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Annual Members Meeting a Giant(s) Success

By
Bay Area Council
– September 30, 2011Posted in: Events, News, Newsroom

The Bay Area Council this week held its Annual Members meeting, which was attended by more 70 members and was generously hosted by the San Francisco Giants. Council President and CEO Jim Wunderman thanked members for their profound leadership in the Bay Area, and gave an update on a few of the Council’s recent successes, including our hosting of the historic Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation conference and the related Women and the Economy Summit. He also briefed members on the Council’s trip to Washington, D.C., next week and upcoming trips to China. Wunderman also discussed some recent advances with high speed rail and the Council’s efforts to bring the World Expo to the Bay Area in 2020.

Larry Baer, President and newly appointed CEO of the San Francisco Giants and a member of the Council’s Executive Committee, stopped by to provide a little inside baseball on the future of the Giants. While he said they were disappointed the Giants did not advance to the playoffs, he announced that the ballclub enjoyed record attendance with every game being sold out. He said the Giants are looking forward to building the team and returning to the post season next year. The Giants also have some big things in store for their neighborhood, with plans for turning Lot A (the parking lot across McCovey Cove from the ballpark) into a mixed-use development with a large parking structure for fans. Baer also spoke about the possibility of building a stadium or arena as part of the development, either for a sports franchise or concerts and cultural events.

Members capped off the evening with a reception on the field in Triples Alley, followed by a great win for the Giants, complete with two home runs. Thanks to the Giants and everyone who came out, and we look forward to next year’s meeting and another winning season.

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Council Getting Busy on High Speed Rail

By
Bay Area Council
– September 26, 2011Posted in: Economy, News, Newsroom, Transportation and Land Use

The Bay Area Council has been busy these past two weeks firming up support for high speed rail, as a deadline looms for the release of a much-anticipated business plan and legislators in D.C. played politics with transportation funding.

On the D.C. front, funding for high speed rail got caught up in partisan budget wrangling, with the House of Representatives this past week eliminating $8 billion of funding that President Obama had requested for the 2012 fiscal year. After a similar move in the Senate, Senator Dianne Feinstein helped accomplish a modest reversal, winning approval for a placeholder $100 million appropriation. High speed rail will be among the topics the Council discusses with Feinstein during our upcoming trip to the Capital. Despite the shuffling in D.C. over the 2012 budget, California’s $3.3 billion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and other earlier appropriations remains secure, and funding for the initial construction project in the Central Valley is not in jeopardy.

Closer to home, Obama’s top two transportation officials, during visits to the Bay Area this week, reiterated in meetings with the Council the President’s strong commitment to high speed rail. Council CEO Jim Wunderman spoke privately with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who was in town last week for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation conference, and made it clear to Wunderman that securing funding for high speed rail continues to be among the President’s top priorities.

And, at a meeting hosted this week by the Bay Area Council at the request of San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, Deputy Secretary of Transportation John Porcari said that despite hitting a “few bumps in the road” high speed rail has a “strong future.” Porcari was here to outline the President’s American Jobs Act, but much of the discussion among about 20 elected, community and business leaders at the Council’s offices focused on transportation funding and high speed rail. Porcari noted that the nation’s interstate highway system when it was first proposed also attracted noisy naysayers, who later changed their tune once they realized the importance of the network to economic growth.

High speed rail makes particular sense for California, Porcari said, where it can provide an alternative to in-state air travel and preserve limited airport capacity for transcontinental and intercontinental travel and cargo. High speed rail will figure prominently during our D.C. trip from Oct. 4-6, with meetings being scheduled with both LaHood and Porcari. To participate in this trip, contact Council Senior Advisor George Broder at gbroder@bayareacouncil.org.

Also on the home front, the Council has met in recent weeks with Governor Brown’s new appointees to the High Speed Rail Authority, Dan Richards and Senior Jobs Advisor Michael Rossi, about the upcoming release of the business plan, building support statewide and securing federal funding.

