By RUSTY MARKS
The State Journal
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — Organizers with the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce took a novel approach to get Vice President Mike Pence to attend the organization’s 81st annual Meeting and Business Summit:
They asked.
State Chamber of Commerce President Steve Roberts said the chamber extends an invitation every year to the United States president and vice president to attend the chamber’s annual meeting. He said the invitation isn’t much more than a glorified form letter, and chamber organizers have never really expected a response.
Pence is expected to address the chamber and visitors sometime around 7 p.m. Aug. 30. The annual meeting and summit runs Aug. 30 through Sept. 1, at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs.
Roberts said Pence is aware of the nature of the summit and has been told what is on the agenda for discussion, but summit organizers aren’t yet sure of what the vice president may say.
“We have asked him to talk about a subject he thinks is appropriate to the audience,” Roberts said. “We have not asked him to speak on any particular subject.”
But, he added, “We’re going to have a very large crowd on hand.”
He is most likely right. Roberts said the 2016 meeting and business summit had record-breaking attendance of about 800 people. By Aug. 18, Roberts said about 1,000 people had registered to attend this year’s meeting, with more expected.
In addition to Pence’s address, highlights of the business summit include presentations on legal reform and making West Virginia attractive for business Aug. 30; a presentation by Mylan CEO Heather Bresch Aug. 31 and a preview of the 2018 legislative session Sept. 1. The complete agenda is presented below.
Wednesday, August 30
7:30 a.m. Registration Desk Opens
11 a.m. West Virginia Chamber Annual Business Meeting – All Members Welcome (Chesapeake Room)
11:30 a.m. West Virginia Business Summit Opening Lunch (Colonial Hall)
Sponsored by Antero Resources Corporation
Noon Welcome Address:
Ms. Kirsten Hillman, Deputy Ambassador, Canadian Embassy to the United States
12:30 p.m. Making West Virginia Irresistible to Business:
Sponsored by: Highmark West Virginia
The Hon. Mitch Carmichael, President, West Virginia Senate
The Hon. Tim Armstead, Speaker, West Virginia House of Delegates
1 p.m. U.S. House of Representatives Presentations:
Sponsored by Spilman Thomas & Battle, PLLC
The Hon. David McKinley, United States Representative (WV-1)
The Hon. Alex Mooney, United States Representative (WV-2) (invited)
The Hon. Evan Jenkins, United States Representative (WV-3)
1:30 p.m. Break
1:45 p.m. Concurrent Sessions:
Track 1 – CourtWatch – An Overview of WV Supreme Court Decisions (Chesapeake Room) Sponsored by Progressive Insurance
Courtwatch Presentation:
Mr. Marc Williams, Managing Partner, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP.
Mr. Tom Hurney, Member, Jackson Kelly PLLC
Moderated by: Ms. Anna Dailey, Managing Partner, Dinsmore & Shohl, LLP
Update on Legal Reform Legislation:
The Hon. John Shott, Judiciary Chair, West Virginia House of Delegates
Update on Right-to-Work Litigation:
The Hon. Patrick Morrisey, Attorney General, West Virginia
Track 2 – International Trade – Selling West Virginia to the World (Crystal Room)
Sponsored by: Hong Kong Trade Development Council
Panel Discussion:
Mr. Anthony Mak, Director, Hon Kong Trade Development Council; Mr. Jason LaTorre, Senior Trade Commissioner Canadian Embassy to the United States, Ms. Leslie Wrenn Drake, Charleston Director, U.S. Export Assistance Center; Mr. Steve Spence Director, WV Development Office, International Division; Moderated by: Mr. Kevin Craig, Executive Vice President, Natural Resource Partners L.P.
2:45 p.m. Break
3 p.m. Concurrent Sessions:
Track 1 – Natural Gas Opportunities in West Virginia (Chesapeake Room)
Sponsored by XTO Energy Inc.
