TBED People & Orgs

Norm Chagnon has been named deputy chief of the Office of Technology Investments (OTI) at the Ohio Department of Development. Chagnon will lead and direct the OTI, which is responsible for the State of Ohio's Edison Technology Centers and Edison Technology Incubators Program, the Ohio Third Frontier, the Technology Investment Tax Credit Program, the Ohio Manufacturing Extension Partnership, and the Ohio Venture Capital Authority. Additionally, Anthony Howard has been named interim assistant deputy chief of the OTI; Lisa Delp has been appointed interim executive director of the Ohio Third Frontier Commission; and, Elizabeth Colbert has been named interim Manufacturing Extension Partnership center director. Claire Leonardi has been selected as the CEO and executive director of Connecticut Innovations. Peter Longo, who was CI's president and executive director, will continue to be a part of CI, reporting to Leonardi, and running the day-to-day operations. As part of his legislative agenda for 2012, Gov. Malloy is proposing to consolidate the Connecticut Development Authority into CI. The measure requires legislative approval. Jason Hall has stepped down as appointed director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development. Gov. Jay Nixon announced Hall's appointment Dec. 30, 2011. Chris Pieper, deputy counsel to the governor, has been named as acting director of the DED. The Louisiana Department of Economic Development has consolidated jobs and realigned the agency's workforce. Jeff Lynn, currently executive director of LED's FastStart job-training program, will serve as executive director of workforce development programs. Don Pierson, currently LED's assistant secretary, will serve as senior director of business development. Jason El Koubi, currently LED's director of state economic competitiveness, will serve as assistant secretary. John Voltz recently was named executive director of Blackstone Accelerates Growth, a statewide initiative to encourage entrepreneurship and innovation, involving the Maine Technology Institute, Maine Center for Entrepreneurial Development and the University of Maine.