Arthur Brooks named as one of Alabama Economic Growth Summit’s keynote speakers

Telegraph Creative on Tuesday announced that Arthur C. Brooks will be one of the keynote speakers at the Alabama Economic Growth Summit, which is set to take place October 24-25 at the Renaissance Birmingham Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa.

Brooks is professor of the Practice of Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School and Arthur C. Patterson Faculty Fellow at the Harvard Business School. Before joining the Harvard faculty in July, he served for 10 years as president of the Washington, D.C.-based American Enterprise Institute (AEI), one of the world’s leading think tanks.

“The great irony of our times is that people in the wealthiest countries are increasingly turning against the very system that lifted us out of poverty,” Brooks said in a statement. “I look forward to speaking at this year’s Growth Summit on how leaders from the public and private sectors can work together to create a better Alabama for all, starting at the margins.”

Brooks is the bestselling author of 11 books. He has gained notoriety and influence at the highest levels of the U.S. government, which is evident in the fact that a sitting senator urged members of Congress to consider electing Brooks as speaker of the House. His focus on human flourishing and his advocacy for leveraging the free market system to lift people out of poverty has even led to a personal friendship with the Dalai Lama.

Cliff Sims, president of Telegraph Creative, expressed his enthusiasm at having Brooks involved in the summit, which is being organized by Telegraph.

“We are thrilled to have one of the country’s most influential thought leaders speak at this year’s Growth Summit,” Sims said.

“Arthur is known all over the world for working to increase human prosperity, flourishing and happiness, which is exactly what this event is all about–specifically focusing on the people of Alabama,” he added.

A sought-after speaker, Brooks has appeared on stages around the world, including TED conferences, the Aspen Ideas Festival, and countless other prominent venues.

He recently produced and played a starring role in the hit Netflix documentary “The Pursuit.” In the film, Brooks travels around the globe in search of an answer to the question: ‘How can we lift up the world, starting with those at the margins of society?’ His journey takes him through the chaotic streets of Mumbai, a town in Kentucky left behind by the global economy, a homeless shelter in New York, a street protest in Barcelona and a Himalayan Buddhist monastery. Along the way, he discovers the secrets not only to material progress for the least fortunate, but also true and lasting happiness for all.

Tickets and sponsorship packages for the Alabama Economic Growth Summit are currently available online here.

More details on the event:

Alabama Power is the title sponsor for the summit, which will bring together a diverse group of powerful and influential leaders in pursuit of four overall objectives:

1. Celebrate Alabama’s economic development successes,
2. Rally the state’s major economic development stakeholders around our common goals of job creation and increased prosperity,
3. Facilitate dialogue on the most important issues facing our economy,
4. Drive massive media coverage around Alabama’s commitment to attracting companies and creating an overall environment that’s conducive to growth.

U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard A. Grenell, Deputy U.S. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette and numerous members of Alabama’s congressional delegation will be among the senior federal government officials participating in the program, along with numerous high-ranking state-level officials from both the legislative and executive branches.

From the private sector, CEOs, venture capitalists, site selectors and economic developers from around the state and nation will be among the speakers and panelists.

A major highlight of the summit will be national media personalities, including Axios executive editor Mike Allen, in attendance covering the event and guiding panel discussions.

The event was first held by Yellowhammer in 2016 when Sims was the company’s CEO. Now president of Telegraph Creative, Sims is bringing the summit back this year.

“When we launched this event in 2016 at Yellowhammer, our goal was to bring together the state’s leaders around our shared goals of more jobs and increased prosperity for all Alabamians,” he explained to Yellowhammer News recently. “We’re going to continue that mission this year.”

“Alabama’s had some big economic development wins in recent years. This Summit is all about building on that momentum, and we’re thrilled to have buy-in from the state’s key leaders in both the public and private sectors,” Sims added.

Sims will be on the event’s host committee, which also includes Yellowhammer Multimedia publisher Allison Ross and a host of public and private sector titans, such as:

Will Ainsworth
Lieutenant governor
State of Alabama

Katie Britt
President
Business Council of Alabama

Stephanie Bryan
Tribal Chair and CEO
Poarch Band of Creek Indians

Mark Crosswhite
Chairman, president and CEO
Alabama Power

Deontée Gordon
President
TechBirmingham

Johnny Johns
Executive chairman
Protective Life Corporation

Mike Kemp
President and CEO
Kemp Management Solutions

James K. Lyons
CEO
Alabama State Port Authority

Del Marsh
President pro tem
Alabama Senate

Mac McCutcheon
Speaker of the House
Alabama House of Representatives

Jimmy Parnell
CEO
Alfa

Liz Pharo
Managing partner
Featheringill Capital

Jimmy Rane
President and CEO
Great Southern Wood

Jeana Ross
Secretary
Department of Early Childhood Education

Finis St. John
Chancellor
University of Alabama System

Lee Sentell
Director
Alabama Department of Tourism

Gary Smith
President and CEO
PowerSouth

Fitzgerald Washington
Commissioner
Alabama Department of Labor

Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn