Making the Shift to Vibrant Local Economies
Oregon Rural Action is welcoming John Fullerton, former managing director of JPMorgan and now founder of the Capital Institute, to give the keynote at its Annual Meeting on October 9th in La Grande. The event will also include a panel discussion with community entrepreneurial leaders, chili feed, dessert, silent and live auctions, and a contra dance with live music by the Two by Twos.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 30, 2010
Contact:
Shaun Daniel, Oregon Rural Action
541-975-2411 or shaun@oregonrural.org
Rick Keating, Keating & Co.
212-925-6900, rkeating@keatingco.com
Making the Shift to Vibrant Local Economies
When John Fullerton joined JPMorgan, he probably couldn't imagine that he would rise through the ranks to be one of the youngest managing directors in the firm's history. Nor that he would then walk away from that position of power and prestige. Yet that is exactly what he did.
Hired right out of college with a degree in economics and a desire to use finance to drive economic development around the world, John had an impressive 18-year career with JPMorgan. However, as he became increasingly aware that modern finance was fueling an unsustainable economic system, he felt morally obligated to do something about it.
So in 2001, John left the firm and turned his attention to addressing that problem. He founded the Capital Institute in 2009 to raise awareness about the need to harness finance to advance a just and sustainable economy.
"Something about our global economic system is broken," John wrote. "I say that not as an environmentalist or as a human rights activist, but as a former managing director and nearly twenty-year veteran of JPMorgan and subsequently a hedge fund CEO."
As the keynote speaker at Oregon Rural Action's Annual Meeting on October 9th, John Fullerton will be sharing an overview of the current economic situation and moving into success stories on how communities are finding solutions.
He'll also be leading a discussion with a panel of community leaders on entrepreneurship, clean energy, and sustainable agriculture. The panelists include Cory Carman, a grassfed beef rancher involved in restoration projects in Wallowa County; Joel Rice, a physician and entrepreneur in La Grande; and Wynne Auld, Project Manager for Renewable Energy Solutions based out of Enterprise, OR.
The Annual Meeting will kick off on Saturday, October 9th with a reception at 3:30pm in the old Bohnenkamp Building on the northeast corner of Adams and Elm. The location was chosen because it is the proposed site of a Community Workshop, which would provide a space and tools for such arts and skills as food preparation, woodworking, metalworking, pottery, weaving, sewing, jewelry making, soap making, and more. The workshop vision includes community classes as well as a retail outlet onsite to feature goods made in the workshop.
Following the keynote and panel discussion, participants will enjoy a chili dinner and dessert catered by Sandy Sorrels of Ten Depot, a silent and a live auction with items as varied as gift certificates from local businesses, locally raised beef, a birding tour, canoe trip, and vacation stays at Flathead Lake in Montana and a beautiful desert home in St. George, Utah.
Finally, the event will wrap up with a contra dance to live music by local quartet, the Two by Twos, who specialize in acoustic Irish music.
All are welcome and cordially invited by the members of Oregon Rural Action. Event tickets are $10 for nonmembers and free to members of ORA, or those who become members. Reservations should be made ahead as tickets are expected to sell out.
For more information on the Annual Meeting or to reserve one of 125 tickets, go to oregonrural.org, call 541-975-2411, email info@oregonrural.org, or stop by the ORA office on the 2nd floor of White House Coffee in La Grande.
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