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BTA SUMMIT 2008 – SPEAKERS
Please note that the Binational Tourism Summit 2008 will be aired on TVCOGECO on Saturday May 3rd at 7:00 PM.
Speaker Presentations from the Binational Tourism Summit 2008 will be uploaded below as they become available.
The Honourable Diane Ablonczy, Secretary of State, Small Business and Tourism: click here for Summit 2008 Presentation
Angelo Amador, Director of Immigration Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, for copy of SBODAC Report (Secure Borders and Open Doors Advisory Committee), click here; for copy of comments on the Passenger Vessel Services Act, please click here
Mark Brown, Senior Market Research Analyst, U.S. Dept. of Commerce, International Trade Administration Manufacturing & Services, Office of Travel & Tourism Industries: click here for Summit 2008 Presentation
Patricia Brusha, Principal & Co-Founder, Kuikene Inc.: click here for Summit 2008 Presentation
Scotty Greenwood, Executive Director, Canadian American Business Council: click here for Summit 2008 Presentation
Sharon Gilmour, Chief Implementation Officer, Value Profit Group: click here for Summit 2008 Presentation
Douglass Legg, VP Western Canada, Malone, Given Parsons Ltd.: click here for Summit 2008 Presentation
Lynn Osmond, Hon AIA, President & CEO, Chicago Architecture Foundation: click here for Summit 2008 Powerpoint click here for Summit 2008 Verbal Presentation
Karen Peterson, Founder, Research Director, Davidson-Peterson Associates: click here for Summit 2008 Presentation
John Pinter, President, Meridian Reservation Systems: click here for Summit 2008 Presentation
Robert Shibley, Director, Urban Design Project, University of Buffalo: click here for Summit 2008 Presentation
Olav Sorenson, Jeffrey S. Skoll Chair in Technical Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Professor of Strategic Management Rotman School of Management: click here for Summit 2008 Presentation
Ryan Stein, Policy Analyst, Canadian Chamber of Commerce: click here for Summit 2008 Presentation
David Swarts, NYS Commissioner of Dept. of Motor Vehicles: click here for Summit 2008 Presentation
An alphabetical listing of our Summit Keynote and Session Speakers, along with biographies and complete contact details, will be continuously updated over the coming weeks.
Speakers Include:
The Honourable Diane Ablonczy
Secretary of State, Small Business and Tourism
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The Honourable Diane Ablonczy
Constituency: Calgary–Nose Hill (Alberta)
Diane Ablonczy, appointed Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism) on August 14, 2007, was first elected to the House of Commons in 1993 and reelected in 1997, 2000, 2004 and 2006. She was named Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance in February 2006. Ms. Ablonczy has also served as Chief Opposition Critic for Citizenship and Immigration, for Health, and for Human Resources Development.
Throughout her parliamentary career, Ms. Ablonczy has shown a deep dedication to bringing Canadians good, accountable representation and government. She is an accomplished consensus builder and communicator, skills she has used successfully to engage people in the development of policy. This is reflected in her work on several House of Commons standing committees; in particular, Citizenship and Immigration, Human Resources Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, and Health. As well, she brought experience as a successful entrepreneur to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance.
Ms. Ablonczy is a highly respected parliamentarian currently serving on the Cabinet's Operations Committee and on the Economic Growth and Long-term Prosperity Committee.
Before she entered public life, Ms. Ablonczy obtained teaching and law degrees from the University of Calgary. She taught elementary grades and, later, junior high school English. Ms. Ablonczy's career as a businesswoman included managing a grain farm operation, as well as building a successful law practice. She has a strong commitment to community and to approaches for building a better future.
Ms. Ablonczy grew up in several communities throughout Alberta. She is married to Ron Sauer and has one daughter, four stepchildren and three grandchildren.
Angelo Amador, Director of Immigration Policy
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
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Angelo I. Amador
Director of Immigration Policy
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Angelo I. Amador is director of immigration policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. In this capacity, Amador is responsible for working with members of the business community to develop the Chamber’s position on comprehensive immigration reform, legalization, border security, visa processing, and guestworker programs. He also advocates on behalf of the Chamber and its members before the U.S. Congress and various administrative agencies, including the departments of Homeland Security, State, and Labor. In addition, Amador
is the executive director of the Americans for Better Borders (ABB) coalition, which unites regional business organizations, companies, and trade associations to ensure the efficient flow of goods and people across our borders while addressing national security concerns.
