SSTI Digest

Michael Finney, CEO of Greater Rochester Enterprise, is leaving to become president and CEO of Ann Arbor SPARK.

Dennis "Mickey" Flynn is the new president of Pennsylvania BIO.

The West Virginia Venture Connection has named John Hale as executive director.

Kevin Holmes returned to his alma mater, Santa Clara University, to join the Leavey School of Business as executive director of its Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE).

Bruce Kidd is the first director of entrepreneurship for the Indiana Economic Development Corp.

Angela Kreps is the first president of the year-old Kansas Bioscience Organization.

Cliff Long is the first full-time economic development director for Nampa, Idaho. Long had worked for the Idaho Department of Commerce for the past 14 years.

Christopher Price is the executive director for the Piedmont Triad Research Park and senior vice president, Wake Forest University Health Sciences.

Michael Tentnowski is the new director of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Incubator.

Anne Wein is the new executive director of Southeast BIO, a nonprofit organization concentrating on the growth of the life sciences industry.

Senate Version Adds $40M for University R&D, Scholarships

With the threat of a presidential veto looming, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed its version of the 2006 Department of Defense (DoD) Appropriations Bill on Oct. 7 at a total level $7 billion below the Administration's request. Of particular note for the tech-based economic development community was the Senate's floor passage of an amendment to provide an additional $40 million for research and scholarships.

Overall, House Resolution 2863 provides $390 billion for DoD programs and includes $7 billion less than the president's FY 2006 budget request, the Association of American Universities reports.

Gov. Ted Kulongoski last month signed Senate Bill 838, creating the Oregon Innovation Council to provide him and the legislature with advice regarding business innovation in order to strengthen competitiveness in global markets. The council will include representatives from industry, education and government.

In addition, the bill recognizes the Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute (ONAMI) as the state's first Signature Research Center and appropriates $7 million for operations and leveraging of private and federal funds. According to the governor's office, every state dollar invested into ONAMI delivers a $30 return through private investment.