NEC Notes
July 2018
Welcome
to the July 2018 edition of
The New England Council's E-Newsletter.

Upcoming Events
Capital Conversations with
Sen. Angus King (I-ME)
Tuesday, July 10, 2018
8:00 - 9:30 a.m.
Nelson Mullins - Washington, DC
Congressional Roundtable with
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Monday, July 16, 2018
8:30 - 10:00 a.m
Omni Parker House - Boston, MA
Click Here to Register
Capital Conversations with
Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT)
Wednesday, July 18, 2018
8:00 - 9:30 a.m.
Liberty Mutual - Washington, DC
Click Here to Register
Congressional Roundtable with
Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME)
Monday, July 23, 2018
8:00 - 9:30 a.m.
PretiFlaherty - Portland, ME
Congressional Roundtable with Rep. John Larson (D-CT)
Monday, July 30, 2018
12:00 - 1:30 p.m.
Hilton Hotel - Hartford, CT
Recent Events
Politics & Eggs with Former AG Eric Holder
On June 1, former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder was the featured guest at the latest installment of the Council's Politics & Eggs series.  Holder discussed his current work to address gerrymandering as the Chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee.  He is pictured here with NEC Board member Christienne Bik of Fallon Health.
Tax Reform Forum with Rep. Richard Neal
Rep. Richard Neal, Ranking Member of the House Ways & Means Committee, was the keynote speaker at a June 4 special event, "Tax Reform in New England: Regional Impact and Next Steps."  The event was hosted by PwC at their Boston office.  Congressman Neal is pictured here (C) with NEC Board Member John Stadtler (L) and Barry Okun (R), both of PwC.
Congressional Roundtable with
Sen. Chris Murphy
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) spoke to NEC members at a Congressional Roundtable hosted by NEC member State Street at their Stamford, CT, office on June 15.  Senator Murphy is picutred here (2nd from L) with (L-R) NEC President & CEO Jim Brett, Paul Colonnna, and Jeevan Ramipriya, both of State Street.  
Congressional Roundtable with
Rep. Bill Keating
On June 25, 2018, Rep. Bill Keating spoke to NEC members about his recent work in the House of Representatives at a Congressional Roundtable hosted by The Hampshire House in Boston.  Representative Keating is pictured here with Kim Conyers of Morrison Mahoney, LLP. 
Rep. Richard Neal Headlines NEC Tax Reform Event
Forum Highlights Regional Economic Impact of Tax Reform
Mark Colabella of Dell and Rep. Neal.
On June 4, 2018, The New England Council presented a special event, "Tax Reform in New England: Regional Impact and Next Steps."  Hosted by Council member PwC at their Boston office, the forum featured keynote remarks from U.S. Representative Richard Neal (D-MA), the Ranking Member of the House Ways & Means Committee.  Rep. Neal discussed the sweeping reform bill passed late last year, and also shared his vision for future changes should be become the Chairman of the Ways & Means Committee in the next Congress.  Following the Congressman's remarks, a panel of NEC members representing a wide array of industries discussed the bill's impact on their respective sectors, and shared their "wish lists" for future changes to the federal tax code.  Barry Okun, a partner at PwC, moderated the panel, which included the following panelists:
  • Mark Colabella, Vice President, Enterprise Tax Planning, Compliance, & Defense, Dell
  • Daniel Egan, President, Association of Independent Colleges & Universities of Rhode Island
  • Daniel Forte, President, Massachusetts Bankers Association
  • Kristin Lewis, Senior Vice President & Chief Public Affairs Officer, Tufts Health Plan
  • Susan R. Olson, Vice President, Government Relations, Natixis Investment Managers

Over 100 NEC members and other guests attended the event.   

New England Innovates: Driving Forward with Autonomous Vehicles
Forum Explores Challenges and Opportunities with Autonomous Vehicles
On June 5, 2018, the Council presented "New England Innovates: Driving forward with Autonomous Vehicles," the third event in our "New England Innovates" series.  The event was hosted by NEC member Nelson Mullins at their Boston office.  U.S. Representative Michael Capuano (D-MA) delivered keynote remarks, sharing his perspective as a member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure on the policy issues associated with this rapidly evolving technology.  Following the Congressman's remarks, a panel of NEC members explored the challenges and opportunities associated with autonomous vehicle technology.  Nelson Mullins partner Greg May moderated the panel, which included the following Council members:

  • Lloyd Albert, Senior Vice President, Public/Government Affairs, AAA Northeast
  • Justin Holmes, Director, Corporate Communications and Public Policy, Zipcar
  • Chris Lowell, Principal, Corporate Strategy & Research, Liberty Mutual Insurance 
  • Charlene Stokes, Director of the Human-Machine Social Systems Lab, MITRE Corporation
Approximately 80 NEC members and other guests attended the event. 
NEC in the News
Recent Media Coverage
Politics & Eggs with Eric Holder - The Council's June 1, 2018, Politics & Eggs event with former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder received local and national media coverage in a variety of media outlets including:
Tax Reform Event - The Council's special event,"Tax Reform in New England: Regional Impact and Next Steps," was covered by Bloomberg Law.

Policy Committee Updates
Energy & Environment Committee Hosts EPA Region 1 Adminstrator
On May 30, members of the Energy & Environment Committee met with Ms. Alexandra Dunn, the recently-appointed Region 1 Administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  Ms. Dunn briefing members on the EPA's priorities and current initiatives, and took questions.  The meeting was hosted by Committee Chair Mark Kalpin at Wilmer Hale.  For more information on the Energy & Environment Committee, please contact Sean Malone.
Financial Services Committee Supports Retirement Savings Legislation
In June, The New England Council sent a letter to New England Senators and Senate Finance Committee leadership expressing the Council's support for S. 2526, the Retirement Enhancement and Savings Act (RESA) of 2018.  If passed, this bipartisan legislation would create new opportunities to improve our nation's employer-based retirement system. For more information on the Financial Services Committee, please contact Griffin Doherty
Healthcare Committee Names New Co-Chair
The Council recently announced the appointment of Patricia "Tish" McMullin, Special Counsel and Director of Government Affairs at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, as the new co-chair of the Healthcare Committee.  Tish joins co-chair Deirdre Savage of Blue Cross Blue Shield in leading the committee.  For more information on the Healthcare Committee, please contact Sean Malone.
Trade Working Group Supports NAFTA
On June 26, The New England Council sent a letter to President Donald Trump expressing its strong support for the modernization of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and urging the Administration to reconsider tariffs imposed against Canada and Mexico, two of our region's top trade partners.  For more information on the Trade Working Group, please contact Peter Phipps
NEC Staff Annoucnement
Pamela Seymour Joins NEC as Senior Vice President, Administration & Finance
The New England Council is pleased to announce the appointment of Pamela Seymour as our new Senior Vice President of Finance & Administration. As many of you know, Pam has served the Council for many years as an independent consultant providing the Council with accounting, taxation, internal systems analysis, and business policy services.  In her new role, Pam will oversee the Council's financial reporting, budgeting, human resource, and administrative functions. Pam brings to the Council more than 30 years of public accounting experience, over which time, she established a private accounting and consulting practice serving a diverse client base, ranging from medium-sized not-for-profit organizations to small start-up companies.  Earlier in her career, Pam was a manager in the audit and assurance practice at Deloitte, serving clients in the healthcare, education, government, and financial services industries. A Walpole, MA, native, Pam is a graduate of Suffolk University and is a certified public accountant. Pam can be reached at (617) 723-4009 or [email protected]. Please join us in welcoming Pam to the NEC team!
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