Collaboration is the goal of two very important conferences I will attend next week.
I will be in New York City on Monday for a day-long meeting with members of the Association for the Improvement of American Infrastructure (AIAI). The AIAI focuses on providing information, education and expertise related to public-private partnerships. The day-long session will bring together experts on public-private partnerships (P3s), industry leaders, public officials and some well-known individuals. Former Governor of New York and presidential candidate George Pataki will speak to the group as will Rick Geddes from Cornell University.
The group will work on specific initiatives. I will lead one session related to P3s. It’s entitled “Public Outreach and Communication” and our goal will be to find additional ways to provide information, assistance, best practices and expertise to public officials. Other sessions will be related to Centers of Excellence, Legislative Outreach and Education.
While P3s have been popular, and successful, in other countries, they have been slow to catch on in the United States. The AIAI works to educate potential P3 partners, legislative leaders and the public at-large about the benefits of P3s, including job creation, economic development, taxpayer savings and quicker delivery time.
Very early Tuesday morning I will fly to Denver, Colorado, to participate in the Clinton Global Initiatives (CGI) conference. This is an annual event that brings together representatives of business, government and philanthropy to work on problems and challenges facing the United States. Both conferences are committed to collaboration between public and private partners.
In Denver, I will again be part of the “Infrastructure for Cities and States” working group. Our task force focuses on ways to help public officials find alternative funding options for large, critical projects. As revenues decline at both the regional and federal levels of government, new funding mechanisms must be found. The group will be discussing various types of funding options such as infrastructure banks, public-private partnerships, bonds and combinations of funding tools.
Other working groups will address issues that include community investing, education, entrepreneurship, renewable energy, STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education, sustainable buildings and workforce development. The common thread is collaboration.
Both of these meetings will have significant impact on the lives of Americans – either directly or indirectly. I look forward to the opportunity to collaborate because I truly believe our future will be better if partnerships are formed to address the country’s critical needs.
For more information on where I will be follow me on Twitter!