The Council of the Great Lakes Region announced today that Mayor Rahm Emanuel will serve as Honorary Chair of the inaugural Great Lakes Economic Forum, April 26-28, 2015 in Chicago. The event, to be held at the Chicago Cultural Center, will engage business, government, political, academic and non-profit leaders in creating a transformational bi-national, economic agenda to strengthen the region’s competitiveness in an increasingly integrated North American and global economy.
“Chicago plays a vital role in the economic stability of the Great Lakes region, which itself is one of the primary economic drivers for the nation,” Mayor Emanuel said. “We are pleased that the City of Chicago will host the inaugural Great Lakes Economic Forum and look forward to engaging with our regional partners on issues such as job creation, education and business development that will impact Chicago’s and the Great Lakes region’s economies well into the future.”
Mayor Emanuel will present a keynote address during the Forum and join other keynote speakers including: the Governor General of Canada, His Excellency the Right Honorable David Johnston; Governor Bruce Rauner; the Ambassador of the United States to Canada, Bruce Heyman; the Ambassador of Canada to the United States, Gary Doer; and, the Administrator of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, Betty Sutton.
The Forum’s theme, From Partnership Flows Prosperity, signifies that in today’s borderless climate of global business and trade, the two countries must seek ways to work together more effectively than ever—not only to maintain the strategic advantage of this shared economic powerhouse, but to capitalize on new and emerging opportunities in building the next economy in the Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Region.
Mark Fisher, President and CEO of the Council of the Great Lakes Region adds, “The Council of the Great Lakes Region is committed to strengthening economic viability and well-being throughout the Great Lakes- St. Lawrence Region and understands that when our individual states, provinces and cities succeed, the entire region, which constitutes the third largest economy in the world, succeeds.
For more information please visit www.greatlakeseconomicforum.com. The event is open to the press. Media may register for event credentials by email at either one of addresses listed below.
About the Council of the Great Lakes Region
The Council of the Great Lakes Region is a bi-national organization that works to enhance regional collaboration and cross-border integration to advance effective, coordinated, and broadly shared responses to the region’s common economic, social and environmental policy challenges. The Council is accomplishing this mandate by:
- Conducting high-quality analysis on issues that matter and developing region-wide strategies;
- Bringing together diverse perspectives through conferences, roundtable dialogues and networking events, so that industry, government, labor, academia and the non-profit community can share their knowledge; and
- Generating ideas and providing realistic solutions on how best to reconcile the often divergent challenges of economic prosperity and environmental conservation.
Media Contacts:
Mark Fisher
President and CEO
Council of the Great Lakes Region
(613) 668-2044
mark@councilgreatlakesregion.org
Sophie Nadeau
613-266-7587
info@sophienadeau.com
