White House Economic Development Forum - Saginaw Future President Moderates Manufacturing Panel

Saginaw, MI, August 31, 2014 --(PR.com)-- SelectUSA, in conjunction with the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), hosted the third-annual White House Economic Development Forum on Tuesday, August 5 at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

JoAnn Crary, IEDC Vice Chair and President and CEO of Saginaw Future Inc., moderated the Manufacturing Panel that consisted of Elizabeth Wayman, Director, Clean Energy Manufacturing Initiative, U.S. Department of Energy; Jason Miller, Deputy Director, National Economic Council; Phil Singerman, Associate Director for Innovation and Industry Services at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of Commerce and Doug O’Brien, Acting Under Secretary for Rural Development, Department of Agriculture.

The panel provided an update on Administration efforts to support the continuing development of the U.S. manufacturing sector. The panel also served as an opportunity for economic development professionals to highlight their work to strengthen sector-specific hubs, including best practices, challenges, and prospects moving forward.

The event convened over 60 of the country’s leading economic development professionals for a day-long event focused on topics critical to America’s long-term economic competitiveness, including: inbound investment attraction, export promotion, workforce development, entrepreneurship, and advanced manufacturing.

The Forum provided Administration leadership with an important opportunity to highlight priorities related to economic development; solicit feedback from a unique cross section of dynamic leaders at the state and local level; and position the White House and broader Administration as a partner and resource for job creation and economic growth.

SelectUSA, located in the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration, leads federal-government efforts to promote the United Sates as the premier global investment destination, and facilitates investment in the United States. SelectUSA provides information assistance to the global investment community, serves as an ombudsman for investors, and advocates for U.S. cities, states, and regions competing for global investment.

The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) is a non-profit, non-partisan professional membership organization dedicated to helping economic developers do their job more effectively and raising the profile of the profession. The largest professional association serving economic development, IEDC has a membership of 4,500, mostly located throughout the United States, and influences many times more in local, state, regional and international communities around the globe. www.iedconline.org