Amador is a graduate of the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland and obtained a Master of Arts in International Transactions from George Mason University in Arlington, Virginia. He earned his Juris Doctor, cum laude, at the George Mason University School of Law and his Master of Laws with distinction in International and Comparative Law from the Georgetown University Law Center, where he received the Thomas Bradbury Chetwood Award for graduating with the highest academic ranking
in his program.
Before joining the Chamber, Amador was in private practice. He also served as law clerk to the Honorable David T. Stitt, judge of the 19th Judicial Circuit of Virginia. Prior to his clerkship, he worked in Washington, D.C., for the Office of the Governor of Puerto Rico as assistant director/legislative counsel in the Intergovernmental Affairs Division and as staff attorney in the Mexican
American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
Amador is an adjunct professor of law at the George Mason University School of Law and serves on the faculty of the Virginia Beach Law Enforcement Training Academy. He is fluent in German, Spanish, English, and Portuguese and is a member of both the Virginia State Bar and the District of Columbia Bar.
The U.S. Chamber is the world’s largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region.
| John Austin, VP, Michigan State Board of Education, Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution Director, Great Lakes Economic Initiative
Ann Arbor, Michigan |
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John Austin, 45, is a Nonresident Senior Fellow with the Brookings Institution, as well as a Michigan statewide elected official, serving as Vice-President of the Michigan State Board of Education. Mr. Austin is also a Lecturer at the University of Michigan School of Architecture and Urban Planning.
Mr. Austin has over 20 years experience in political and public policy leadership. Mr. Austin currently is Director of the Great Lakes Economic Initiative for the Brookings Institution, designed to improve the economic vitality of the Great Lake states. As part of this initiative, Mr. Austin authored “The Vital Center: A Federal State Compact to Renew the Great Lakes Region,” published by the Brookings Institution in fall of 2006. Informed observers have heralded this report – Washington Post syndicated columnist Neal Peirce called it a “stunning new prescription for America’s Great Lakes megaregion.”
During recent years Mr. Austin served as Policy Director for Michigan’s Governor-appointed Commission on Higher Education and Economic Growth, and was principal author of the Commission’s report. He co-authored the influential report Revitalizing Michigan Cities, with Michigan Future, Inc., which led to Governor Granholm’s “Cool Cities” initiative, and has helped Michigan’s Department of Labor and Economic Development to reshape Michigan’s economic, workforce and urban development agenda. Austin has worked with city and state governments, federal agencies and officials, as well as national foundations, corporations and labor organizations on a wide variety of public policy issues.
Early in his career Mr. Austin served as President of the Flint Roundtable, a multi-sector CEO leadership organization in Genesee County, Michigan focused on regional education reform, where he developed nationally recognized education programs. In addition he was chairman of the Genesee County Road Commission. Prior to settling in Michigan, Mr. Austin served as a special assistant to Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis, and on the staff of the Massachusetts Secretary of Economic Affairs.
In 2007 Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm appointed Mr. Austin to the Midwestern Higher Education Compact board. Mr. Austin is a Board Members of the Michigan Common Cause, and the Michigan League of Conservation Voters.
Austin received his Masters in Public Administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and a Bachelors from Swarthmore College in Economics & Political Science, Phi Beta Kappa. Mr. Austin has been married 19 years to his wife Terese. They and their three school-age children reside in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Stephen Brereton, Canadian Consul General
Canadian Consulate General
Buffalo, New York |
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Stephen Brereton was appointed Consul General of the Consulate General for Canada in Buffalo in August 2005.
Mr. Brereton is a career diplomat with a distinguished background in international trade policy. He joined the Canadian Foreign Service in 1979 following graduation from Queen’s University with an Honours BA in Economics. His foreign service career has included assignments as the Trade Policy Counsellor at the Canadian Mission to the European Union based in Brussels (1992-96) and diplomatic responsibilities at the Canadian Embassies in Tokyo Japan (1984-87) and Havana, Cuba (1980-82) as well as the Foreign Service Institute in Yokohama, Japan (1982-84).
