Commerce Committee Presentation

Jan. 30 Presentation to the Commerce Committee

On January 30, 2006, a panel of economic development professionals, including CERC's President/CEO Marty Hunt and VP of Research Jeff Blodgett, was invited to address a forum held by the Commerce Committee. The forum reviewed the challenges facing Connecticut through a presentation of the findings of the Benchmarks report and was informed about best practices in economic development service delivery systems through a presentation of guiding principles and illustrations of other state's models.

Benchmarks Report Perspectives & Responses

Results from Oct. 27 Facilitated Discussion
CERC hosted a briefing of the key findings and a facilitated discussion on October 27, 2005 in which 75 participants from state and local government, economic development organizations, business and education were briefed on the report and discussed potential strategies based on two questions:

1. What should we as stakeholders of the Connecticut economy be doing in response to this report?
2. What should we do to address these issues in the Northeast?

Read the Responses

Media Coverage

To date, news of CERC's Benchmarks report has been covered in publications and media outlets across the state, including:

(TV/Radio)
WFSB-TV Channel 3 Eyewitness News, 10/20/05, also featured on Face The State, 11/13/05
WVIT-TV Channel 30 Connecticut News, 10/19/05
WDRC-AM, 10/20/05
WNPR-FM, 10/20/05
WTIC-AM 1080, 10/20/05

(Print)
Business New Haven, 10/31/05
Connecticut Post, 10/20/05
Fairfield County Business Journal, 10/31/05
Hartford Advocate, 10/27/05
Hartford Business Journal, 10/24/05
Hartford Courant, 10/20/05, 10/21/05, 10/26/05, 10/29/05, 10/30/05
Journal Inquirer, 10/20/05
Middletown Press, 10/20/05
New Britain Herald, 10/20/05
New Haven Register, 10/18/05
Norwich Bulletin, 10/23/05
Stamford Advocate, 10/18/05
University of Connecticut Daily Campus, 11/07/05
Waterbury Republican-American, 10/20/05, 10/25/05
Willimantic Chronicle, 10/20/05