SSTI Digest

In 2003, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano charged the Governor's Council on Innovation and Technology with developing specific recommendations to help diversify the state's economy. With recommendations including new and expanded tax credits, public-private venture capital, angel capital funds, workforce development and internship programs, and lobbying Washington for more funding, the governor now must find a way to finance the plan in a tight fiscal environment. The draft recommendations from the group, released in December, were developed through five strategic themes: building on Arizona's core competencies; investment versus expenditure; collaboration and partnership – engagement; accountability – measurements, shared responsibility; and leadership and commitment, both public and private. While some of the recommendations are vague, others are very specific: Establish the Arizona Small Business Opportunity Program, which would provide a tax credit of 30 percent to 35 percent to promote seed or pre-seed stage investment in the biosciences and rural Arizona. The credit could be deferred over…

The impacts of globalization and free trade can make the task of building a vibrant local economy daunting. Given the transformation of agriculture from family farms to mega-corps and factory animal facilities, the cards seem doubly stacked against America's smallest communities — those rural towns and counties with fewer than 10,000 residents. There are exceptions, however. Exceptions that provide strong examples for other communities around the country fighting to maintain their vitality, for example. The National Center for Small Communities (NCSC) has selected three such exceptions to highlight for the first Grassroots Rural Entrepreneurship Awards, funded by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Fairfield, Iowa (population 9,602) received top honors, while Broadway, Va., (pop. 2,600) and Turner County, S.D. (pop. 8,849) were recognized as finalists. The accomplishments of public-private efforts to encourage entrepreneurship in each of these communities should be envied by programs and population centers with significantly more resources readily available to them. For instance: The…

The beginning of 2004 finds many folks in the tech-based economic development community making career changes: Deborah Fleischaker has been appointed deputy secretary for the New Mexico Department of Economic Development. The Greater Baltimore Alliance, now renamed as the Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore, has appointed David Gillece as chief executive officer and Christian Johansson as managing director. Maryland's Department of Business and Economic Development has reorganized into three geographically defined divisions. Robert Hannon has been named to run the regional program. During its annual meeting in December, members of the National League of Cities have elected Charlie Lyons, a selectman for Arlington, MA, to serve a one-year term as president. The Acting Director for the Idaho Department of Commerce is Roger Madsen. Madsen also is serving as director of the state Department of Labor. Joe May, president of Colorado's community college system, announced his retirement, effective in February. The Greater Antelope…

Deborah Fleischaker has been appointed deputy secretary for the New Mexico Department of Economic Development.

The Greater Baltimore Alliance, now renamed as the Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore, has appointed David Gillece as chief executive officer and Christian Johansson as managing director.

Maryland's Department of Business and Economic Development has reorganized into three geographically defined divisions. Robert Hannon has been named to run the regional program.

During its annual meeting in December, members of the National League of Cities have elected Charlie Lyons, a selectman for Arlington, MA, to serve a one-year term as president.

The Acting Director for the Idaho Department of Commerce is Roger Madsen. Madsen also is serving as director of the state Department of Labor.

Joe May, president of Colorado's community college system, announced his retirement, effective in February.

The Greater Antelope Valley Economic Alliance has appointed Tony Moon as its new president.

Robert Olsen, the director of the Fitzsimons Redevelopment Authority, will become the head of the Economic Development Administration's regional office in Denver.

Robert Pozen, secretary of economic development for Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, announced his resignation, effective at the end of 2003.