Pre-Conference Event
Business Owners and Policy Maker Forum

April 19, 2007 - 5:30 – 8:30 PM

This year the Washington County Business Conference and Marketplace will kick off on Thursday, April 19th with a “Business Owners and Policy Maker’s Forum” from 5:30 – 8:30 pm in the Performing Arts Center on the campus of the University of Maine in Machias. Light refreshments will be served prepared with ingredients grown, prepared, and harvested from local farms and food producers. The program is offered free to the general public.

The Forum will feature policy makers, Washington County business owners, and community leaders discussing the recently completed Brookings Institution Report, its recommendations, and likely legislative initiatives that could impact the Washington County economy and business environment.

Alan Caron, President of GrowSmart Maine will present findings from Brookings Institution study of the Maine economy. Our program will feature a panel of prominent local business owners and invited guests who can bring to the discussion their knowledge of the Washington County economy and the economic challenges you face each day as a business owner or community leader.

The proposed schedule is as follows:

• 5:30 – 6:15 - Refreshments and hors d’oeuvres
• 6:15 – 6:30 - Welcome
  Dr. Cindy Huggins, President, UMM
  Dr. William Cassidy, President, WCCC
• 6:30 – 7:00 - Brookings Report:
  How Can Brookings Recommendations Serve Washington County?
  Alan Caron, President of GrowSmart Maine
• 7:00 – 7:30 - Washington County Business Panel
  • David Whitney, Whitney’s Tool Shed
  • Lyle Guptill, Guptill’s Logging Supply
  • Meg McGarvey, The Commons
  • Kristan Porter, Lobster Fisherman, Cutler, Maine
  • Susan Corbett, Axiom Technologies
• 7:30 – 8:15 - Questions from the audience
• 8:15 – 8:30 - Final remarks and wrap-up