People
David Goodrich announced he will leave his position as CEO of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership at the end of the year.
People & TBED Organizations
Steven Zylstra is the new president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council.
Companies Sought for VC Conference
Companies seeking venture capital investments through the Great Midwest Venture Capital Conference have until August 25 to apply for consideration. The conference, this year taking place October 30-31 in Knoxville, Tennessee, annually draws around 200 investors and other financial professionals. The tenth annual event is organized by the Indiana Business Modernization and Technology Corporation and Technology 2020, located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
Indiana Outlines Objectives to Raise Per Capita Income by 2020
Just over a year since its creation, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) has released a strategic plan calling for the state to potentially increase its support for several new tech-based economic development initiatives. IEDC's Accelerating Growth: Indiana's Strategic Development Plan outlines nearly two dozen action items along three themes: innovation, talent and investment.
People & Organizations
The Purdue Center for Regional Development has appointed Ed Morrison to the position of economic policy advisor.
Indiana Pension Fund Allocates $100M to VC
With assets totalling more than $15 billion, the Indiana Public Employees Retirement Fund (PERF) has decided to place $100 million into higher-risk equity placements through its first Indiana Investment Fund. The fund will exclusively target venture capital deals within Indiana, according to the PERF news release. Like pension funds in many states, PERF has a requirement to place a certain percentage of its assets in private equity. The PERF goal is 5 percent and includes real estate deals as well.
Measuring Creativity in Phoenix
While the Phoenix Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) has the recipe for a creative economy - people in creative occupations, industries with a creative workforce, and an environment that supports creativity - it falls short of the national average in more than 75 percent of all creative occupational categories, a new study by the Maricopa Partnership for Arts and Culture (MPAC) finds.
Arizona Approves $35M Tech Fund; Strong Public Support for S&T
Making the single largest TBED related investment in its history, the Arizona legislature approved and Gov. Janet Napolitano signed the state's FY 2006-07 budget, which includes $35 million for the new Arizona 21st Century Competitive Initiative Fund. HB 2477 is the successor in concept to the Innovation Arizona fund proposed by Gov.
People
Science Foundation Arizona, a new nonprofit organization, has named Bill Harris as its director.
People
The Greater Phoenix Economic Council recently hired Jim Hudson as vice president of strategy.
People
Marie Wesselhoft was appointed interim director for the Arizona Center for Innovation, replacing Jim Fountain who is retiring this month.
Job Corner: Griffin Analytical Technologies Seeks Proposal Coordinator
Griffin Analytical Technologies, a producer of premium chemical detection systems, is seeking a proposal coordinator to generate research proposals in response to federal and state funding solicitations. Griffin serves U.S. Departments of Defense and Homeland Security applications, environmental health and safety monitoring, and research and teaching laboratories.
Incubators in the News
During the last eight weeks, communities across the U.S. have witnessed the rise or fall of small business incubators. Here are some of the developments:
People
The Indiana Technology Partnership named Jim Wheeler as its new president. A former partner with Andersen LLP, Wheeler takes the position vacated by Tom Miller last fall.
Initiative to Strengthen Presence of Life Sciences in Central Indiana
Leaders of Central Indiana's top research, academic and economic development organizations announced on Wednesday an effort to develop the region as a world-class center for the life sciences industry.
'Shoes' Slow Arizona's Progress, Report Says
Five Shoes Waiting to Drop on Arizona's Future, a 50-page report released by the Morrison Institute of Public Policy, details five key trends that could harm the state's future if they are not well managed.
Network of Incubators Proposed in Indiana
Purdue University plans to seek $15 million in matching funds from the state to establish and support five technology business incubators or regional technology centers around Indiana. The state also will be asked to provide $6.25 million in funding for administrative support over the first four years of the centers’ operations.
USIP Reports on State Best Practices Roundtable
The United States Innovation Partnership (USIP) reported on a recent roundtable discussion on the 21st Century Economy. The topic of the discussion was the role of states in science and technology. The roundtable highlighted "best practices" in technology-based economic development in five states (Oklahoma, Kansas, Indiana, Utah, and Pennsylvania).
BMT HIGHLIGHTS YEAR OF CHANGE
The 1998 annual report of the Indiana Business Modernization and Technology Corporation (BMT) addresses various changes encountered by the organization this year.
People
George Atkinson is taking a year-long leave of absence from his position as a professor in chemistry and optical sciences at the University of Arizona to serve as the first American Institute of Physics science fellow at the U.S. State Department. 
People
Margie Emmermann has been named Director of the Arizona Department of Commerce. For the past seven years, Ms. Emmermann has been the state's policy adviser to Mexico and liaison to the Hispanic Community. 
State & Local Round Up
Indiana
The Indiana legislature approved a $50 million appropriation over the next biennium for Indiana's 21st Century Research and Technology Fund. The program supports the development and commercialization of advanced technology. Created in 1999 (see related 9/10/99 Digest story), the fund received $50 million in the 2000-2001 biennium.