People
Gary Carter is stepping down as the executive director of the Tax Increment Financing Commission in Kansas City to become a senior vice president of Davenport One, a regional economic development agency in Davenport, Iowa.
People
Randy Weiss will serve as an entrepreneur-in-residence within the University of Iowa Research Foundation.
Iowa Group Offers Health Care to Self-employed Entrepreneurs
With the rapidly rising cost of health insurance, entrepreneurs frequently find themselves unable to pay their premium in the early stages of business ownership. Often, this means going without health insurance or abandoning plans to launch a new firm. The North Central Iowa Alliance (NCIA) has announced a new initiative to lower this barrier facing new business owners.
People & TBED Organizations
Graham Evans has joined Washington Technology Center as director of research and program operations.
Iowa Approves $100M to Fund Renewable Energy Research and Adoption
The 2007 Iowa state legislative session has looked very favorably on TBED. One of the centerpieces of Iowa Gov. Chet Culver’s campaign last year was his pledge to "develop the next-generation energy ecomony in Iowa" through a $100 million state fund (see the Feb. 19, 2007 issue of the SSTI Weekly Digest). The Iowa Power Fund was approved by the state’s General Assembly late last month and closely resembles Gov. Culver’s original plan.
Five Zones Share $4.3M to Promote and Develop Regional Economies in Washington
Washington State is attempting to replicate the success of North Carolina’s Research Triangle in promoting regionalism and industry clusters through a new Innovation Partnership Zones initiative.
People
The Northeast Iowa Business Accelerator named Brian Dalziel as its first regional director.
People
Tiffany McVeety stepped down from her post as director of the Northwest Women's Business Center to become a business banker for Shoreline Bank. Rebecca Villareal replaces McVeety.
Iowa Governor Wants $50M for Advanced Manufacturing
On the heels of the release of two roadmaps calling for increased state support for advanced manufacturing and information technology (IT), Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack announced plans to spend $50 million "to attract leading scientists to Iowa and spark new research and product development," according to the Des Moines Register.
Iowa Researcher Finds Limits to the Economic Impact of Ethanol
In recent years, Iowa, like many midwestern states, has experienced a boom in ethanol production. Iowa's natural competitive advantage in growing and processing corn has helped it to move to the forefront of the emerging biofuels industry. The state provides numerous incentives and assistance programs through its Department of Natural Resources to help spur the creation of ethanol-related companies and jobs.
People & TBED Organizations
Egils Milbergs was appointed director of Washington's newly formed Economic Development Commission.
Reports Examine Two States' Experience with Economic Incentives
Incentive packages to attract companies are nothing new in economic development. In recent years, though, incentives have been used to recruit technology companies, and these incentive packages are growing in scope and complexity, with some in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Two recent reports that take a close look at experiences in North Carolina and Iowa may be of interest to communities and states using incentive packages to recruit companies to their area.
North Carolina
People
Anna Ehnmark was appointed executive director of the Technology Alliance Group for Northwest Washington.
People
Gov. Chet Culver has appointed Mike Tramontina as director of the Iowa Department of Economic Development.
TBED People
Curtis Brown announced that he will resign as executive director of the Mason City Economic Development Corp., effective July 11, to become the economic development coordinator for the City of Ankeny, Iowa.
TBED People
John Gardner will be vice president for economic development and extension at Washington State University, effective July 1. Gardner has been the vice president for research and economic development at the University of Missouri system.
EDA Seeds $3M Growth Fund in Washington
A $1.46 million grant from the Economic Development Administration to the Sirti Foundation is making possible a $3 million loan fund to technology companies within a 10-county region of Eastern Washington. The program provides another example of the non-traditional use of EDA funds to support tech-based economic development strategies. In addition, the deal structure may serve as a model to help other public agencies encourage TBED activities typically outside the scope or possibility of many public entities.
People
WSA (formerly the Washington Software Alliance) announced that Kathy Wilcox will step down as the organization's president and CEO at the end of 2006. Wilcox intends to work with for-profit and nonprofit businesses as an advisor on operations, business development, board structuring and fundraising.
People
Mary Lawyer is leaving the Iowa Department of Economic Development to be the president and CEO of Des Moines' Downtown Community Alliance, effective Sept. 14.
Innovation Index Reveals Steady Growth in Washington
Although technology sector employment is down slightly from previous years, Washington firms received twice the aggregate amount of venture capital (VC) funding compared to last year, and the state remains above the national average in educational attainment, according to the sixth annual Washington State Index of Innovation and Technology.
Iowa Students Head to West Lake Okoboji for Summer Entrepreneurship Studies
Summer classes, camps and special programs to stimulate and sustain K-12 students' interests in science and math will be found all across the country during the next few months. A less frequently occurring phenomenon will be taking place in the Great Lakes Region of Iowa, helping a select group of college students to combine entrepreneurship, rural economic development, and recreation.
People
Former University of Washington President Lee Huntsman is the first director of Washington's Life Sciences Discovery Fund.
People
Gov. Tom Vilsack announced that Mary Lawyer will serve as acting director of the Iowa Department of Economic Development. Mike Blouin resigned from the position last week to launch his campaign to become the state's next governor.
Iowa Recommits $500M for Values Fund
After being struck down by the Iowa Supreme Court in 2004, the state legislature recently passed legislation re-creating a $500 million version of its Grow Iowa Values Fund. The bills commit $500 million over 10 years to support tech-based economic development and other economic development initiatives. Gov. Tom Vilsack signed the measures on June 10.
Washington Creates $350M Life Science Fund
Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire last week signed a bill creating the Life Sciences Discovery Fund (see the Feb. 7 issue of the Digest).