ANNUAL 2015 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 2015 4 President’s Letter 5 Chairman’s Letter ADVOCACY & INITIATIVES 6 Overview 7 Advanced Manufacturing 8 Energy & Environment 9 Financial Services 11 Healthcare 13 Higher Education 15 Technology 17 Trade 19 Transportation EVENTS 20 Annual Spring Event 22 Annual Dinner 24 Congressional Roundtable Series 26 Capital Conversations Series 28 Politics & Eggs Series 30 Featured Events ABOUT THE COUNCIL 32 DC Dialogue 33 Board of Directors 37 Members 3 THE NEW ENGLAND COUNCIL 2015 PRESIDENT’S LETTER DEAR NEW ENGLAND COUNCIL MEMBER: In 1925, The New England Council was founded when the region’s six governors and top business leaders gathered in the woods of Poland Spring, Maine, with the goal of bringing the region together to advocate for policies that would support economic growth and prosperity. In 2015, as the Council celebrated our 90th Anniversary, I think our founders would be incredibly proud of how this organization has grown and evolved into the region’s premier business association. It is no exaggeration to say that the Council’s 90th year has been our busiest yet, with Council members in all six New England states gathering for nearly 100 events during 2015. From Congressional Roundtables throughout New England, to our Capital Conversations series in Washington, DC, to a variety of other informative programs on issues like cybersecurity, workforce development, and the opioid crisis, the Council delivered a wide range of quality programming throughout the year. And as the Presidential primary season fast approached, our popular Politics & Eggs series, co-hosted by the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at James T. Brett Saint Anselm College, welcomed nearly every major party presidential candidate to the Granite State. The Council’s two signature events—the Annual Spring Event in Washington, DC, and the Annual Dinner—were both tremendously successful. Over 250 Council members participated in the Annual Spring Event, making it one of the largest to date. Members were briefed by several senior Obama Administration officials—including Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez, Under Secretary of Education Ted Mitchell, and USPTO Director Michelle Lee—and had the opportunity to meet with many members of the Congressional delegation at our Capitol Hill Reception. At the Annual Dinner in October, over 1700 New England Council members and friends gathered to honor our remarkable New Englanders of the Year: Hill Holliday CEO Karen Kaplan, U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, Medal of Honor Recipient Ryan Pitts, and longtime WBZ TV anchor Jack Williams. Throughout the year, our members were actively engaged in our policy committees as the Council advocated for a variety of policies that impact the economic well-being of our region. The Council saw Congress take action on a number of our top priorities this year, including reauthorization of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, passage of Trade Promotion Authority, reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, and a long-term funding bill for our nation’s surface transportation programs. We also worked to build legislative support for a variety of other initiatives related to such issues as advanced manufacturing, STEM education, protection of intellectual property, and access to financial advice. As a result of this great work, membership continued to grow in 2015 with a variety of businesses and organizations throughout New England joining the Council. We were honored to welcome over 70 new members in 2015, bringing our total membership to over 500 businesses and organizations. None of these accomplishments would be possible, of course, without the tremendous support and active engagement of our members, and for that we are truly grateful. I am delighted to share with your our 2015 Annual Report, and look forward to another great year. Sincerely, James T. Brett President & CEO Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Jim Brett. 4 THE NEW ENGLAND COUNCIL CHAIRMAN’S LETTER 2015 DEAR NEW ENGLAND COUNCIL MEMBER: Thank you for your support of The New England Council this past year. In 2015, The New England Council once again provided strong leadership to all sectors of the regional economy, advocating for our collective priorities and educating our members on important developments throughout New England and in Washington, DC. The work of The New England Council remains an invaluable resource for its members, and the Council, in turn, is deeply grateful for your participation. The New England Council had an active and successful 2015 agenda, producing a series of meaningful reports and events, and culminating with several legislative and regulatory victories for our members. Partnering with Deloitte, The New England Council released an Advanced Manufacturing report: “Advanced to Advantageous: The Case for New England’s Manufacturing Revolution.” I strongly © W. Marc Bernsau/Boston Marc Journal Business W. © encourage you to read the findings which underscore the opportunities and challenges for our region John Hailer in this sector of promising economic growth. The New England Council continued its longstanding partnership with the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College to co-host the Politics & Eggs series, welcoming 2016 Presidential Primary candidates to join our members for events that were substantive, enlightening—and humorous. This will be a long political season and The New England Council will continue to keep you informed about interesting events as well as the impact the candidates may have on economic development and other regional priorities. In November, the Council gathered a panel of experts to discuss the proliferation of opioid addiction that continues to bring pain and loss to every geographic and demographic sector of New England. We remain committed to harnessing the strength of our membership and the best minds from our region to combat this crisis. I was especially pleased when on December 4, 2015, the President signed the reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank, following a vote of both houses of Congress. The New England Council actively advocated with the New England Congressional delegation for Ex-Im reauthorization as a critical financing tool for our member companies, allowing them to compete globally and improving economic growth across the region. And, 2015 also concluded with the passage of a 5-year surface transportation bill which will provide needed infrastructure funding throughout New England. Looking ahead, I expect The New England Council to remain actively involved in key regional priorities including higher education reauthorization, financial services regulation, and tax reform. Supporting the work of the Governors of the six New England states, the Council will advocate for long term affordable energy solutions to promote cleaner, cost efficient sources of power. Thank you for your continued membership in The New England Council. I hope the year’s successes demonstrate that when the public, private, and nonprofit sectors effectively collaborate, we can deliver a strong voice for all of New England. Sincerely, John Hailer and Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker. John Hailer Chairman 5 THE NEW ENGLAND COUNCIL 2015 ADVOCACY & INITIATIVES OVERVIEW The New England region continued to experience slow but steady economic growth during 2015, with unemployment rates continuing to drop and businesses continuing to grow. Unfortunately, it was not the most productive year in our nation’s capital, where the partisan divide continued to impede legislative action in Congress. Despite the stalemate, The New England Council continued our work to ensure that the business community’s voice was heard by members of Congress. The Council advocated for policies that will promote innovation and economic growth, foster a positive business climate, and ensure that our region has the talented workforce needed to compete in the 21st century Tim Sweeney of Santander and Rep. Bill Keating at a breakfast global economy. In addition to various advocacy efforts, in Boston, MA. the Council also convened a number of informative meetings and events throughout the year, featuring members of Congress, other federal policy makers, and industry experts, to help Council members understand and navigate the many challenging issues facing the business community. Sheri Lauten of Eversource Energy and Sen. Chris Murphy in Washington, DC. Rep. David Cicilline and John Muggeridge of Fidelity Investments at the Annual Capitol Hill Reception. 6 THE NEW ENGLAND COUNCIL ADVOCACY & INITIATIVES 2015 ADVANCED MANUFACTURING New England has a rich history as home to a thriving advanced manufacturing sector. The Council and Deloitte manufacturing industry. Samuel Slater launched also presented the report to leaders in Washington, DC, at a America’s Industrial Revolution in Rhode Island over Congressional staff briefing on Capitol Hill in March 2015, 200 years ago, and for generations mill towns dotted the and later, to members of the New England House delegation landscape of New England, from Lewiston-Auburn, at a special meeting convened by Rep. Richard Neal, dean of the delegation, in June 2015. In July 2015, NEC President and Maine; to Manchester, New Hampshire; to Lowell, CEO Jim Brett testified before the House Democratic Caucus’ Massachusetts and beyond. While more traditional forms “Make it in America” hearing at the invitation of Minority of manufacturing have been on the decline in the region in Whip Steny Hoyer. recent years, there is great potential for economic growth in the so-called “advanced manufacturing” sector.