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 Jim Doyle was sworn in as Wisconsin's 44th Governor on January 6, 2003. He is the first Democratic Governor of Wisconsin in more than 16 years. Governor Doyle has proven to be a strong leader, working in a bipartisan way to get Wisconsin back on track.
When he took office, Governor Doyle inherited a $3.2 billion deficit - the largest deficit in Wisconsin's history. Governor Doyle faced the challenge head on and balanced the budget while holding the line on taxes. As a result, state taxes as a percentage of income are now the lowest in 34 years.
Now Governor Doyle is working to move Wisconsin forward - creating jobs, expanding access to health care, and most importantly, investing in Wisconsin's future, our kids.
Richard J. Raphael
Executive Managing Director, Fitch Ratings
 an executive managing director in Fitch Ratings' public finance department, with responsibility for rating state credits and certain large local issuers.
Mr. Raphael joined Fitch shortly after its recapitalization in 1989, starting up and managing its local tax-supported group. He has produced numerous research and rating guideline reports on state and local bond issues for tax-supported and municipal lease bonds. Rich joined Fitch in 1989 after 10 years with Standard & Poor's.
Rich is chairman of the Municipal Analysts Group of New York and a board member of the National Federation of Municipal Analysts.
Edward W. (Ned) Hill
Professor and Distinguished Scholar of Economic Development at the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs of Cleveland State University and Nonresident Senior Fellow of the Brookings Institution, where he is affiliated with the Center of urban and Metropolitan Policy.
Ned Hill has been called both an "evangelist economist" and provocative in his forceful delivery of the facts about the state of manufacturing and the economy in the United States. His work is a blend of macroeconomics, international trade, business strategy and public policy analysis that takes a broad sweep of the current economic environment. He deals in economic facts - inconvenient for those who want simple, ideological solutions to the complex global restructuring facing America's companies and communities. Ned will suggest that it is time for America's manufacturers to take the offensive with popular perceptions regarding the future of American manufacturing and to start playing offense with their business strategies.
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Charles Tansey
Head of the Wall Street Without Wall Advisory Board and Senior Advisor for the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation
 Mr. Tansey is the Senior Policy Advisor for the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation (NRC) in Washington, DC. NRC is a national organization that provides training and technical assistance to community-based development organizations. At NRC, Mr. Tansey is responsible for developing system-wide policies to promote successful and innovative street-level activities of 230 community development corporations across the United States that are part of NRC's network. He is also responsible for informing policy makers, trade groups and other stakeholders in the community development industry of the needs of lowincome communities.
He has spent over 25 years in corporate banking, corporate finance and community development at the Chase Manhattan Bank, the Bank of New York, Commonwealth Capital Partners, the US Small Business Administration and the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation. He has specialized in designing structures for capitalizing small businesses and the institutions that serve them.
David Perdue
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer. Dollar General Corporation
 In his 30-year
career, Mr. Perdue has developed expertise in numerous areas of business including strategic planning, marketing, sales, manufacturing and global operations. Prior to joining Dollar General in 2003, Mr. Perdue served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pillowtex Corporation, a leading producer and marketer of home textiles, from July 2002 through March 2003. Mr. Perdue also served as Executive Vice President and Senior Vice President, Global Supply Chain of Reebok International Ltd., as well as President and Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice President of Global Operating Units of the Reebok Brand. Mr. Perdue has also served as Senior Vice President of Haggar, Inc., and Senior Vice President of Operations for Sara Lee Corp.
As an author and veteran speaker, trainer, seminar leader and entertainer, Jeffrey's dynamic style and unusually strong impact reach audiences ranging from top corporate executives to homemakers ... health care professionals to ego-driven sales representatives ... supervisors to line employees. For more than 15 years, he's brought his wealth of business, teaching and entertainment experience to audiences from all walks of life. Jeffrey is the author of Just In Time ... Just Isn't Enough! His work also has appeared in Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work.
During our conference luncheon, Jeffrey will present "Living Life at the Pinnacle," an inspiring look at how to motivate people to tap the creativity and potential within them. |
The Wisconsin Economic Development Association's 2005 Governor's Conference has been certified by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). Conference Participants who have earned the CEcD designation can receive recertification points by attending this conference.
