***EVENT ADVISORY***

Building America's Future and National Governors Association To Host Discussion on Future of America's Transportation System

The nation’s transportation system needs to overhauled, but what changes should be made, how it should be paid for and by whom are matters of great debate. A roundtable of keynote speakers and panel of experts will discuss their vision for the future of the nation’s transportation system; reflect upon the potential changes expected in the reauthorization of the surface transportation program; and examine the potential for addressing funding gaps through use of new revenue mechanisms such as an infrastructure bank, public private partnerships and mileage-based user fees.

Keynote Panel:
Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, Chair, National Governors Association; Co-Chair, Building America’s Future
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Co-Chair, Building America’s Future
The Honorable Newt Gingrich, Former Speaker of the House; Founder, American Solutions
The Honorable Dick Gephardt, Former House Majority Leader; President and CEO, Gephardt Group 

Expert Panel:
Will Kempton, Director, California Department of Transportation 
Roy Kienitz, Under Secretary for Policy, U.S. Department of Transportation 
Ruth Van Mark, Minority Staff Director, Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works 
Susan Binder, Senior Policy Advisor, Majority Staff, Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (invited)
Rob Atkinson, President, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation; Chair, National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission   

When: Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 12:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. EDT

Where: National Press Club, 529 14th Street NW, Holeman Lounge, Washington, D.C.

RSVP required:  Please rsvp to lbraden@mercuryllc.com

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Founded in 1908, the National Governors Association (NGA) is the collective voice of the nation’s governors and one of Washington, D.C.’s most respected public policy organizations. Its members are the governors of the 50 states, three territories and two commonwealths. NGA provides governors and their senior staff members with services that range from representing states on Capitol Hill and before the Administration on key federal issues to developing and implementing innovative solutions to public policy challenges through the NGA Center for Best Practices. For more information, visit www.nga.org.

Building America’s Future (www.InvestInInfrastructure.org) is a bipartisan and national organization dedicated to bringing about a new era of U.S. investment in infrastructure.  Founded in January 2008 by Governor Edward Rendell of Pennsylvania, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California, and Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York, BAF boasts a politically and regionally diverse membership of state and local elected officials from across the nation.  BAF seeks to advance a new national vision for infrastructure investment that strengthens our cities and rural communities, and focuses on economic growth and global competitiveness, creation of economic opportunity for all Americans, and environmental sustainability.  In addition, BAF embraces a wide definition of infrastructure - from roads and bridges to water and sewer systems, energy systems, transit, ports, levees, dams, schools and housing.