Kemp Conrad Attends New Generation Seminar

City Councilman Kemp Conrad has returned from Honolulu, Hawaii, Korea and Vietnam where he attended the New Generation Seminar put on by the East-West Center. Conrad was nominated by the American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL) to attend the seminar, a two-week intensive educational, dialogue and study tour travel program that provides participants with an opportunity to strengthen their understanding of Asia Pacific-U.S. developments and challenges, build a regional network and become leaders with a more international perspective. Conrad was one of only 13 participants are chosen to attend out of a pool of over 200.

From October 4-18, Conrad traveled from Honolulu, Hawaii to Seoul, North Korea and finally Hanoi, Vietnam. Through his travels, Conrad learned about the challenges and policy responses in two Asian countries to the global economic crisis. Through meetings and visits he was exposed to a wide range of perspectives from government, private sector, labor, academia, civil society and the media to better understand the causes, consequences and future implications of this unprecedented challenge to the global economy. He was even able to stand in the North Korea Demilitarized Zone and received a briefing from the Chief of Staff of the US Pacific Command, based in Honolulu.

“The trip enabled me to build relationships with emerging business and political leaders from America and Asia Pacific. We saw first hand the global effects of the financial crisis – but also how countries have responded to it. Visiting Vietnam and Korea also served as a stark reminder that we truly live in a global economy that is very competitive, and the stakes are high” states Conrad. “America must renew its commitment to educational excellence and economic competitiveness such as lower taxes to maintain or economic dominance in the world.”

Kemp Conrad is president of Commercial Alliance Management, a third-party real estate leasing and management commercial real estate firm in Memphis. In 2008, he was elected to the Memphis City Council. This is the second time he has traveled overseas as part of an educational program. In 2004, through the ACYPL, he was a part of the 25th Anniversary exchange between America and China - that started just after President Nixon made his trip to China.