Area community, business and political leaders will meet Friday with U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson to discuss regional economic development and transportation issues. Emerson, a Republican from Cape Girardeau, will be joined by Mayor Jay Knudtson and Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce president and chief executive officer John Mehner for the event at 8:30 a.m. Friday at the chamber offices, 1267 N. Mount Auburn Road. The discussions will center on transportation needs for the region and the methods used to market the region to potential employers, Emerson's office said in a news release. "Our ability to easily move people and goods between Southern Missouri and the rest of the world is central to our economic capacity," Emerson said in the news release.