Expert Keynote on Regional Cooperation and Economic Development at Statewide Research and Policy Conference
10/19/2007
Contact:
Kristi Sullivan, 860.571.6213
The Connecticut Economic Resource Center, Inc. (CERC) and the Connecticut Regional Institute for the 21st Century will host Dr. Theodore Hershberg at their joint 2007 Research and Policy Conference: Communities, Connecting to Compete on November 9 at Northeast Utilities in Berlin.
The conference will identify issues that make it difficult to grow Connecticut's economy and address connections necessary to compete in the 21st century. The event will also feature an upcoming CERC study centered on the state's metropolitan-suburban connectivity and how Connecticut's urban areas can continue to compete on a regional, national and global level.
"The most important element for shaping our world is our global economy," said Hershberg. "The unit of competition is a region, not a city and not a town. In order for an area like the state of Connecticut to compete globally, strategies need to be put in place to foster regional cooperation, and leaders must work together and move quickly to seize such opportunities."
Hershberg, who serves as Professor of Public Policy and History at the University of Pennsylvania as well as Director of the Center for Greater Philadelphia, has focused a large portion of his 40-year career on regional cooperation, founding programs such as the Center for Greater Philadelphia in 1985 to promote regional cooperation in Philadelphia. He has also written reports on topics including economic development, tax reform, transportation and education. In addition to his work in regional cooperation, Hershberg has focused on urban-industrial transformation and most recently on education reform, creating Operation Public Education in 2000 that developed a new set of rules and incentives for grades K-12.
"CERC is the objective provider of research pertaining to the state's economy, and our new partnership with the Regional Institute is bridging the research to policy making," said Robert W. Santy, President and CEO of CERC. "Having a keynote like Ted will provide a platform of discussion at our conference about regional cooperation for the state and its communities."
About CERC
Based in Rocky Hill, the Connecticut Economic Resource Center, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation that provides objective research, marketing and economic development services to local, regional, state and utility entities and policymakers. CERC is a public-private partnership, funded primarily by utility and telecommunication companies, with a mission of making Connecticut a more competitive business location.
About the Regional Institute
The Connecticut Regional Institute for the 21st Century, an alliance of Connecticut's top public, private and institutional leaders, was formed in 1999 to help guide the economic future of the state and its cities and towns in the global marketplace. The group provides continuing opportunities for its members and others to analyze issues affecting Connecticut's sustained economic success and formulate strategies for regional growth.
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