shortfalls and declines in revenue," said William T. Pound, executive director of NCSL. "Many state legislators have developed creative ways to maintain the same levels of programs and services while balancing budgets. Still, these speakers at Legislative Summit have the business acumen to inspire a new idea that might just become the next best thing for states." 

Noteworthy speakers include:

Tuesday, July 21, 2009 

A Bold New Vision for Education
Bill Gates, America's most famous technology entrepreneur, has turned his energy and genius to improving education in our country. Gates believes that economic stimulus money for education provides a unique opportunity—a moment in time—to create bold innovations that will redefine educational excellence. 8:30 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.   

Doing More With Less, Become a Creative Innovator
Founder and CEO of Futurethink, Lisa Bodell designed a company to help organizations anticipate and capitalize on the future. The company has the largest database of innovation research and tools in the world. Bodell's expertise is in foresight, innovation and change to help corporations and organizations understand not only what's next, but also why it matters. 2:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.    

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

The Economy: What's in Store?
Renowned economists will share their ideas on how to get out of the recession. They will discuss whether the stimulus money is enough to stabilize the American economy, whether the United States will lead the recovery, and the roles the EU and China will play. 8:30 a.m. - 10 a.m. Convention Center Ballroom.
Panelists:

• Simon Johnson of MIT's Sloan School of Management, is an expert on financial and economic crises.
• David Wyss is chief economist at Standard & Poor's.
• David L. Cohen is executive vice president of Comcast.  

Leading in Turbulent Times
The first-and-only Buffalo Bills player to have his number officially retired, Jim Kelly led the team to four consecutive Super Bowl appearances. He was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame on the first ballot. Since his retirement in 1997, Kelly has been an NFL game analyst for NBC Sports and ESPN, a radio talk show host and philanthropist. He is the founder of the Hunter's Hope Foundation, the Kelly for Kids Foundation and the Jim Kelly Football Camp. 1:30 p.m. 

Constitutional Convention of 1787 - Lessons of Political Leadership
Historian of the American Revolutionary Era, Richard Beeman has been on the faculty at Penn for 41 years. His most recent book, Plain Honest Men: The Making of the American Constitution, is the most comprehensive account of the Constitutional Convention to appear in the last half century. The book shows how the world’s most enduring constitution was forged through conflict, compromise, and eventually, fragile consensus. 3:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.      

Thursday, July 23, 2009

The Word from Washington, D.C.
Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke will discuss White House initiatives and their effects on the states. Locke, the first Chinese-American in a president’s cabinet, is the former governor of Washington state. He is charged with helping implement President Obama’s ambitious agenda to turn around the economy and put people back to work. 9 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.   

Mark Kennedy Shriver, former Maryland delegate and now chairman of the National Commission on Children and Disasters in Washington, D.C., will discuss the new bipartisan group focused on the needs of children affected by disaster. 3:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.  Convention Center 108AB

Friday, July 24, 2009

Restoring America's Legacy: Achieving Better Results in Government
Author, columnist and popular speaker, Bill Eggers is a recognized expert on government reform. He has advised officials in dozens of cities, states and foreign countries on government restructuring. John O'Leary of Harvard's Kennedy School is an expert in operational efficiency and has held several leadership positions in Massachusetts state government. The two will discuss practical tips on dealing with the challenges of managing budgets, institutions and programs during difficult economic times. 10:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. 

• Bill Eggers, director, Deloitte Research, Washington, D.C.
• John O'Leary, Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Massachusetts  
   

Elemental Leadership in Crisis Times
Director of Harvard's Institute of Politics at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Bill Purcell's insights into the elements of leadership have been honed by a lifetime's dedication to public service.  He has served as the majority leader of the Tennessee House of Representatives and the mayor of Nashville. noon - 1:45 p.m.   

Mastering the 3-Minute Speech
Joan Detz provides custom-designed speaker services—coaching executives, teaching speechwriting workshops and conducting media training. She’s written four speechwriting books that have been critically acclaimed by The Washington Post and The New York Times. She recently received the 2009 President’s Award, presented by the National Association of Government Communicators. 10:15 a.m.- 11:45 a.m.  

Registration

Credentialed members of the media may register for free to attend the Legislative Summit. By credentialed, we mean any news outlet that currently has or could obtain credentials to cover a state legislature or Congress. If you have questions, please contact our Communications Division.Advanced registration may be done online until July 3. After that, members of the media must register on-site at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in the Press Room. The registration desk inthe press room will be open on Monday, July 20 at 8:00 am. The press room is located in rooms 307 A & B on the third floor of the convention center. If you already received confirmation from NCSL online, you may pick up your credentials at the main registration desk before covering any events. Reporters must present a press ID to claim their credentials or to register.Any journalist, who wishes to record one of our 150 policy sessions, must first obtain permission from NCSL's Communications Division. Permission for taping will not be granted on-site, but must be done prior to the start of the summit.

NCSL is a bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staffs of the states, commonwealths and territories. It provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on the most pressing state issues and is an effective and respected advocate for the interests of the states in the American federal system.