Feb. 24, 2007 — Gov. John deJongh Jr. joined fellow chief executives from territories, commonwealths and nearly 48 states Saturday at the opening session of the 2007 National Governor's Association (NGA) Winter Meeting in Washington, D.C.
The session introduced a primary theme of the meeting: how states and territories can compete more effectively in the global economy by promoting innovation, according to a news release from deJongh's office.
DeJongh and his fellow governors gathered with business and academic leaders for today's opening plenary session at the JW Marriott Hotel. ("Plenary" means everyone attends.) The plenary began with remarks by John T. Chambers, chairman and CEO of Cisco Systems, and Robert E. Rubin, former secretary of the U.S. Treasury and director and chairman of the executive committee of Citigroup.
Chambers outlined how Cisco makes decisions in the new global marketplace and what U.S. states and territories can do to prepare the workforce for the 21st Century, while Rubin focused on the macro-economic impacts of current international trade imbalance and its potential risks to economic growth and rising real wages and real income, the news release said.
"The presentation by those gentlemen commences a discussion that requires us to more closely look at the linkage between investment and education and an economic-development strategy," deJongh said. Paramount to both of these initiatives is "what technology enables us to realize and achieve in transforming our Virgin Islands community," he added.
The nation's governors are assembled for four days of meetings, which will include sessions with President George W. Bush, his cabinet, congressional members, academic leaders, business executives and other experts for discussions on a host of issues and challenges facing the states, territories and commonwealths of the United States.
DeJongh and his fellow governors will have the opportunity for candid dialogue during three "governors-only" sessions and will participate in a series of breakout sessions to discuss strategies for improving student achievement in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and promising strategies for the promotion of innovation-based economic development.
DeJongh also attended a governors-only meeting Saturday morning hosted by the Democratic Governor's Association (DGA). Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius hosted the meeting, which included discussions on energy issues, competitiveness initiatives, federal issues strategies and talks on the state of the U.S. economy.
The Winter Meeting of the National Governor's Association concludes at midday Tuesday.
