U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner came to the Downtown campus Tuesday to discuss President Barack Obama’s economic agenda in a meeting with local community leaders.
The closed-door discussion was held in the executive boardroom on the fourth floor of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication building.
Local leaders including ASU President Michael Crow and U.S. Rep. Ed Pastor attended the meeting. Prior to the discussion, Crow said Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon would also be present.
According to a Treasury Department press release, Geithner was meeting with business, civic and educational leaders in Phoenix to discuss job creation, the economy and the American Jobs Act.
Geithner said meetings like this are intended to help community leaders grow jobs. He said part of the discussion included how Universities can play a role in job growth.
“We try to see what we can do to help with the people running the University,” Geithner said, “because it is clear they are doing some great things here.”
Before the meeting, Pastor said he was mostly interested in listening to what the secretary had to say concerning corporate tax rates and the tax exemptions included in upcoming legislation.
Pastor also said he wanted to hear about tax exemptions for new hires and for veterans in education.
Crow said that with education playing a role in the talks, the Cronkite school building seemed a good place to hold the meeting.
“It’s not a corporation,” Crow said. “It’s not affiliated with any political party. It’s a facility used for education.”
Pastor, who has an office on the Downtown campus, said ASU has assisted the downtown Phoenix area.
“It was built to be able to bring in leaders not only nationally, but worldwide,” he said.
Reach the reporter at jjmckelv@asu.edu
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