Submitted by the governor's office
ATLANTA – Gov. Sonny Perdue said he will host a business summit on Friday, Nov. 6, at the Georgia World Congress Center from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Attendees at the summit will discuss federal health care and energy proposals that will impact both large and small Georgia businesses.
“Issues currently being debated in Washington will have a serious economic impact on businesses and state government,” said Perdue. “It is critical for citizens, businesses, and government officials to understand the financial realities of healthcare reform and energy legislation, both in the checkbooks of Georgia families and in the state budget. The summit will allow business leaders from across the state to learn the specifics of proposals being considered and discuss how their ability to create and retain jobs will be affected.”
Based on the health care bill passed by the Senate Finance Committee, the Georgia Department of Community Health projects nearly one million new Georgians would become eligible for Medicaid and Peachcare, costing the state $3.6 billion from 2014 to 2019 if all newly eligible sign up. If 80 percent of the newly eligible enroll, more than 740,000 new members would carry an additional benefit cost to the state of $2.4 billion over those same years. These figures represent the state portion of these programs and only address actual expenses of benefits for new members. There will be additional administrative and operational costs associated with such a large expansion of these programs.
A cap-and-trade energy bill has already passed the U.S. House and hearings are being held in Senate committees. While there are wide estimates about the impact the proposal would have on energy prices and the resulting increase on products and services, a U.S. Treasury Department analysis shows that American taxpayers would pay between $100 billion and $200 billion in new taxes under a cap-and-trade system. At the high end of the Treasury Department estimate, that would mean more than $1,700 per year per American family. The lower estimate would equate to half that amount.
Karen Harbert, President and CEO, 21st Century Energy, will begin the session on energy by providing an overview of pending cap-and-trade legislation. A roundtable discussion will follow that presentation including Harbert, Chris Hobson, Senior Vice President of Southern Company; Jeff Fulp, ERCO Worldwide; and David Newby, Profile Extrusion Company.
After the discussion on energy, Colin Roskey of Alston & Bird will update attendees on the latest healthcare proposals being considered. A panel will then take up the impacts of healthcare reform, including Roskey, Chuck Adams, CEO of Ty Cobb Health System and incoming President of GHA; Mike Sullivan, Founder & President of Southeast Sealing, Inc.; and Norm Boyd, Senior Vice President –Executive Development for AGCO Corporation.
Governor Perdue will moderate both panel discussions. Those interested in attending should RSVP to businesssummit@gov.state.ga.us.
Biographies of the speakers are below:
Karen Harbert, President and CEO, 21st Century Energy: Harbert is the president and chief executive officer of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for 21st Century Energy leading the Institute’s efforts to build support for meaningful energy action nationally and internationally through policy development, education, and advocacy. Harbert has also previously served as the assistant secretary for policy and international affairs at the U.S. Department of Energy, vice chairman of the International Energy Agency and deputy assistant administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean at the U.S. Agency for International Development. She designed and oversaw the implementation of major energy policy programs, including the Advanced Energy Initiative. Harbert advised the White House’s National Economic Council, National Security Council, and Cabinet on all matters relating to energy policy. She was a member of the DOE Executive Board and Credit Review Board. Harbert received a degree in international policy studies and political science from Rice University. Harbert resides in Washington, D.C., with her husband and two children.
Chris Hobson, Senior Vice President, Southern Company: Hobson is the Senior Vice President of Research and Environmental Affairs at the Southern Company, where he manages the development of environmental policies, directs the development of cost-effective, flexible environmental compliance strategies, and oversees research and development of new technologies for cleaner energy at lower costs. Prior to this position, Hobson held various roles at Georgia Power, where he served as the Vice President of Environmental Affairs, Manager of Agency Affairs in Washington, D.C., and Manager of Environmental Laboratory. A native Georgian, Hobson received his Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Georgia Southern University, received a Chemical Engineering degree from Georgia Tech, and completed Harvard University’s Advanced Management Program.