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Dialogue and Diplomacy to Lead to Transformative Policies for Women Around the World

By
Bay Area Council
– September 16, 2011Posted in: Events, Press Releases

Jim Wunderman, president and CEO of the Bay Area Council, released the following statement about the second day of the APEC Women and the Economy Summit:

“This is such an amazing assemblage of dignitaries, leaders, and innovators that are offering a vast diversity of perspectives; and that, quite frankly, has led to many opportunities for deeply personal connections as well as transformative policy setting. The conversations that took place yesterday ranged from the importance of paid maternity leave, to prevention of domestic violence, to increasing opportunities for women in business, to access to microcredit loans for female entrepreneurs.

“We are incredibly proud of our partnership with the State Department to bring this event to the Bay Area. We look forward to Secretary Clinton’s keynote address and this afternoon’s presentation of the San Francisco Declaration, a statement of key policies and concrete actions that will be presented to leaders of all APEC economies.”

At the invitation of the U.S. State Department, the Bay Area Council is serving as the host organization for the WES.  WES is structured to change national policies, empower women and launch a global dialogue about the status of women. The Bay Area is home to more Fortune Global 500 companies than any other place on the planet, and an epicenter of innovative small businesses, multinationals and global NGOs that accelerate women’s economic opportunities.

Notable Planned Plenaries and Panel Discussions for Friday, September 16

Women and the Economy Summit Keynote Address: Some Leaders are Born Women – Speaker: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton – Grand Ballroom, 9:00 a.m.

Plenary 3: Women at the Top: How Diverse  Leadership Benefits Everyone – Speakers: Tina Brown, Daily Beast and Newsweek; Cherie Blair, Cherie Blair for Women, United Kingdom; Susan Fleishman, Warner Bros. Entertainment; HaanGyunghee; Haan Corporation, Korea; Ilene H. Lang, Catalyst; and Blanca Trevino, Softtek, Mexico. – Grand Ballroom, 10:00 a.m.

Plenary 4: The New Wave: Women and Innovation– Speakers: Sheryl WuDunn, Co-Author, “Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide;” and five women innovators – Grand Ballroom, 11:15 a.m.

Lunch 1: Marvell: Technology and Women’s Entrepreneurship in APEC Economies– Speakers: MengXiaosi, All-China Women’s Federation; Weili Dai, Marvell; Deborah Forte, Scholastic Entertainment Inc.; Ginger Lew, National Economic Council and Small Business Administration; Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, U.S. House of Representatives; Kathy Hill, Cisco, Inc.; Claire Tomlin, U.C. Berkeley; and Telle Whitney, Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology – California East & West Room, 12:30 p.m.

Lunch 2: UC Davis and UC San Francisco: Innovation and Economic Impact: Solving the Greatest Public Health Challenges of the 21st Century– Speakers: Chancellor Susan Desmond-Hellman, UC San Francisco; Chancellor Linda Katehi, UC Davis; Bonnie Reiss, University of California; Diane Havlir; UC San Francisco; MatinaKolokotronis; Sacramento Kings; Ann Lee-Karlon, Genentech; Patricia McDonald, Intel – Elizabethan Rooms, 12:30 p.m.

Plenary: San Francisco Declaration: Inclusion of Women as an Economic Growth Strategy– Speakers: Ambassador Karen Kornbluh, US Ambassador to Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (Moderator); Rona Ambrose, Canadian Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status  of Women; Christina Liu, Chinese Taipei Minister of the Council for Economic Planning and Development; Marty Natalegawa, Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs; HekiaParata, New Zealand Minister of Women’s Affairs and Acting Energy Minister; and Tatiana Valovaya, Head of the Department of International Cooperation of the Government of the Russian Federation– Grand Ballroom, 2:15 p.m.

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Powerhouse Lineup Opens Women in the Economy Summit

By
Bay Area Council
– September 15, 2011Posted in: Events, Press Releases

Jim Wunderman, president and CEO of the Bay Area Council, released the following statement about the Opening Program of the APEC Women and the Economy Summit:

“Yesterday’s esteemed opening speakers clearly articulated the need for the Asia-Pacific region to come together to share best practices to advance women’s role in their local, national and regional economies. As our speakers noted, women’s economic clout has grown, yet they are still a largely untapped resource. Women still face significant challenges to realizing their full economic potential. We look forward to digging deeper into how to address those challenges over the days to come.”

