TypeLeading with Vision: The Future of American Governance
Governor Jay Inslee of Washington and Governor Chris Sununu of New Hampshire bring a dynamic, bipartisan perspective to the biggest challenges and opportunities facing America today. Inslee, a national leader on climate innovation and clean energy, has reshaped Washington into a hub for sustainability and forward-thinking policy. Sununu, a popular Republican governor known for his pragmatic leadership and economic stewardship, has earned praise for balancing fiscal responsibility with social policy in one of the nation's most independently minded states.
Together, they engage in a spirited, solutions-focused dialogue on governing in divided times—exploring topics from climate change and workforce development to public health, infrastructure, and the evolving role of states in shaping national progress. With humor, mutual respect, and real-world executive experience, Inslee and Sununu offer audiences a rare look at what’s possible when leaders prioritize results over rhetoric.
After 12 Years in Office, Gov. Jay Inslee Leaves a Legacy of Climate Action and Crisis Leadership
Jay Inslee is a fifth-generation Washingtonian who has lived and worked in urban and rural communities on both sides of the state. Governor Inslee worked his way through college and graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in economics before earning his law degree at Willamette University. He and his wife, Trudi, then moved to Selah, a small town near Yakima where they raised their three sons. Jay worked as an attorney and prosecutor.
Governor Inslee first became involved in public service in 1985 when he and Trudi helped lead the effort to build a new public high school in Selah. Motivated to fight against proposed funding cuts for rural schools, he went on to represent the 14th Legislative District in the state House of Representatives. Governor Inslee continued serving communities in the Yakima Valley when he was elected to Congress in 1992. The Inslees later moved back to the Puget Sound area where Governor Inslee was elected to Congress in 1998, serving until 2012 when he was elected governor. He was re-elected in 2016 and 2020.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s tenure ended in 2025 after three consecutive terms marked by bold leadership on climate change and crisis management. First elected in 2012 after serving in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Washington State Legislature, Inslee joins Republican Dan Evans (1965–1977) as one of only two Washington governors to serve three consecutive terms.
In his 12 years in office, Inslee transformed Washington into a national leader in climate policy, spearheading groundbreaking initiatives like the Climate Commitment Act, which positioned the state at the forefront of clean energy and carbon reduction. Under his leadership, Washington implemented one of the most ambitious cap-and-invest programs in the country, driving investment in renewable energy, green jobs, and carbon reduction efforts that will have a lasting impact for generations. His work was honored with the TIME Earth Award in 2025.
Beyond climate and public health, Inslee’s administration also delivered historic investments in transportation, education, and housing. His efforts led to the passage of Washington’s first long-term care program, expansion of apprenticeship programs, and reforms that increased fairness in the state’s tax system, including the voter-backed capital gains tax. His leadership on homelessness included the successful Rights of Way initiative, which moved thousands of individuals off highways and into permanent housing with critical support services.
Christopher T. Sununu served four terms as the 82nd Governor of the State of New Hampshire and after choosing not to seek a fifth term, he returned to the private sector in January 2025. At the conclusion of his tenure in office, the Granite State is the fastest-growing state in the Northeast, has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation, and has the lowest child poverty rate of any state in America. Governor Sununu is recognized as a national leader in “common-sense” governance and balanced navigation of otherwise polarized political waters.
Serving during America’s most politically charged period and in conjunction with both the Trump and Biden administrations, Governor Sununu brings an insider’s perspective and unabashed transparency that few politicians can deliver. As chief executive of the First In The Nation Primary state, Governor Sununu was front and center of our country’s two most heated elections in history and offers insights in how to decode political fact from fiction.
Whether discussing his five-month through-hike of the Appalachian Trail or work cleaning up hazardous waste as an environmental engineer, Governor Sununu delights audiences with a mix of inspiring true stories and seasoned political acumen. With experience speaking to groups such as SXSW, Harvard University, The Aspen Institute, and more, Governor Sununu offers audiences an informed, practical, and engaging perspective on leadership and governance.
