SSTI Digest

Complete descriptions of the position openings described below are available at http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm. The Connecticut Economic Resource Center (CERC), a nonprofit corporation that serves to promote Connecticut as a prime business location, is seeking a president and chief executive officer. Reporting to and working with the board of directors, CERC’s president and CEO develops a focused strategy consistent with the mission to enhance Connecticut’s economic growth. This strategy encourages and facilitates quality national and international businesses to locate, remain and expand in the state. A master’s degree in political science, economics, marketing or another related field is preferred.

Connecticut Innovations has selected Frank Dinucci to fill the position of president and executive director, which was vacated by Chandler Howard.

Maneesh Sagar has been named director of investments at Connecticut Innovations.

John Hanson has joined the staff of the University of Connecticut Office of Technology Commercialization to serve as director for the new Tech-Knowledge Portal.

Connecticut Innovations has named Kevin Crowley as its director of investments.

The second installment to Walkin' the Tech Talkin' Gov Walk (see the April 17 issue of the Digest) covers the outcomes of the 2006 legislative sessions within four states, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii and Kentucky. Following is a synopsis of bills passed and budget appropriations relevant to tech-based economic development and the priorities outlined in respective gubernatorial addresses at the beginning of 2006.

Connecticut

After seven months on the job, Connecticut Innovations President and CEO Chandler Howard is leaving to pursue an opportunity to establish a community bank in New Haven.

Successful companies are forced to change business strategies as market realities shift. It happens all of the time. Browse the business section of your local bookstore and you'll see dozens of titles preaching the need for companies to adopt, adapt and innovate. The continuing restructuring of the U.S. durable manufacturing sector, as alluded to in the Useful Stats piece below, is a vivid example of the importance of abandoning old mindsets for industry: change or die.

Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell is using the midterm budget request as the vehicle to substantially overhaul how the state supports the entire economic development process. Connecticut Innovations, one of the nation's oldest state-created equity finance programs for tech businesses, would be consolidated with departments that cover focus areas ranging from health education and housing to traditional economic development financing.

During her State-of-the-State Address earlier this month, Gov. Rell unveiled her fiscal year 2006-07 midterm budget adjustment proposal and announced plans to restructure the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD). Under the plan, the new Department of Business and Employment (DBE) will provide programs previously administered by DECD, but with enhanced planning and programmatic features, according to the governor's office:

Chandler Howard, co-president of Bank of America, is leaving to become president and CEO of Connecticut Innovations.

ACCRA, a national nonprofit research organization, has named Jeffrey Blodgett of the Connecticut Economic Resource Center (CERC) as president of the Board of Directors for 2005-06, beginning July 1.

Recognizing the benefits of a skilled workforce to match the new manufacturing and high-tech jobs of the 21st Century, states are turning to worker training and retraining programs in order to remain economically competitive. During the past month, Tennessee, Nebraska and Connecticut committed a combined total of $37 million for worker training initiatives.

The Tennessee legislature approved Gov. Phil Bredesen's 2005 jobs package, which includes $20 million to expand job training across the state and develop a statewide broadband strategy. House Bill 2287 establishes the FastTrack infrastructure development and job training assistance fund within the Department of Economic and Community Development. Funds will be used for infrastructure development and job training assistance grants and loans.