2012 ANNUAL REPORT M ISSION The New England Council is an alliance of businesses, academic and health institutions, and public and private organizations throughout New England formed to promote economic growth and a high quality of life in the New England region. The New England Council is a leading voice on the issues that shape the region’s economy and quality of life. The Council focuses on key industries that drive the region’s economic growth including education, energy, transportation, technology and innovation, healthcare and financial services. THE NEW ENGLAND COUNCIL TABLE OF CONTENTS 2012 4 President’s Letter 5 Chairman’s Letter ADVOCACY & INITIATIVES 6 Overview 6 Defense 8 Energy & Environment 10 Financial Services 12 Healthcare 13 Higher Education 15 New England Economic Partnership 16 Smart Infrastructure Report 17 Technology 19 Transportation EVENTS 20 Annual Dinner 22 Annual Spring Event 24 Congressional Roundtable Series 26 Featured Events 27 Governors’ Forums 28 Politics & Eggs Series ABOUT THE COUNCIL 29 DC Dialogue 30 Board of Directors 34 New Members 3 THE NEW ENGLAND COUNCIL 2012 PRESIDENT’S LETTER DEAR NEW ENGLAND COUNCIL MEMBER: As I look back at 2012, I am once again truly astounded at how much The New England Council has accomplished during the past year. Over the course of my 16 years at the helm of The New England Council, it has been remarkable to watch the organization evolve and grow as each year passes. When people ask me how we continue to thrive—particularly during the challenging economic situation in recent years—I tell them that it is because of our members. It is because of your engagement and ongoing support that The New England Council continues to be one of the nation’s premier business organizations. I am thrilled to once again report that the past year has been an incredibly successful one for the Council; in fact, 2012 was easily one of our busiest years, with over 40 events held throughout the year. We have hosted Congressional Roundtables with members of both the House and Senate in all six New England states. As the presidential election played out over the course of the year, James T. Brett we’ve been fortunate to welcome several national political figures, including key campaign surrogates, at our popular Politics & Eggs series, co-sponsored by our friends at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics. Throughout the year, we have also had the opportunity to hold events featuring other key federal policymakers, including several senior Obama Administration officials. Our two signature annual events—the Spring Event in Washington, DC, and the Annual Dinner—were once again both tremendous successes. The Annual Spring Event was attended by well over 200 Council members, making it one of the largest to date. We had the opportunity to hear from several senior federal officials, including White House Chief of Staff Jack Lew and Administrator Karen Mills of the U.S. Small Business Administration, and hosted many members of the Congressional delegation at our Capitol Hill Reception. At the Annual Dinner in October, nearly 1400 New England Council members and friends gathered to honor our inspiring New Englanders of the Year: U.S. Representative John Larson; Fidelity Financial Services President Abigail Johnson; esteemed historian David McCullough; and our dear friend Bob Sheridan, the recently retired CEO of Savings Bank Life Insurance and a long-time NEC Board Member. Amidst all of this, membership continued to grow at an impressive rate. We were delighted to welcome more than 50 new members in 2012, bringing our total membership to over 400 businesses and organizations. Our members continue to be actively engaged in our policy committees as the Council advocated for a variety of policies that impact the economic well-being of our region throughout the year. From the ongoing implementation of historic healthcare and financial sector reforms, to initiatives to create new jobs and close the “skills gap,” to ongoing efforts to address the nation’s fiscal challenges, The New England Council has been the region’s voice in Washington, working to shape policy that will promote economic development and foster job creation. This report offers a mere snapshot of The New England Council’s activities and work throughout 2012. I am proud to share it with you, and thank you again for your support. Sincerely, James T. Brett President & CEO Jim Brett with White House Chief of Staff Jack Lew in 4 Washington, DC. THE NEW ENGLAND COUNCIL CHAIRMAN’S LETTER 2012 DEAR NEW ENGLAND COUNCIL MEMBER: During a year marked by continued political and economic uncertainty, the voice of the New England Council – advocating for the policies necessary to achieve sustained economic growth – was more critical than ever. The year 2012 was one of growth for the New England Council. We increased our membership, with more businesses joining our organization than ever before. We also held a record number of events, from our Annual Dinner to a series of Congressional