Panel Discussion:
Ms. Maribeth Anderson, Director of Government and Community Relations, Southwestern Energy; Mr. Kevin Ellis, Vice President of Government Relations, Antero Resources Corporation; Mr. Robert Orndorff, State Policy Director, Dominion Energy; Moderated by: Mr. Greg Hoyer, WV Government Affairs Manager, EQT Corporation
Track 2 – Community Lifelines: Small Business and Tourism and Their Impact on West Virginia(Crystal Room)
Sponsored by Mylan
Panel Discussion:
The Hon. Mac Warner, West Virginia Secretary of State; Ms. Chelsea A. Ruby, Director, West Virginia Division of Tourism; Ms. Erika Bailey, Director, West Virginia Small Business Development Center; Mr. Dave Arnold, Senior Vice President, Adventures on the Gorge; Moderated by: Ms. Susan Lavenski, CEO/Owner, Charles Ryan Associates, LLC
4 p.m. Break
5 p.m. Registration Desk Closes
6 p.m. West Virginia Business Summit Reception – All Registrants Welcome (Colonial Hall)
Sponsored by The Greenbrier, The Health Plan, and Citynet
6:45 p.m. Special Presentation: The Hon. Mike Pence, Vice President of the United States (Colonial Hall)
Sponsored by WVU Medicine
7:30 p.m. Dinner on your own
Thursday, Aug. 31
7:30 a.m. Registration Desk Opens (Cameo Ballroom)
7:45 a.m. Exhibit Hall Opens (Colonial Hall)
7:45 a.m. West Virginia Business Summit Breakfast (Colonial Hall)
Sponsored by BrickStreet Mutual Insurance Company
8:15 a.m. Preparing Students for the 21st Century Workforce – A Higher Education Perspective(Colonial Hall)
Sponsored by WVU
Panel Discussion:
The Hon. Gayle Manchin, Secretary, WV Department for the Arts and Education; The Hon. Paul Espinosa, Education Chair, WV House of Delegates; The Hon. Kenny Mann, Education Chair, WV Senate; The Hon. Bob Plymale, WV Senate, Treasurer, Southern Regional Education Board; Dr. Paul Hill, Chancellor, Higher Education Policy Commission; Dr. Sarah Tucker, Chancellor, Community and Technical College Education; Dr. Steven L. Paine, State Superintendent, WV Department of Education; Moderated by: Dr. Javier Reyes, Dean, WVU College of B&E
9:15 a.m. Break
9:30 a.m. Higher Education and West Virginia’s Future
Sponsored by BrickStreet Mutual Insurance Company
Dr. E. Gordon Gee, President, West Virginia University
10 a.m. Bringing Jobs to West Virginia
Sponsored by HealthSmart
Mr. Woody Thrasher, Secretary, WV Department of Commerce
10:15 a.m. From West Virginia to the World: Mylan’s Commitment to Better Health
Ms. Heather Bresch, CEO, Mylan
10:30 a.m. Special Energy Presentation
Sponsored by Antero Resources Corporation
Ms. Karen Harbert, President & CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Global Energy Institute; Mr. Kenneth Wagner, Senior Advisor, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
11:15 a.m. U.S. Senate Presentations
The Hon. Shelley Moore Capito, United States Senator, West Virginia
The Hon. Joe Manchin, III, United States Senator, West Virginia
11:45 a.m. Morning Session Adjourns
Noon Registration Desk Closes
1:30 p.m. First Annual Sporting Clays Invitational – Space is limited — $75 per shooter – Reserve to Kathy Thomas at [email protected]
Sponsored by EQT Corporation and Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC
5:30 p.m. West Virginia Chamber PAC Reception – Invitation Only – for PAC contributors (Chesapeake Bay)
6 p.m. West Virginia Business Summit Reception – All Registrants Welcome (Colonial Terrace)
Sponsored by Highmark West Virginia and HealthSmart
7:30 p.m. Dinner on your own
9 p.m. Cordials – Evening Cocktails, Dessert Networking Reception — All Registrants Welcome (Colonial
Terrace)
Sponsored by Dinsmore & Shohl LLP and The U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Friday, Sept. 1
8 a.m. Registration Desk re-opens at WV Chamber Exhibit Booth (outside Colonial Hall)
West Virginia Business Summit Breakfast (Colonial Hall):
Sponsored by Mylan
8:30 a.m. West Virginia’s Shifting Political Climate (Colonial Hall):
Mr. Rex Repass, President, Research America Inc.; Dr. Bill Bissett, President, Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce; Mr. Brian Dayton, Communications Manager, West Virginia Chamber of Commerce; Moderated by: Mr. Sammy Gray, Director of State Affairs, FirstEnergy Corp.
9:30 a.m. Higher Education’s Role in Economic Development – A Southern West Virginia Focus
Sponsored by: Marshall University and Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine
Dr. Jerry Gilbert, President, Marshall University
10 a.m. Update on West Virginia Environmental Policies
The Hon. Austin Caperton, Secretary, West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection
10:15 a.m. A Preview of the 2018 Legislative Session
Sponsored by United Bankshares, Inc.
Panel Discussion:
The Hon. Charles S. Trump, IV, Judiciary Chair, West Virginia Senate
The Hon. Eric Nelson, Finance Chair, West Virginia House of Delegates
The Hon. Mike Hall, Chief of Staff, Office of the Governor
Moderated by: Ms. Maribeth Anderson, Director of Government and Community Relations, Southwestern Energy
11:15 a.m. Adjournment
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