Everything Grows with Manufacturing Summit Roundtable

Ross DeVol

Ross DeVol is executive director of economic research at the Milken Institute, leading the Center for Regional Economics, the Center for Health Economics and the California Center. DeVol oversees the Institute's research efforts on the dynamics of comparative national and regional growth performance. He is also an appointee to the California State Controller's Council of Economic Advisors.

Since joining the Institute, DeVol has put his group in the national limelight with groundbreaking research on technology and its impact on regional and national economies. He is an expert on the new intangible economy and how regions can prepare themselves to compete in it. He examines the effects of technology, research and development activities, international trade, human capital and labor-force skills training, entrepreneurship, early-stage financing, and quality-of-place issues on the geographic distribution of economic activity. DeVol is ranked among the "Super Stars" of Think Tank Scholars by International Economy magazine.

DeVol was the lead author of Jobs for America: Investments and Policies for Economic Growth and Competitiveness, which tackles the central question of the day: How can the United States jumpstart and sustain job growth? The policy changes analyzed – decreasing U.S. corporate tax rates to match the OECD average, increasing and making permanent the R&D tax credit, and modernizing export controls on certain products – would spur significant economic growth in the medium- to long-term. The report demonstrates that more than 3.5 million jobs can be created in each of the next three years by supporting investment in 10 key infrastructure project categories.

DeVol was also the lead author on North America's High-Tech Economy: The Geography of Knowledge-Based Industries, which revised and extended the Institute's original work to include Canadian and Mexican metropolitan areas. It examined the locations and patterns of growth in 19 individual high-tech industry categories. This is believed to be the most detailed comparative assessment available for understanding North America's high-tech landscape.

In The Greater Philadelphia Life Sciences Cluster 2009: An Economic and Comparative Assessment, he and his colleagues revised and extended the Institute's original 2005 analysis of the Greater Philadelphia life-sciences cluster relative to 10 other leading clusters in the United States. In the State Technology and Science Index: Enduring Lessons for the Intangible Economy, DeVol and his co-author examined how states need to remain strong in many technologies and stay on top in some. This annual index is well-received by policymakers, business executives and investors seeking to identify areas of strength and weakness to better target limited resources.

He was the principal author of An Unhealthy America: The Economic Burden of Chronic Disease, which brought to light for the first time what is often overlooked in the discussion of the impact of chronic disease – the economic losses associated with preventable illness and the cost to the nation's GDP and U.S. businesses in lost growth. The study is the first of its kind to estimate the avoidable costs if a serious effort were made to improve Americans' health.

Other recent work involves the study of biotechnology and other life-sciences clusters, and the impact these industries have on regional economies. He was the lead author of Mind-to-Market: A Global Analysis of University Biotechnology Transfer and Commercialization, which was released in 2006. This study looked at the transfer and commercialization of university-developed intellectual property on a global basis, with particular focus on biotechnology.

DeVol was the lead author of Biopharmaceutical Contributions to State and U.S. Economies, released in 2004 and documenting the large economic impact of the industry and analyzing which states are best positioned for future growth. In America's Biotech and Life Science Clusters, he and his colleagues researched leading clusters and San Diego's position among them, and highlighted the key factors determining success. He co-authored The Economic Contributions of Health Care to New England, which constituted the first detailed examination of the concentration, innovation capacities, growth, and economic-multiplier impacts of health care in that region. He authored the policy brief America's Health-Care Economy in 2003, providing the first comprehensive benchmarking of the nation's leading health-care clusters.

He completed a significant study in 1999, America's High-Tech Economy: Growth, Development, and Risks for Metropolitan Areas, an examination of how clusters of high-tech industries across the country affect economic growth in those regions. It has been translated into Chinese and published in China. His Best-Performing Cities: Where America's Jobs Are Created, published in 2004 and regularly updated since then, reveals which cities are creating jobs and economic opportunity and describes the factors determining long-term success. This is a continuation of research that was previously published annually by Forbes. He has authored studies examining how to harness the research and innovation capacity of a region to build high-tech clusters based on new technologies.