Roundtables, all of which provided important support to the business community as well as insight and thought leadership on the issues that matter most to our economy. When respected and influential leaders in government and politics want to reach business leaders in this region, they come to the New England Council. We heard from a number of top federal officials and several key advisors to President Obama. We have the ability to bring new ideas and © W. Marc Bernsau/Boston Marc Journal Business W. © help create solutions, and by working with our elected leaders, we can continue to foster economic John Hailer growth in New England and across the country. In a year of many challenges, we also received a reminder of just how important strong communities are in the wake of a national tragedy in Connecticut. We know that it is by working together with community leaders, businesses, institutions and citizens that we receive our strength and accomplish our goals. And we are fortunate to have so many great examples of leadership from which to draw as we tackle 2013. This year we want to continue to focus our efforts on creating an environment that supports long-term sustainable growth, new jobs with secure futures, and a high quality of life for our families. We’re also excited by the national conversation on immigration reform, which we believe is an important ingredient to the long-term sustainability of our economy. A sensible set of policies that provide better access for U.S. companies to the global workforce is something we all want to achieve. The New England Council looks forward to the debate which lies ahead and to representing the interests of our members. Thank you for making 2012 such a productive year, and for being such strong partners in pursuing our collective agenda. We are always at our best when working for you means working with you. Sincerely, John Hailer Chairman John Hailer with Pulitzer Prize winning author David McCullough and Jim Brett. 5 THE NEW ENGLAND COUNCIL 2012 Advocacy & Initiatives OVERVIEW DEFENSE New England continued to experience slow but steady Early in 2012, as some leaders in Washington raised the economic recovery in 2012. While the unemployment possibility of military base realignment and closure rate declined over the year, many employers were still proceedings as a defense cost-saving measure, The New hesitant to hire. Businesses large and small remain England Council took steps to begin to organize our uncertain about the future and have gotten little members to support our region’s military installations. reassurance from leaders in Washington. The Council played a significant role in advocating for the region’s bases during the last round of closure Despite a growing list of critical issues in need of Congress’ proceedings in 2005. While it soon became clear that attention, the nation’s fiscal challenges dominated the debate there would not be any base closure proceedings in the on Capitol Hill in 2012. The fierce partisanship that has next year, the Budget Control Act and the Super plagued Washington in recent years continued to hinder compromise on many issues. At the same time, November’s Committee’s failure to reach an agreement—triggering Congressional and Presidential elections played a significant possible sequestration cuts in 2013—spurred significant role in shaping the agenda for both parties in 2012. concern within the defense sector. The defense sector in Through it all, The New England Council continued to New England includes a wide range of businesses, from work closely with its members across various sectors to large Department of Defense contractors to the small, identify issues that affect the region and to advocate for precision manufacturers who make up their supply policies that will support economic growth and job creation chains. Combined, these companies and organizations throughout New England. In addition to advocacy efforts, the Council also offered members a variety of opportunities employ thousands and pour millions of dollars into the to educate themselves on the issues and stay abreast of region’s economy. the latest updates, from small group discussions with Congressional staffers, to Council-wide forums with key To best address concerns about both base closures and the federal policymakers. region’s defense sector, The New England Council in 2012 launched a Defense Working Group comprised of Council members with an interest in one or both of these issues. Chaired by Board Member Kevin Conroy of Foley Hoag, the group serves as a forum for information sharing and as a vehicle for members to work collaboratively in support of the region’s military bases and defense sector. Regional Coalition Building Recognizing that safeguarding the region’s military bases and defense sector was likely a priority to a variety of other business groups throughout the region, The New England Council conducted outreach over the course of 2012 to build a coalition of regional business leaders in support of defense interests in the region.