At the invitation of the U.S. State Department, the Bay Area Council is serving as the host organization for the WES.  WES is structured to change national policies, empower women and launch a global dialogue about the status of women. The Bay Area is home to more Fortune Global 500 companies than any other place on the planet, and an epicenter of innovative small businesses, multinationals and global NGOs that accelerate women’s economic opportunities.

Notable Planned Plenaries and Panel Discussions for Thursday, September 15

Opening Address: Driving Economic Growth: The Path to Prosperity – Speakers: Special Representative Lorraine Hariton, U.S. Department of State; Mayor Fumiko Hayashi, Yokohama, Japan; and MelanneVerveer, U.S. Ambassador-at-Large – Grand Ballroom, 9:00 a.m.

Plenary 1: Vision 2020: A Roadmap to Success– Speakers: Chris Jansing, MSNBC; Minister Mari Pangestu, Indonesia; Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook; and Gene Sperling, U.S. White House. – Grand Ballroom, 9:30 a.m.

Plenary 2: Expanding Market Opportunities – Speakers: Carol Massar, Bloomberg TV; Dorothy Attwood, Walt Disney Company; Mercedes Benavides, Wayaru; Beatriz Boza, Ciudadanos al Dia; Elim Chew, 77th Street Pte Ltd.; Sheri McCoy, Johnson & Johnson; and Perry Yeatman, Kraft Inc. – Grand Ballroom, 11:00 a.m.

Lunch 1: Empowerment Through Financial Inclusion – Speakers: William M. Sheedy, Visa, Inc.; Mary Ellen Iskenderian, Women World Banking; and Premal Shah, Kiva. – California East & West Room

Lunch 2: The Courage of Leadership: Innovation Meets Action – Speakers: Susie Tompkins Buell, Esprit; Wanda Holland Greene, Hamlin School (introductory performance); Marissa Mayer, Google; Janet Sape, PNG Women in Business Limited and HaslinaTaib; BAG Network. – Colonial Room, 12:30 p.m.

Breakout 1: The Future: Women and the Sustainable Economy – Speakers: Anne Finucane, Bank of America; Eileen Claussen; PEW Center on Global Climate Change; Kathleen Rogers, Earth Day Network; Megan Smith, Google; and MonthipSriratanaTabucanon, Thailand Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment – Colonial Room, 2:30 p.m.

Breakout 2: Gender Dividend: Driving Prosperity Through Entrepreneurship and Financial Inclusion – Speakers: Karen Mills, U.S. Small Business Administration; Pacita Juan, Figaro; ShintaKamdani, Sintesa Group; and Barbara Orser, Canadian Taskforce for Women’s Business Growth – Elizabethan Rooms A&B, 2:30 p.m.

Breakout 3: Creating and Empowering Environments and Developing Young Leaders – Speakers: Su-Mei Thompson, The Women’s Foundation; Beth Brooke, Ernst & Young; Deputy Secretary Amanda Ellis, New Zealand International Development Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Carolina Schmidt, Chile Minister of Women’s Affairs; Tina Tchen, Executive Director of White House Council on Women and Girls and Chief of Staff to the First Lady of the United States – Elizabethan Rooms C&D, 2:30 p.m.

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Press Release: Council Hosts US Cabinet Secretaries, World Leaders

By
Bay Area Council
– September 9, 2011Posted in: Events, Press Releases

The Bay Area Council, the business group that represents the largest employers in the San Francisco-Silicon Valley-Oakland Bay Area, next week will host the largest diplomatic gathering in California since the founding of the United Nations in 1945.

At the invitation of the State Department, the Bay Area Council has worked with the White House and executive branch agencies to assemble 150 meetings over two weeks to address some of the most pressing challenges on the planet, including transportation, energy, health, the environment, technology and women empowerment.  The conversations and policy-setting negotiations are part of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, founded in 1989.  The 21 countries or “economies” that will gather in San Francisco represent approximately 40 percent of the world’s population, approximately 54 percent of the global economy and about 44 percent of world trade.  There will be approximately 3,000 delegates and 200 registered journalists.

