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People

The Sacramento Area Regional Technology Alliance announced this week that Clare Emerson will replace Lewis Attardo as executive director.

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta has named Samuel G. Bonasso as Acting Administrator of the Research and Special Programs Administration following the departure of former Administrator Ellen G. Engleman, who left to become Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board.

People

The Sacramento Area Regional Technology Alliance announced this week that Clare Emerson will replace Lewis Attardo as executive director.

People

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta has named Samuel G. Bonasso as Acting Administrator of the Research and Special Programs Administration following the departure of former Administrator Ellen G. Engleman, who left to become Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board.

People

South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds announced Friday that John Calvin has been named Secretary for the Department of Tourism and State Development. The newly formed department combines the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, Department of Tourism, Office of Tribal Relations, Division of Cultural Affairs, and the South Dakota Housing Development Authority.

People

Bill Duncan is the first president of the Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute, which held its inaugural event at the end of March.

People

Christopher Foster has been named technology coordinator for the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development.

People

John Murray has been named executive director of the Maryland Economic Development Commission.

People

William Rosenberg has resigned from his position as CEO of the Michigan Broadband Authority. which approved its first loan at the end of March for wireless broadband service in several small towns.

People

William Seelbach has been named Interim President of the Ohio Aerospace Institute.

People

Elizabeth Sellars is the new manager of Idaho Operations for the Department of Energy.

People

Michael Witt has been appointed Executive Director of MichBio, the state's bioscience industry association.

State Tobacco Settlements, Life Science R&D Threatened by Lawsuit?

A recent $10 billion judgment against Philip Morris may have the tobacco giant filing bankruptcy. Philip Morris has claimed it cannot post a $12 billion bond to appeal a lawsuit in Illinois or even meet the $2.6 billion payment due mid-April for the 1998 settlement with the states.

The tobacco company's actions are expected to have repercussions for several states counting on the funds to finance TBED initiatives. Among those threatened are Michigan's well known $1 billion life science investment over 20 years. One-fifth of Pennsylvania's future tobacco settlement payments are targeted toward life science technologies. And, the Missouri legislature is considering a bill that would commit one-quarter of the state's settlement money to the life sciences, beginning in 2006.