Over the weekend, the Southern Governors’ Association met in Alabama and had a productive conversation focused on increased trade opportunities with other countries, specifically China. In addition to outlining North Carolina’s many strengths as a place to do business, Gov. Perdue and her peers will continue to brand the American South as an attractive place for international companies to locate. The governors also held an excellent roundtable with those leading the Gulf Coast recovery efforts after the Deepwater Horizon incident, and had an hour-long discussion with Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President.
On Monday, Gov. Perdue accepted the gavel as chair the Southern Governors’ Association over the next year. She will continue to build on SGA’s strong work around energy and China, by focusing our attention on innovation. In the 21st century, innovation means jobs. I know Gov. Perdue looks forward to leading this distinguished group of governors over the next year, and North Carolina looks forward to hosting the SGA’s annual meeting in Asheville next summer.