The primary role of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce is to make Chicagoland the most business-friendly region in America by enhancing our members’ success through aggressive programs in advocacy, member benefits and services, and actionable information.
Serving as “The Voice of Business” since 1904, the Chamber leads aggressive public policy and business growth initiatives and we create meaningful events and programs to inform, engage, and connect our members to each other and the community. Visit ChicagolandChamber.org [1].
The Chamber's Alliance for Regional Development June Update is available online [2] and is also summarised below:
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Save the Date: Summit on Regional Competitiveness: September 27, 2013
The Alliance for Regional Development, in partnership with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, is hosting the Summit on Regional Competitiveness on Friday, September 27, 2013.The Summit will focus on the major policy areas addressed in the Chicago Tri-State Metropolitan Area OECD Review and the region’s preeminence in the global economy.
The Summit will feature four panels, each addressing a specific component of competitiveness: innovation, transportation and logistics, green growth and workforce. Each panel will feature leading figures from the private sector, academia and government. There will also be keynote speakers and a town hall meeting.
As the OECD Review stated “The region faces challenges associated with articulating and implementing region-wide plans… All key public and private sector stakeholders know what needs to be done and why it needs to be done if the region is to sustain its role as a driver of national growth and of global competitiveness. At issue is how to go about developing these action plans in a meaningful way, how to put them into place effectively, and how to monitor progress and measure success over time.” This Summit will be an historic opportunity to begin the “how” discussion. More details will follow in the upcoming weeks.
OECD Releases Study on Cities and Green Growth |
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The Review of the Chicago Metropolitan Tri-State Region was the first OECD Study of a region in the United States. One of the four key focus areas of the review, Green Growth, was also a focus area in three other international regional studies - Paris, Stockholm, and Kitakyushu - and two country studies - China and Korea. On May 23-24, 2013 the OECD hosted The Cities and Green Growth - Urban Evolution Conference in Stockholm, Sweden to discuss how cities embrace and meet the challenges of urbanization and the shift to greener economies. The conferece brought together experts in the green sector from around the world, including Dean Amhaus, Executive Director of The Water Council and Howard Learner, President & Executive Director of the Environmental Law & Policy Center, from our region. The focus of the event was the potential of cities and regions around the world to foster economic growth and reduce environmental impact through innovative policies and political commitment. During the conference, the OECD launched Green Growth in Cities, the Green Cities Program report, which integrates the findings and best practices of all six green growth studies, including that of our region. Access the full report Here [3].
Alliance Receives Grant from Union Pacific Railroad
The development of the Transportation and Logistics sector is an important focus of both the OECD Review and the Alliance for Regional Development. On May 9th the Alliance gained an important partner in this sector when it received a grant from Union Pacific Railroad to be used in the development of building collaborative transportation networks. The grant presentation ceremony took place aboard the Union Pacific Heritage Fleet at Ogilvie Transportation Center. During the presentation the Alliance, along with several other civic organizations, was given the opportunity to brief attendees on its mission before being presented with a check by Jack Koraleski, President and CEO of Union Pacific Railroad, and Robert Turner, President, Union Pacific Foundation. The Alliance looks forward to working with Union Pacific to realize our regional transportation goals.
Alliance Leaders Present at "The Importance of Regionalism" Summit
Alliance leaders recognize the importance of collaboration across borders, even if those borders are not within the specific area outlined in the OECD Review. The Alliance has recently partnered with another Tri-State Alliance, this one including portions of Northern Illinois, Northeastern Iowa, and Southwestern Wisconsin including three major cities as anchors- Dubuque, IA, Janesville, WI and Rockford, IL. The mission, similar to the mission of our Alliance, is to convene the region’s leaders to address issues that affect commerce so that the quality of life is improved for the region.
On May 10, Kelly O'Brien, Senior Vice President for Economic Development at the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and Dr. Carmel Ruffolo, Alliance Operating Chair and Director of Corporate Engagement and Regional Development at the University of Wisconsin - Parkside and University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, were invited to present an update on the Alliance for Regional Development at the 6th Annual Summit titled "The Importance of Regionalism" in Beloit, Wisconsin. The Summit features representatives from transportation agencies, elected officials and networking opportunities. The Summit highlighted infrastructure and revenue issues facing the tri-state area in Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa and analyzed the economic potential of developing rivers and riverfronts for tourism and downtown revitalization. For more information, click Here [4].
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Regional Information of Interest
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