Mr. Brereton’s appointment as Consul General follows extensive periods of service at the departmental headquarters in Ottawa where he served as Director of the Investment Trade Policy Division from 1999-2005 and as Director of the Trade Controls Policy Division at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in the late-90's. In earlier positions at headquarters, he served as Departmental Assistant to the Minister of Industry and International Trade, Deputy Director of the U.S. Tariffs and Market Access Division, and Trade Policy Officer within the GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) Division.
The Canadian Consulate General in Buffalo administers immigration, trade, consular and public affairs programs across Upstate New York, western and central Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
A native of Toronto, Mr. Brereton and his wife Carolyn have two sons, James and William.
Mark Brown, Senior Market Research Analyst
U.S. Dept. of Commerce
International Trade Administration
Manufacturing & Services
Office of Travel & Tourism Industries
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Mark Brown
Mark is Senior Market Research Analyst at the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Travel & Tourism Industries, where he has managed the Canada, Travel Trade Barometer, and Travel Forecast program areas since joining the team three years ago.
Mark joined the Office of Travel and Tourism Industries in the U.S. Department of Commerce with an extensive and comprehensive background in economic development, marketing research, and travel and tourism promotion and research. Mark’s public sector experience includes eight years as the Research Director for the Virginia state tourism office. His private sector experience includes research positions with several leading travel research companies.
Mark is a former board member of the Travel & Tourism Research Association and has shared travel research and marketing insights at dozens of high-level travel industry presentations on economic development and travel promotion and research issues. His educational background is in economics, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Patricia Brusha, Principal & Co-Founder
Kuikene Inc.
Mississauga, Ontario |
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 | Patricia Brusha
E-Analyst & Co-Founder
Patricia Brusha is the co-founder of "Couple of Chicks.Com" an Internet Marketing, Distribution & Revenue Measurement Company. She has spent 26 years working in the Hospitality Industry in the United States and Canada in the fields of Sales, Hotel Marketing, Internet Distribution and Revenue Management.
A Couple of Chicks e-Marketing is a leading online marketing firm specializing in search engine optimization, paid search marketing, social media marketing and online PR. The “Chicks” have published over 25 articles, produced a successful online marketing Blog; www.ideahatching.com , launched www.chicksaway.com – a new social media portal for women who travel, co-founded and produce the Online Revealed Conference series in association with Yahoo! Canada, and have worked with such notable brands as Marriott International, Fairmont Hotels and Resorts and Yahoo!
Patricia is also a Google-approved Qualified Google Advertising Professional and has extensive experience managing Google Adwords campaigns and Yahoo PPC campaigns for a variety of clients.
Patricia is the Co-Chair , and co-founder of the first ever Canadian Online Marketing Conference - Online Revealed Canada and she has spoken on numerous industry panels including the Distribution Summit in Chicago and the Search Engine Strategy Conference in Toronto, the Hotel Association of Canada conference and more.
The “Chicks” also educate about search engine optimization and Online Marketing best practices with their popular “Get Cracking” e-marketing workshops. Recent speaking engagements include Travel Alberta, B.C. Tourism Industry Conference 2007, SYTA (Student Youth Travel Association) and TIANS (Tourism Industry of Nova Scotia). Their popular e-marketing workshops have also lead to the upcoming book focussed on the “Chicks” non-intimidating approach to marketing online.
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Jason Burgess, Vice-President
Deloitte & Touche Corporate Finance Canada Inc.
Deloitte.
St. Catharines, Ontario |
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Jason is a senior manager in Financial Advisory services in the Niagara office, and is a Vice-President of Deloitte & Touche Corporate Finance Canada Inc. Jason leads our Tourism Hospitality and Leisure Practice (“THL”) in South Western Ontario. Jason has performed a number of advisory services for a diverse group of clients including hotels, inns, spas, conference centres, restaurants and industry groups. Jason has completed, business plan reviews, best practice reviews, economic impact studies, financing and merger and acquisition services in the industry. Jason has spoken across Canada on tourism and lodging related issues.
| Sharon Gilmour, Chief Implementation Officer
Value Profit Group
Dundas, Ontario |
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Sharon Gilmour, M.Ad.Ed(c) (Chief Implementation Officer) Sharon Gilmour’s background is in adult education, with expertise in the art of interpretation and organizational learning. Applying the foundational premises of systems thinking to business, Sharon has the innate ability to engage employees and help them learn how to create a cooperative environment that fosters synergy, exponentially improving results. As the Chief Implementation Officer, Sharon works with the leadership and employees in organizations to identify patterns of success to build momentum and outpace barriers that inhibit results. This holistic orientation breeds employee and customer engagement resulting in long term sustainable, profitable growth.
