CSG East 2021 Annual Meeting
Meet the 2021 Annual Meeting Speakers
To see the speaker’s full biography, please click on their name or photo
Hon. Ted Arnott, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, is the CSG East 2021 Chair and will preside at the meeting.
Edward Alden is the Bernard L. Schwartz senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), specializing in U.S. economic competitiveness, trade, and immigration policy. Mr. Alden speaks Wednesday, August 18 at 10:15 a.m. at the Canada-U.S. Relations Committee meeting.
Northeast Region Liaison
United States Department of Defense-State Liaison Office
Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel & Readiness
Mr. Arnold, 38, assumed his duties as liaison to the northeast region in 2020, where he leads public policy efforts with state officials and military leaders to improve the quality of life for service members and their families. Prior to joining the Department of Defense, he served for over a decade in state and local government in New York State.
After having worked as a journalist, he began his career in public service and spent eight years as a top-level staffer in the New York statehouse, including two at the helm of the Administrative Regulations Review Commission. He served four years as director of public affairs in New York’s fourth-largest City. He also worked for three years managing several units of county government.
He has been appointed to numerous boards and task forces, including the Board of Directors of the Westchester County Soil and Water Conservation District, the Saw Mill River Watershed Advisory Board and the Bronx River Advisory Board.
He is a U.S. Army combat veteran.
Andy Blatchford is a reporter for POLITICO covering Canada. Before joining POLITICO in 2019, he spent 13 years as a reporter with The Canadian Press covering politics, the economy, finance, and international trade in Montreal and Ottawa. Mr. Blatchford speaks Wednesday, August 18 at 10:15 a.m. at the Canada-U.S. Relations Committee meeting.
Representative Pat Brennan, Vermont; Chair, Vermont House Transportation Committee; Co-Chair, CSG East Transportation Committee. Representative Brennan speaks Wednesday, August 18 at 8:30 am at the Transportation Committee meeting.
Representative Donna Bullock, Pennsylvania. Representative Bullock speaks on Tuesday, August 17th at 8:30 am at the Council on Communities of Color session titled Race in the State House.
Kirk Burgee, is the chief of staff of the Wireline Competition Bureau for the Federal Communications Commission. He speaks Thursday, August 19 at 8:30 a.m. at the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee Meeting entitled “Broadband Mapping: Charting the Digital Divide.”
Kimberley Causey-Gomez, MSW, is the Commissioner of Human Services for the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Human Services. She speaks Wednesday, August 18 at 2 p.m. at the concurrent session entitled “Age-Friendly States: Improving Health and Well-Being for Older Adults.
Representative Kristen Cloutier, Maine. Representative Cloutier speaks Thursday, August 19 at 2 pm at the concurrent session titled Untapped Talent: creating economic opportunity for refugee and immigrant professionals.
Michael Coard is an attorney, community activist, and founding member of Avenging The Ancestors Coalition (ATAC). Mr. Coard speaks on Tuesday, August 17 at 10:15 am at the Council on Communities of Color session titled Race in the State House: Opposing Critical Race Theory
Lauren-Glenn Davitian is Executive Director of CCTV Center for Media & Democracy based in Burlington Vermont. Ms. Davitian speaks on Tuesday, August 19 at 2 pm at the concurrent session Public Access in Peril.
Senator Lou DiPalma, Rhode Island; ViceChair, CSG East Transportation Committee. Senator DiPalma speaks Wednesday, August 18 at 8:30 am at the Transportation Committee meeting.
Joan Dolan is currently the Director of Apprenticeship and Strategic Partnerships for the Maine Department of Labor (MDOL). Ms. Dolan speaks on Tuesday, August 17 at 2 pm at the concurrent session Apprenticeships: A Pathway to Licensure
Senator Paul Formica, Connecticut; Co-Chair of the Appropriations Committee, Energy and Technology Committee, and Tourism Caucus; Co-Chair CSG East Energy and Environment Committee. Senator Formica speaks on Tuesday, August 17 at 10:15 am at the Energy and Environment Committee meeting.
Victoria Francis is State Advocacy Officer at the International Rescue Committee. Ms. Francis speaks Thursday, August 19 at 2 pm at the concurrent session Untapped Talent: creating economic opportunity for refugee and immigrant professionals.
Dr. Terry Fulmer, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., is the President of the John. A. Hartford Foundation. She speaks Wednesday, August 18 at 2 p.m. at the concurrent session entitled “Age-Friendly States: Improving Health and Well-Being for Older Adults.”
