103rd ANNUAL MEETING OF THE NATIONAL GOVERNORS ASSOCIATION July 15, 2011 Plenary Session HIGHER EDUCATION: CATALYST FOR ECONOMIC CHANGE GRAND BALLROOMS B AND C THE GRAND AMERICA HOTEL SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH Reporter: Susette M. Snider, CRR, CSR, RPR Notary Public in and for the State of Utah 2 1 PARTICIPANTS: 2 3 Washington Governor Chris Gregoire, Chairman 4 Utah Governor Gary R. Herbert 5 6 7 8 GUEST SPEAKERS: 9 10 Susan Hockfield, Ph.D, President of Massachusetts Institute of Technology 11 John Seely Brown, Ph.D., Visiting scholar and 12 advisor to the Provost of the University of Southern California and Independent 13 Co-Chairman of the Deloitte Center for the Edge 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 3 1 P R O C E E D I N G S 2 11:03 a.m. 3 4 GOVERNOR GREGOIRE: Good morning, 5 everyone. Oh, man. We'll try it one last time. 6 Good morning, everyone. 7 (The audience responded.) 8 GOVERNOR GREGOIRE: Good morning to the 9 governors. Good morning to our distinguished guests. 10 The reason I'm--good morning as loud as 11 I can is because, if you recall, in February I had 12 laryngitis and couldn't say a word. And I'm back. 13 It is now my honor to call to order the 14 103rd Annual Meeting of the National Governors 15 Association. 16 We really do have a packed agenda for the 17 next two and a half days. Let me run through it. 18 Following this morning's plenary session, 19 we will have a governors-only lunch and business 20 session. Later this afternoon we will convene the 21 first ever U.S.-China Governors Forum to explore 22 opportunities for cooperation and friendship between 23 our two countries. 24 Saturday's business agenda begins with a 25 stand-alone session of our Economic Development and 4 1 Commerce Committee. It will include a discussion 2 about international trade and investment's role in 3 our domestic economic growth and job creation. We'll 4 then have a governors' lunch and business session 5 followed by the meetings of our other committees. 6 Sunday morning we will begin with a 7 governors-only breakfast and business session. Our 8 annual meeting will conclude on Sunday morning with a 9 plenary on global challenges facing America today and 10 the role that education plays in U.S. 11 competitiveness. 12 New York Times columnist and Pulitzer 13 Prize-Winning author Tom Friedman will join us for 14 that session. Rumor has it he has a new book out. 15 We may be given a little bit of insight. 16 So I look forward to seeing all of you at 17 these sessions. 18 Now, if I can, with a little business, 19 begin by asking for a motion for the adoption of the 20 rules of procedure for the proceeding. 21 (Motion was moved and seconded.) 22 GOVERNOR GREGOIRE: It's been moved and 23 seconded. 24 Part of the rules require that any 25 governor who wants to submit a new policy or 5 1 resolution for adoption at this meeting will need a 2 three-fourths vote to suspend the rules. 3 So any discussion? 4 (No response.) 5 GOVERNOR GREGOIRE: All those in favor 6 please signify by saying "aye." 7 (Collective "aye.") 8 GOVERNOR GREGOIRE: All those opposed? 9 (No response.) 10 GOVERNOR GREGOIRE: The ayes have it. 11 If you have any proposals, please get 12 those to David Quam by 5:00 p.m. tomorrow. 13 I'd now like to announce the appointment 14 of the following governors to the nominating 15 committee for the 2011-2012 NGA Executive Committee: 16 Governor [Dan] Malloy, Governor [Terry] Branstad, Governor Herbert, 17 Governor [Jay] Nixon; and Governor [Robert] McDonnell will serve as 18 chair of the group. 19 We are also honored today to be joined by 20 several distinguished guests. First we have members 21 from the Canadian Parliament with us today. 22 Would you please raise your hands so we 23 can acknowledge you and thank you for attending our 24 NGA meeting? You are here often, and we appreciate 25 it. Thank you very much. 6 1 (Applause.) 2 GOVERNOR GREGOIRE: Last evening I had the 3 opportunity to meet a delegation of Arab ambassadors 4 who have joined us again this year. 5 Would you please raise your hands so we 6 can acknowledge your hands and thank you for your 7 attendance as well? 8 Well, I don't see them. They were here 9 last night. Well, welcome. 