Gov. Jim Douglas plans to merge the Vermont Departments of Economic Development and Housing and Community Affairs.

Complete descriptions of these opportunities and others are available at http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm.

While the Presidential election takes center stage on November 4, voters in several states also will cast their votes on statewide ballot issues affecting the TBED community. In addition to the 11 gubernatorial races and more than 5,800 state legislative seats up for grabs, voters across the nation will consider measures to provide funding for public education, expand investment in alternative and renewable energy, lift restrictions on stem-cell research, and eliminate income tax and state spending caps.

The outcome of Tuesday's election resulted in several wins and some defeats for TBED among the more than 150 ballot measures presented to voters across the nation. Outlined below are the unofficial election results of select ballot measures from each state's respective election office and local media reports as of Wednesday, Nov. 5.

Gov. Bill Ritter announced his administration's plan to inject $12 million into initiatives that promote job training, provide small businesses with access to capital, and invest in the state's New Energy Economy and bioscience sectors.

One of the biggest challenges for green technologies and products is breaking into the market. Achieving the critical mass that allows production volume to drive down prices is difficult, particularly when the commodity being sold is, at least initially, more expensive to make because more of the actual cost of production is captured in the green company's business model.

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell dropped his previous nomination, Robert Sledd, as his secretary for Commerce and Trade and instead nominated businessman James Cheng. Cheng, whose nomination needs to be confirmed by the Democratic-controlled Senate, was sworn in on January 17.

The second installment of SSTI’s Tech Talkin’ Govs’ series includes excerpts from speeches delivered in Colorado, Virginia and West Virginia. Our first installment was in the Jan 13 Digest.

Sandy Baruah has been selected to become the president and CEO of the Detroit Regional Chamber, effective March 15.

John Collar, the chief executive officer and president of the Colorado BioScience Association, resigned this week to pursue other business opportunities. Denise Brown has been selected serve as the organization's interim executive director while a search is conducted for Collar's replacement.

Two bills aiming to consolidate state agencies and establish incentives for job creation were introduced last week by Gov. Deval Patrick and Senate President Therese Murray. Gov. Patrick's bill would merge the Massachusetts Technology Development Corporation with the Massachusetts Community Development Finance Corporation and the Economic Stabilization Trust to form a new Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation funded by a $25 million capital bond authorization and $15 million from the Emerging Technology Fund.

Massachusetts ranks first in the country in patents per capita, SBIR awards and in R&D spending as a percent of gross domestic product (GDP), according to the latest version of the Index of the Massachusetts Innovation Economy. Though the report finds that the state's innovation economy is growing and, in many ways, suffered less than others during the economic crisis, it recommends taking action to increase student interest in STEM careers and to help launch new businesses.

A group of Massachusetts CEOs, venture capitalists (VC) and entrepreneurs recently launched a new initiative to create new, successful companies. The 12x12 Initiative will allow successful CEOs to collaborate with entrepreneurs to develop their ideas into new businesses. The resulting "team" also would include an experienced VC and would help the companies connect to mentoring services, capital and other opportunities.

Enlisting support from industry, policymakers and academics, Gov. Deval Patrick unveiled an initiative to help the state's manufacturers evolve with changing technology, adopt new innovations, and grow their operations through a new multi-tiered loan program. The Advanced Manufacturing Initiative is a public-private collaboration designed to maximize job creation within the manufacturing sector, which added more than 19,000 jobs last month, according to the governor's office.

Adding to a growing number of states seeking to increase their percentage of power from renewable sources, Gov. Jack Markell last week introduced the Delaware Clean Energy Jobs Act.  A key component of the legislation is increasing the state's Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), which governors often say generates job growth.

The overarching goal of the Delaware bill is to create a competitive climate for the clean energy market, which is addressed under four main goals, including:

MIT's Department of Urban Studies and Planning is researching how economic development organizations are working with small businesses to address market opportunities or needs related to global climate change and the "green economy." The department currently is looking for economic development organizations to complete a brief, voluntary survey (10 minutes) relating to "green" programs and activities. Results will be shared with the economic development community and be made publicly available.

The fourth installment of SSTI’s Tech Talkin’ Govs series includes excerpts from speeches delivered in Illinois, Massachusetts and Utah.

Patrick Gallagher has been named the 18th chancellor and chief executive officer of the University of Pittsburgh. Gallagher currently serves as acting deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce and director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Several bills aimed at supporting startups, advancing research and improving the workforce have been introduced with the start of the 2014 sessions. Some of the proposed legislation offers a glimpse into the investment priorities of governors and lawmakers in the wake of economic recovery. Providing innovative companies with access to startup funds is a continued theme from previous years. Some states are seeking to expand tax credits for angel investors or offer new tax credits to encourage emerging industries. Other bills focus on generating more skilled workers quickly and positioning universities to enhance regional economic competitiveness.

Los Angeles County (CA), New York County (NY) and Cook County (IL) topped the list of places where people older than 25 with graduate or professional degrees moved to between 2007 and 2011, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s County-to-County Migration Flows Tables. Middlesex County (MA) and Fairfax County (VA) also ranked among the top destinations for highly educated transplants. The Census report provides data on domestic migration at the county level, including data on income and educational attainment.