On January 26, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh spoke to NEC members, sharing his reactions to the first days of the Trump Administration and his priorities for the city of Boston in the year ahead.  Mayor Walsh is pictured here with Marylee Hanley of Spectra Energy. 

The January 26 breakfast with Boston Mayor Marty Walsh was hosted by NEC member Bank of America at their downtown Boston offices.  Mayor Walsh is pictured here with Miceal Chamberlain, Bank of America's Massachusetts President. 

On January 19, the Council hosted "Perspectives on the 115th Congress" at the Hampshire House in Boston. Former Rep. Bill Delahunt, former Sen. Kelly Ayotte, and former Rep. Barney Frank, pictured above, were joined by former Gov. John H. Sununu on a panel to share their insights on issue before the new Congress and the new Administration in the year ahead. 

On January 30, Granite State Congresswoman Ann Kuster spoke to NEC members about her priorities for the year ahead at a Congressional Roundtable Breakfast at the Bedford Village Inn in Bedford, NH.   Rep. Kuster is pictured here with Tom Bishop of BAE Systems, the sponsor of the breakfast. 

On February 21, 2017, The New England Council will brief Congressional staff on our recent report, "The New England Energy Landscape: History, Challenges and Outlook."  Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) are the honorary co-hosts of the briefing on Capitol Hill.  Following a presentation on the report by its author, Peter J. Howe, a panel of NEC members will discuss current challenges and opportunities for the New England energy market, and take questions from New England Congressional Staff.  NEC members participating in the panel include DONG Energy, Eversource, National Grid, and the New England Power Generators Association. 

NEC members are also welcome to attend the briefing, which will take place from 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. on the 21st in the Russell Senate Office Building. 

On January 31, 2017, The New England Council released a new study on the impact of New England's financial services industry on jobs and economic growth at an event in downtown Boston.  The report, entitled "The New England Financial Services Industry: Around the Corner and Around the World," demonstrates the importance of this major sector to quality of life and employment in the region, identifying the total number of direct, indirect, and induced jobs in each of the six New England states, and broken out by sector - banking, asset management, and insurance.  It was produced in collaboration with a number of New England Council members.

In addition to employment, the report also details other ways that the financial services industry contributes to the region's economic well-being, including through small business lending, retirement and other investment advice, and community involvement.  Finally, the report highlights New England's leadership in the emerging area of financial technology, or "FinTech," with examples of some of the innovative FinTech initiatives across the region.

The report was released at an event hosted by WilmerHale in downtown Boston. Following a presentation on the report's findings, a panel of industry representatives discussed the study and offered perspectives from their individual sectors.

If you have questions about the report or would like more information on The New England Council's work on financial services issues, please contact Chris Averill.

Mark your calendars!  The New England Council's 2017 Annual Spring Event is scheduled for Wednesday, May 3, and Thursday, May 4, 2017, in Washington, DC.  The Annual Spring Event will be a great opportunity for New England Council members to hear from leaders in the new Administration, as well as members of the New England Congressional delegation as the 115th Congress gets underway.  Stay tuned for more details in the coming months!

New England Council President & CEO Jim Brett recently wrote an Op-Ed piece discussing several areas where the Trump Administration could work with the 115th Congress to promote economic growth in New England and beyond in the new year.  The piece was published in several regional publications during January:

• Lowell Sun
• New Hampshire Business Review
• Patriot Ledger
• Providence Journal
• Sentinel & Enterprise

The latest episode of DC Dialogue on New England Cable News (NECN) aired on Sunday, January 29.  In the first segment, Jim Brett and Eileen Curran were joined by political analyst Scott Spradling for an in-depth look at President Donald Trump's first week in office.  Later in the show, we were joined by Eric Schultz, President and CEO of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, who breaks down what a repeal of the Affordable Care Act would mean for New England. 

The next episode of DC Dialogue will air on NECN on Sunday, February 19, 2017.  We'll be joined my Somerville Mayor Joesph Curtatone to discuss how some of President Trump's actions--ranging from immigration actionsto support for the Green Line Extension--are affecting his community. Stay tuned for more details.