Maryscott (Scotty) Greenwood, Executive Director
Canadian American Business Council |
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 | Maryscott "Scotty" Greenwood serves in McKenna Long & Aldridge's Washington, DC office as managing director on the International Trade and Public Affairs Teams. Scotty also serves as Vice President of Strategic Management, LLC, the firm's consulting subsidiary. In addition to her other public policy portfolios, Scotty is the Executive Director of the Canadian-American Business Council. She is frequent commentator on US/Canadian relations. Before joining the firm, Scotty was appointed by President Clinton to serve as Chief of Staff of the United States Embassy in Canada. During her four-year diplomatic posting, she received the U.S. Department of State Meritorious Honor Award for her innovation of an outreach program to governors to foster cooperation on US/Canada issues. Scotty currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Foundation For Art & Preservation in Embassies and the Advisory Board of the Association for Canadian Studies in the United States.
From 1993-1997, Scotty was the Director of Intergovernmental Affairs of Atlanta, handling state and federal relations. Scotty led the team that secured a coveted Empowerment Zone designation for Atlanta, bringing in over $250 million in new federal funds to the city. She also chaired the successful effort to pass state legislation enabling the construction of a new arena for professional sports teams in downtown Atlanta. Scotty served on the White House Interagency Task Force on Olympic Security and worked on various other projects other projects related to the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. Scotty's civic involvement included: the Board of Directors of the Margaret Mitchell House; the Advisory Board of the Urban Study Institute and Chairmanship of the Tax & Finance Committee of the Georgia Municipal Association.
Before the position with the City of Atlanta, Scotty was Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Georgia appointed by Governor Zell Miller. She worked on the 1988 and 1992, 1996 and 2004 presidential campaigns.
Scotty is an honors graduate of the University of Vermont and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University's Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government.
Douglass Legg, VP Western Canada
Malone, Given Parsons Ltd.
Vancouver, British Columbia
Douglass Legg, MA, CPIM, is Director, Western Canada and a senior associate of Malone Given Parsons Ltd. As an economist, Douglass has served as Senior Advisor to Ontario’s Living Legacy, Smart Growth and Destination Development initiatives. He is the creator of the award winning “Premier-ranked Tourism Destination Framework”—a tool that guides its users through an assessment of a tourist destination’s market status and the architect of “Partnering for the Future: Public Private Partnerships in Tourism Development”—a best practices manual to assist in the identification, assessment and implementation of public-private partnerships in major publicly owned tourism assets. Douglass is a member of the City of Coquitlam B.C.’s Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Economic Development and Tourism.
John Nay, U.S. Consul General
U.S. Consulate General
Toronto, Ontario |
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John R. Nay assumed his duties as U.S. Consul General in Toronto in June of 2006. He previously served as Office Director for African Regional and Security Affairs in the State Department's Bureau of African Affairs. He joined the office in April 2003, after serving from 2002-03 as Senior Inspector in the State Department's Office of the Inspector General. Prior to that he served as Minister Counselor for Consular Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India from 1999-2002, and as Regional Consular Officer for Southern Africa based in Johannesburg, South Africa from 1996-1999.
In Washington, D.C., Mr. Nay has served as Deputy Director for Pacific Island Affairs from 1993-95, and previously was an analyst on Cambodia issues for two years and on Korean affairs for one year. Mr. Nay also had previous stints as consular chief in Taipei, Taiwan and Calgary, Canada, as well as earlier tours of duty in Singapore and Taiwan.
Mr. Nay holds the rank of Minister Counselor, is language qualified in Chinese (Mandarin), and holds Masters Degrees from Andrews University and from the National Defense University.
