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.

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.

Gov. Jim Doyle signed the 2009-11 biennial budget last month, providing funding for university-based research and enhancing tax credits for angel and venture investors supporting high-tech R&D.

The technologies developed at the nation's 700 federal laboratories and research centers impact the health, energy, security, and agricultural needs of the country. They have a substantial effect on the economic growth of the U.S., especially as these technologies are commercialized.

The role of a technology incubator or accelerator for supporting nascent firms generally is regarded with the utmost importance by the tech-based economic development community. Tech incubators provide essential resources for startup companies to develop and commercialize new technologies, leading to the creation of high-quality jobs.

Gov. Jim Doyle unveiled today an economic stimulus plan for Wisconsin that includes a proposal to enhance tax credits for angel and venture investors in support of start-up technology companies. A coalition assembled to improve Wisconsin's existing investor tax credits law applauded the governor's announcement to refine the four-year-old program.

Gov. Jim Doyle unveiled last week several proposals to boost university-based research and commercialization efforts in emerging fields and encourage private industry R&D and job growth through the creation of several new tax credits.

Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation has named Jim Carroll as director of its Center for Entrepreneurial Growth.

For many states facing a challenging budget year, level funding for science and technology is welcome news to the tech-based economic development (TBED) community. With the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act earlier this year, governors are seeking solutions to stimulate their respective states' economies through new and expanded programs within specific priority areas.

For several years governors across the country have announced life science and biotech initiatives that are as broad as they are large. The devil is in the details, and in most cases related to bio-based economic development, so are the opportunities.

Southern Growth hired Ted Abernathy, Jr., former Executive Vice President & COO of the Research Triangle Regional Partnership, to serve as its Executive Director, filling the vacancy created by Jim Clinton's resignation in September.

Eleven gubernatorial elections were held across the U.S. on Tuesday, resulting in the selection of three new governors - with TBED initiatives spread throughout their campaigns' messages.

North Carolina's $1.2 billion dollar investment in bioscience over the past decade has helped to build a $45 billion dollar a year industry in the state, according to a new study released by the North Carolina Biotechnology Center. The report finds that North Carolina's bioscience employment numbers have grown 18.5 percent since 2001, the fastest in the nation.

Complete descriptions of the position openings described below are available at http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm.

Jim Rice, with the Information Technology Association of Wisconsin, announced his departure as the organization’s first president.