Highlights from the 2005 BEN Summit

October 5-7, 2005
Washington, D.C.

Four hundred business leaders and their education and government partners convened in Washington, D.C., from October 5-7 for the public launch of the Business Education Network (BEN).  BEN is a national public-private network dedicated to revitalizing the country's public education system to promote student achievement in the areas and subjects that are important to the 21st century economy. 

Participants at the BEN Summit examined how business-education partnerships can promote more effective school systems that prepare the nation's youth to be productive in higher education and the workplace.  Below are highlights of the speakers and topics at the BEN Summit.

Read a summary of the prevalent themes (PDF), written by a Summit participant.

Download the Summit agenda (PDF).

The Summit kicked off with a tribute dinner to former N.C. Governor James B. Hunt, Jr., where he recieved the first "Excellence in Education Leadership Award,"


Stephen Jordan (R), BCLC vice president and executive director, greets J.W. Marriott, Jr., who delivered the Day 2 morning keynote address

L-R: Arthur Rothkopf, Thomas Houlihan, Gene Hickok, Dana Egreczky during the plenary session "Business Education Partnerships in and across States"


Ed Rust, chairman and CEO, State Farm Insurance, headlined the Day 2 Keynote Luncheon; he discussed "Corporate Engagement in Education"


Jesse Gutierrez moderates the strategy working session "How can business process management tools be useful to schools?"


Ann Cramer, director, corporate community relations, IBM, presents on connecting education policy to practice


Mary Wong, director of community relations, Office Depot, talks about investing in education


Congressman John Boehner addresses the BEN Summit participants at a reception on Capitol Hill


Michael Barone, author of "Hard America, Soft America: Competition vs. Coddling and the Battle for the Nation's Future" presented the Day 3 keynote remarks


L-R: Stephen Jordan, Arthur Rothkopf, Hedrick Smith, James P. Honan discussing the class of 2020 and the future of education


Barbara Haight and Jesse Gutierrez (not pictured) launched the BEN website, as BCLC's Stephen Jordan looks on


Raymond Simon, deputy secretary, U.S. Department of Education, closed the BEN Summit