NBC hosts 16th annual issues forum at Wise

Two gubernatorial candidates and a former presidential adviser will be among participants in the 16th annual National Bank of Commerce Issues Forum Oct. 28.

The half-day event begins with a 7:15 a.m. continental breakfast and the first discussion of issues gets under way an hour later. All activities will take place in the Wise Center auditorium.

The agenda and its participants include the following:

• Issues in Business: "Trends in the Furniture Industry and Their Impact on Our Area" with W.G. "Mickey" Holliman, chairman and CEO, Furniture Brands International of St. Louis, Mo., 8:15-9 a.m.
• Issues in the Economy: "Business in the New Millennium: The Global Economic, Financial and Demographic Trends that will Determine Our Future" with Dr. Jeffrey Rosensweig, associate dean for corporate relations, Emory University of Atlanta, 9-9:45 a.m.
• Issues in Mississippi: "Leading Mississippi into the Next Century" with Lt. Gov. Ronnie Musgrove, Democratic candidate for governor, and Mike Parker, former U.S. 4th District representative and Republican candidate for governor, 10-11 a.m.
• Issues in the Nation: "Leadership and American Politics" with Dr. David Gergen, special adviser to four presidents, editor-at-large for U.S. News and World Report, and professor at Harvard, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Washington, D.C., 11 a.m.-noon.

Dr. Sara Freedman, dean of MSU's College of Business and Industry, will moderate the program.