Speeches

Remarks of Governor Judy Martz
Announcing the Chief Business Officer
Press Conference - 3:00 PM - July 16, 2001

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This certainly is a big day for the Martz Administration. We thank each and every one of you for being here today.

Several weeks ago we unveiled our new Business Montana office and marketing campaign to send a message to the world that Montana is open for business. Now, we are working diligently to get our staff of Business Montana on board quickly.

Our Jobs and Opportunities Initiative is a comprehensive strategy for applying our traditional values to build a new Montana. I've said it before and I'll say it again, that our vision for a new Montana is one that celebrates our rich and proud heritage, but that also recognizes the need for new industries, new markets and new opportunities.

We'll accomplish our objectives by continuing to make economic growth, education funding, energy development and tax reform our top priorities. That will be the function of our new Business Montana office.

I'm pleased to announce that we have selected our Chief Business Officer, who will be responsible for full implementation for our Jobs and Opportunities Initiative and for the development of a long-term economic strategy for Montana.

This has been no easy task. We started with over 225 applications, and with the help of business, labor and community leaders from around Montana, we've selected the right candidate for the job.

To lead our effort, we have hired David Gibson, a Kalispell native, to return to Montana. David understands what I mean when I talk about how disappointing it is to give our children a good education only to watch them board the first plane, train or automobile out of Montana to find a good job.

He's knows because he's one of them. And now, he's coming home and I believe he has the passion to bring others like him home.

I want to tell you a little about David. Upon graduating from Kalispell High School, he attended Harvard University and later went on to earn his Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from one of the most prestigious business institutions in the nation, the Tuck Business School at Dartmouth College.

He has served as the youngest General Manager - President for a business unit of Fortune 500 Weyerhaeuser. There he was responsible for $7 million in revenues and has a proven leadership track record in turnarounds, divestitures and acquisitions.

Furthermore, he partnered Dynetherm's manufacturing capabilities with licensed technology to create a new proprietary product line. Through his innovative thinking, he developed a distribution network and launched a product line generating higher gross margins and 40-plus percent growth for the next 3 to 5 years.

What all of that really means, is that David is creative and results driven. He's exactly the kind of individual we need to help me develop a long-term strategic plan for Montana's economic prosperity.

David will be on board in the new office by August 6th. From there, we will hire the rest of the Business Montana staff, which I hope to have in place by September 1.

Beyond that, I am directly David to compile all of the plans we already have, in addition to the work recently done at the Montana Summit, and have a rough draft of a strategic economic plan by December 1. At the beginning of the year, January 1, I want that strategic plan in final form and in the initial implementation phases.

David has a lot of work to do. But I'm convinced he's the right person for the job and I'm so proud that we are bringing home a talented young Montana to help change our economy forever.

I want to thank the nearly 20 members of the interview team and I especially want to thank and welcome David Gibson, Montana's new Chief Development Officer.

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