WKU News & Events

April 11, 2002

Gov. Paul E. Patton To Speak At
Global Automotive Conference

Bowling Green, Ky. - Kentucky Gov. Paul Patton will be a keynote speaker at next week's Global Automotive Conference.

Patton will speak at noon Tuesday, April 16, at the event at the Sloan Convention Center in Bowling Green. The conference is coordinated by Western Kentucky University's Office of Global Business and Entrepreneurship.

Patton will discuss the important role Kentucky plays in the automotive industry. Kentucky is the third-leading state in automotive assemblers and suppliers.

Patton joins well-known industry speakers such as financial/business reporter Len Walter and others from IBM, Toyota and Mercedes Benz.

"It is an honor to have Gov. Patton speak at the third annual Global Automotive Conference," said William Parsons, chair of the Global Automotive Conference. "The partnership between government, business and universities at the Global Automotive Conference is very important. Gov. Patton's presentation on Tuesday will emphasize that point."

The 2002 Global Automotive Conference will be held April 15-17 at the Holiday Inn University Plaza Hotel and Sloan Convention Center in Bowling Green.

In March, the Global Automotive Conference received the 2002 Program of Excellence Award from the board of governors of the North American Small Business International Trade Educators (NASBITE).

NASBITE is the leading association of international business educators for top business schools in the Unites States and internationally.

"We are very pleased to receive this award," Parsons said. "It's an honor to be recognized by our peers in competition such as Duke, Michigan, Southern California and other fine universities."

For more information on the Global Automotive Conference, contact the Office of Global Business at (270) 745-6481 or visit the GAC website at www.gac.ky.net.

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