SSTI Digest

Karl Fooks, a past managing director for J.P. Morgan & Co. in Asia, is the new president of the Hawaii Strategic Development Corporation. Fooks replaces John Chock who retired last year.

The U.S. Senate confirmed by unanimous consent President Barack Obama's nomination of Karen Gordon Mills as the 23rd Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation has named Jim Carroll as director of its Center for Entrepreneurial Growth.

Catapult Bio, a nonprofit organization designed to help transform emerging research discoveries into business opportunities, accelerating the commercialization of life sciences in Arizona, announced its official launch with a grant of up to $14 million from Abraxis Bioscience.

John Hindman announced his resignation as secretary of the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development.

Elias Zerhouni, the director of the National Institutes of Health, announced his plans to step down at the end of October 2008.

Complete descriptions of these opportunities and others are available at http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm.

The University of Kentucky is seeking an executive director for its new Office of Technology Transfer (OTT). This position is responsible for the oversight of the university’s growing intellectual property and data base system. The executive director provides the overall leadership, management and administration of OTT, executing its assessment, negotiating and licensing functions. The position requires an M.B.A. (preferred), J.D. (desirable) or other advanced degree, with at least 10 years of experience in industry and in a university setting dealing with patent protection, licensing and compliance.

Although the U.S. broadband infrastructure has expanded rapidly over the past decade, 45 percent of rural areas still lack access to high-speed Internet services. A recent issue brief from the National Governors Association (NGA) Center for Best Practices provides a number of strategies that have proven effective in expanding broadband access, particularly in underserved rural areas.
 
The brief highlights a number of state efforts that have been successful in expanding and improving service in recent years. These include the California Broadband Initiative, ConnectKentucky, Maine's ConnectME Authority and the New York State Council for Universal Broadband. Together, these profiles offer an overview of how states are approaching the digital divide.
 
NGA also presents a number of specific strategies that can be implemented in states with high-speed Internet gaps to create a comprehensive broadband access initiative. For example, the report provides a guide to 14 state tax credit programs that have been used to increase demand for broadband services or to encourage the development of new broadband infrastructure.
 

The U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA) recently announced Ben Franklin Technology Partners (BFTP) as the winner of the "Excellence in Technology-led Economic Development" award, as part of EDA's Excellence in Economic Development Awards 2008. BFTP, created in 1983, has regional offices in Lehigh Valley, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and State College.

Janet Harrah was named the director of a new center being started at Northern Kentucky University that is similar to Wichita State University's Center for Economic Development and Business Research, where Harrah will remain director until July 25.

Peter Hermann resigned as president of the North Carolina Technology Association.

A growing number of state governments face revenue uncertainties in the near future. More than half now expect budget deficits and shortfalls in the upcoming fiscal year and beyond. Despite the bleak outlook, however, legislators nationwide are continuing to invest in science and technology with many lawmakers projecting high returns to their state in the coming years. Following are highlights of TBED investments and reductions in recently approved budgets in Kentucky, Maine and Nebraska.
 
Kentucky
Recognizing the statewide economic benefits of strategic investments in university research, Kentucky legislators concurred with Gov. Steve Beshear’s proposal to continue support for the Bucks for Brains initiative. Lawmakers approved $60 million in bonds under the fiscal year 2008-10 biennial budget agreement to expand the state’s endowment matching program used to attract high-quality researchers. 
 

Lexington, Ky., Mayor Jim Newberry announced last week a college scholarship plan targeting students pursing degrees in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields as a means to transform the local economy into a globally competitive community by investing in the city’s youth.
 
The proposed Lexington First Fund would provide full tuition to every Fayette County high school graduate for up to four years at any institution of higher education located within an hour’s drive of Lexington. The only requirement is that students must pursue an associate or bachelor’s degree in a STEM field or a teaching degree in one of these fields. The idea is that by encouraging residents to pursue STEM fields, the local economy will reap the benefits of a highly skilled workforce. The plan also aims to promote attendance at local institutes of higher education and attract high-tech industries to the city.
 

The 2007 state elections resulted in two newly elected governors, both promoting TBED strategies as a means to grow the states’ economies. In both cases, the new governorships reflect a change in party affiliation. A third gubernatorial race resulted in the re-election of Gov. Haley Barbour to a second term in Mississippi.

 

Kentucky

Democratic candidate Steve Beshear defeated Republican incumbent Ernie Fletcher by a 59-41 percent margin. The former lieutenant governor, attorney general and state representative unveiled an economic development platform during his campaign that consists of three major components -- the Kentucky Jobs First Plan, Fueling Kentucky First and Putting Opportunity First.

 

ConnectKentucky, a public-private partnership leading efforts to accelerate broadband availability and technology literacy throughout the Commonwealth, has formed a national umbrella organization called Connected Nation. In addition, René True has joined ConnectKentucky as director of operations, and Brent Legg has been added as director of state and local initiatives for Connected Nation. True previously served as executive director of the Office of Research and Information Technology in the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development.