Council President & CEO to Address the Role of Cities, Universities and Companies in Preparing America’s Next Generation of Workers

(Washington, DC) -Council President & CEO Deborah L. Wince-Smith on Sunday will speak at the first-ever Collaborative Leadership Summit ((co)lab) in Atlanta and will moderate a panel on one of the most important issues affecting U.S competitiveness today –the ability of cities and companies to attract and retain top talent.

(Co)lab is bringing together regional leaders with influential presenters, thought leaders and subject-matter experts for two days of collaborative learning to better discuss and solve regional challenges of attracting and retaining talent, cultivating innovation and transforming education.

“Superior talent is key to America’s competitiveness,” said Wince-Smith. “To effectively compete in today’s global economy, U.S. companies need access to top science and engineering talent to drive world class innovation and R&D. This demands and education system that arms students with advanced STEM skills, creative problem solving skills, entrepreneurial training and leadership skills.”

Ms. Wince-Smith will be joined on a panel by Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, Jim Turley, Chairman & CEO, Ernst & Young, Ronee Hagen, CEO, Polymer Group, and Jim Phillips, CEO, NanoMech & Council on Competitiveness Executive Committee Member.  
Dozens of illustrious speakers will share their perspectives at (co)lab, including Georgia Tech President & Council on Competitiveness Member Bud Peterson, Vice President of Innovation for Coca-Cola David Butler, Southern Company Chairman Tom Fanning, Managing Editor of Fortune Magazine, Leigh Gallagher and Pulitzer Prize winning author, reporter and columnist, Thomas Friedman.

To learn more about The Collaborative Leadership Summit and to access a full speakers list, visit www.colabsummit.com.


ABOUT THE COUNCIL ON COMPETITIVENESS
The Council on Competitiveness is the only group of corporate CEOs, university presidents and labor leaders committed to the future prosperity of all Americans and enhanced U.S. competitiveness in the global economy through the creation of high-value economic activity in the United States. The Council is a non-partisan and non-governmental organization.  For more information, see the Council’s website and a full list of publications at http://www.compete.org. Check out the Council on Competiveness’ Facebook page for further updates or follow @competenow on Twitter.