He and his wife, Judith Ashdon Nay, have three children.
| Lynn Osmond, Hon. AIA, President & CEO
Chicago Architecture Foundation
Chicago, Illinois |
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Lynn J. Osmond, Hon AIA
President & CEO
Chicago Architecture Foundation
Lynn Osmond became president of the Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF) in November of 1996. The CAF presents a comprehensive program of tours, exhibitions, lectures, special events and youth education programs, designed to enhance public awareness and appreciation of Chicago's outstanding architectural legacy.
Prior to joining CAF, Ms. Osmond spent seventeen years managing major performing arts companies in both Canada and the United States. These include the Buffalo Philharmonic and the Canadian Stage Company in Toronto.
Ms. Osmond grew up in St. Catharines, Ontario and graduated from Queen's University in Kingston. In 1999, she received her Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation. In addition to serving CAF as a docent herself, she also currently serves on the boards of the Greater North Michigan Avenue Association, the Central Area Committee, the Chicago Loop Alliance, the University Club, Glessner House Museum, and chairs the Toronto Sister Cities Committee. In 2005, she was recognized as an Honorary Member of the American Institute of Architects.
| Karen Peterson, Managing Director & Founder
Davidson-Peterson Associates
Kennebunk, Maine
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Karen Ida Peterson
Founder, Research Director, Davidson-Peterson Associates
Karen founded the marketing research firm, Davidson-Peterson Associates (DPA), in 1974 and has managed the firm’s research for travel and tourism clients ever since then Her extensive travel and tourism insight guides numerous clients throughout this industry, including currently the state tourism offices of Wisconsin, Missouri, Minnesota and Mississippi, and recently for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Civil War Preservation Trust, several National Heritage areas, and scenic byways in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. Karen has worked on tourism issues in virtually every state in America and many Canadian provinces.
Karen has taught questionnaire development for The Council of American Survey Research Organizations, and has served on the CASRO board in several key positions. Previously an adjunct faculty member of The New School for Social Research in New York and the University of New Hampshire, Karen also taught marketing research for eight years at the Southeast Tourism Society’s Marketing College. She has served as a director of the Travel and Tourism Research Association International and of both the New York and New England Chapters of TTRA.
Karen speaks extensively on tourism topics across the country. She served as a delegate from Maine to the White House Conference on Travel and Tourism. She has lent her expertise to numerous board positions, including the Portsmouth Harbor Trail Foundation, The Seashore Trolley Museum, and the Old York Historical Society.
Karen has her BA degree from Wellesley College and has completed graduate work in business at The Baruch School, City University of New York.
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John Pinter, Principal
Meridian Reservation Systems
Niagara Falls, Ontario
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John Pinter, President, Meridian Reservation Systems
B.A History – Brock University
Honours Business Administration – Brock University
In his capacity as company President, John draws on his diverse academic background and employment experience. Having been actively engaged in the hospitality and tourism sectors through positions of hotel ownership and in representation on the board of directors of Niagara Falls Tourism, John is well positioned to lead the company as it continues to develop new products that ultimately add value to the Meridian Destination Management System.
John was one of the early pioneers of on-line reservation systems and destination portal creation in the Niagara region. Today, the “InfoNiagara - Niagara Central Reservations” division of Meridian Reservation Systems is the largest reservation service in the Niagara Region processing over 100,000 reservations annually. The confidence in the product quality and the commitment to customer service has convinced over 170 innkeepers, tour operators, and tourist attractions to adapt Meridian products for use in their own personal websites.
NYS Assemblyman Robin Schimminger
140th New York State Assembly District
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 | ROBIN SCHIMMINGER
Member of Assembly, 140th A.D.
Biographical Information
Robin Schimminger was born in North Tonawanda, New York, on September 17, 1947. He graduated from Cardinal O'Hara High School in the Town of Tonawanda and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at Canisius College in Buffalo, where he was inducted into the DiGamma and Alpha Sigma Nu Honor Societies. Mr. Schimminger also studied at Ireland's William Butler Yeats International School of Literature and the University College, Dublin. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the New York University School of Law, where he was awarded the Jack Kroner Medal. He was subsequently admitted to the New York Bar.
