Recently re-elected U.S. Rep. Jim Himes will be the keynote speaker at the fourth annual Economic Forum, co-sponsored by the Weston-based Connecticut Chapter of the Turnaround Management Association, the Connecticut Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth and the Crossroads Venture Group at Fairfield University on Nov. 25.
Himes, a Democrat who represents the state”™s 4th District, was elected to Congress in 2009. He sits on the Financial Services Committee’s two subcommittees on capital markets and government-sponsored enterprises and on housing and insurance and is a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He is a former Goldman Sachs vice president and former vice president of Enterprise Community Partners, a nonprofit developer of affordable housing.
Preceding Himes’ appearance will be two panel discussions, the first on the economy and the second on doing business in Connecticut.
The first panel, “Is the Sky Really Falling or is the Ground Just Rising Up?,” will be moderated by Donald E. Gibson, dean and professor at the Charles F. Dolan School of Business at Fairfield University. Panelists include Philip Lane, associate professor of economics, Dolan School of Business; John Traynor, senior vice president and chief investment officer, Bridgeport-based People’s United Bank; and Scott E. Gluck, counsel, New York City-based Venable LLP.
The second panel, “From Cradle to Grave & Everything In Between: A Practical Guide to Running & Funding a Business in Connecticut,” will be moderated by James C. Schulwolf, a partner in Shipman & Goodwin LLP. Panelists include Michael Fedele, founder and chairman of The Pinnacle Group and former lieutenant governor of Connecticut; and Christian E. Lund, a partner in Hamilton Robinson Capital Partners. A third panelist will be announced.
“We will be hearing post-election views from Washington, academia and business about the state of America’s economy ”“ especially in Connecticut ”“ and what’s required to renew it,” said Philip G. Kane Jr., president of the Connecticut Turnaround Management Association chapter and a vice president of U.S. Bank, in a statement. “We will also be providing informed insight into what it takes for business ”“ especially Connecticut business ”“ to succeed in today’s low-growth environment.”
Ramsey Goodrich, chairman of Association for Corporate Growth Connecticut and a managing director at Fairfield-based Carter Morse & Mathias, in a statement said, “This is an important information session for both operating companies and the deal-making community in the area. The business climate in Connecticut is deeply impacted by decisions made in Washington, and Congressman Himes”™ vantage point from key finance-oriented House subcommittees, as well as his background on Wall Street, makes him a great guide for navigating this environment.”
Last year’s event attracted 175 financial and corporate executives, including private equity investors, investment bankers, commercial lenders, attorneys, accountants and other transactional advisers.
The event is at Fairfield University’s Dolan School of Business, 1073 N. Benson Road, Fairfield. It will begin at 3 p.m. and end with a cocktail reception and dinner with Himes from 6:30 to 8 pm.
The Turnaround Management Association dates to 1988 and which has more than 9,300 members in 49 chapters, including 31 in North America.
This article has been updated to correct John Traynor’s title. He is senior vice president and chief investment officer at People’s United Bank.
