Governors International Team Abbreviated Minutes

April 14, 2009 :

Brief Committee Reports

Ron Duggins said that there were a large number of international students attending International Day at the Capitol. There were also 25 new passport applicants, 5 renewal applicants and 7 with incomplete applications. The Oklahoma Speaker of the House came in to apply for a passport as well.

Consular Event

Jon Neff reported that Chris Morriss is still working to get a date from the Governors office in September or October to schedule the GIT Consular Event, which will target consul from Asia. Neff also reported that the University of Tulsa and Tulsa Global Alliance are working on a similar event in June. The Tulsa event will target consuls from Western Europe who visited Oklahoma in 2007 for the GIT consular event. The event will be held on June 24-25, and GIT members are invited. Dick Williamson said that a Tulsa consular event would provide a follow-on activity that has been lacking in the past.

Membership

Mark Stansberry said that there is one current opening in GIT, and there may be additional openings depending on membership dues payments.

Signature Event

Debbie Blanke reported that the signature event subcommittee had met and discussed ideas for an event that would recognize GIT as the main international point of contact.

Brief Monthly Reports

Oklahoma Department of Commerce:

The Governors Economic Development Team (GEDT) meets immediately after GIT meeting and GEDT is responsible for foreign direct investment activities.
ODOC conducted a conference call with the U.S. Department of commerce office in Egypt today. Representatives of twenty-two OKlahoma companies participated in the call, and a similar number participated in Egypt. Representatives of Oklahoma and Egyptian companies will be participating in the Oil Technology conference in Houston.
A delegation from Libya will be visiting Oklahoma after the Oil Technology Conference. Oklahoma is the second largest exporter to Libya. Oklahoma State University has many Libyans on its Stillwater campus.

U.S. Department of Commerce:

Ron Wilson reported that the 26th Oklahoma World Trade Conference took place on April 8 in Midwest City. Approximately 163 people attended the event. There was a morning session on India and an afternoon session on China. Seaborne Foods in Guymon and Joshi technologies in Tulsa won the Governors Award for Excellence in Exporting.

Oklahoma Department of Education:

The Governors Global Education Conference is scheduled for February 2010 at Oklahoma State University.
There are currently 24 schools involved in partnerships with Amiens. Four Amiens schools are scheduled to have delegations in Oklahoma this Spring, and three are new schools.
There will be an article in Education Week magazine on the benefits of contacts between partner schools, and Desa Dawson asked for permission to mention GIT in the information she provides for this article. The request was granted.
Career Tech hosted the Minister of Education from Mozambique.
On April 3 the consul General of France visited Oklahoma and honored Desa Dawson with a knighthood.

Events

GIT member reported on the following upcoming events:

Bob Lieser reported that Tulsa Global Alliance would be hosting a seminar on "Doing Business in Vietnam " April 21 in cooperation with the University of Tulsa Center of Executive and Professional Development. The keynote speaker for the Vietnam seminar will be Vietnamese Ambassador to the United States.

OLD BUSINESS:

Oklahoma State University School of International Studies Anniversary

The Oklahoma State University School of International Studies held its 50th anniversary celebration on April 9, and the Ambassador from Mali as well as Consul Generals from Belarus, Japan and Jordan all attended.

NEW BUSINES:

The Asia Society of Oklahoma is looking for sponsors for it Asia Festival on May 30.
April 22 is Small Business day at the Capitol, which is sponsored by the Oklahoma Lieutenant Governors Office.
Enid is applying for foreign trade zone status for its airport.

*Meeting Adjourned at 10:33 a.m. The next GIT meeting will be on Tuesday, May 12, 2009.