Governor Bob McDonnell has announced more speakers and panelists for upcoming Southern Growth Policies Board Chairman’s Conference June 12-14. Governors Barbour, Haslam, and Perdue will join Governor McDonnell for the manufacturing conference. Here is a press release from the Governor’s office:

Governor Bob McDonnell today announced the full agenda for the upcoming “Our History, Our Future: Manufacturing in the South” conference to be held June 12 – 14 in Roanoke, Virginia.

Governor McDonnell serves as Chairman of the Southern Growth Policies Board and as chair he is responsible for hosting the annual conference. Governor McDonnell selected this year’s theme to focus on advanced manufacturing and job creation in the South.

“As governor, I am focused on job-creation and economic development and believe that the South is primed to capture the potential of the manufacturing industry,” Governor McDonnell said. “The United States is the world’s largest manufacturing economy, producing 21 percent of global manufactured products. Manufacturing creates sustainable, value-added jobs, and Virginia is open for business and is working to attract additional expansion of its manufacturing job base.”

The conference will feature a panel of governors including: Governor Haley Barbour of Mississippi, Governor Bill Haslam of Tennessee and Governor Bev Perdue of North Carolina. The panel will be moderated by Virginian Jay Timmons who is President and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers.

Additional highlights include keynotes and speakers from Altria Group, Williams Mullen, Norfolk Southern, Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) and many others. Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond President Dr. Jeffrey M. Lacker will also speak.

More information about the conference is available here.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

“Welcome to the Old Dominion” Reception
Hosted by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership and the Virginia Tourism Corporation

Monday, June 13, 2011

SGPB Board Meeting

Opening Session

Welcome: Governor Bob McDonnell

Keynote Addresses: Dr. Jeffrey M. Lacker President
Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond

Panel Discussion: Manufacturing in the New Global Economy

Moderator: Brett Vassey, President/CEO of the Virginia Manufacturers Association

Panelists:

• John R. Nelson, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer
  Altria Group
• John Wagner, Plant Manager
  Merck

• Melvin Everson, Executive Director
  Georgia Governor’s Office of Workforce Development

Panel Discussion: Industry-Led Research Consortia

Moderator:  Dr. Stephen Fleming, Director of the Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute (EII)

Panelists:

• David Lohr, President
  Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CCAM)
• Roger L. King, Ph.D., Director
  Mississippi State Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems

Lunch and Governors’ Panel

Moderator: Jay Timmons, President/CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers

Panelists:  Governor Bob McDonnell (Virginia), Governor Haley Barbour (Mississippi), Governor Bev Perdue (North Carolina), Governor Bill Haslam (Tennessee)

Panel Discussion: Competitive Infrastructure – Technology, Transportation and Logistics
Moderator: James V. Meath, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Williams Mullen

Panelists:

• Brue Lambert, Executive Director

Institute for Trade and Transportation Studies (ITTS)

• Gary LaGrange, President and CEO
  The Port of New Orleans
• Dr. Robert E. Martinez, Vice President of Business Development
  Norfolk Southern Corporation
• Mark Treadaway, Vice President, Air Service Planning & Development
  Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority

Virginia Food and Wine Reception Innovator Awards Ceremony

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Keynote Address: Governor Haley Barbour
Introduced by: Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell

Southern Growth Policies Board Update

Ted Abernathy, Executive Director
Southern Growth Policies Board Keynote Address: Mike Petters, President and chief executive officer, Huntington Ingalls Industries

Panel Discussion: Preparing our Rural Communities for Manufacturing Competitiveness

Moderator: Moderator:  Mac Holladay, CEO, Market Street Services in Georgia,

Panelists:

• Dr. Andrew Michael Cohill, President and CEO
  Design Nine
• Neal Noyes, Executive Director
  The Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission (Virginia)
• Don Gallion, Senior Vice President
  FCX Systems, Inc.

Interactive Discussion: Conference Participants Brainstorm on Next Steps
Moderator: Ted Abernathy, Executive Director, Southern Growth Policies Board