2010 Archives
Martin Luther King Leadership Development Institute and the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC to Sponsor Forum on City Fiscal Crisis
HARRISBURG, PA (July 7, 2010) - On Tuesday, July 20th ,7:30 am to 9:30 am at the Hilton Harrisburg, the Martin Luther King Leadership Development Institute and the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC will present: Blueprint for Prosperity lV: Community Perspectives on Economic Recovery. The purpose of the forum is to provide background information on the financial crisis facing the city, provide a forum for the community to ask questions and to gain some community perspective relative to possible solutions. The discussion will take place over breakfast and the cost is $25 per person.
Panelists include Dr. Bernard E. Anderson, member, Black Enterprise Board of Economists; Brian Hudson CPA, Executive Director of PHFA; Fred Reddig, Executive Director of the Governor's Center for Local Government Services and two others yet to be confirmed. Dr. Anderson, a former Wharton School professor, was the first chair of Philadelphia's fiscal oversight board (the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority) and Assistant Secretary of Labor under President Bill Clinton. Brian Hudson has been working with the City at the request of Governor Ed Rendell using his expertise in bond financing to suggest components of a plan to deal with the $288 million incinerator debt facing the City. Fred Reddig is a former municipal manager who has worked with Act 47 communities in Pennsylvania since the inception of the program. Two more speakers are expected to join the panel with expertise of large financial workout strategies and a local perspective on the incinerator and the City.
The panel will provide some brief remarks on their areas of expertise followed by questions and comments from those attending in a facilitated discussion to help create a clearer understanding of the fiscal challenges the City is facing. The African American, Gay and Lesbian and Hispanic Chambers of Commerce of Central PA are also supporting the event and it is expected that other organizations throughout our community will join in this effort.
Joseph Robinson Jr., Executive Director of the Martin Luther King Leadership Development Institute said, "The MLK Institute, as a think tank on urban issues, is pleased to co-convene this economic forum to provide interested individuals a way to gain critical insight on the financial challenges of the City and offer suggestions, to improve our community, that result from a Blueprint lV Task Force on Economic Development."
David Black, President of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC added, "We sincerely appreciate the opportunity to partner with the Martin Luther King Leadership Development Institute and other organizations to create a forum for those who both live and work in our City to learn more about its fiscal problems and to offer comments on possible solutions. We feel information and dialogue can help everyone as the City works on a recovery plan which will likely impact the region's future."
The Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC serves as a catalyst for promoting growth and quality of life in Cumberland, Dauphin and Perry Counties by providing a unique blend of business, community and economic development and advocacy services under one roof to boost our economic vitality and livability as a region. HRC/CREDC has been accredited with four stars from the United States Chamber of Commerce.
