8:00 am

Registration

9:00 am

Welcome
Jonathan Ortmans, The Public Forum Institute

9:10 am

Introductory Remarks
Mayor Michael C. Dow, City of Mobile

9:15 am

A New Vision for Southwest Alabama
Congressman Jo Bonner, Honorary Chairman

9:30 am

Opening Address: Utilizing Our Regional Assets
Neal Wade, Director, Alabama Development Office

10:00 am

Concurrent Workshop Sessions

• Innovation & strengthening our existing businesses 

  • Facilitator: Ms. Cheryl Thompson, Vice President, Alabama Power

  • Mr. Al Heffernan, Executive Director, Ciba Specialty Chemicals

  • Mr. Sydney Raine, President, Mobile Works

  • Mr. Bob Higgins, Vice President, Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance

  • Mr. Byron Dunn, Director, Alabama Technology Network’s Brewton & Mobile Centers

  • Mr. Michael Lee, President, Page & Jones

  • Mr. Ernie Cowart, Senior Economic Development Analyst, Economic Development Partnership of Alabama

• Expanding opportunities for minority and woman-owned businesses

  • Facilitator: Ms. Ramona Marsalis-Hill, Certified Trainer & Facilitator, Workshops Etc! Inc.

  • Mr. Sidney King, President, Commonwealth Bank

  • Ms. Sheila Hodges, Owner and President, Meyer Real Estate

  • Ms. Kathryn Cariglino, Executive Director and Founder, Women's Business Center, Inc.

  • Ms. Cheryl Coleman Williams President, Spherion, Corp.

  • Mr. Ken Schwartz, University of South Alabama, Small Business Development Center

11:15 am

Concurrent Workshop Sessions

• Workforce development: Our people in a knowledge-based society

  • Facilitator: Dr. Edward Harrison, Professor of Management, Mitchell College of Business, University of South Alabama

  • Mr. Simon Thornton, Vice President of Operations, Austal USA

  • Mr. Victor Vernon, Director, Education and Workforce Development, Business Council of Alabama

  • Mr. Ken Hollingsworth, Coordinator, School to Career Partnership, Workforce Division, Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA)

• Attracting & creating new entrepreneurs & businesses

  • Facilitator: Dr. Bob Shearer, Assistant to the President, University of South Alabama

  • Mr. George Harris, Partner, Bradley Arant Rose & White, LLP

  • Mr. Lynn Stacey, Executive Director, Business Innovation Center

  • Mr. Thomas Tucker, Director, University of South Alabama Small Business Development Center

  • Ms. Nicole Baute, Executive Director of Technology Development, University of South Alabama

12:30 pm

Lunch

1:15 pm

Workshop Reports & eFORUM: Determining Action Steps
Representatives from each breakout session present brief summaries of their discussions. All summit attendees use electronic polling technology to vote on the viability, value, and scope of each development prospect.

2:40 pm

Keynote Address
The Honorable Donald Evans, U.S. Secretary of Commerce

3:15 pm

Summary and Adjournment
Congressman Jo Bonner