Ann Drake recently took part in 2014 Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) America in Denver and a national meeting on transportation at the Clinton Presidential Center and Park in Little Rock.
At CGI America, June 23-25, Ann was a panelist in the breakout session on the topic, “Girls and Women: What’s Working in America,” and she participated in the Working Group on “Infrastructure for Cities and States.”
The panel on “Girls and Women: What’s Working in America” explored areas in which women have traditionally faced challenges to participation in the labor force. Ann and the other panelists discussed common barriers preventing full and equal participation for girls and women, shared successful existing programs that are enhancing equality and opportunity, and brainstormed approaches that can lead to success for other existing programs, as well as ideas that inspire new ones.
The panelists made the point that expecting women to act more like men is a no-win situation. “One of the things we need to do is change the societal paradigm about women and what they can do,” Ann said. She went on to say that while men and women often enter the workforce with different sets of experiences, “combining the two is really what’s powerful.” And, she believes that one of the bad things many men learn growing up is a win-lose philosophy. “They don’t learn win-win,” she said.
Joining Ann on the panel were Grace Covington Fricks, Founder and CEO, Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs Inc.; Andrea Luecke, President and Executive Director, The Solar Foundation; and Joanne Rodriguez, Director, Sustainable and Strategic Initiatives, Tremco, Inc. The session was moderated by Laura D. Tyson, Professor, Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley; Chelsea Clinton, Vice Chair, Clinton Foundation, gave the opening remarks for this session demonstrating CGI’s ongoing commitment to empowering girls and women worldwide.
In the “Infrastructure for Cities and States” Working Group, senior city and state officials and private sector leaders from finance, infrastructure development, and organized labor addressed the development of cross-sector partnerships and solutions to the barriers impeding modernization of U.S. infrastructure.
This was the fourth meeting of CGI America, an annual event hosted by President Bill Clinton, Secretary Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton focused on finding solutions that promote economic recovery in the United States.
At the national meeting of transportation executives, government officials, policymakers, philanthropists, scholars and researchers, June 26-28 at the Clinton Presidential Center, Ann was a member of the panel in the opening general session, “The Making of a Report: The Changing Face of Transportation 2025 and Beyond,” representing U.S. competitiveness.
Other panelists were Jenn Aument, Group Leader, Transurban North America; J. Christian Gerdes, Director, Center for Automotive Research at Stanford, Stanford University; Jeff Leddy, CEO, Verizon, Telematics; Mike Roeth, President, North American Council on Freight Efficiency, Fuel Efficient Trucks; and, Gregory Winfree, U.S. Assistant Secretary for Research & Technology, Department of Transportation.
The breakout sessions following the panel included discussions of Visions Past and Future; Growth, Deregulation, and Intermodalism;Safety; Globalization; People, Energy and the Environment; Technology; and, National Security.