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MEDIA ADVISORY, April 16 /Standard Newswire/ -- In Wisconsin, John McCain Will Hold An Economic Summit With Business Leaders To Discuss Today's Economic Challenges. The Economic Summit is an opportunity for John McCain to meet business leaders and talk to them about the challenges and opportunities of doing business in the U.S. and international markets. It is also a forum to discuss the economic growth plan John McCain is presenting to the country.

The Economic Summit Comes A Day After John McCain's Major Address On The Economy Which He Delivered At The Carnegie Mellon University In Pittsburgh, PA, On Tuesday, April 15th. At the Summit, John McCain will talk about how he, as President, will address the near-term challenges facing Americans and our businesses, and the major longer-term initiatives he will propose to make sure we give real economic opportunity to every American and remain the strongest economy in the world.

The Summit's Panel Discussions:

There will be two panels to discuss the following issues:

Panel I (9:00-10:15am): Investing In People And Making Government Work Better For Americans. This panel will first look at how we improve the workforce of America. It will consider issues of productivity, competitiveness, education, housing, health care, and workforce availability. It will also consider how we can reshape government to develop a sound immigration policy, restructure entitlement programs and control spending.

• Panel MC: Carly Fiorina, Former Chairman and CEO of Hewlett-Packard
• Curt Culver, Chairman and CEO of the Mortgage Guarantee Investment Corporation (MGIC)
• Jon Hammes, Chairman and CEO of Hammes Company
• Paul Jones, Chairman and CEO of A.O. Smith Corporation
• Mike Knetter, Dean of the University of Wisconsin School of Business
• William Petasnik, CEO and President of Froedtert & Community Health
• John Torinus, Chairman of Serigraph Incorporated

Panel II (10:30-11:45am): Spurring Innovation And Fostering Growth And Economic Freedom. This panel will consider how we re-ignite innovation by promoting R&D, reducing regulation, improving education in science and technology and providing access to investment capital. It will also look at how we foster growth and promote economic freedom by creating an effective tax system, lowering barriers to trade and developing a smart energy strategy.

• Panel MC: Kendall Powell, CEO of General Mills
• Jim Haney, President of Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce
• Gale Kappa, Chairman and CEO of Wisconsin Energy
• Tim Sullivan, Chairman and CEO of Bucyrus International
• Mark Vachon, CEO and President of GE Healthcare
• Ed Zore, CEO and President of Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Panelist Bios:

Curt Culver, Chairman And CEO, Mortgage Guarantee Insurance Company: Curt Culver, Chairman and CEO since 2000, first joined MGIC in 1982 and is a University of Wisconsin graduate. MGIC is the founder and leading provider of private mortgage insurance making home ownership possible for millions of Americans. MGIC provides a critical component of the country's residential mortgage finance system, protecting mortgage investors from credit losses. MGIC provides insurance to 5,000 lenders and 1.3 million homeowners.

Jon Hammes, Chairman And CEO, Hammes Company: In addition to serving as Chairman and CEO, Jon Hammes serves on the boards of the Wisconsin School of Business, Medical College, United Way and YMCA. He is a 1974 graduate of the University of Wisconsin. Hammes Company is a leading developer of healthcare facilities operating in 25 offices throughout the country. The company has been engaged by over 100 major healthcare providers in the last 5 years to plan, develop, finance and manage 173 hospitals and healthcare facilities with international projects in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

Jim Haney, President, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce: Jim Haney, formerly an aide to Wisconsin's Governor Warren Knowles, served as assistant to the Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Industry, Labor and Human Relations, and as Deputy Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Revenue under Governor Lee Dreyfus. WMC is a business association dedicated to making Wisconsin the most competitive state in the nation. Currently, the association has nearly 4,000 members, who employ 500,000 Wisconsin residents that include both large and small manufacturers, service companies, local chambers of commerce and specialized trade associations.

Paul Jones, Chairman And CEO, A.O. Smith: Paul Jones has served as Chairman and CEO of A.O. Smith since 2005. Prior to his work with A.O. Smith, he served as Chairman and CEO of U.S. Can Company, and currently serves as a director of Bucyrus. A.O. Smith is a leading provider of water heating equipment and electrical motors serving residential, commercial and industrial markets. The company was founded in Milwaukee in 1874, and its products are distributed worldwide.

Gale Klappa, Chairman And CEO, Wisconsin Energy Corporation: Gale Klappa has been Chairman and CEO of the Wisconsin Energy Corporation since 2004. He previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Southern Company, a public utility serving the Southeast U.S. Incorporated in 1981, WEC serves the electricity needs of over 2 million people in Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The company is developing the largest wind farm in Wisconsin and supports the use of nuclear energy.

Michael Knetter, Dean, Wisconsin Business School: Michael Knetter has been Dean of the Business School since 2002 and previously was Assistant Dean at Dartmouth's Tuck Business School. He was senior staff economist on the President's Council of Economic Advisors for former Presidents George H W Bush and Bill Clinton. The MBA program is part of the larger business program at University of Wisconsin. The program focuses more on general management to produce talent to serve the large Wisconsin and mid-west manufacturing and industrial sectors. The University ties Harvard in providing the largest number of CEOs in the largest 500 companies in America.

Bill Petasnik, CEO, Froedtert & The Medical College Of Wisconsin: Bill Petasnik has served as the CEO since 2004. He was previously Chief Operating Office of the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics and held senior management roles at the University of North Carolina. The organization is a hospital and medical services provider combining the private Froedtert Hospital with the Medical College of Wisconsin in an academic medical center that delivers advanced medical care to the greater Wisconsin area.

Ken Powell, CEO, General Mills: Ken Powell joined General Mills in 1979 as a marketing assistant, and has previously served as Chief Operating Officer. He is a 1976 graduate of Harvard University and a 1979 graduate of Stanford Business School. General Mills is the world's sixth largest food company. It markets in more than 100 countries throughout North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia. Globally, General Mills holds the #1 or #2 position in every market in the category it competes.

Tim Sullivan, CEO, Bucyrus International: Tim Sullivan joined Bucyrus in 1986 and has held numerous management positions in business development and operations. He has served as CEO since 2004. Bucyrus is a world leader in the design and manufacturing of high productivity mining equipment used in the mining of coal, copper, iron ore and oil sands. The company operates in all major mineral markets worldwide.

John Torinus, Chairman, Serigraph Incorporated: A former U.S. Marine and Business Editor of the Milwaukee Sentinel, John Torinus has been Chairman since 1987. Serigraph is a manufacturer of decorative components and store displays for large multinational customers

Mark Vachon, President And CEO, GE Healthcare Global Diagnostic Imaging: Mark Vachon joined GE in 1982 and currently serves as President and CEO of GE Healthcare Global Diagnostic Imaging. He is a graduate of Northeastern University. GE Diagnostic and Imaging Group is the largest division of GE Healthcare and provides non-invasive imaging of the human body through advanced technologies in X-Ray, MRI, and CAT scans. GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services that are shaping a new age of patient care.

Ed Zore, CEO, Northwestern Mutual: Ed Zore joined the company in 1990 to serve as Chief Investment Officer and has served as CEO since 2001. Additionally, he serves on the boards of Milwaukee YMCA, Medical College and Children's Health Center. Northwestern Mutual is the nation's largest provider of life insurance. Additionally, the company provides disability and long-term care insurance. Founded 150 years ago, Northwestern Mutual received the highest financial strength rating from the four major rating agencies -- Standard and Poor's, Fitch, Moody's and AM Best.