East Bay USA 2015 Offers Adroit Pairing of The Hon. Ellen Tauscher and Karl Rove in Policy Discussion

By Molly Walker (Star Patcher)

Attendees can expect to be challenged and enlightened at East Bay USA 2015, the 29th annual East Bay policy forum on Thursday, January 22.

This year’s event features The Honorable Ellen O’Kane Tauscher, former member of Congress representing California’s 10th Congressional District and Undersecretary of State, and Karl Rove, former deputy chief of staff and senior advisor to President George W. Bush.

Following a reception and dinner at the Hilton Concord, Tauscher and Rove will engage in a conversation about the national political landscape and its impacts on the regional and national economy.

This premier East Bay event is being presented by the East Bay Leadership Council (EBLC), with major sponsorship from Chevron and Shell.

“East Bay USA launches EBLC’s 2015 East Bay Leadership Series, and is the first of three events we’re planning this year that will offer a revealing window into the crucial economic, technological, workforce innovation and healthcare issues that affect the region’s economic prosperity and quality of life,” says Kristin Connelly, EBLC president and CEO. “We invite outstanding business, economic and technological thinkers, and ask them to share their knowledge and excitement about the future with our audience. It is always a thoughtful and informative exchange.”

On April 16, Christopher Thornberg of Beacon Economics will present an East Bay economic forecast, which will include a panel discussion of the region’s infrastructure. A September 2015 program will focus on East Bay workforce innovation and healthcare trends.

About Karl Rove and Ellen Tauscher

The well-known political insider Karl Rove served as deputy chief of staff and senior advisor to President George W. Bush. He writes a weekly op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, is a Fox News contributor and is the author of the New York Times bestseller, Courage and Consequence: My Life as a Conservative in the Fight. At the White House, he oversaw the offices of Strategic Initiatives, Political Affairs, Public Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs and was deputy chief of staff for Policy. He formerly was president of Karl Rove + Company, an Austin-based public affairs firm that worked for Republican candidates, nonpartisan causes and nonprofit groups.

Ellen Tauscher is a strategic advisor on policy-driven decision-making of federal policy and programs in the defense, transportation, energy and healthcare fields. She is vice chair of the Atlantic Council’s Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security and is an independent member of the board of governors of Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC, and Los Alamos, LLC. She joined the Obama administration in 2009 as Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs and was special envoy for Strategic Stability and Missile Defense.

While in Congress, Tauscher chaired the New Democrat Coalition and was vice-chair of the Democratic Leadership Council. She served on the House Armed Services Committee and chaired the Strategic Forces subcommittee. She also served concurrently on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and was the senior Californian on the Highway and Transit and Aviation subcommittees.

East Bay USA opens with a reception at 5:30 p.m. on January 22, followed by the dinner presentation beginning at 7 p.m. Single and discounted series tickets are available now through January 19 at www.2015EBUSA.eventbrite.com.

Contact Kristin Connelly or Terry Shoaff at 925.246.1880.

About the East Bay Leadership Council: The Council, also referred to as the EBLC, is a private sector, public policy organization with a membership that includes business, nonprofit organizations, government, education and labor. The mission of the Council is to provide advocacy on public policy issues affecting the economic vitality and quality of life in the East Bay region.

For more information, see www.eastbayleadershipcouncil.com and follow us on twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.