Don Cunningham: To lead “The Art of the Deal” session on May 1st at Rutgers University.

Don Cunningham, LVEDC president and CEO, will be one of the instructors at the I-95 Corridor Coalition’s 2014 Freight Academy session to be held on Thursday, May 1^st at the Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation at Rutgers University.

Cunningham’s session is appropriately enough named the “Art of the Deal.”

Several major industrial deals have materialized here in Lehigh Valley over the past year or two. Among the heavy hitters who’ve found a home in our two-county region: Ocean Spray and Wal-Mart.

“It’s a honor to lead this session and it’s also a great opportunity to explain the reasons behind the outstanding growth that’s occurred in the Lehigh Valley,” said Cunningham. “Our region is the 68th largest metro area out of 381 in the country, and we look forward to events like this to help strengthen our desirability as a business location.”

The Coalition’s Freight Academy is a biennial program that is designed to train public-sector agency staff responsible for the planning, operation or management work that impacts how goods are transported.

The week-long session with examine salient topics such as large increases in freight movements, significant changes in the goods movement industry, the need to understand freight as an important part of the transportation system, and the increasing need to integrate freight facilities and operations that are part of larger community goals.

Perhaps one of the most valuable and often overlooked facets of the week-long event is how the public-sector can make sure their decisions and agendas are made with a solid understanding of the private sector’s supply chain. And that understanding transcends the here and now, as participants at the sessions will have a chance to see and learn about the inner workings of the good movement system, including maritime terminals, the distribution centers of major corporations, air cargo, trucking and rail operations.

Only 30 people have been selected from a much-larger pool of applicants to participate in the 2014 Freight Academy program. The individuals selected are anticipated to be the next generation of public sector staff tasked with managing the freight system.

The 2014 Program is being co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

Additional information on the Freight Academy can be found here.