Global leaders to be in attendance include:

  • U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
  • U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood
  • U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu
  • U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius
  • U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson
  • Ministers representing the 21 APEC countries including China, Japan, Russia, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Vietnam, and Australia

“We will have enough U.S. Cabinet members in town to form a shadow government,’” said Jim Wunderman, President and CEO of the Bay Area Council.  “The first project of the Bay Area Council was actually to host the founding of the United Nations in 1945, so this is return to habit for us. It is our hope that hosting this distinguished diplomatic gathering, 66 years later, can have the same far-reaching impact, and can create the future we all hope for.”

A key event of the gathering will be the Women and the Economy Summit, led by Secretary Hillary Clinton and organized through a partnership of the Council and the U.S. State Department. The Women and the Economy Summit is structured to change national policies, empower women across the 21 APEC countries or economies, and launch a global dialogue about the status of women. Topics will focus on women as agents of economic growth, the impacts of increased female employment on the global economy and the importance of women-owned business to economic progress and strengthening communities.

Continued Wunderman, “Part of the reason we were asked to host these meetings was the Bay Area’s role in the global economy.  Our region is home to more Fortune Global 500 companies than any other place on the planet, except Tokyo, London and New York.   The Bay Area is a top-four exporting region in the U.S., with more than $50 billion in exports, primarily to APEC countries.  Companies here are supported by a diverse and truly global workforce.  We are honored to have the opportunity to host this historic gathering.

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COUNCIL DELEGATION IN A SACRAMENTO STATE OF MIND

By
Bay Area Council
– September 2, 2011Posted in: Events, Government Relations

Jobs, high speed rail and CEQA reform were among the hot topics during the Bay Area Council’s successful Sacramento Day visit this past Monday. The Council led a delegation of about 70 members and staff to the Governor’s council room in the horseshoe to meet with top Legislative leaders and Administration officials and present our top policy priorities.

Assembly Minority Leader Connie Conway spoke about her support for high speed rail “in concept” but said support among her constituents in the Central Valley is eroding with the economy. Straight-talking Sen. Bob Dutton called, in general, for less government. Reducing California’s regulatory burden, Dutton said, could reduce unnecessary costs on businesses and enable them to hire enough workers to lower employment by a third. Sen. Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg called for reforming the state’s regulatory climate by adopting concurrent permitting, eliminating duplicative and superfluous regulations and requiring economic analysis on any new major regulations.

Michael Rossi, the Governor’s new Special Economic Advisor, insisted he’s not a “czar,” but said he’s focused on creating jobs nonetheless. Just a week into his new position, Rossi said he’s been busy getting up to speed on a mountain of reports and policy documents. He expressed eagerness to hear from businesses about the ways state government can help California improve its dreary employment picture. California League of Cities Executive Director Chris McKenzie had sharp words for the elimination of redevelopment agencies, saying it has caused “irreparable harm.” Natural Resources Secretary John Laird discussed the complexity of overhauling the state’s water storage and delivery system and emphasized that reliability and habitat restoration and protection must be taken together.

Following three hours of meetings, the delegation moved to Morton’s Steakhouse where the Council hosted a reception and dinner with the joint Assembly and Senate members of the Bay Area Caucus.  Thanks to caucus chairs, Assemblymember Rich Gordon and Senator Mark Desaulnier, for helping make the evening a success, and to Senators DeSaulnier, Ellen Corbett, Loni Hancock, and Joe Simitian, and Assemblymembers Gordon, Tom Ammiano, Bob Wieckowski, Luis Alejo, Nora Campos, Bill Monning, Mary Hayashi, Jerry Hill, Mike Allen, Nancy Skinner, Paul Fong, Jim Beall, Jared Huffman, and Fiona Ma who joined us for dinner.

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Press Release: Bay Area Council Hires Rufus Jeffris as Vice President of Communications

By
Bay Area Council
– August 22, 2011Posted in: Press Releases

The Bay Area Council today announced that Rufus Jeffris has been hired as Vice President of Communications, bringing with him more than 25 years of experience in journalism, marketing communications, and political and strategic communications.