Prior to joining the Institute, DeVol was senior vice president of Global Insight Inc. (formerly Wharton Econometric Forecasting), where he supervised the firm's Regional Economic Services group. DeVol supervised the respecification of Global Insight's regional econometric models and played an instrumental role in similar work on its U.S. Macro Model, originally developed by Nobel Laureate Lawrence Klein. He was the firm's chief spokesman on international trade. He also served as the head of Global Insight's U.S. Long-Term Macro Service and authored special reports on behalf of the U.S. Macro Group.

DeVol was previously director of economic planning at CSX, where he was responsible for U.S. macroeconomic and industry analysis, and worked with former U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow. He was also an economist at Chase Econometrics and an economic analyst at Union Pacific.

DeVol appears on national television and radio programs, including CNN's "Moneyline," "Wall Street Journal Report with Maria Bartiromo," Fox Business News, CNBC and NPR's "Talk of the Nation." He is frequently quoted in print media, such as The Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, Investor's Business Daily, the Los Angeles Times, Forbes, The Economist, Time, BusinessWeek and others.

DeVol earned his master's degree in economics at Ohio University and received advanced training in economics at Carnegie Mellon University.

Bob Dutton

Sen. Bob Dutton was elected to represent the 31st Senate District in November 2004. He was sworn into office on Dec. 6, 2004 after serving two years in the California State Assembly representing the 63 rd District. Senator Dutton received nearly 60 percent of the vote in the sprawling 31 st Senate District that includes portions of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.

Bob Epstein

Bob Epstein is an entrepreneur and engineer with a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. He is a co-founder of five companies: Sybase, New Resource Bank, GetActive Software, Zight, and Britton-Lee. Epstein currently splits his professional time between his roles as co-founder of Environmental Entrepreneurs, Director of New Resource Bank and Trustee of the Natural Resources Defense Council. Epstein is Vice Chairman of California's Economic and Technology Advancement Advisory Committee for AB 32. Epstein's community activities are focused on the environment, public education and opera.

Mike Jimenez

In late 1994 Mike Jimenez was elected CCPOA's Executive Vice President, a position he would hold for seven years before being elected State President in September 2002. In this position, Jimenez has continued the organization's steadfast commitment to maintaining public safety in California, while working to improve training and safety for the officers who work behind the walls of the state's correctional facilities, and in the youth and adult parole systems.

In September 2008, at CCPOA's annual convention, Jimenez was reelected State President by the 500 delegates in attendance. The three-year term began January 1, 2009.

Jimenez's commitment to enhancing the correctional peace officer profession for CCPOA's more than 34,000 active members is driven by his affinity for the brave men and women who work in California's correctional institutions.

Eric McAfee

Mr. McAfee is an entrepreneur, venture capitalist and philanthropist, founding and funding companies in renewable energy, oil & gas, agriculture, networking devices and enterprise software. Based in the Silicon Valley, Mr. McAfee is Chairman of McAfee Capital, a growth equity investment fund; and is President of Berg McAfee Companies, which during the past ten years has acquired or invested in more than twenty companies. Mr. McAfee was recently appointed as one of 600 GlobalScot's by the First Minister of Scotland, advising Scotland on renewable energy and economic growth.

Mr. McAfee is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of AE Biofuels, an publicly-held industrial biotechnology company that developed and is commercializing enzymes and microbes to produce advanced fuels and bio-based chemicals from renewable feedstocks. AE Biofuels currently generates more than $150 million of revenues from biofuels and related products. AE has received $65 million of funding, including $34 million of equity funding at an average valuation of more than $200 million.

In 1986, Mr. McAfee graduated as the Dean's Medalist from the Fresno State University business school. He lectured as the 2001 Entrepreneur in Residence at FSU and earned the business school Alumni of the Year Award in 2002. Mr. McAfee served as a 2007 Entrepreneur in Residence at The Wharton School MBA Program. Mr. McAfee is an alumni of the Stanford Graduate School of Business (1993 Executive Program) and a 2004 graduate of the Harvard Business School Private Equity and Venture Capital Program.