David Gauthier is the Executive Director of Winchester Community Access & Media and currently serves as the president of Massachusetts Community Media, Inc. (MassAccess) — a non-profit membership-based advocacy agency, guided by a volunteer board of community media professionals. Mr. Gauthier speaks Tuesday, August 17 at 2 p.m. at the concurrent session titled Public Access in Peril.
Genevieve Kessler is Director of State Advocacy at the International Rescue Committee, and Lab State Strategy Lead, Refugee Advocacy Lab. Ms. Kessler speaks Thursday, August 19 at 2 pm at the concurrent session Untapped Talent: creating economic opportunity for refugee and immigrant professionals.
Rosemary Lavinski is a Social Work Psychotherapist and Certified Employee Assistance professional. She speaks speaks Thursday, August 19 at 10:15 a.m. at the Health Committee Meeting entitled “Coping with the Stresses and Traumas of Public Service.”
Brent Legg
is Vice President Government Affairs, Connected Nation. Mr. Legg speaks on Thursday, August 19 at 8:30 am at the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee meeting.
Heather McGhee, best-selling author and economist, is the featured speaker on Thursday, August 19 at noon. Ms. McGhee will discuss her book, The Sum Of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together.
Senator Marc R. Pacheco, Massachusetts, Co-Chair CSG East Energy and Environment Committee. Senator Pacheco speaks on Tuesday, August 17 at 10:15 am at the Energy and Environment Committee meeting. Senator Pacheco will also moderate the plenary session with Tony Seba entitled The Great Disruption: Rethinking Energy, Transportation, Food and Agriculture
Representative Carolyn Partridge, Vermont, Chair, Vermont House Committee on Agriculture and Forestry; Co-Chair CSG East Agriculture and Rural Development Committee. Representative Partridge will speak on Tuesday, August 17 at 8:30 am; and on Thursday, August 19 at 8:30 am.
Lubab al-Quraishi is a Refugee Congress Delegate for New Jersey and Former Assistant Professor of Medicine, Baghdad Medical College. Mr. al-Quraishi speaks Thursday, August 19 at 2 pm at the concurrent session Untapped Talent: creating economic opportunity for refugee and immigrant professionals.
Lonnie Reed is Chair of the Connecticut Green Bank. Ms. Reed speaks on Tuesday, August 19 at 2 pm at the concurrent session Public Access in Peril.
Mike Rispoli is the Senior Director of Journalism Policy at Free Press. Mr. Rispoli speaks on Tuesday, August 19 at 2 pm at the concurrent session Public Access in Peril.
Senator Gustavo Rivera, New York; Chair, New York State Senate Health Committee; CSG East Health Committee. Senator Rivera will be speaking on Tuesday, August 17 at 8:30 am; and Thursday, August 19 at 10:15 am at the Health Committee Meetings.
Peggy Schaffer is the Executive Director of the ConnectMaine Authority. Ms. Schaffer speaks on Thursday, August 19 at 8:30 am at the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee meeting.
Pennsylvania Senator Judy Schwank
Senator Judy Schwank, Pennsylvania, Co-Chair, CSG East Agriculture and Rural Development Committee. Senator Schwank will speak on Tuesday, August 17 at 8:30 a.m. and on Thursday, August 19 at 8:30 a.m.
Tony Seba, author, thought leader, co-founder of Rethinkx. Mr. Seba is the featured speaker on Tuesday, August 17 at noon. Mr. Seba will discuss rethinking energy, transportation, food and agriculture.
Nirav Shah, is Vice President at Social Finance. Mr. Shah speaks on Tuesday, August 17 at 2 pm at the session titled Apprenticeships: A Pathway to Licensure.
Tanya Snyder covers transportation for POLITICO Pro. Ms. Snyder speaks on Wednesday, August 18 at 8:30 am at the Transportation Committee Meeting.
Mathew Varsava is the Director of Policy for the Ontario Minister for Seniors and Accessibility. He speaks Wednesday, August 18 at 2 p.m. at the concurrent session titled Age-Friendly States: Improving Health and Well-Being for Older Adults.
Mike Zimmer is Senior Policy Consultant, World Education Services. Mr. Zimmer speaks Thursday, August 19 at 2 pm at the concurrent session Untapped Talent: creating economic opportunity for refugee and immigrant professionals.
For more information, or if you would like to sponsor the CSG East Annual Meeting, please contact AR Braver.