Todd blue dorn biography of donald

Good or Bad: Pausing IRA Funding?

by Glenda Vosburgh - March 19th, 2018 - Alumni, Corporate, Events, Faculty/Research

A near-capacity audience filled the Naveen Jindal School of Management Executive Dining Room on Feb 26 to hear dignitaries representing the U.S., Canada and Mexico, as well as business executives and educators discuss the impact of the North American Free Trade Agreement—NAFTA—on the Texas economy.

The Executive MBA program at JSOM and the Canada-Texas Chamber of Commerce (CTCC) hosted the event, the 2018 kickoff event for the chamber, which was established in 2017. The World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth, Air Canada and Bureau du Québec à Houston (Quebec Government Office in Houston) were sponsors.

Businesses and officials in Canada, the United States and Mexico are watching NAFTA negotiations closely. Any changes to the agreement could affect the economies of all three countries.

“There’s been a big vacuum in Texas as far as NAFTA goes,” District 103 State Representative Rafael Anchia, chair of the Texas House of Representatives’ International Trade and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee, said, “but we are finally starting to see Texas step up. If we do NAFTA right, it will be a big boon to Texas; if we do it poorly, Texas will be hurt.”

Anchia served on a panel that also included Francisco de la Torre Galindo, Mexico’s Consul General in Dallas; Vasken Khabayan, Canada’s Consul General (acting) in Dallas; and Matthew Rooney, director of economic growth at the George W. Bush Institute and a Jindal School 1985 MA in International Management Studies alumnus.

While Khabayan opposes killing NAFTA, he believes it could be updated.

“Through NAFTA, we have not only opened our markets, we have forced other countries to open their markets,” he said. “For Canadians, there is much trepidation about NAFTA. We fear job loss.”

According to de la Torre Galindo, NAFTA is not only about jobs. “Trust is the most difficult part at this stage,” he said. “No one is liking

Marvin B. Bluedorn, Sr., 58, of Marion, Iowa, passed away on Saturday, September 29, 2018 at his home surrounded by his loving family.

Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m., Thursday, October 4, 2018 at McGinnis-Chambers Funeral Home in Bettendorf, Iowa.  Visitation will be held from 11:00 a.m. until the time of the services on Thursday at the funeral home.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the family.

Marvin was born August 26, 1960 in Peoria, Illinois, the son of Marvin L. & Grace N. (Ramsey) Bluedorn. He was a 1978 graduate of Rock Island High School.  Marvin was united in marriage to Beth Anne Fister on October 21, 1978 in Rock Island.

He was a mechanical engineer, having contracted his work through Techstaff in Moline.   He enjoyed go-kart racing for several years and had a love of the outdoors; fishing and camping.  He especially loved the time and the company with his beloved family.

Those left to honor his memory include his wife, Beth; his daughter, Rebecca Bluedorn (Todd Nelson); his son, Marvin Bluedorn Jr. (Alissa Anderson), all of Marion; his grandchildren, Adelyn, Arlo, Aubrey, Caleb, Dylan, Malory and Madison; and his sister, Alice Bluedorn.

Marvin was preceded in death by his parents; and his beloved dog, Gus.

Online condolences may be expressed to the family by visiting Marvin’s obituary at www.McGinnis-Chambers.com.