Before his election to the State Assembly in 1976, Mr. Schimminger was elected twice (1973 and 1975) to the Erie County Legislature where he served as chairman of the Public Health Committee.
Mr. Schimminger was named the first chairman of the new Assembly Standing Committee on Small Business in 1985 in recognition of his accomplishments as chairman of the former Subcommittee on Small Business from its inception in 1980 through 1984. He continued to chair the Small Business Committee until 1997, at which time he was named to chair the Assembly Standing Committee on Economic Development, Job Creation, Commerce and Industry. He has sponsored and played key roles in enacting numerous measures strengthening the state's economic development policies, improving its tax and regulatory climate, modernizing workforce training programs, enhancing coordination of the state's economic development efforts, and encouraging the development of new businesses and the creation of new jobs.
Assemblyman Schimminger also demonstrated his commitment to job growth and economic development with his Omnibus Procurement Act, which maximizes the opportunity for in-state firms to do business with New York State. His Linked Deposit Program, an innovative low-interest loan program for small and medium-sized businesses which has been singled out for national recognition by the U.S. Small Business Administration, has been credited with keeping or creating thousands of jobs in New York State.
Mr. Schimminger has also served as a member of the joint Legislative Commission on Government Administration (formerly the Commission on Economy and Efficiency in Government), which he previously chaired. In that capacity, he originated and developed legislation establishing a framework of safeguards against fraud, waste and abuse in state government which ultimately became the landmark Internal Audit and Control Act. The statute, which requires that modern accounting and auditing procedures be employed to safeguard the public's state tax dollars, is now also being used as a model by local governments across New York State.
In all, Mr. Schimminger has more than 300 state laws to his credit. Among Mr. Schimminger's many legislative accomplishments are the "toxic torts" law changing the statute of limitations in toxic exposure cases, and laws reforming the insanity defense, requiring first aid for choking information to be posted in restaurants, and outlawing voyeuristic videotaping of individuals in private situations. He also authored the "'Under 21' Driver's License" to aid in reducing alcohol sales to minors. His Equal Access to Justice Act works to discourage arbitrary and capricious actions by state agencies by allowing individuals of modest means, small businesses and not-for-profit corporations to recover the legal costs of fighting state fines and actions found to be without substantial justification.
Mr. Schimminger also authored a "smart growth" law encouraging the reuse of existing facilities and sites for business relocations and expansions; the Revised Model Trademark Act, modernizing New York's outdated trademark laws; and legislation strengthening an individual's right to authorize organ donation, thereby increasing the number of New Yorkers who may benefit from "the gift of life."
In addition to chairing the State Assembly Committee on Economic Development, Job Creation, Commerce and Industry, Mr. Schimminger serves on the Codes, Health, and Ways and Means Committees in the State Assembly. He is Assembly Chair of the State Legislature’s Western New York Delegation and is one of two State Assembly representatives on the New York State Workforce Investment Board. Mr. Schimminger is a member of the Council of State Governments, serving as co-chair of its Northeast States/Eastern Canadian Provinces Committee and on the Executive Committee of the Council’s Eastern Regional Conference.
Mr. Schimminger has also served on the boards of numerous civic, community, educational and cultural organizations. He is a co-founder of the Buffalo - Dortmund Sister City Committee. He presently serves on the Board of Directors of Junior Achievement of Western New York.
Married to the former Melinda Downey, Mr. Schimminger resides with his wife in Kenmore, New York
Robert Shibley, Director, Urban Design Project, University of Buffalo
Professor Robert G. Shibley received his Master of Architecture in Urban Design from the Catholic University of America and holds a Bachelor of Architecture and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Oregon. Shibley’s research focuses on urban and architectural design practices and processes. He has co-authored eight books on urban and community design including Time Saver Standards for Urban Design, Placemaking: the Art and Practice of Building Communities, and Urban Excellence, and has contributed to numerous professional and scholarly journals including The Journal of Architectural Education, Architecture and Behavior, The Journal of Architecture and Planning Research, and Utopian Studies.
