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FAIRFAX FUTURES’ BUSINESS PARTNERS’
ROUNDTABLE BREAKFAST
A captivated audience of business and chamber leaders, elected officials and foundation supporters listened as Dr. Derek Cabrera and
Donna Klein discussed the critical thinking skills required for business in the 21st century and why investing in the talent pipeline begins at birth at
Fairfax Futures’ Business Partners’ Roundtable Breakfast on May 19 in McLean, Va.
Cabrera, president and founder of ThinkWorks, said that globalization has produced a vastly more interconnected world — one in
which mortgage foreclosures in the United States produce bankruptcies in Iceland; fertilizer used by farmers in Montana affects the livelihood of shrimp
boat captains in the Gulf of Mexico; and news of a virus in chickens in China has an impact on all of us.
Derek Cabrera,
founder and president of ThinkWorks
Addressing the problems that result from such complexity requires individuals capable of working in teams to solve
open-ended problems. Educators must prepare the future workforce for jobs that don’t yet exist. Cabrera said they should take into account two fundamental
principles about knowledge and learning: brain research shows that we build knowledge based on past experience and knowledge is not fixed — it changes.
Cabrera advocated an educational approach that balances content and process. He said that thinking skills can be taught and that
“thinking builds brain architecture.” The most cost effective time to build critical thinking skills is in early childhood but, he said, the brain keeps
developing at every age.
Left to right: Craig Pascal, senior vice president of community development, PNC;
Vera Steiner Blore, executive director, Fairfax Futures and;
Dr. Derek Cabrera, founder and president of ThinkWorks
Donna Klein, president and founder of Corporate Voices for Working Families, echoed the point saying that developing
talent begins at birth and continues through all levels of education. The issue facing employers is a talent shortage, she said.
Donna Klein,
president and founder, Corporate Voices for Working Families
Corporate Voices, along with the Business Roundtable, recently reiterated its call for greater U.S. investment in
high-quality early care and education. The business case for doing so includes high returns on investment and workplace benefits including reduced
absenteeism and increased productivity among parent employees.
The event was held at Capital One Conference Center. It was made possible by a grant from the Washington Area Women’s Foundation
and offered in partnership with the Alexandria Community Trust.
From left to right:
Nannette Bowler, director, Fairfax County Department of Family Services;
Anne-Marie Twohie, acting director, Fairfax County Office for Children;
Dale Rainville, global corporate citizenship community investor, The Boeing Company and;
HyeSook Chung, early care & education program officer, Washington Area Women’s Foundation
Barry H. Biggar, president and CEO, Fairfax County Convention & Visitors Corporation
and
John Foust, Supervisor, Dranesville District, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
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