2016 ANNUAL REPORT MISSION The New England Council is a non-partisan 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. TABLE OF CONTENTS OF TABLE President’s Letter . 2 Chairman’s Letter . 3 ADVOCACY AND INITIATIVES Overview . 4 Advanced Manufacturing . 5 Energy and Environment. 6 Financial Services . 8 Healthcare . 11 Higher Education . 13 Technology . 15 Trade . 16 Transportation . 17 EVENTS Annual Spring Event . 18 Annual Dinner . 20 Congressional Roundtable Series . 22 Capital Conversations Series . 24 Featured Events. 26 Politics and Eggs Series . 28 ABOUT THE COUNCIL DC Dialogue . 29 Board of Directors . 30 Members . 33 PRESIDENT’S LETTER PRESIDENT’S Jim Brett (center) with Sen. Ed Markey (left) and Rep. Joe Kennedy (right) at his Action for Boston Community Development Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Photograph provided by Don West The year 2016 was remarkably historic and memorable on many fronts. For me personally, it marked my 20th anniversary as the President and Chief Executive Officer of The New England Council. I could not have imagined in 1996, as I took the reins of what was then an organization very much at a crossroads, how much the Council would grow and evolve over the next two decades. I am incredibly proud of all that The New England Council has accomplished over these past 20 years, and endlessly grateful to our members for their support and participation. It is no exaggeration to say that 2016 was one of the Council’s busiest and most successful years to date. Council members in all six New England states came together for a wide range of events throughout 2016. By year’s end, the Council hosted over 60 programs, ranging from Congressional Roundtables with many members of the New England delegation, to Capital Conversations breakfasts in Washington, DC, to a variety of other informative programs on issues that are critical to our economy. We continued to welcome national political figures to our Politics and Eggs program, which we co-host with the New Hampshire Institute of Politics. We also launched a new event series, “New England Innovates,” to foster an ongoing dialogue about how New England can continue to maintain our edge as a global innovation hub. The Council’s two signature events—the Annual Spring Event in Washington, DC, and the Annual Dinner—were both tremendously successful. Over 200 Council members participated in the Annual Spring Event, where they heard from leaders in President Obama’s Administration about priorities for their final year in office, and had the opportunity to meet with many members of the Congressional delegation at our Capitol Hill Reception. Our 2016 Annual Dinner in November was the largest in the Council’s history, with over 1,800 New England Council members and friends gathering to honor our remarkable New Englanders of the Year: Former Ambassador Nicholas Burns, Olympian Abbey D’Agostino, GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt, and Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo. 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 published several informative and well-received reports during 2016, including a comprehensive review of the region’s energy landscape, and a directory of partnerships between higher education institutions and employers. In 2016, the Council weighed in on a variety of federal legislation, including measures to protect intellectual property, promote New England exports, encourage college savings, and to invest in small business innovation. As a result of this effective work, membership continued to grow in 2016 with a variety of businesses and organizations throughout New England joining the Council. We were honored to welcome over 50 new members in 2016, bringing our total membership to over 500 businesses and organizations. I am proud to share with you The New England Council’s 2016 Annual Report, which chronicles all of these achievements, and I look forward to working with our members in the year ahead toward our shared goals of economic growth and a high quality of life in this region we are all so proud to call home. Sincerely, James T. Brett President and CEO 2 2016 ANNUAL REPORT CHAIRMAN’S LETTERCHAIRMAN’S John Hailer and former Sen. Christopher Dodd at a Board Meeting in Washington, DC. Thank you for your continued investment in The New England Council over the past year. There’s little doubt that 2016 will be most remembered for the unprecedented presidential election that America experienced and a brand of political rhetoric that is unlike anything we have seen in more than a century. In the midst of these challenges and changes, I’m proud that The New England Council embraces bipartisan cooperation and a regional approach to policymaking that brings together the best ideas and minds from the public and private sectors. Our region continues to enjoy substantial economic growth and opportunity, and in 2016 The New England Council provided leadership on a variety of economic issues critical to this success. The Council launched a new “New England Innovates” initiative that highlights our region’s thriving innovation economy and that identifies new opportunities for collaboration and growth. In May, we helped secure passage of important federal intellectual property legislation that protects American innovation and jobs. This fall, the Council also issued a major report highlighting successful industry- education partnerships, which are critical to our regional economy and that enable us to compete globally. Another major focus in 2016 was energy policy. The New England Council hosted a Regional Energy Forum in New Hampshire that brought together diverse stakeholders to explore collaborative approaches to meeting the region’s energy needs. In October, The New England Council published a comprehensive report on the region’s energy market, which has become a major resource for policymakers working to address our energy challenges in this rapidly evolving landscape. This past year was also one of growth for The New England Council. We were pleased to welcome more than 50 new member organizations from across the region, representing a variety of industries. We also hosted the largest and most successful Annual Dinner in New England Council history with more than 1,800 business and community leaders attending. I want to thank you for your continued support of The New England Council. The successes of 2016 highlight the importance of public and private collaboration, and The New England Council will be an active voice advancing regional priorities in the coming year. I’m proud that our region will also continue to lead by example, to show what is possible when we work together and invest in our communities to make all of New England stronger. Sincerely, John Hailer Chairman 2016 ANNUAL REPORT 3 ADVOCACY AND INITIATIVES ADVOCACY OVERVIEW Throughout 2016, The New England Council continued its work to advocate for federal 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 global economy. Congress continued to grapple with an intense partisan divide throughout the year, and the 2016 Presidential election was an underlying force in most policy debates. Despite these challenges, the Council worked to ensure that Mike McBride of BAE Systems and Rep. Ann Kuster at a breakfast the New England business community’s priorities in Bedford, NH. and concerns were communicated to our region’s representatives on Capitol Hill and to leaders in various federal agencies. In addition to an array of advocacy efforts, 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. Sen. Ed Markey and Board Member Mark Reilly of Comcast at a Congressional Roundtable. Board Member Ed Kenealy of Liberty Mutual and Rep. Michael Capuano at a breakfast in Boston. 4 2016 ANNUAL REPORT ADVANCED MANUFACTURING AND INITIATIVES ADVOCACY New England has a rich history as home to a thriving manufacturing industry. Samuel Slater launched America’s Industrial Revolution over 200 years ago, and for generations mill towns dotted the landscape of New England, from Lewiston-Auburn, Maine; to Manchester, New Hampshire; to Lowell, Massachusetts and beyond. While more traditional forms of manufacturing have been on the decline in the region in recent years, there is great potential for economic growth in the so-called “advanced manufacturing” sector. Advanced manufacturing is that which harnesses significant training and well-honed skills to develop highly specialized products in industries such as aerospace, life sciences, medical devices, semi-conductors and nano-technology. As home to both educational Jim McGaugh of GE and Gov. Gina Raimondo. institutions and industry leaders, New England’s clusters of innovative research are an important economic driver. In 2014, the Council formally established an Advanced Manufacturing Working Group, and in 2016 continued to promote the findings and recommendations of the April 2015 NEC-Deloitte “Advanced to Advantageous” report to advocate for this growing sector and promote regional collaboration in support of advanced manufacturing. New England Advanced Manufacturing Policy Summit On December 15, 2016, members of The New England Council’s Advanced Manufacturing Working Group met at Northeastern University’s George J.