Member Talks Enviro?nment, Community Growth with US President Barack Obama
Mike Mora
On Thursday, 2 July 2009, EO New York member David Rosenberg had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet and talk with US president Barack Obama. As the owner
Hycrete, a concrete solutions company built on a foundation of corporate and environmental responsibility, David is leading the design and growth of his community.
David was one of eight CEOs of leading Cleantech-focused companies that spent an hour and half with President Obama. The session, which was held at the White House, consisted of a roundtable discussion with the president and his senior staff. During this memorable event, David and his peers discussed their companies, how they were innovating and growing, and what the federal government could do to help.
Following the meeting, David was treated to a presidential tour of the Oval office that concluded with a photo opportunity. Afterward, he and others stood behind President Obama in the Rose Garden while the president made summarizing remarks on the roundtable discussion. Addressing the media, the president discussed three specific companies—one of which David owned—saying:
And when you hear the innovation that's taking place—everything from LED lighting that can save a huge amount on energy costs to new concrete materials that last longer and are waterproofed from the inside out, and that can mean that bridges and roads and buildings can last 20 or 30 years longer than using conventional concrete … when you look at what's being done with solar energy right now in places like Houston and Florida, and the fact that many of these companies are exporting their goods and their services, but unfortunately, their biggest markets right now are Europe and Japan, because we haven't done enough to emphasize clean energy in our own country—that gets you excited about the future.”
To view President Obama’s speech,
click here.
