The NGLCC is pleased to announce that Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., and Fred Hochberg, chairman and president for Export-Import Bank of the United States, will be featured speakers at this year's Out for Business National Conference.
Hochberg will speak at a pre-conference reception on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, Nov. 17, and will focus his remarks on export opportunities for small businesses. Baldwin will be speaking at the opening session of the conference at the Capital Hilton on Thursday morning.
Representing Wisconsin's Second Congressional District since 1999, Baldwin has been a driving force behind health care and LGBT-related legislation, including the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which was signed into law in 2009, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), and a bill to extend benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees, among others. Baldwin is also a co-founder of the House LGBT Equality Caucus.
Baldwin currently serves on the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce and its subcommittees on Health and Energy and the Environment, as well as the Judiciary Committee and its Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.
"We are thrilled to have Congresswoman Baldwin speak at this year's conference," said Justin Nelson, co-founder and president of the NGLCC. "With her track record and experience as a policymaker and advocate for LGBT equality in the House of Representatives, we are grateful to have her open the event and set the tone for the conference."
After being unanimously confirmed for his position by the U.S. Senate, Fred Hochberg was sworn into office as chairman and president of Export-Import Bank in May 2009.
With more than 30 years of experience in business, government and philanthropy, Hochberg has helped Export-Import make great strides to help small- and medium-size exporters create local jobs and increase global sales by expanding credit offerings and improving loan response time. In his first year in office, U.S. exports grew 18 percent.
During his tenure the bank has focused on new international markets for U.S. goods and services, especially in countries with emerging economies in need of infrastructure, including Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Turkey, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Nigeria and South Africa.
Hochberg has also worked to increase the global presence of domestic industries in which U.S. exporters have an advantage, such as renewable energy, industrial machinery, medical technology and agriculture.
Prior to taking his current position at Export-Import Bank, Hochberg served as dean of New York's The New School for Management and Urban Policy from 2004 to 2008.
During the Clinton administration, Hochberg was acting administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA), where he quadrupled lending to minority- and women-owned small businesses.
"Fred has been a long-time supporter of small business, and we're thankful for the opportunity to have him join us for this conference event," said Chance Mitchell, co-founder and CEO of the NGLCC.
Hochberg was honored in 2008 at the NGLCC National Dinner with the organization's Courage in Business Award.
For more information about the 2010 NGLCC National Conference, click here.
