September 19, 2006
CEOs gather to develop collective vision for 21st century
More than 65 top executives of local companies, as well as a number of federal, state, and local political leaders will meet at the University of Washington Sept. 18 for the “Ideas to Innovation” CEO summit, the first step in forming deeper partnerships between the public and private sectors in Washington to address some of the most important challenges of the 21st century. It is the first such meeting ever held at the UW.
The meeting is at 1 p.m. Monday, Sept. 18 in the Magnuson-Jackson Court Room of the Gates Law School.
The i2i summit, as it is being called, will focus on three subjects: the promise of global health, a renewed commitment to environmental sustainability, and technology in the 21st Century. Speakers from the UW and private companies will talk about the key challenges they face in their fields and how, by working together, those challenges can be met.
“We believe that the state of Washington is uniquely positioned to deal with some of the most important global issues of the 21st century,” says UW President Mark A. Emmert. “Washington is fortunate to have an entrepreneurial private sector and great public research institutions. Together, we can become the focus for solutions to global health issues, innovative ways of addressing environmental problems and ensuring that our state is competitive globally in key areas of technology. In Washington, we have the most important resources, which are human resources. The goal of the summit is to open the doors for further discussions between influential leaders in the business and research communities and to generate a collective vision and enthusiasm for successful partnerships.”
“This summit highlights that Washington is open for business,” said Governor Chris Gregoire. “State government doesn’t create jobs and we don’t build the economy, but we are working to support the companies and businesses that do. There are specific investments we can make that will help the private sector succeed, like in the life sciences or the biofuels industry.”
Speakers and the sessions at which they will be presenting include: (Global Health) Mary L. “Nora” Disis, professor of medicine, oncology and the tumor vaccine group, Randall T. Moon, professor of pharmacology, Paul Yager, professor of bioengineering, Karen Hedine, president and CEO of Micronics, Inc. and Jim Peoples, President of Key Bank Seattle-Cascade District; (Environmental Sustainability) Sally Jewell, CEO of Recreational Equipment, Inc., (21st Century Technology) Edward D. Lazowska, Bill and Melinda Gates professor of Computer Science and Engineering, Matthew O’Donnell, Frank and Julie Jungers Endowed Dean of the College of Engineering, and Larry Smarr, professor of computer science and engineering at the University of California, San Diego.
Gov. Gregoire will address the gathering, as will UW President Mark Emmert. The keynote speaker is Lawrence S.B. Goldstein, professor of cellular and molecular medicine at the University of California, San Diego.
