Douglas Whitley, president and CEO of the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce, delivered the luncheon keynote address for The Heartland Institute’s Third Emerging Issues Forum in Chicago on October 5. Whitley was “on fire,” said one guest, delivering what others called an “inspired” address on “How to Create Prosperity in Illinois.”
Whitley’s presentation will air on C-SPAN radio on Saturday, October 28, at 10:00 a.m. EST (9:00 a.m. CST). C-SPAN Radio broadcasts in the Washington DC market and can be listened to online at http://www.c-span.org/watch/cspanradio.asp?Cat=TV&Code=CSR.
“I’m tired of delivering the doom and gloom speech that dwells on our state’s many problem areas,” said Whitley. “It is appropriate that I acknowledge and review some of the ‘horribles,’ but this speech primarily aims to focus on our strengths and positive points for Illinois’ future.”
Whitley “set forth an economic agenda … that our state’s political, business, and community leaders should embrace if Illinois is to re-emerge in its rightful place as national leader and economic powerhouse that is generating jobs and prosperity for the people of this great state.” His 10-point agenda included agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, energy, and health care, among other topics.
