We The States

Billy Shore, the co-founder and chairman of Share Our Strength, the nation's leading anti-hunger organization, sat down with Gil Gross, the host of We The States, the official podcast of the National Governors Association, to explain how governors are spearheading the campaign to end childhood hunger in the United States.“Solving poverty is complex. But feeding a child is not. We know how to do that,” observed Mr. Shore. “So it seems to me that the least we can do in a triage sense of the word is make sure these kids get fed, and then let’s try to get to some of the root causes of why they’re hungry in the first place.”He noted that governors work to implement federal programs and use their influence to ensure that school districts participate in school breakfast and lunch campaigns. Governors also bring together superintendents and mayors and other stakeholders to implement programs intended to aid children."Governors are really the whole ballgame for ending childhood hunger,” Mr. Shore commented.Making sure

In an exclusive interview with Gil Gross, the host of We The States, the official podcast of the National Governors Association, Philip Mezey, the president and CEO of Itron, quantifies the significant infrastructure investment needed to keep our nation operational. “Significant parts of our electricity, gas, and water infrastructure have aged very considerably and are beyond their asset life. And, and we hear statistics that are ranging in the trillions of dollars of what it's going to take in order to refresh this infrastructure,” Mr. Mezey observed. “Our quality of life is largely determined by our ability to get access to clean water when we want it and electricity when we need it.” Itron works with utilities and cities to deliver electricity, gas and water resources to communities in more than 100 countries. From Mr. Mezey’s vantage point, underinvestment in infrastructure over decades has created a dilemma for elected leaders now – but one for which technology can help find solutions. Mr. Mezey believes

Imagine being able to prevent many of the 40,000 deaths in the United States that result from automobile accidents every year. That’s the near future envisioned by Rana Sen, managing director of Deloitte Consulting LLP, in his exclusive interview with Gil Gross, the host of We The States, the official podcast of the National Governors Association. From fiber-optic roadways to data-collecting street lamps, states and cities are poised to transform our infrastructure and provide instantaneous, life-saving information. “We have gotten to a point where we accept zero deaths from commercial aviation. Especially in the United States,” says Mr. Sen. “In the mobility world, when it comes to cars and automotive and pedestrians and bikes, there are some technology solutions that we should start looking at.”Mr. Sen expounds upon how municipalities and states can combine forces to radically change how we think about transportation safety.“Multiple states are looking into it: How do you install let's say optic fiber under

Edward G. Rendell, the Democratic former governor of Pennsylvania and Bill Shuster, a Republican former member of Congress from Pennsylvania, join host Gil Gross for a fascinating discussion on We The States, the official podcast of the National Governors Association, about how bipartisan efforts at the state level have successfully brought about meaningful investments in the nation’s infrastructure.Gov. Rendell recalls attending the first Transportation Committee hearing chaired by Rep. Shuster: “The members spoke. And literally every member, whether they were Tea Party or progressive Democrat, they stood up and said, ‘I believe we’ve got to do something about infrastructure.’”“Everybody wants to do something about infrastructure but nobody wants to pay for it.” Their comments are timely as the Democratic-led House of Representatives and the Trump administration explore a bipartisan infrastructure bill that both sides say they want. The National Governors Association has been advocating for action on a bill

In this episode of We The States, the official podcast of the National Governors Association, host Gil Gross speaks with Joseph Heck, the Chairman of the National Commission on Military, National and Public Service, about the role of service in the American identity.In 2017, the Selective Service system--what many people equate with the military draft--became part of the National Commission on Military, National and Public Service. The commission explores methods of increasing volunteerism and public service, both inside and outside of the Armed Forces. A brigadier  general in the Army Reserves, a retired member of Congress, and a board-certified doctor of emergency medicine, Dr. Heck brings a uniquely informed view of what it means to serve our country as the head of the government agency charged with harnessing the power of volunteerism.“As we traveled the country, we met with students, middle school students, high school students in many of the cities that we went to and, I don't know if we were surpr

Two dynamos of the power industry, Calvin G. Butler Jr., the CEO of Baltimore Gas and ElectricCompany , the nation’s first gas utility, and Nick Akins, the CEO of Ohio-based American Electric Power, joined Gil Gross, the host of We The States, the official podcast of the National Governors Association, to discuss the evolution of the power industry and the unique relationship utility companies have with governors.“We realize that at the core it’s a partnership because their constituents are our customers,”  observed Mr. Butler.“We’re investing billions of dollars into an infrastructure because I don’t want you as a governor come back to me after the fact and say, ‘Why weren’t you doing something?’. I want to proactively put together a plan in front of you and you hold me accountable for executing to that plan.”Both CEOs highlighted challenges to the U.S. power grid, whether from increasingly frequent extreme weather events or cyber attacks. They emphasized that cooperation with state regulators is essent

In an exclusive interview with We The States host Gil Gross at the recent Winter Meeting of the National Governors Association, Doug Ford, the head of the government for Canada's most populous province, explained the importance of trade between U.S. states and Canadian provinces. "Ontario alone does over $350 billion of two-way trade. If we were a standalone nation, we would be the third-largest trading partner with the U.S.," says Premier Ford."We are so integrated as countries and not just on business, but in culture; on the values of hard work and family; and traditional holidays. "We're there side by side, shoulder to shoulder with the U.S. for decades, centuries." Premier Ford further elaborates on the economic importance of the looming replacement to the North American Free Trade Agreement dubbed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. After speaking with more than 30 governors at the Winter Meeting, P

In a fascinating interview with tech entrepreneur-turned-North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Gil Gross, the host of We The States, the official podcast of the National Governors Association, discusses Gov. Burgum’s ambitious plans to make North Dakota the nation’s first “Gigabit Everywhere” state that extends high-speed internet access to every community and every school. “We [also] want to reach every tractor, every combine, every rancher on a horse with smart phone in his pocket,” says Gov. Burgum. “Whether it’s healthcare, whether it’s public safety, whether it’s precision agriculture, whether it’s energy, whether it’s any industry in our state, we’ll perform better and the equipment will interact with them. “The latest equipment from John Deere, it’s a super computer on wheels.” Gov. Burgum also points to how governors are leading the way in protecting our nation from cyber-attacks. North Dakota alone experiences 5.6 million cyber-attacks per month. Gov. Burgum relates, “We are li

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