2019 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 4 Chairman’s Letter 5 ADVOCACY AND INITIATIVES Introduction 6 Energy and Environment 7 Financial Services 8 Healthcare 10 Higher Education 12 Technology 14 Trade 16 Transportation & Infrastructure 18 EVENTS Washington Leaders’ Conference 20 Annual Dinner 22 Congressional Roundtable Series 24 Washington, DC Programs 26 Politics & Eggs Series 28 Featured Programs 30 ABOUT THE COUNCIL DC Dialogue 32 Board of Directors 33 Members 37 PRESIDENT’S LETTER PRESIDENT’S Jim Brett with Rep. Rosa DeLauro on a trade visit to Cuba. New England Council Members & Friends: As I reflect on 2019, I am struck by what a busy, productive, and incredibly successful year it was for The New England Council And by many measures: we held a record number of events, saw our membership continue to grow, and advocated for our members on a range of critical issues—many of which advanced despite the partisan stalemate in Washington, DC Starting with a look at the calendar, the Council hosted over 80 events throughout New England and in our nation’s capital in 2019 These programs provided our members with countless opportunities to make important connections—with members of Congress, with other federal policymakers, and of course, with each other We hosted dozens of members of Congress from New England and beyond at our Congressional Roundtable and Capital Conversations series As the 2020 Presidential election approached, we were honored to welcome most of the declared candidates to our Politics & Eggs program in New Hampshire And our two signature events—our Annual Dinner and Washington Leaders’ Conference—were both incredibly successful and well-attended Working with our members across a range of industries, the Council ensured that the region’s business community speaks with one voice on important federal policy issues that impact the region Over the course of the year, the Council weighed in on a wide range of federal legislation, from a new trade deal with Canada and Mexico, to a bill to bolster retirement savings, to the extension of tax incentives that are driving the development of clean, renewable energy And as you’ll read in the pages that follow, we saw some great successes in our advocacy efforts and Congress advanced many of the Council’s priorities And last but certainly not least, we continued to see strong growth in our membership in 2019, with nearly 70 businesses and organizations representing a wide array of industries joining the Council I am pleased to report that we ended the year with over 580 members from all six New England states, and we look forward to growing that number in the year ahead I hope you enjoy learning more in this report, and as always, I want to express my sincere gratitude to all our members for your engagement and your support Best Regards, James T Brett President & CEO 4 2019 ANNUAL REPORT CHAIRMAN’S LETTERCHAIRMAN’S John Hailer and House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal. New England Council Members & Friends, I am both proud and honored to serve as the Chairman of The New England Council, and particularly so looking back on all that the Council has accomplished in 2019 When people ask me why I have been involved with the Council for so long, and why so many business leaders in our region find such value being members, I tell them two things: The New England Council is unique, and it is respected First, there simply is no other organization that does what the Council does in the way that Jim Brett and his team do it The New England Council brings together business leaders from six states, representing every sector of the economy, and helps us to all coalesce around the issues that unite us The Council also provides unparalleled access to key government leaders who are shaping policy that impacts our economy, including members of Congress and their staffs, Administration officials, federal agency leaders, and Governors Second, The New England Council is an incredibly well-respected organization, both here in New England and in Washington, DC Over the years, the Council has worked tirelessly to build and maintain relationships with members of Congress on both sides of the aisle, and strives to foster bipartisan collaboration Beyond that, the Council is also careful to work with its diverse membership to develop consensus-based positions on economic issues that cut across sectors and state lines What that means is that when Council advocates on an issue, policymakers really listen As Jim noted, Congress advanced many of The New England Council’s policy priorities—all with strong support from the region’s delegation—in a year marked by intense partisan divide, and with the backdrop of an historic impeachment investigation This is a true testament to the respect these leaders have for the Council and the impact the organization has as the voice of the region’s business community As we enter a new decade, I have no doubt that the Council will only continue to grow and thrive, and I look forward to continuing to work with leaders across the region toward our shared goals of economic growth and a high quality of life here in the region we call home Sincerely, John Hailer Chairman President, 1251 Capital Group 2019 ANNUAL REPORT 5 ADVOCACY AND INITIATIVES ADVOCACY INTRODUCTION Throughout 2019, The New England Council worked with members across our various policy committees and working groups to identify federal policy priorities and develop consensus-based positions and recommendations with the goal of supporting the region’s continued economic well-being The Council weighed in with the New England Congressional delegation on a range of critical issues, from banking, to retirement savings, to renewable energy, to international trade At the same time, the Council convened a variety of meetings, briefings, and informative programs to maintain a dialogue in the region on issues that impact the business community, and to ensure that Council members had access to the latest updates and information on how Board Member Leigh Walton of Pitney Bowes and Rep. Ayanna Pressley. federal policy proposals would impact the region These programs featured members of Congress, key Congressional staff, and other federal agency leaders, and covered a diverse array of important topics, from combating the opioid epidemic, to workforce development, to cybersecurity, and many more Gov. Janet Mills and Carolyn O’Connor of Hydro Quebec U.S. Rep. Bill Keating and Miceal Chamberlain of Bank of America. 6 2019 ANNUAL REPORT ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT AND INITIATIVES ADVOCACY Energy costs and access to energy resources are perennial challenges faced by New England businesses and residents alike The New England Council’s membership includes a wide range of businesses and organizations in the energy and environment sector including energy generators and distributors, developers of renewable and alternative energy sources, and energy and environmental technology firms, as well as commercial energy consumers large and small The Council’s Energy & Environment Committee, which is chaired by Mark Kalpin of Holland & Knight, draws upon the experiences and knowledge of our members in developing consensus-based approaches that can help address New England’s energy challenges In 2019, the Committee continued to focus on several Rep. Joe Courtney (2nd from R) with (L-R) Todd Lavin, Peg Morton, issues of importance to the region, and held a series of and Michael Ausere, all of Eversource Energy. events and meetings featuring national leaders on energy and environmental issues Advocacy on Clean Energy Tax Credits On August 8, 2019, the Energy and Environment Committee Meeting with FERC Commissioner Richard Glick sent a letter to the entire New England Congressional delegation As part of the Council’s Washington Leaders’ Conference, regarding a series of expiring and previously expired tax credits members of the Energy & Environment Committee had the that could have a significant impact on renewable energy opportunity to meet with Commissioner Richard Glick, a industries in New England In particular, the letter urged member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), members of the delegation to support legislation reinstating on May 8, 2019 Commissioner Glick discussed the unique tax credits that promote the investment in and production of energy challenges the New England region faces, and provided offshore wind energy The Council noted that given the longer an overview of the numerous issues being addressed by FERC planning and permitting times for offshore wind development, Specifically, he discussed the impact of winter weather on many projects have yet to qualify for the tax credits Without the natural gas supply in New England, the impact of clean Congressional action, the existing tax credits will expire at a energy and offshore wind development in the region, and safety critical time for offshore wind projects throughout the region