2012 Governance & Ethics Symposium Series
The Crisis of Trust in Public and Private Sector Institutions

Our society faces a crisis of trust and credibility today in a wide array of institutions, from business to nonprofit organizations, to financial systems, government agencies and our elected officials. The long term health and sustainability of our society and institutions requires that we understand, discuss and address the disturbing trends, issues, risks and opportunities posed by a failure in governance and leadership.

Many place the blame on greed, a lack of ethics and weak oversight. Experts like Maine’s Bob Monks argue that corporations have effectively captured the United States, its judiciary, political system, and national wealth. The symposium will address these drivers and risks and explore ways in which leaders in the private, nonprofit, and public sectors can, and must, deal with this crisis of trust. This period appears defined by stalemates and polarized positions in government, unprecedented income disparity and a perceived lack of opportunity for younger generations and a continuing financial crisis.Occupy Wall Street and super-PAC’s, social media enhancing transparency are changing the game. This Symposium will help us work to understand the changed world, the threats, and the stakes, and to set a tone and culture of credible communication and trust for boards, officials, and others responsible for governing and leadership.

Our panel consists of those with experience in building trust in organizations, leaders in governance, government, nonprofits and corporate and social responsibility and experts in the causes behind the decline in trust. They will address these issues and offer insights and opportunities for dialogue and solutions.

Panelists Include:

Robert A. G. Monks
Governance Expert & Author

John H. Branson
Attorney
Branson Law Office, P.A.
(Represented Occupy Maine)

Hon. Emily Cain
Minority Leader
ME House of Representatives

David Flanagan
President & CEO
Preservation Management.
(Former CEO,
Central Maine Power)

Hon. Peter Mills
Executive Director
Maine Turnpike Authority
(Former Member, Maine Senate)

Co- chairs:

Peter Pitegoff
Dean, Univ. of Maine
School of Law

Dan Boxer
Co-moderator
Adjunct Professor of Governance & Business Ethics

Tom Dunne
Co-moderator
Retired Partner, Accenture