David Brooks

The event featured remarks by Doug Devos, President, Alticor; Jerry Tubergen, President & CEO, RDV Corporation and Vice Chair, the Economic Club of Grand Rapids; and Charles Kolb, President, CED.

Jon Stellmacher opens the forum		Paul Beideman proudly describes his company’s leading role in Brown County’s Community Partnership for Children

Key Fox Cities and Green Bay area business leaders heard about the benefits of early care and education and the current status of early childhood programming in Wisconsin. In small groups participants discussed ways local companies can 1) support working parents by providing them with information about local early childhood resources and programming 2) partner with other entities within the community to strengthen investments in young children 3) help guarantee that the necessary local and state level policies are enacted to ensure that quality early learning opportunities are available to all of Wisconsin's children.

Rick Lazio, Managing Director, J.P Morgan Asset Management - Global Real Assets	Katrina Simon-Agolory, Mothers in Business Initiative, Columbia Women in Business	Dan Rose, Chairman, Rose Associates, Inc.

CED and the Mother's in Business initiative of the Columbia Women in Business Club at Columbia University hosted the business-led dinner forum What's Good For Kids Is Good For Business. The event took place at the Italian Academy at Columbia University on Monday, April 13.

The forum's keynote speaker, Rick Lazio, Managing Director, J.P. Morgan Asset Management - Global Real Assets at JP Morgan Chase & Co., is a CED trustee. He discussed JP Morgan Chase's philanthropic investments in early literacy and school readiness and provided a business perspective on why high quality early learning programs are essential to the success of our nation's economic growth and competitiveness.

During this forum, key Milwaukee area business leaders engaged in a discussion on the benefits of investing in early education, received information about the current status of early childhood programming in Wisconsin, and were encouraged to advocate for improved state policies and to participate in designing locally sustainable solutions.

Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour (left) thanks local business leaders for investing in young children. Roland Kell (right), General Manager, Chevron Products Company, showcases a new children’s book about Mississippi animals published by Chevron .

CED President Charles Kolb participated in a panel discussion at the Mississippi Building Blocks Forum providing a national perspective on how business leaders across the county are supporting efforts to improve early childhood education. Additional speakers included Mississippi Governor Haley

Sabine Lang, Managing Director, Lang-Mekra North America

CED, Pew Charitable Trusts, and United Ways in Kentucky, New Mexico, New York, and South Carolina Galvanize Local Business Leaders

In Kentucky

Over the past several months CED and the Pew Charitable Trusts have partnered with the United Way of Kentucky and the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence to host 12 regional events promoting the importance of early education. The events co-hosted by the local United Ways were focused on increasing business awareness of the return on investment in high quality pre-k education. The program also promoted Strong Start Kentucky which is seeking expansion of quality early care and education programs to all Kentucky children. The over 400 individuals who attended the meetings included business leaders, early childhood professionals, Prichard Committee members and public school leaders.

DC Council Chairman Vincent Gray

CED Trustee Robert Dugger, who recently co-founded the Partnership for America's Economic Success, served as the keynote speaker and emphasized the urgent need to invest in early care and education in these challenging economic times.