FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Craig Thompson, Executive Director
Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin
(608) 256-7044
craig.thompson@tdawisconsin.org
Madison, WI – October 22, 2012 – The Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin (TDA) will host its annual meeting on Thursday, November 1, 2012. Attendees at this year’s annual meeting will hear firsthand, from a distinguished group of professionals who shape our economy every day, the role transportation plays in setting the course for the future.
The theme for this year’s meeting is “Why Transportation Matters: because there is no point in making it if you can’t move it.” The meeting will focus on the importance of our state’s transportation system and how transportation is directly linked to the economy. Speakers include a business leader from the Salt Lake City area and a nationally recognized economic development leader, plus other Wisconsin business and transportation experts.
TDA Executive Director Craig Thompson commented on how the theme for this year’s conference came to be. “One of the things businesses consider when deciding where to relocate or expand is the state’s transportation system. A modern transportation system provides access to workers and facilitates the efficient movement of raw materials and goods.”
The annual meeting will take place at the Marriott Madison West. Check-in and registration runs from 9:30 a.m. – 10 a.m. and the program will begin at 10 a.m.
More information and a registration form for the annual meeting is available at: http://www.tdawisconsin.com/news.iml?ArticleID=34.
Featured Speakers at the meeting include:
Kurt Bauer is the president and CEO of Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, the state’s largest and most influential business lobby which represents 3,500 businesses of all sizes and from every sector of the economy. Bauer has also worked with the Wisconsin Bankers Association and led the Phoenix-based Arizona Bankers Association.
Lane Beattie has been the president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber since 2003. Under Beattie’s leadership, the chamber has focused on strengthening Utah’s economy by investing in transportation, reforming the health care system, improving education, and expanding international business.
Mark Gottlieb was appointed to serve as secretary of WisDOT beginning in 2011. Gottlieb was elected to the 60th Assembly District in the Wisconsin State Legislature in 2002, and previously served as both an alderman and the mayor of Port Washington. Gottlieb worked as a professional engineer for 24 years in various public and private sector positions.
Larry Gigerich is a nationally recognized economic development leader and the founder and managing director of Ginovus, a company that provides economic development guidance to companies considering expansion, relocation, consolidation and/or acquisition projects. During his career, Gigerich has worked on approximately 500 economic development projects resulting in over $10 billion of capital investment, the creation of over 80,000 new jobs, and the retention of over 160,000 existing jobs. Gigerich has been named by Governing magazine as one of the nation’s best economic development officials and is a regular speaker and panelist at national site selection conferences and events.
About TDA
From the buses in Racine to the Port of Green Bay to the rail lines in Superior to the Waukesha County Airport to the roads we use every day, Wisconsin’s transportation network is the key to connecting goods to market and people to jobs.
Founded in 1971, the Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin promotes the vitality and safety of the state’s transportation system, including public transit systems, public-use and general aviation airports, railroads, commercial ports, and roads. TDA’s members comprise business, labor, units of government, regional planning organizations, as well as individuals. www.tdawisconsin.com and Twitter handle @TDAWisconsin.
