As you continue to prepare for the 2017 Governor’s Conference on Economic Development, which will take place September 6 - 8, 2017 at the Hilton at the Ballpark St. Louis, we are proud to announce our closing session: One Team. One Mission.

Missouri is working towards getting rid of government silos for good. Through Gov. Greitens' leadership and Missouri Chief Operating Officer Drew Erdmann's implementation, state agencies are joining forces to eliminate bureaucracy and focus on improving customer experience for all Missourians. At this year's closing session, the department directors will provide insight into how they are removing barriers for businesses within their own agencies and helping to grow the state’s economy. Each department has a role in making Missouri more competitive and creating a more business-friendly environment. Drew Erdman will moderate this panel. 

Panelists include:

Drew Erdmann, Missouri Chief Operating Officer:
Drew Erdmann, a native Missourian, comes from McKinsey & Company, where he was a partner focusing on private, public and nonprofit sector strategies. Erdmann spent the last decade working with governments around the country, making them do more with less money.

Anna Hui, Acting Director of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations:
From 2015 to 2017, Anna served as Assistant Director and later as Acting Director of the Illinois Department of Labor. Across the Mississippi, she delivered results for workers and employers by enacting much-needed reforms, eliminating costly inefficacies, and modernizing services and technology. She’ll do the same, and more, in Missouri.

Chris Chinn, Director of the Department of Agriculture:
Director Chinn has held leadership positions in agriculture on the local, state and national level for more than 12 years, working to move the state’s agriculture industry forward. As a trailblazer in ag advocacy, Chinn has established her brand through social media and public speaking.

Joel Walters, Director of Revenue:
Joel Walters has spent his career helping businesses understand tax and business environments around the globe so that they can grow and create jobs. Helping to reform Missouri’s tax laws are at the core of his efforts. In essence working within state government to support a rethinking of tax policy, not just to make it better, but to create an economic environment that competes at the highest levels to attract and retain business activity and provide an opportunity for the citizens of Missouri to thrive.

Carol Comer, Director of the Department of Natural Resources:
Comer previously served as Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management under former Governor and Vice-President Mike Pence from 2015 until joining the Department of Natural Resources. As director, Comer will lead the department’s efforts to protect our air, land and water; preserve our unique natural and historic places; and provide recreational and learning opportunities for everyone.

Still need to register for the 2017 Governor's Conference on Economic Development? Click here.

Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter for more updates on the 2017 Governor's Conference on Economic Development!