Reckoning & Renewal

The 24th Annual Leadership Summit
December 7, 2026 I 8:30 A.M. – 4:00 P.M. I Oregon Convention Center

Join Us for the 2026 Leadership Summit

December 7 | Oregon Convention Center I 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. with a reception to follow

Join us for the 24th annual Oregon Business Plan Leadership Summit on Monday, December 7 as Oregon’s business, civic, and community leaders come together to confront the challenges that will define our state’s future.

Oregon has named its challenges. We are confronting the data, facing the headlines, and acknowledging what is not working. Now we must act on what we know. Reckoning & Renewal demands both — the courage to look without flinching and the will to build what comes next. This is where our comfort zones get challenged, coalitions disrupted and rebuilt, and the commitment to act becomes non-negotiable. The renewal can not happen without the reckoning. This is where both begin.

This year, Oregon’s leaders will gather to confront the forces shaping our state’s future, face hard truths, elevate new ideas, and explore strategies to meet this moment of Reckoning & Renewal. Key discussions will focus on the five key pressures, including housing, K-12 education, wildfire management, tax reform, land use modernization, and more.

The Oregon Business Plan is built on four key long-term objectives: increasing wages, enhancing workforce participation, expanding household wealth, and improving economic mobility. Realizing these objectives requires a robust and dynamic economy, along with the modernization of the systems that underpin it.

The Summit will run from 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Oregon Convention Center with a reception to follow. The day will feature two rounds of breakout sessions, allowing participants to dive deeper into these critical issues and collaborate on innovative solutions.

Registration is now open! Secure your spot early and join us for this crucial conversation. Together, we can confront challenges, leverage Oregon’s strengths, and ignite the spirit of renewal.

Stay tuned for more updates!

For accommodations, check out our hotel partner the Hyatt Regency. 

The Groundwork

Oregon’s economic outlook has weakened. Job growth has stalled. Population growth has slowed. Public institutions are under growing fiscal pressure. And Oregon is competing harder than ever for workers, employers, and investment. The state needs modest, deliberate growth to sustain its workforce, tax base, public services, and opportunity.

In just two years, Oregon’s projected 2050 population fell by 531,000 people. Oregon’s Choice: A Roadmap for Renewal lays out a path to change that trajectory.

For most of the past half century, Oregon could assume growth and focus on managing its consequences. That era has ended. The work now is to make Oregon a place where people, employers, and investment choose to stay and grow.

Oregon’s Choice outlines five pressures — and a path forward:

  1. Rebalance the tax system. 
  2. Get Oregon students back on track. 
  3. Reduce catastrophic wildfire risk. 
  4. Turn housing policy into housing. 
  5. Modernize the rules that shape the economy. 

Accessibility

The Oregon Business Plan is rooted in a commitment to Shared Prosperity — a vision where all Oregonians, regardless of race, region, economic circumstance, or ability, have the opportunity to thrive. We partnered with Relay Resources as we strive to make greater shared prosperity a reality for all, recognizing that prosperity includes accessible opportunities for Oregonians with disabilities. We’re dedicated to creating an inclusive space where every voice is heard, and every attendee is supported.

Relay Resources is a social enterprise nonprofit and the leading disability inclusion partner in the Pacific Northwest. With a mission to transform workplaces and communities through disability inclusion, Relay Resources works closely with organizations to implement ADA accommodations and provide guidance to support all attendees. Learn more about their work here.

Accessibility Features at the Leadership Summit:

The Oregon Business Plan is rooted in a commitment to Shared Prosperity – a vision where all Oregonians, regardless of race, region, economic circumstance, or ability, have the opportunity to thrive. We’re partnering with Relay Resources as we strive to make a greater shared prosperity a reality for all, recognizing that prosperity includes accessible opportunities for Oregonians with disabilities. We’re dedicated to creating an inclusive space where every voice is heard, and every attendee is supported.

When registering for the Leadership Summit, please indicate any accommodation needs, even if it’s not listed. If you have ADA accessibility questions before the Summit, please reach out to accessibility@relayresources.org.

  • ASL Interpreters & Captioning: ASL interpreters will join us for the day, and live captioning was available on screens, making it easier for those with hearing needs to engage in the conversation.
  • Sensory Break Rooms & Bags: Sensory bags and designated sensory break stations provided a calm environment to help attendees recharge and remain engaged.
  • Sunflower Lanyards: To support those with nonapparent disabilities, we offered optional sunflower lanyards, which help others recognize and respect their needs.
  • Interaction Pins: New this year. Take a pin to indicate your openness to networking or if you prefer some personal space, showing your communication preferences.
  • Accessibility Table at Registration: Our dedicated team from Relay Resources was available near registration, with trained accessibility specialists on hand to offer support throughout the day.
  • Wheelchair Reserved Seating. Designated seats at the front of the room for those with wheelchair access needs.

Speakers

Dave Drinkward
Opening Remarks | Chair, Oregon Business Plan | CEO, Hoffman Construction Company

  • Drinkward will open the Summit with a call to move Oregon from reckoning to renewal.

Edward Glaeser
Keynote | Fred and Eleanor Glimp Professor of Economics, Harvard University

  • Glaeser will bring a national lens to what makes cities and regions thrive, and what that means for Oregon.

Juan Carlos González
Land Use | President, Metro Council

  • González will set the stage for a conversation on modernizing Oregon’s land use system.

Deb Flagan
Housing | Vice President of Community Engagement, Hayden Homes

  • Flagan will examine why Oregon struggles to build enough homes, and what it will take to make housing more attainable.

Keith Leavitt
Jobs | Executive Director, Oregon iSector

  • Leavitt will explore what Oregon needs to compete with states like Arizona and Ohio for the next wave of semiconductor investment.

Ellen Zuckerman
Clean Energy | Head of Energy Market Development, North and South America, Google

  • Zuckerman will share a major clean energy buyer’s view on whether Oregon can deliver the reliable, affordable power growth demands.

Dig In Before the Summit

Oregon’s current land use system was built for the problems of 1973. Today, Oregon is short roughly 50,000 homes. Its 2050 population forecast has dropped by 531,000 in two years. It struggles to offer the large, development-ready sites advanced manufacturers need, and its clean energy goals depend on new generation, storage, and transmission. The question now is whether Oregon’s land use system can deliver the housing, jobs, and energy infrastructure the state needs while still protecting the landscapes it values.

Before land use takes center stage at the Leadership Summit, watch John Tapogna, president of the Oregon Business Council, in a webinar on Oregon’s land use story. He covered where the system came from, what it got right, and the seven structural fault lines it faces today. The conversation also looked ahead to 2027, when lawmakers will have the chance to modernize the system for a new generation.

Media Coverage

Oregon Business Council urges state to invest more in industrial site readiness, Elizabeth Hayes, Portland Business Journal

Business group pushes to open Oregon land for industry ahead of 2027 session,  Shaanth Nanguneri, Oregon Capital Chronicle

Oregon’s economic strategy should include its most profitable industries, Nellie McAdams, executive director of Oregon Agricultural Trust, in an op-ed in the Capital Press

Oregon’s Choice: Modernizing the Land Use System
Preserving What Matters. Enabling What’s Next
Watch Here