Opening Session Guest:
Jim Collins, Author and Management Educator

Closing Session Guest:
Steve Blank, Author of the Startup Owner’s Manual, Consulting Professor Stanford and U.C. Berkeley

Economic Development and Commerce Committee (EDC) – Agricultural Trade: The Other Export
Education and Workforce Committee (EdW) – The Road to Reauthorize ESEA
Health and Human Services Committee (HHS) – Innovative Strategies for Lowering Medicaid Costs
Natural Resources Committee (NR) – States’ Role in Creating the Modern Electric Grid
Special Committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety (HSPS) – Serving the Nation’s Veterans: Governors’ Roundtable Discussion; Executive Briefing:  Biosurveillance

2011-12 Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman's Chair's Initiative: Growing State Economies

Opening and Closing Session Discussion Subjects: Defining Great Leadership, Growing the Next Big Idea

Points of Interest:
The opening session began with NGA Chair Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman calling to order the 104th Annual Meeting of the National Governors Association. Gov. Heineman gave a broad overview of the meeting’s agenda and welcomed members of the Canadian Parliament and the delegation of Arab ambassadors.

Host Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell then took an opportunity to welcome everyone to Colonial Williamsburg and thanked those involved with the planning of the meeting.

Gov. Heineman took a moment to talk about his 2011-2012 Chair’s Initiative, Growing State Economies. He emphasized the importance of economic growth and job creation as fundamental tools in our nation’s future. The initiative provided governors and state policymakers with better policy options to assess the economic environment in their states. Over the year, four regional summits were held to focus on these issues in Hartford, Nashville, Seattle and Omaha.

Jim Collins was the keynote speaker for the opening session. Collins studies great companies; how they grow, how they attain superior performance and how good companies become great companies. Collins has authored and coauthored six books.

Collins agreed with Gov. Heineman that every state needs to be a new entrepreneurial enterprise and stressed that good companies need to become great companies and endure wave after wave of creative destruction. He said to acquire these goals the country must have great K-12 education, universities, police departments, military units and nonprofits.

Collins explained that through research, leadership and social sectors one learns that he must confront the brutal facts without ever capitulating to the idea that he cannot overcome those facts. He also spoke of the importance of discipline.

After Collins took questions, Gov. Heineman recognized two outgoing governors—America Samoa Gov. Tulafono and Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire.

Gov. Heineman closed the session with recognition of the corporate fellows who have been a part of NGA’s Corporate Fellows Program for 15 and 20 years, including: Hewlett-Packard Company, The Proctor & Gamble Company and Walmart.

Author and professor Steve Blank’s speech during the closing session of NGA’s 2012 Annual Meeting focused on Growing the Next Big Idea. He shared his experiences working in Silicon Valley with government agencies, small businesses and large corporations. He went on to discuss different types of startups, including: lifestyle, social entrepreneurship, scalable or high-growth, buyable and large companies.

Blank talked about what a startup is. First, a startup is a temporary organization.  Second, a startup is designed to search for something that is repeatable and scalable. He claimed that both of these things made sense to the word “business model” meaning, how a company creates value for itself and its customers. Blank also emphasized the importance of customer development.

Blank then offered advice for what states can do. First, he said that failure is part of entrepreneurial process and should be embraced. Second, states should recognize national organizations as resources. Third, find incentives to draw citizens to your state. Fourth, encourage universities to teach students how to write a business plan for entrepreneurship. And, small business should also be thinking about adopting these same techniques.

After Blank answered questions, Gov. Heineman thanked Gov. McDonnell for hosting the meeting and invited Gov. Walker to talk about NGA’s 2013 Annual Meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Gov. Heineman then turned to Gov. Beshear, chair of the Nominating Committee, who announced the new chair and vice chair as well as NGA’s 2012-2013 Executive Committee:  NGA Chair Gov. Jack Markell, NGA Vice Chair Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.

Gov. Heineman then handed the gavel to Gov. Markell who discussed his 2012-2013 Chair’s Initiative, A Better Bottom Line: Employing People with Disabilities. The initiative aims to increase employment among individuals with disabilities. Specifically, the initiative will focus on the employment challenges that affect individuals with intellectual and other significant disabilities and the role that both state government and business can play in facilitating and advancing opportunities for these individuals to be gainfully employed in the competitive labor market.

Gov. Markell said that successfully achieving this goal will require not only attention to appropriate training, job placement and work-based support, but also advancing best practices and meaningful engagement of the business community. This includes informing the business community about how productive, loyal and valuable these individuals can be to both the company’s culture and its bottom line.

A major emphasis of the initiative will be on people who have significant intellectual and developmental disabilities and may require supports like job coaches and personal attendants in order to live and work in the community. The chair plans to convene governors, businesses, disability leaders and other thought leaders throughout the year to share ideas and move forward with support for this population.

Following Gov. Markell’s presentation, the 104th Annual Meeting was adjourned.