As founder and director of the Urban Design Project, Shibley is lead consultant on city and regional projects including the City of Buffalo’s Queen City Hub: A Regional Action Plan for Downtown Buffalo and, on the City’s Comprehensive Plan. Shibley is a licensed architect in Virginia, former director of the Western New York AIA, former Special Assistant to the Mayor of Buffalo, and member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, the American Institute of Architects and the Environmental Design Research Association. He is a fellow of the Institute for Urban Design and was the recipient of the James R. Haecker Award for Distinguished Leadership in Architectural Research in 2003. This latest award is given by Architectural Research Center’s Consortium for a life time of achievements in advancing architectural inquiry.
Congresswoman Louise Slaughter
Congresswoman for New York's 28th District
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 | Congresswoman Louise Slaughter
One of the most powerful women in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congresswoman Louise McIntosh Slaughter has achieved a significant level of leadership as the Chairwoman of the influential House Committee on Rules, making her the first woman in history to hold this position. She is the Democratic Chair of two very prominent congressional caucuses: the Congressional Arts Caucus and the Bipartisan Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus, and is the former Co-chair of the Congressional Women's Caucus.
In November 2006, Rep. Slaughter was elected to her eleventh term in Congress as U.S. Representative for the 28th Congressional District of New York State. Her diverse district includes the cities of Rochester, Buffalo and Niagara Falls. Her constituents know her to be a strong proponent of progressive causes and a fighter for the employment concerns and the economic development of Western New York. She has earned a reputation for her dedication to constituent service.
Elected in 1986, Rep. Slaughter holds a Bachelor of Science degree (1951) in Microbiology and a Master of Science degree (1953) in Public Health from the University of Kentucky. Prior to entering Congress, she served in the New York State Assembly (1982-86) and the Monroe County (N.Y.) Legislature (1976-79); and as regional coordinator to then-Secretary of State Mario Cuomo (1976-78) and to then-Lt. Gov. Mario Cuomo (1979-82). In May 2006 she was presented with an honorary Doctorate from the University of Kentucky.
A native of Harlan County, Kentucky, Congresswoman Slaughter has lived most of her life in Rochester's suburb of Fairport. She is married to Robert Slaughter and has three daughters and seven grandchildren.
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Olav Sorenson, Jeffrey S. Skoll Chair in Technical Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Professor of Strategic Management
Rotman School of Management
Toronto, Ontario
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Olav Sorenson is the Jeffrey S. Skoll Chair in Technical Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Professor of Strategic Management at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. He has previously held positions at the University of Chicago, UCLA and London Business School. Prof. Sorenson teaches courses on business strategy, the entertainment industry, entrepreneurial finance, technology strategy and organizational design to both MBA students and executives. His research, which includes two books and nearly forty articles, focuses on entrepreneurship, innovation and regional economic development. He holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University and an A.B. from Harvard College.
Ryan Stein, Policy Analyst
Canadian Chamber of Commerce
Ryan Stein is a Policy Analyst with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Canada’s leading business association. In his role with the Canadian Chamber, Ryan specializes in policy issues related to Canada-U.S. relations, transportation policy, labour policy, and interprovincial trade. The policy team at the Canadian Chamber works directly with our corporate members through volunteer committees, and through a broad network of community chambers, boards of trade and affiliated associations to lobby effectively on key issues of importance to Canadians.
Prior to joining the Canadian Chamber, Ryan worked as a research analyst with the Canadian Services Coalition, a sub-organization of the Canadian Chamber. Ryan is a graduate of Carleton University with a bachelors’ degree in International Business and a Masters’ Degree in International Affairs from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs.
David Swarts, NYS Transportation Commissioner
David J. Swarts was appointed New York State Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles by Governor Eliot Spitzer in January of 2007. He also serves as Chair of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, the organization administering federal funds for state and local highway safety projects.
Commissioner Swarts has an extensive career in public service. From 1987 until his appointment he was the Clerk of Erie County where he directed five major public service delivery sectors including serving as an Agent of the State Department of Motor Vehicles, the Chief Registrar, Clerk of County and Supreme Court, Records Management Office and Director of the Pistol Permit Office.
From 1982 – 1986, Commissioner Swarts was Clerk of the Erie County Legislature and from 1978 – 1981 he served as Special Assistant to the Speaker of the New York State Assembly. The Commissioner began his career as a secondary education teacher for the Buffalo City School District of ten years. He has also taught at institutions of higher learning including serving as a professor at Daemen College and an Instructor at Erie County Community College.
