Weekly News from COBRT
LEADERSHIP. REACH. RESULTS.
April 18, 2017
KEY ISSUES RADIO/PODCAST VIDEOS EVENTS CONTACT
Economic Development
Jim McNerney has been the CEO of multiple GE divisions (including GE Aircraft Engines and GE Lighting), the CEO of 3M, and -- most recently -- the CEO of Boeing. It is perhaps an understatement to say he has overseen a lot of growth in these roles. He also gained valuable experience in his earlier positions working with Procter & Gamble's brand management and as a management consultant for McKinsey & Company. 

Mr. McNerney took to the stage earlier this month to address ACG Denver's 2017 Rocky Mountain Corporate Growth Conference audience by o ffering some of his rare insights into the leadership required of such roles and responsibilities:

"If you have no plan for growth, you have no plan."



 
The Colorado Small Business Development Center (COSBDC) along with several statewide small businesses, community organizations and financial institutions, launched a website in honor of National Small Business Week in Colorado.
 
Coloradosmallbizweek.com is where Coloradans can find all the events and celebrations in honor of small businesses in specific communities across the State. Celebrated during the first week of May, this year the US Small Business Administration's National Small Business Week occurs duringApril 30 - May 6, 2017.

View the new website here
Technology
"In a groundbreaking move, the nascent NovaSpace initiative has finalized a partnership with California-based accelerator LightSpeed Innovations. The two innovation hubs will collaborate on community building and accelerators for the aerospace industry."

 Read the full press release here
Immigration Policy
An Open Letter from 1,470 Economists on Immigration
As Congress and the Administration debate our immigration laws, 1,470 economists signed a letter to President Trump and Congressional Leadership affirming that immigration is good for the American economy. Organized by  New American Economy  and Douglas Holtz-Eakin of the  American Action Forum , signatories include six Nobel Laureates and members of the Reagan, GHW Bush, Clinton, GW Bush, and Obama Administrations, as well as leading economists from across the country, including several  Colorado economists:
  • Carol Dahl. Colorado School of Mines
  • Daniel Johnson, Colorado College
  • Esther Redmount, Colorado College
  • Graham Davis, Colorado School of Mines
  • Jeffrey S. Zax, University of Colorado, Boulder
  • John E. Tilton, Colorado School of Mines
  • Kristina M. Lybecker, Colorado College
  • Mark Griffin Smithm Colorado College
  • Martin Boileau, University of Colorado
  • Miles Spencer Kimball, University of Colorado, Boulder
  • Philip K. Verleger, PK Verleger LLC, Colorado School of Mines
  • Robert McNown, University of Colorado, Boulder
  • Robert Sonora, Fort Lewis College
  • Rutilio Martinez, University of Northern Colorado
  • Stephan Weiler, Colorado State University
  • Terra McKinnish, University of Colorado
  • Tom Thibodeau, University of Colorado, Boulder
  • Tracy Mott, University of Denver
Tax & Fiscal Policy
 
COBRT President Jeff Wasden was in Washington, DC last week with State Business Roundtable Executives (SBRE). Governor Engler, former President and CEO of the Business Roundtable retired recently so this was the first opportunity for the state roundtable executives to meet the new President and CEO, Joshua Bolten. President Bolten has extensive policy background and served as a former Chief of Staff under the Bush administration.

Colorado will be hosting the State Business Roundtable Executives in September this year as we continue to focus on our reach, impact, and relationships.
 
Read more here
NSBA Releases 2017 TaxSurvey:Tax Reform a Major Concern for Small Business

The National Small Business Association ( NSBA ) today released the  2017 Small Business Taxation Survey  which quantifies the federal  tax  burden on small-business owners, and provides their opinions on various  tax  reform proposals.

Education & Workforce
The 2017 Western Pathways Conference is uniquely focused on an issue central to the future of our economy and society: how can we build an education and workforce development system that will prepare ALL young adults for careers leading to economic independence? 

This will be an action oriented conference in which teams from the participating states will work together to develop plans for addressing such issues as the skills gap, strengthening connections between business and education, providing high-quality career development and career pathways, and much more. 

The Western Pathways Conference will attract national leaders from business, education, government and philanthropy to share knowledge, experience, ideas, and best practices.The Conference is organized and hosted by the Global Pathways Institute at Arizona State University in partnership with the Colorado Business Roundtable, Education Commission of the States, Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education, and Business-Higher Education Forum.

Burning Glass Technologies CEO Matt Sigelman will be presenting at the upcoming Western Pathways Conference. As a preview, check out his recent LinkedIn article:

"'Soft skills,' as the name implies, are an inherently fuzzy concept. It's clear that employers need them and workers who lack them will struggle to find a job or get ahead. But what exactly are they? People skills? Emotional intelligence? Or as one Dilbert cartoon put it, ' how to listen to idiots without snorting'?

One way of defining these workplace skills is to consider what employers actually ask for in job postings. Based on Burning Glass Technologies' analysis of millions of job postings,  one in every three skills cited in job ads is a "baseline" skill  -- that is, skills that aren't specific to any particular kind of job but rather that are requested by employers across the board."
 



Colorado Business Roundtable's Inner Circle gives our members access to Colorado's top business women and men. #COBRTInnerCircle members share their leadership lessons and invite you to learn more about them and their organizations.
Stephanie Veck is the Executive Director of the Colorado Workforce Development Council (CWDC), a dynamic public-private partnership that is a Governor appointed, business-led, coalition of industry, state agencies and their local system partners.

This coalition works to create an integrated talent development system that meets the needs of students, job-seekers, workers and businesses by aligning education, training, workforce and economic development efforts with the needs of industry.


Learn more about Stephanie

Listen at KDMT 1690 AM Denver's Money Talk from 
4-5 p.m. Monday through Friday or  live stream online. Podcasts are available at  www.cobrt.com/radio and on your favorite podcast app the day after live airing.

Stream or Download These  Recent Episodes
April  12 - Bill Symonds - Western Pathways Conference
April  13 - Edgar Johansson -    COBRT Aerospace Advocate
April  14 - Leading2Lean's Kristen Muzzy with Kirk Weisler
April  17 - Business Beyond Borders' Paul Kullman on the state of US-China relations

See all at our events page and use this contact form to add yours!

4/25/17
Business Seminar on CyberSecurityColorado Attorney General's Office
 
4/27/17
Dream Big Eads Event Inspires Rural Colorado Youth into STEM Careers

4/30 - 5/6/17
Colorado Small Business Week - CO Office of Economic Development

5/5/17
Manufacturer's Edge - First Friday WebinarImpactful Use of Lean in the Office  

5/11 - 5/13
Western Pathways 2017

5/16/17
44th Annual World Trade Day


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