Summit Agenda

2021 California Economic Summit Agenda

Monterey Conference Center
1 Portola Plaza, Monterey, CA 93940

Monday, November 8 (Optional Regional Activities)

1 to 4 PM

Meet in front of the Monterey Conference Center at 12:45 PM. Buses leave at 1 PM from the Monterey Conference Center and drop tour participants at the Welcome Reception at 4 PM

4 to 6 PM

1 Main St., Salinas – Buses return to the Monterey Conference Center at 6 PM

Tuesday, November 9

7:30 to 9 AM

Registration and Breakfast Buffet

Innovation Showcase

Monterey Conference Center (MCC), Serra Lobby

9:30 to 11:40 AM

MCC Serra Ballroom

Alex Avila, John Chiang, Kate Gordon, Kathryn Lybarger, Paul Markovich, Robert Rivas, Kate Roberts, Leon Panetta, Rudy Salas, Ashley Swearengin, Jeffery Wallace, and Michael Wara

Artistic performance

Micah Weinberg (emcee)

11:45 AM to 12:15 PM

Fireside Chat Governor Gavin Newsom and Lenny Mendonca

MCC Serra Ballroom

12:15 PM to 12:45 PM

Networking Lunch

MCC Serra Lobby

1 to 3 PM

CONCURRENT WORKING SESSIONS

Marriott San Carlos III

Immediate economic stimulus through funding housing and infrastructure

The Increasing Community Investment work group continues to focus on rethinking the process for making equitable infrastructure investments for economic revitalization through the development of state, regional, and local funding tools. Building on last year’s white paper, the group will identify steps the state can take to invest locally with immediate economic impact and advocate for legislation that would provide economic stimulus through infrastructure financing tools, including improving the utility of Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts and developing a process for the conversion of commercial land for housing.

Group Leads
Matt Horton, Milken Institute
Larry Kosmont, Kosmont Companies
Mark Pisano, USC Sol Price School of Public Policy

MCC Steinbeck II-III

Meeting climate goals by reducing wildfire risk and supporting rural communities

The group continues to promote forest health, water sustainability and landscape resilience by addressing key challenges and opportunities in accordance with “California’s Wildfire Crisis: A Call to Action.” This working session will focus on achieving more significant statewide investment in wildfire and forest resilience and advancing robust forest biomass economic activity. 

Group Leads
Steve Frisch, Sierra Business Council
Glenda Humiston, University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Bill Tripp, Karuk Tribe Department of Natural resources

MCC Steinbeck 1A-C

Connecting the next generation to work-based learning opportunities

The shifting policy and economic landscape post-COVID presents an opportunity to think about how we better align state resources to meet the workforce needs of a range of industries that offer good-paying jobs and will help California build back more equitably. As we look toward meeting the growing demand for skilled workers, more work is needed to help employers, education institutions, and regional intermediary organizations leverage historic state investment and integrate efforts that support better student outcomes. The group will develop a series of recommendations that integrate with the findings of the Recover with Equity roadmap for higher education, and advance equitable higher education outcomes for all Californians.

Group Leads
Su Jin Jez, California Competes
Jessica Ku Kim, Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp.
Heddy Nam, UNITE-LA
Michael Wiafe, CA FWD Young Leaders Advisory Council

Marriott Ferrante’s Bayview

Bridging the digital divide

Equitable access to broadband has become one of the most critical issues facing the state in the transition to remote learning, working, and health care services in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Building upon a successful coalition advocacy effort for a $6 billion once-in-a-generation investment, the work group will pivot to supporting the implementation efforts of regional broadband consortia, including their continued funding through the California Advanced Services Fund.

Group Leads
Eduardo Gonzalez, CSU Fresno Office of Community & Economic Development
Trish Kelly, Valley Vision
Jason Schwenkler, CSU Chico

3 to 3:30 PM

Afternoon Break

MCC Steinbeck Lobby

3:30 to 5:30 PM

CONCURRENT WORKING SESSIONS

Marriott San Carlos III

As California works to meet its climate goals, it will be critical to enact policies that create jobs, foster innovation, and preserve the environment. This working session will examine different pathways to decarbonization and identify shared priorities for collective action through the Summit network.

