Early Matters Dallas Inaugural Summit

Early Matters Dallas is a broad-based coalition of business, civic, education, philanthropic and nonprofit organizations and volunteers working together to raise awareness about the importance of quality early education for a strong economy tomorrow.

During the Early Matters Dallas Inaugural Summit on Nov. 1, 2016, attendees heard from prominent Oklahoma business leader George Kaiser and Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis economist Rob Grunewald to learn how their corporations can be part of the solution to changing the economic trajectory of our region in one generation.

Agenda

Tuesday, Nov. 1
11:30 a.m.	Check-in and Networking
12:05 p.m.	Welcome Remarks
	Robert Kaplan, President and CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
	Alfreda Norman, Senior Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
12:15 p.m.	Early Matters Dallas Video Presentation and Lunch Presentation
12:25 p.m.	Introduction of George Kaiser
	Norman Bagwell, Chairman & CEO Bank of Texas
12:30 p.m.	Remarks by George Kaiser, President, CEO and Owner, GBK Corp.
12:55 p.m.	Introduction of Rob Grunewald Alfreda Norman
1:00 p.m.	Remarks by Rob Grunewald Presentation
1:15 p.m.	Closing Remarks
	Clint McDonnough, Former Managing Partner, Ernst & Young LLP

About the Speakers

George B. Kaiser is president, CEO and owner of GBK Corporation, parent of Kaiser-Francis Oil Company, which he has managed for more than 45 years. He is Chairman of the Board and majority shareholder of BOK Financial Corporation, the 23rd largest U.S. bank holding company, and controlling shareholder of several oil and gas, manufacturing and technology companies. Excelerate Energy, which he founded, operates the first offshore LNG regasification terminals and owns most of the world’s onboard storage and regasification ships. Through Argonaut Private Equity, he has significant interests in more than 50 companies in various industries in the U.S., India, Australia and elsewhere.

Kaiser has been engaged in a number of civic activities. He founded Tulsa Community Foundation and Tulsa Educare, Inc. In education, he chaired the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and was a Trustee at The University of Tulsa and a National Elected Director of the Harvard Alumni Association. In healthcare, he chaired the Board of Trustees of Hillcrest Medical Center and was a member of the boards of the Tulsa Psychiatric Center and the Tulsa Medical Education Foundation. The George Kaiser Family Foundation is focused on 1) equal opportunity for children born into poverty, 2) public health and wellbeing and 3) civic enhancement.

Kaiser attended Tulsa public schools and earned a BA degree from Harvard College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Rob Grunewald is an economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Grunewald conducts research on community development and regional economic issues. He co-authored “Early Childhood Development: Economic Development with a High Public Return” in 2003 and has written several subsequent articles on the economic and social impact of early learning. He frequently speaks to community and business leaders, policymakers, and media throughout the United States.

Grunewald has served on boards and advisory committees for organizations involved with early childhood development, including Think Small: Leaders in Early Learning, First Children’s Finance, and the Minnesota Visiting Nurse Agency. He is also a past president of the Minnesota Economic Association. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and religion from St. Olaf College and a master’s degree in applied economics from the University of Minnesota.