Gavin Newsom

Gavin Newsom was elected as the 49th Lieutenant Governor of the State of California on November 2, 2010. His top priorities are economic development and job creation, improving access to higher education, and maintaining California's environmental leadership. Prior to being elected Lieutenant Governor, he served two-terms as Mayor of San Francisco. Under his leadership, the economy grew and jobs were created. The City became a center for biotech and clean tech. He initiated a plan to bring universal health care to all of the City's uninsured residents. And Newsom aggressively pursued local solutions to global climate change. In the final days of his second term as Mayor, Newsom led a historic drive to host the 2013 America's Cup, one of the largest and most prestigious sporting events in the world, which is expected to generate roughly 8,000 jobs and $1.2 billion for the local and state economy.

Art Pulaski

Art Pulaski is the Chief Officer of the California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO. The Federation represents 2.1 million members of 1,200 manufacturing, service, construction and public sector unions.

Since his election in 1996, Pulaski has reinvigorated grassroots activism in unions and championed support for new organizing. Under his leadership, the Federation has helped to elect worker-friendly candidates in the State Legislature and won the passage of landmark legislation.

In that time, the Federation's achievements have included restoring daily overtime pay, raising the minimum wage, increasing benefits for injured and unemployed workers and passing the nation's first comprehensive Paid Family Leave law. In 2003, the Federation won an historic law to extend employer-based health care in California. While the law was later overturned in a referendum, its passage helped redefine the debate on health care reform.

Jack Stewart

Jack Stewart is President of the California Manufacturers & Technology Association. Named to the President's position March of 1998, Mr. Stewart has been with the Association since 1992.

The California Manufacturers & Technology Association (CMTA) is a statewide, non-profit, mutual benefit association and has a proud 85-year history as an advocate for the men and women whose ideas and innovations make the world run, and whose spirit created the most dynamic economic engine in history.

Julie Meier Wright

Julie Meyer Wright has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation since 1997. EDC is the premier business development organization for the greater San Diego region, involved in marketing, public policy, and direct assistance to companies.

In 2004, EDC received the Global Innovator award from CoreNet Global, the world's premier association for corporate real estate and related professionals. In 2003, the U.S. Department of Commerce awarded EDC its Excellence in Economic Development Award for "Enhancing Regional Competitiveness."

From 2004 to 2006 Ms. Wright served on the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board Task Force on Math-Science Education. In 2003, Ms. Wright served on gubernatorial candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger's Economic Recovery Council.

Ms. Wright was named Director of the Year for Not-for-Profit boards and Director of the Year for Companies in Transition by the Corporate Directors Forum. In 2004, Ms. Wright was named one of the "Women Who Move the City" by San Diego Magazine. In 2002, she received the "Women of Distinction" award from Soroptimist International. In 2001, she received Junior Achievement's San Diego Hall of Fame Lifetime Laureate Award and the San Diego Business Journal's Women Who Mean Business Award. In 1998, she was one of San Diego Magazine's "50 People to Watch." Wright was named California Leader of the Year by Leadership California in 1996 and the nation's Outstanding Secretary of Commerce by the Biotechnology Industry Organization in 1995.

Prior to coming to San Diego, Ms. Wright served as California's first Secretary of Trade and Commerce and a member of Governor Pete Wilson's Cabinet from 1991 to 1997. She led the Administration's wide-ranging business climate reforms and built a new Agency that expanded the state's international role and presence, opening five new overseas offices. Prior to her time in Sacramento and San Diego, she spent 25 years in executive marketing and public affairs positions in the private sector, including 14 years with TRW Inc., now a part of Northrop-Grumman.

Ms. Wright holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology from the University of Maryland. She has completed the Stanford University Advanced Management College, the Stanford Financial Seminar, and a special program on competitiveness at Harvard University.