Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts announced last week that Gallup Chairman and CEO Jim Clifton will be the keynote speaker at this year’s Nebraska Governor’s Economic Development Summit.

“Jim leads one of the world’s most respected research and analyt­ics firms. He is also a leading expert on key issues like workplace im­provement and talent development that influence states’ economic suc­cess,” Ricketts said in a release. “We are incredibly pleased that he will be sharing his insights at the summit this July.”

Held in Lincoln and hosted by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development in partnership with the Nebraska Diplomats, Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and the Nebraska Community Foundation, the annual summit brings together community, business and economic development leaders and stakehold­ers to discuss opportunities and challenges relating to the state’s economic growth.

This year’s summit will be held on Wednesday, July 17, from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Cornhusker Marriott Hotel.

Clifton has served as CEO of Gallup since 1988. Under his lead­ership, the company has expanded from a predominately U.S.-based firm to a global organization with 30 offices in 20 countries and regions.

Clifton also created The Gallup Path, a metric-based economic model that applies insights on hu­man behavior in the workplace to enhance customer engagement and drive business outcomes. Among other innovations, Clifton also cre­ated the Gallup World Poll, which is designed to give the world’s citizens a voice on key global issues.

In 2015, the Clifton Foundation and Gallup announced a $30 million gift to the University of Nebraska to establish the Don Clifton Strengths Institute. The Institute supports the early identification and develop­ment of entrepreneurs and future business leaders, and has been har­nessed by state agencies to enhance the efficiency and related customer satisfaction of state government. Everyone who registers for this year’s Governor’s Summit will receive a complimentary copy of Clifton’s book “Born to Build.”

The summit webpage, which in­cludes general information, an event schedule, sponsor information, a speakers list and registration links can be found at govsummit.nebras­ka.gov.

– Nebraska Governor’s Office