“I’m very pleased that Rufus is joining our organization,” said Jim Wunderman, President and CEO of the Bay Area Council. “He is a seasoned communications professional who brings valuable experience in a wide range of communications disciplines along with strong knowledge of the Bay Area and the many issues in which the Council is leading.”

Jeffris previously served as Vice President Communications for Barnes Mosher Whitehurst Lauter and Partners and Whitehurst/Mosher Campaign Strategy and Media, where he managed communications programs, political campaigns and events. Jeffris also has worked for Bank of America as editorial director for its consumer retail website and as an editor and reporter for several Bay Area daily and weekly newspapers.

In his role, Jeffris will shape and direct the Council’s communications strategies and manage External Communications, Internal Communications, Media Relations, Public Relations, and Web Communications.

He can be reached by email at rjeffris@bayareacouncil.org, by phone at (415) 946-8725 and by cell at (415) 606-2337.

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BAC APPLAUDS APPOINTMENT OF NEW JOBS CZAR

By
Bay Area Council
– August 22, 2011Posted in: Government Relations

The Bay Area Council heartily applauded Governor Jerry Brown’s appointment this week of Michael Rossi as California jobs czar. “It’s hard to imagine a more important assignment than creating jobs in this troubled economy,” said Janet Lamkin, Bay Area Council Chairwoman and California State President of Bank of America. “Mike is a seasoned executive, well up to the challenge. And he has a passion for people and experience finding solutions.” The Council looks forward to working closely with Mr. Rossi, a former BankAmerica executive, in helping achieve his stated goals of streamlining and invigorating the state’s economic development infrastructure and advising the governor on regulatory, legislative and executive actions to stimulate job creation. We have already engaged with Mr. Rossi on his agenda.  Jim Wunderman was asked to meet with Mr. Rossi for an hour the week prior to his appointment.   We also expect to meet with Mr. Rossi during our upcoming Sacramento Day on August 29 when we can allow him to directly engage with our members.  For more on August 29, contact Matt Regan at mregan@bayareacouncil.org.

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SEA LEVEL RISE POLICY FLOATS TO TOP OF AGENDA

By
Bay Area Council
– August 22, 2011Posted in: Transportation and Land Use

The business community must take a more active role in guiding future policy related to the impact of sea level rise in the Bay Area. That was the thrust of a discussion on Aug. 16 that Bay Area Council CEO Jim Wunderman led among a group of business leaders and Will Travis, executive director of the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC).

The discussion comes as BCDC considers amendments to its Bay Area Plan — the policy and regulatory blueprint for guiding land use and development along the bay shoreline – that attempt to address the potential impacts of sea level rise. BAC was instrumental in drafting new language that helps better define the regulatory reach of the proposed Bay Plan amendments. Among those participating in the discussion, which was hosted by Juniper Networks in partnership with the Bay Planning Coalition, Building Industry Association of the Bay Area, Joint Venture Silicon Valley, Moffett Park Business Group and Silicon Valley Leadership Group, were John Igoe of Google, Larry Burnett of Cisco, Miles Imwalle of Morrison & Foerster and Michael Covarrubias of TMG Partners. This issue will only increase in impotence and impact, so watch for much more on the topic.

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GOOGLE’S MARISSA MAYER SHARES LEADERSHIP INSIGHTS

By
Bay Area Council
– August 22, 2011Posted in: Events

Earlier this month, the Bay Area Council welcomed Google’s first woman engineer and self-proclaimed geek, Marissa Mayer, as featured speaker at a meeting of our Women’s Executive Roundtable. Sponsors Shelley Doran of Webcor Builders and Mary Huser of Bingham McCutchen (pictured), as well as our new Chairwoman, Janet Lamkin and other members of the Council’s Executive Committee were on hand to welcome Marissa and lead an informative and lively discussion about the early days of Google and Marissa’s leadership. As Mary Huser of Bingham put it, “Marissa Mayer is an inspiration. Her extraordinary work ethic, wicked intelligence, keen judgment and infectious giggle explain why she is one of the top women in business today.”

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