Over the past thirty years, Governor Inslee has provided bold leadership at the local, state, and federal levels that has demonstrated the powers of innovation and inspiration to move our communities forward. More recently, his leadership as the three-term governor of Washington State has led to unprecedented success in building a clean energy economy, fighting climate change, improving opportunities for working families and advancing progressive values of Washingtonians.
Under Governor Inslee's leadership, Washington has consistently ranked as one of the best states for both working families and business growth.
Washington’s policies of constant innovation, openness to new ideas and a deep commitment to equity and inclusion are mutually supportive and demonstrably successful.
Governor Inslee's leadership is deeply rooted in the values of Washington state. As a fifth-generation Washingtonian, who grew up in the Seattle area, he developed his environmental ethic hiking in the Cascade mountains and exploring tidepools with his parents. He worked his way through college operating bulldozers, married his high school sweetheart Trudi and graduated from Willamette Law School. He then established a successful law practice in the Central Washington town of Selah in 1976 where he and Trudi raised three sons and four acres of hay. After twelve years practicing trial law and prosecuting criminal cases, Governor Inslee's desire to make a difference was whetted by his co-chairing a campaign to build a new high school, which led him to serve in the Washington State House of Representatives for the 14th district, after an upset victory, one of several in his political career.
Governor Inslee served in the U.S. House of Representatives representing Central Washington until his defeat in 1994, largely attributable to his vote to ban assault weapons. Following stints practicing law and serving as Director for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the northwest, the Governor returned to Congress in 1999 representing the 1st District, becoming one of four people ever to represent two separate congressional districts. There he became notable as a leader of climate change issues and tech economic development matters and was a leading opponent of the Iraq war. During his term, he coauthored Apollo's Fire: Igniting America's Clean Energy Economy, a template for economic growth. Governor Inslee carried this vision into his unsuccessful but influential run for the presidency in 2019. His ideas became the basis of groundbreaking federal climate laws during the Biden administration.
Christopher T. Sununu served four terms as the 82nd Governor of the State of New Hampshire and after choosing not to seek a fifth term, he returned to the private sector in January 2025.
As one of the most popular governors in the country and host of the first-in-the-nation presidential primary, he is recognized as a national leader in his common sense approach to government and balanced political navigation of otherwise polarized political waters.
Governor Sununu has appeared in over 1,000 nationally televised interviews including multiple appearances on shows like The View and Real Time with Bill Maher. He has spoken to hundreds of organizations across the country including corporations, think tanks, universities, conferences and political organizations. Governor Sununu worked closely with both the Trump and Biden administrations.
Under his leadership his state was ranked as one of the best states for business and growth in the United States, #1 state in the country for both personal and economic freedoms, and most notably, #1 for best return on taxpayer investment – The most efficient government in America.
These successes all come as the result of building a great team, empowering senior leadership and creating metrics of accountability. Too often in large organizations, public and private sector, the checks and balances with those systems get muddled with bureaucracy and communication breaks down.
As Governor during the COVID pandemic, he took a balanced approach: maintaining the health and safety of Granite Staters as top priority while keeping the state's economy strong. As a result, New Hampshire ranked among the safest states for Covid yet maintained one of the strongest economies in the country and the only state in America that saw more business startups than company closures in 2020.
At the conclusion of his tenure in office, the Granite State is the fastest growing state in the Northeast, has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation, and has the lowest child poverty rate of any state in America.
Personal & Professional Background
As an environmental engineer, Chris worked for ten years cleaning up hazardous waste sites across the country before moving into business and real estate consulting with his family’s business, Sununu Enterprises. There he dedicated four years to business plan development, financial modeling, startup financing and commercial real estate development primarily in the hotel and leisure sector.
In 2010, Chris bought Waterville Valley Ski Resort in Waterville Valley, NH. For the next six years Chris successfully serves as the CEO, General Manager and Chairman of the Board of the 4-season resort. Operations consisted nearly 800 employees working in areas of hotels, commercial real estate, ski operations, conference center, multiple restaurants and summer amenities.
Chris grew up in Salem, NH. He graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) with a BS in Civil/Environmental Engineering in 1998. Chris completed a five-month through-hike of the Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia. He lives in Newfields, NH with his wife, Valerie, and their three children.
My Speaker List
