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SSTI Digest
Geography: Washington
Tech Talkin' Govs, Part II
The second installment of SSTI's Tech Talkin' Govs' series includes excerpts from speeches delivered in Arkansas, Connecticut, Idaho, Kansas, New Hampshire, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming. Our first installment was in the Jan. 5 Digest.
Arkansas
Gov. Mike Beebe, State of the State Address, Jan. 11, 2011
"I want to tie funding for higher-education institutions more closely to coursework completion and graduation rates, not simply to enrollment. These tax dollars must produce college graduates, not just fill up seats. We can and must double the number of college graduates in Arkansas by 2025 if we are to stay competitive. This is a lofty goal aimed at the future, but we must begin implementing it today."
TBED People
Holli Baumunk, vice president of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation, has been named president and CEO of the Colorado BioScience Association.
Georgia Gov. Sunny Perdue has tapped Heidi Green to replace Ken Stewart as commissioner of the State of Georgia's Economic Development Department. Green, who currently serves as deputy commissioner for Global Commerce, will assume the new role at the end of June. Beginning July 19, Stewart will become senior advisor on Industry Strategy at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Marie Johns has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as deputy administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration. Johns will be the second-ranking official at SBA, with major responsibility for management, policy development and program supervision.
Tom Rankin has been selected to lead the Washington Clean Technology Alliance as president and chief executive.
Washington Technology Center Unveils Best Practices in SSTI Interview
The Research & Technology Development (RTD) Program, a flagship program of the Washington Technology Center has helped fill a critical role in enhancing Washington state's efforts in commercializing research by bringing companies and university researchers together. In SSTI's exclusive interview, Chris Coleman shares valuable insight on how the program continues to produce impressive returns after nearly two decades. Download the interview ...
SSTI Excellence in TBED Awards
Click here to listen to SSTI's Interview with Chris Coleman of the Washington Technology Center
TBED People
Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell dropped his previous nomination, Robert Sledd, as his secretary for Commerce and Trade and instead nominated businessman James Cheng. Cheng, whose nomination needs to be confirmed by the Democratic-controlled Senate, was sworn in on January 17.
Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell said that the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary George Cornelius will step down on June 30 to become the president of Bridgewater College in Virginia.
Rick LeFaivre and Tom Clement are joining the UW Center for Commercialization as key deputies to vice provost Linden Rhoads. LeFaive will split his time evenly between the university and his other job as a managing director at OVP Venture Partners, while Clement is expected to work full-time for about 18 months.
Tech Talkin' Govs, Part I
Entering its tenth year covering governors’ State of the State, Budget and Inaugural Addresses, SSTI’s Tech Talkin’ Govs series highlights new and expanded TBED proposals from across the nation. The first edition includes excerpts from speeches delivered in the following states:
Arizona
Gov. Janice Brewer, State of the State Address, Jan. 11, 2010
“… I am taking the following specific actions to make Arizona even more competitive in creating jobs.
First, I am announcing the formation of a Governor's Jobs Cabinet. This team of key state agency directors will cut through the red tape and the green tape to speed job creation.
“Second, I will be allocating a significant portion of remaining federal stimulus funds directly to bring new jobs to Arizona. Specifically, I am devoting $10 million in one-time federal stimulus funds for job training. …
TBED People and Organizations
The newly-created Clean Energy Leadership Council, convened by the Washington governor's office and a state-wide public-private clean energy alliance, held its first meeting. The council will deliver a clean energy strategy and recommendations by December 1, 2010.
Vicki Gaddy has been appointed director of workforce development for BioNJ.
Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear shuffled two top positions in his administration. Larry Hayes will be secretary of the state Economic Development Cabinet and budget director Mary Lassiter will replace Hayes as Executive Cabinet secretary. Hayes has been interim Economic Development Cabinet secretary since last September. Lassiter will keep her position as budget director.
Western States Scale Back on 2010 TBED Investments
Lawmakers across several western states have reached budget agreements for the upcoming fiscal year or biennium allocating decreased or level funding for tech-based economic development efforts. Lawmakers also passed new legislation supporting job-creation efforts and investments in alternative energy. While funding for many of these programs appear secure in FY10, additional spending cuts are anticipated in the coming months if state revenues continue to decline.
Breaking into the Market: End of the Green Pipeline
One of the biggest challenges for green technologies and products is breaking into the market. Achieving the critical mass that allows production volume to drive down prices is difficult, particularly when the commodity being sold is, at least initially, more expensive to make because more of the actual cost of production is captured in the green company's business model.
Successful state, university and local TBED strategies to grow green(er) companies help fund product demonstrations and early adoption strategies to help with market penetration. In Toronto, a broad group of CEOs took matters into their own hands.
TBED People and Organizations
Lonnie Emard has been named interim director of the Consortium for Enterprise Systems Management, a recently formed collaboration of business, academic and economic development organizations intended to build information technology (IT) opportunities in South Carolina.
Boise State University has tapped Mary Givens as director of the newly formed Office of Technology Transfer within the university's Division of Research.
G.P. "Bud" Peterson, chancellor of the University of Colorado at Boulder, was named the eleventh president of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta.
GOV. GREGOIRE APPLAUDS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION STRATEGIC PLAN
DATELINE: OLYMPIA, Wash.
Gov. Christine Gregoire, D-Wash., issued the following press release:
Gov. Chris Gregoire today praised the state's Economic Development Commission, which just released its strategic plan to help guide Washington as it develops a stronger, 21st century economy.
"This report confirms that Washington is on the right track to build a more sustainable economy," Gregoire said. "I applaud the commission for its tireless work to review our programs and ensure that Washington will continue to support and strengthen our local businesses."
In 2007, the state Legislature charged the commission with creating a statewide economic development strategy to guide the operation of the state's economic development programs, infrastructure investments, work force training and small business assistance. The commission's economic development strategy was formulated by business, education, research and government leaders from across the state.
Governor's Budget Continues Washington's Efforts in STEM Education
Many of Washington's programs aimed at enhancing the skills of educators in science, technology, education, and mathematics (STEM) fields will continue to receive state support in the coming biennium under Gov. Christine Gregoire's budget proposal - while other TBED initiatives did not fare as well.