SSTI’s pre-conference workshops have received high praise from past participants because of their personalized nature, their dedication to sharing knowledge, and their opportunities to forge worthwhile relationships with other participants. The two pre-conference sessions scheduled on Wednesday, October 21 are no different and will provide plenty of value for those in attendance.

One of the best takeaways from the SSTI Annual Conference is the personal contacts one can make over the course of the event. Whether it’s chatting with a peer who has led successful economic development initiatives, breaking bread with fund managers at our scheduled Dine-A-Rounds, exchanging contact information with our conference speakers, or playing tennis with a myriad of people in the Wii Room, the upcoming conference will provide plenty of opportunities to make friends and meet other leaders who share your background and hopes for the future.

Developing and implementing a successful TBED initiative that generates substantial economic gain for a state or region is no easy feat. SSTI’s third annual Excellence in TBED awards recognize outstanding achievements in tech-based economic development from innovative programs across the nation, emphasizing impact, strategic value and replicability.

SSTI’s Annual Conference offers a rich and rewarding slate of professional development opportunities for seasoned conference veterans and first-timers alike. Each year, SSTI helps connect TBED professionals to the ideas and perspectives making a difference in the regional innovation. The conference also provides a vibrant atmosphere where attendees can connect to the leading thinkers and practitioners in the field. You can expect:

SSTI’s 13th Annual Conference is made possible by the support of our host sponsor, the Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation (KTEC), and the generous support of our national conference sponsors. SSTI extends its appreciation and thanks to the following exemplary organizations serving as our national sponsors:

• Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development
• Greater Oklahoma City Chamber
• Battelle
• National Centers of Excellence (NCOE)
• GSP Consulting
• Monster Public Sector & Education

"Tapping the Technology Innovation Program and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership"

Mark your calendar for Oct. 21-23 to attend SSTI's 13th annual conference Seize The Moment in Overland Park, Kansas! Past attendees know SSTI's conference is the premiere professional development event for the TBED community. And 2009 will be no exception.

The Piedmont Triad Research Park laid off Bill Dean, director of the park, and Nancy Johnson, marketing director. Park officials said that the park's project manager and executive assistant also were laid off.

The lazy days of summer may be the most challenging time to keep students and teachers motivated and engaged in academics. Fortunately, several programs across the country have risen to the challenge. And, with the Obama Administration's pledge to make math and science education a national priority, now may be an opportune time for collaboration among federal and state agencies, private foundations, and industry to reverse the U.S. decline in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.

Funding for higher education initiatives fell victim to Ohio's budget woes as legislators worked to fill a projected $3.2 billion deficit. The enacted budget signed into law earlier this month by Gov. Ted Strickland cuts spending by $2.5 billion and leverages $5 billion in federal stimulus funds, according to the governor's office.

Rebecca Bagley, who left her position as deputy secretary for the Technology Investment Office within the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, was appointed president-elect of NorTech. Bagley will succeed Dorothy Baunach, the founding staff director of NorTech, as president and chief executive officer. Baunach will become president emeritus, serving as an adviser until December 2010.

The circumstances leading to SSTI's 13th Annual Conference make this year's event critical. We encourage you to join us in Overland Park, Kansas October 21 - 23, 2009 to Seize the Moment. As you scan the conference website, you'll discover we're putting together our most complete and complex conference yet.

Rebecca Blank, the acting U.S. secretary of Commerce, is expected to be the next chancellor of the University of Wisconsin at Madison. The Board of Regents is scheduled to vote on the recommendation April 5.

Chris Coburn, the founding executive director of Cleveland Clinic Innovations, is leaving at the end of May to join Boston-based Partners Healthcare, the largest healthcare system in Massachusetts.

Mary Jo White has been confirmed by the Senate as the new head of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Bill Kirkland will head the new Office of Economic Engagement that will begin operations July 1 at the University of South Carolina. The new entity will facilitate business development statewide, and work through USC&'s seven regional campuses.

John Carey, a former state representative, was appointed by Gov. John Kasich as the chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents.

W. Steven Burke is the new president of Biofuels Center of North Carolina.

For nearly every budget issue SSTI has prepared during the first decade of the 21st century, our opening paragraphs read like obituaries. The previous administration was ideologically opposed to the government taking an active role to support economic development, even tech-based economic development, beyond increases for university and federally based research. Spending for federal programs that support regional community and economic growth were slashed repeatedly.

Can you afford to miss out on valuable publicity for your organization's outstanding accomplishments, particularly as legislators look for places to cut spending?

SSTI's Excellence in TBED Award can help you build recognition for your organization and gain support to continue your critical tech-based economic development efforts.

J. Mike Books is leaving his post with the Indiana Health Industry Forum to become the first economic development director for the city of Columbia, Missouri. He also will serve as president of the Regional Economic Development Inc. Brooks will assume his new responsibilities on July 15.

Since the SSTI Funding Supplement became a members-only publication in 2006 more than 4,250 funding opportunities have been distributed. In 2008 only, there were more than 1,400 different opportunities for your client companies and university research faculties to secure funding -- if you were an SSTI member. Competition for federal research funding is growing, particularly as program budgets have been relatively flat or declining in recent federal budget cycles.

Tech entrepreneurs in Kansas would lose a long-time independent friend and ally in their efforts to expand the state's economy if the FY10 budget proposed by Gov.