New Summit Brings Out B.E.S.T.

More than 150 key Connecticut stakeholders from business, education, municipalities, labor, and social services convened this month for a first-ever Project B.E.S.T. (Bring Every Stakeholder Together) summit to brainstorm on how to improve Connecticut’s economic future.
The summit was organized by the first-time partnership of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, CBIA, and the Connecticut AFL-CIO.
The idea behind the summit was to identify areas of agreement among these and other diverse groups on policies that can grow Connecticut’s economy and stabilize the state’s budget situation.
The summit focused in on five key issues:

• Taxes and regulation
• Education and workforce development
• Transportation and Infrastructure
• Regional solutions
• Quality of life

Perspectives were many and varied, and participants perhaps surprised each other by finding common ground on a number of points.
“Everyone really rolled up their sleeves and worked well together to try to move the state forward,” said Bonnie Stewart, CBIA vice president and general counsel.
“Obviously, we can’t accomplish everything in one day, but the energy in the group and willingness to go beyond our comfort zones was extraordinary,” said Stewart.
Ideas will be condensed into a plan of action and a final report in December.
For more information, email or call CBIA’s Louise DiCocco at (860.244.1169).