10 And we have our delegation from China, and 11 we will proceed to our historic forum a little bit 12 later. 13 This past January the United States and 14 China signed a Memorandum of Understanding supporting 15 the establishment of a U.S.-China Governors Forum. 16 As I mentioned earlier, this afternoon we will have 17 our first ever NGA and Chinese People's Association 18 for Friendship With Foreign Countries co-convening 19 forum with four provincial governors. 20 Would you please, those members from the 21 China delegation, raise your hands. And let us 22 welcome them to the great state of Utah. Thank you 23 all for joining us. 24 (Applause.) 25 GOVERNOR GREGOIRE: I'd like to take a 7 1 minute, if I could, to thank our hosts for this 2 year's meeting, Governor Gary Herbert and his wife 3 Jeanette, who are hosting our National Governors 4 meeting in beautiful Salt Lake City. 5 Thank you, Gary. 6 Thank you, Jeanette. 7 (Applause.) 8 GOVERNOR GREGOIRE: The movie went well, 9 yesterday was great, the weather's perfect--56 and 10 raining back home; so thank gosh I'm here--the view 11 is perfect, the hotel is wonderful, and your 12 hospitality is second to none. 13 Gary, would you like to say a few words? 14 GOVERNOR HERBERT: Well, thank you. Yes. 15 I would like to just personally welcome 16 everybody. Thank you, Ma'am Chairman. We're 17 honored, delighted enthusiastically to welcome the 18 National Governors Association to Utah. It's been a 19 long time since we've had this opportunity. Back in 20 1947 was the last time that Utah hosted the NGA. 21 And I made kind of a little joke on this 22 when we met with the press about back then Alaska and 23 Hawaii were not members of the union. So there's 24 been a change in those last 64 years, and we're happy 25 to acknowledge now the membership of Alaska and 8 1 Hawaii to the union. So we welcome everybody. 2 Let me just mention that we want to make 3 sure that your time here is not only productive but 4 enjoyable. We have some activities outlined for you. 5 This evening we'll have a picnic in the 6 park, in a beautiful park up here just in our 7 Salt Lake Valley up by the university called Red 8 Butte Gardens. There will be a lot of food, 9 opportunities to socialize, to network, and talk about 10 important issues as well as a country-western 11 concert. So good food, good music and good company. 12 Tomorrow we'll have an opportunity to go 13 up to Olympic Park where we had a lot of the training 14 that was done, where still our U.S. Ski Team and 15 others train up in Park City for the Olympics, and 16 where some of the venues took place up in Park City 17 at Olympic Stadium. 18 You'll have an opportunity to see the 19 venue, and, for those who are the hardiest among us, 20 the opportunity to ride down in a bobsled just like 21 the Olympians did. So if you haven't signed up, 22 now's an opportunity to sign up. It will be a thrill 23 of your life. And it is safe, but it will take your 24 breath away. And we've got east versus west 25 competition, so we're going to keep a clock on it. 9 1 But you'll have drivers, and it will be a fun time. 2 We'll have some aerial acrobatics that 3 will take place there that I think will entertain 4 you. And again, it will be a wonderful evening, and 5 we look forward to hosting you there tomorrow night. 6 Sunday morning we have a special concert 7 that's going to be performed by the Mormon Tabernacle 8 Choir in their conference center. And just seeing 9 the building itself will be a delight. It holds 10 about 20,000-plus people. It's an architectural 11 wonder. But if you haven't had a chance to hear the 12 Tabernacle Choir in person or seen them, this will be 13 a treat that you'll remember--7:30 in the morning. 14 It's a little earlier but an opportunity to have a 15 patriotic special concert performed just in behalf of 16 the governors. So I look forward to seeing you 17 there. 18 Last, but not least, I want to just 19 mention that in your rooms there is kind of a gift 20 basket, which is typical. And in that gift basket 21 you'll see one of these little sculptures here of a 22 handcart family.