Speakers

Maryam Brown, SoCal Gas
Autumn Burke, California State Assembly
Jim Cooper, California State Assembly
David Fedor, Shultz-Stephenson Task Force on Energy Policy, Hoover Institution
Kate Gordon, U.S. Department of Energy
Jennifer Haley, Kern Oil & Refining Co.
Lenny Mendonca, CA FWD Leadership Council
Jenny Philip, Greater Houston Partnership
Sarah Dawn Saltzer, Stanford University
Christina Sistrunk, Aera Energy (Ret.)

Marriott Ferrante’s Bayview

Creating wealth through racial and geographic equity in affordable homeownership

Wealth creation through homeownership has been largely inaccessible to communities of color and marginalized and disenfranchised populations due to historical and ongoing systemic discrimination in the housing market. Building upon last year’s effort, the group will focus on scalable and sustainable regional solutions to increase ownership of homes by middle and lower-income communities and communities of color.

Group Leads
Adam Briones/John Gamboa, California Community Builders
Timothy Hsu, California Housing Finance Authority
Jennifer LeSar, LeSar Development Consultants

MCC Steinbeck IA-C

Redressing racial inequity through access to capital

As California rebuilds its economy, it will be critical to create recovery pathways for small businesses owned by people of color in order to achieve an inclusive economy across our regions. Numerous studies have shown the economic benefits of supporting and investing in local and small businesses owned by people of color, which often serve as the main catalyst behind employment growth and help attract new investment opportunities in underserved communities. Building upon the efforts of last year, and under new leadership at the California Office of the Small Business Advocate, this group seeks to achieve an inclusive economic recovery by focusing on lending practices to better support inclusion and lender-readiness and technical assistance offerings.

Group Leads
Josaline Cuesta, Small Business Majority
Tara Lynn Gray, California Office of the Small Business Advocate
Pat Fong Kushida, CalAsian Chamber

MCC Steinbeck II-III

Meeting climate goals by reducing wildfire risk and supporting rural communities

The group continues to promote forest health, water sustainability and landscape resilience by addressing key challenges and opportunities in accordance with “California’s Wildfire Crisis: A Call to Action.” This working session will focus on supporting upper watershed management efforts to proactively address the threats and impacts of drought, wildfire and climate change.

Group Leads
Steve Frisch, Sierra Business Council
Glenda Humiston, University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Bill Tripp, Karuk Tribe Department of Natural resources

6 to 7:30 PM

MCC Steinbeck Lobby and Jeffers Plaza

Plenary 10th anniversary celebration reception with artistic peformance by John Nava’s Latin Jazz Sextet and Ariel Shipp


Wednesday, November 10

7:30 to 9 AM

MCC Serra Lobby

Innovation Showcase open throughout the day

9 to 11 AM

MCC Serra Ballroom

Luis Alejo, Toni Atkins, Adam Briones, Lanhee Chen, Jacqueline Cruz, Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, Jacqueline Martinez Garcel, Eduardo González, Tara Lynn Gray, Ish Herrera, Jimmy Panetta, Carissa Purnell, Libby Schaaf, Betsy Tornero, Roxanne Wilson.

Artistic performance – Salinas Alisal Mexican Folklorico Dancers

Micah Weinberg (emcee)

11:15 AM to 12:15 PM

Customs House Plaza

Meet at the Custom House Plaza for light stretching followed by two options: a walk to the beach or a meditation session. Return in time for lunch.

12:30 to 1 PM

MCC Serra Ballroom

Bud Colligan, Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, Becky Morgan, Trish Kelly and Kate Roberts

1 to 2:30 PM

Serra Ballroom

Samuel Assefa, JoeBen BEVIRT, Mark Borges, Maryam Brown, Nicole Crawford, Stephanie Estrada, Heidi Hill Drum, Jason Glickman, Don Howard, Glenda Humiston, Sauntharya Manikandan, Dee Dee Myers, Nick Ortiz, Miles Reiter, Natalie Palugyai, Kate Roberts, Ahmad Thomas.