Commissioner Swarts is committed to giving back to the community and has served as a member of various professional and charitable organizations. He is a former member of: the United Way of Buffalo and Erie County, the Board of Directors of Literacy Volunteers, the New York State Local Government Records Advisory Council and former Chair of the Erie County Records Commission. He is a lifelong member of the NAACP.
Commissioner Swarts is a graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo where he earned his Masters Degree in Social Sciences and completed most of the requirements for a Doctoral Degree in Educational Administration. A native Buffalonian, the Commissioner lives in Elma with his wife. They have one adult son.
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Jens Thraenhart, Executive Director, Marketing Strategy and Customer Relationship Management, Chair of Canadian e-Tourism Council
Canadian Tourism Commission
Vancouver, B.C. |
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 | Jens Thraenhart
President, Chameleon Strategies
Activities:
Blogger, TourismInternetMarketing.com
President, Destination Journeys
President, August Hotels & Properties
Chair, Canadian e-Tourism Council
Producer, Canadian e-Tourism Strategy Conference & Awards
Editor-in-Chief, Tips from the T-List
"Jens has tremendous knowledge and insight into the travel business as well as deep relationships with individuals across the industry. Jens' enthusiasm and commitment to the business is infectious. He is a trusted source of understanding of everything important going on in the industry." - Jasper Malcolmson, GM, Shopping/Travel, Yahoo
Jens Thraenhart has over 20 years of international hospitality experience which includes hotel and restaurant operations, revenue management, sales & marketing, e-business, strategic planning, and hospitality consulting. He has worked with such companies as Fairmont, Four Seasons, Ian Schrager Hotels, Kempinski and Marriott.
Early in his career Jens' entrepreneurial edge was sharpened with him founding and operating a successful food catering company, starting a New York-based Internet leisure travel Internet company and managing an independent luxury golf resort in Germany.
Later in the corporate world, Jens has been instrumental in leading e-marketing and marketing automation programs in the hospitality and tourism industries, most recently with the Canadian Tourism Commission, responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of approaches, programs and initiatives to ensure the effective management and expansion of integrated solutions to e-marketing, e-business, campaign management, customer relationship management, and technology development initiatives aimed at increasing the penetration of Canadian tourism in targeted markets. Prior to that he headed E-Commerce and Online Distribution for Fairmont Hotels & Resorts as well as Marketing and CRM for Fairmont's Vacation Ownership and Residences division, which led to the company winning multiple prestigious awards in website design and online marketing.
Jens is today regarded as a thought-leader by his peers, as he is the founding chair of the HSMAI Travel Internet Marketing Organization and the HSMAI Hotel Internet Marketing Committee. Moreover, he co-founded and co-chaired the first Online Revealed Canada conference in May 2006, founded and chairs the Canadian E-Tourism Strategy Conference, Canada-e-Connect, which is held in conjunction with the first ever Canadian E-Tourism Awards, which he created.
He also established and chairs the Canadian E-Tourism Council, consisting of the "who's who" in travel and tourism marketing and e-commerce in Canada, spanning through all industry sectors and all over Canada. In addition, he is quoted and has contributed to numerous articles, white papers, and text books, and is a speaker at many industry conferences and events. Thraenhart has served on various industry boards, including both the Global Board and the Americas Board of Directors of the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI), as well as North America Board for the International Federation for IT and Travel & Tourism (IFITT). In his spare time, he operates the recognized "Tourism Internet Marketing Blog", and is co-founder and editor-in-chief of the Tips-from-T-List book and bloggers summits, a compilation of the best travel blogs from all around the world.
Originally from Germany, Thraenhart holds an MBA-accredited Masters of Management in Hospitality from the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University, and a joint Bachelor of Science in International Hospitality Management from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and the University Center 'Cesar Ritz' at Brig, Switzerland. He was recognized as one of the 'travel industry's top 100 rising stars' by Travel Agent Magazine in 2003, and was listed as one of the '25 Most Extraordinary Sales and Marketing Minds in Hospitality and Travel' in 2004 and 2005.
Most importantly, he has a wicked sense of humour and can usually be spotted in some of the most exotic locations in the world helping to define the next great trend!
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