Contact: Cristal Logan
Director, Aspen Community Programs
The Aspen Institute
Cristal.Logan@aspeninstitute.org
Tel. 970-544-7929
McCloskey Speaker Series Presents A Conversation With Democratic Governors
Aspen, CO, July 8, 2013–– The 2013 Aspen Institute McCloskey Speaker Series welcomes four Democratic Governors in conversation with Aspen Institute Executive Vice President Elliot Gerson. This event will take place from 2:00PM – 3:00PM on July 13, 2013 in the Greenwald Pavilion on the Institute’s Aspen Meadows campus in Aspen, CO. The series is made possible by a gift from the McCloskey Family Charitable Foundation. Tickets are $20 each and are on sale through Aspen Show Tickets at the Wheeler. As a full-capacity audience is expected for this program, early ticket purchasing is encouraged. Doors will open 45 minutes prior to the start of the event, and unclaimed tickets will be on sale at the door.
The conversation will feature Governor Mark Dayton of Minnesota, Governor John Hickenlooper of Colorado, Governor Jay Inslee of Washington, and Governor Peter Shumlin of Vermont.
Governor Peter Shumlin is the 81st governor of Vermont . Before becoming governor, Mr. Shumlin was the longtime co-director of Putney Student Travel and National Geographic Student Expeditions, a company that sends students on educational programs and service projects across the globe. In 1990, Governor Madeleine Kunin appointed Mr. Shumlin to fill an empty seat in the Vermont House of Representatives, where he served for 3 years. He then served Windham County for 8 terms in the VT Senate and was elected by his colleagues to lead the Senate as President pro tem the majority of that time. Since his inauguration, his priorities have included creating jobs, and raising incomes for those who have jobs; controlling skyrocketing health care costs; expanding broadband and cell service to every corner of the state; investing in quality education opportunities; and rebuilding the state’s roads and bridges.
Governor Jay Inslee is the 23rd governor of Washington. He first became involved in public service in 1985 when he helped lead the effort to build a new public high school in Selah. Motivated to fight against proposed funding cuts for rural schools, Mr. Inslee went on to represent the 14th Legislative District in the state House of Representatives. He continued serving communities in the Yakima Valley when he was elected to Congress in 1992. The Inslees later moved back to the Puget Sound area where Mr. Inslee was elected to Congress in 1998, serving until 2012. During his time in Congress, Jay became known as a forward-thinking leader, especially on issues of clean energy and the environment. He co-wrote a book, “Apollo’s Fire: Igniting America’s Clean-Energy Economy,” about the job-creating potential of the clean tech industry. As governor, Mr. Inslee’s top priority is growing Washington’s innovative industries such as clean energy, IT and life sciences, and strengthening existing industries such as aerospace, agriculture, maritime and military.
Governor Mark Dayton is Minnesota’s 40th governor. Before becoming governor, Mr. Dayton taught 9th grade general science for two years in a New York City public school. For most of the past 34 years, Mr. Dayton has served Minnesotans, as Commissioner of the Minnesota Departments of Economic Development and of Energy and Economic Development, as State Auditor, and as United States Senator. He has worked throughout our state to help businesses locate or expand and create jobs, to improve local government services, to better fund our public schools, to support our servicemen and women, to help Minnesotans get the health care they need, and in many other ways to make a better Minnesota. Currently, Mr. Dayton serves on the Executive Committee of the National Governor’s Association. He graduated, cum laude, from Yale University, where he played Division I hockey.
NOTE: Event details subject to change. Please visit www.aspeninstitute.org for updates or call our events hotline at 970-544-7970.
The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC. Its mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues. The Institute has campuses in Aspen, Colorado, and on the Wye River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. It also maintains offices in New York City and has an international network of partners.
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