Jeffery Fulp, ERCO Worldwide: Fulp is the Plant Manager of ERCO Worldwide, a company that supplies chlorine dioxide technology to the paper and pulp industry and is a large producer of potassium products in North America. He has previously served as a Commercial Manager for the company. Fulp has also filled many roles, including Director of Marketing for Greenleaf Center, Inc., Employment Manager of the King and Prince Seafood Corp., and Personnel Manager at Joseph Foodservice Inc. He is a member of several organizations, including the Valdosta/Lowndes Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Greater Valdosta United Way and Community Partners in Education. He received his bachelor’s degree in Communications and master’s degree in Public Administration from Valdosta State University. Raised in Cook County, Fulp lives in Lowndes County, where he has lived for 30 years. Fulp is married with two children in college.
David Newby, Profile Extrusion Company: Newby is the General Manager of Profile Extrusion Company, an aluminum extrusion manufacturer that provides both custom and standard aluminum extrusion shapes throughout the Southeast. He has previously served as Plant Manager for the company, and as Administrative Manager and Production Manager when his Rome, Ga. plant was owned by Alcan. Newby has served as the Chairman of the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of the Rome/Floyd Development Authority, Chairman of the Gordon/Floyd Development Authority and Vice-Chairman of the Communities in School Board. He is active in his community, and has served as an elder, deacon and treasurer at the Oak Hill Church of Christ in Rome. He was the salutatorian of his graduating class at David Lipscomb University and attended the Western Business School of London, Ontario. Newby and his wife live in Rome and have three adult children.
Colin Roskey, Counsel, Alston & Bird LLP: Roskey serves as counsel in the firm’s Washington-based health law and legislative practice, where he provides strategic advice and counseling on statutory and regulatory issues affecting hospitals, physicians, long term care providers, pharmaceutical manufacturers and device and diagnostic companies and medical equipment manufacturers. He has over 10 years of health law and policy experience in Washington, serving Alston & Bird’s clients since 2004. He has helped clients achieve significant legislative objectives in the last three major Social Security Act bills passed by Congress, including the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (improved access to colon cancer screening services); the Tax Relief and Healthcare Act of 2006 (one year payment update provision for kidney dialysis composite rate services); and the Medicare, Medicaid and S-CHIP Extension Act of 2007 (permanent relief from restrictive admission policy for rehabilitation hospitals).
Chuck Adams, CEO, Ty Cobb Health System, incoming President of GHA: Charles Adams, president and chief executive officer of Ty Cobb Healthcare System in Royston, was named chairman elect of the Board of Trustees of the Georgia Hospital Association (GHA) at the association’s annual convention on Feb. 4 in Atlanta. Since June 2002, Adams has served as president and CEO of Ty Cobb Healthcare System, a private, non-profit healthcare organization. Adams’s vast health care leadership began well before his arrival at Ty Cobb Healthcare System. Prior to arriving at the system, he held several other top executive positions at various health care facilities.
Mike Sullivan, Founder & President, Southeast Sealing, Inc.: Sullivan is Founder and President of Southeast Sealing Inc. The company has been in operation for the last 37 years and now employs 25. Sullivan is also a member of the Associated Builders and Contractors of Georgia and is past Chairman of the Political Action Committee and the Government Relations Committee. He is also a member of the National Federation of Independent Business and presently serves on the Georgia Leadership Council and is Chairman of the Georgia Safe Trust Pac. In 1991, the Rockdale County Jaycees awarded Mike the Distinguished Service Award as Outstanding Industrialist for Rockdale County.
Norm Boyd, Senior Vice President –Executive Development, AGCO Corporation: Norm Boyd was appointed Senior Vice President, Executive Development in January 2009. Prior to his current position, Boyd was Senior Vice President Human Resources at AGCO. With 30 years of experience in the farm equipment industry, Mr. Boyd held several key management positions within both AGCO Corporation and Massey Ferguson Group Ltd., prior to its acquisition by AGCO, as well as Case Corporation and International Harvester Company. His most recent positions with AGCO include Senior Vice President, Corporate Development, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Europe/Africa/Middle East. Mr. Boyd holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Indiana University and completed the Executive Management Program at the Tuck School of Dartmouth College.
