2011
Jun. 7: Hazen Makes Presentation on Cooperatives to White House Councils
On June 2, NCBA President and CEO Paul Hazen participated in a round table discussion on economic development and the economy with President Obama’s top business and economic councils. Hazen was one of only a few presenters to address representatives from the President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, the Council of Economic Advisors, the National Economic Council, the White House Business Council, the Office of Public Engagement and the Office of Science and Technology Policy , as well as representatives from the departments of Labor and the Treasury.
In his remarks, Hazen stressed the important role that cooperatives play in the US economy as “businesses that pay taxes, hire workers, provide benefits and create wealth in the communities where they operate.”
He said, “Cooperatives are focused on the triple bottom line: economic success, social progress, and environmental stewardship. As businesses, they have business needs. In these economic times, now more than ever, cooperatives need access to capital to grow and to create jobs.”
Hazen’s full remarks are available here.
The American Sustainable Business Council hosted the meeting in order to emphasize innovative strategies for addressing the US economy. Hazen was one of three presenters who discussed cooperative enterprise; other organizations presenting on cooperative business included the Democracy Collaborative and Local Government Federal Credit Union. Over 25 business and economic development organizations attended the meeting.
Jan. 13: NCBA Paul Hazen delivers testimony before the "Consumer Owned and Oriented Plans" (CO-OP) Advisory Board. Calling cooperative enterprise the “best business model for economic and social progress,” the CEO of the National Cooperative Business Association Paul Hazen recommended today that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ensure that health insurance issuers created through the “Consumer Owned and Oriented Plans” (CO-OP) act as cooperatives. Hazen delivered NCBA’s recommendations during testimony before the CO-OP Advisory Board which met today to begin the work of implementing the program, part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that was signed into law in 2010. Mr. Hazen's written testimony is available here.
