People
Tom Walker has been named executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Oklahoma Technology Commercialization Center.
Oklahoma Commits $500M for College Improvement
On the final day of March, Gov. Brad Henry signed legislation establishing a $475 million bond issue for a slate of higher education projects, much of which targets research and laboratory facilities. The Oklahoma Higher Education Promise of Excellence Act of 2005, which the governor called "desperately needed," was one of his top legislative priorities for the year (see the Feb. 7, 2005, issue of the Digest).
People
Galynn Beer succeeds Johnny Roy as the new chairman of the board of the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology.
People
Jason Williamson is leaving his position as vice president of community development for the South Carolina Technology Alliance to become a founding partner in a new start-up tech firm.
South Carolina Governor, Legislature Spar Over State’s Investment
Capturing an overwhelming majority of the votes needed to override Gov. Mark Sanford’s veto, the South Carolina Legislature prevailed last week in its efforts to position the state as a leader in hydrogen technology.
People & TBED Organizations
Albert Johnson Jr. is the new vice president for university advancement at Cameron University. Ronna Vanderslice also has been selected as dean of the university's School of Education and Behavioral Sciences.
People & TBED Organizations
Jay Moskowitz was named the first president of Health Sciences South Carolina.
People & TBED Organizations
The Oklahoma Alliance for Manufacturing Excellence is now the Oklahoma Manufacturing Alliance.
SSTI 10th Annual Conference Update: Hotel Sold Out! Conference Registrations Still Available
Early registration has ended and the conference hotel is full, but you still have the opportunity to join representatives from more than 40 states, provinces and three continents at the nations premier gathering of the technology-based economic development field. This is one conference you do not want to miss!
People
Ralph Schultz was named president and CEO of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, effective Nov. 1. Schultz replaces Mike Neal, who resigned in July to assume the top job at the Tulsa Metro Chamber of Commerce in Tulsa, Okla.
Manufacturing Assistance Approved in Oklahoma
Voters in Oklahoma approved 54 percent to 46 percent State Question 725, which was intended to provide financial assistance to "high-risk" manufacturers in the state, in order to minimize the possible loss of employment. Funds provided to each manufacturer by the state would be limited to 10 percent of the manufacturers in-state capital investment.
People
Leadership Oklahoma announced that Doug Fuller will be the organization's new director, effective May 7.
Oklahoma Legislative Session Ends Kindly for TBED
Nearly $300 Million Tagged for TBED It took moving into a special session and negotiating a late deal between lawmakers and Gov. Brad Henry last week for the Oklahoma legislature to pass several bills related to the state's budget for fiscal year 2007, which begins this weekend.
Transforming Regional Economies. Oct. 31-Nov. 2. Oklahoma City
SSTI is pleased to give regular Digest readers the first peek at the four intensive pre-conference workshops, which will precede SSTI's 10th annual conference on Nov. 1-2. Registration may be completed online at: https://www.ssti.org/Conf06/registration.htm.
Turning Innovations into Enterprises: A Practitioner's Guide to Technology Commercialization
Oklahoma City Offers Perfect Fit for SSTI's 10th Annual Conference
If there is ever an example of a city-region that can demonstrate the benefits of working as a team to transform its economy through all aspects of tech-based economic development, it would have to be the Oklahoma City area. And fortunately, the vibrant community is based in a state that both understands what is needed for transforming an economy from being natural resource-based to knowledge-driven and is matching talk with real money.
OCAST Allocates its $10M Budget Increase
The Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology has announced a trio of new programs. Last month, the OCAST governing board approved a business plan for 2007 that committed $10 million of recently appropriated revenue for high-tech development. OCAST is devoting much of this funding to a new seed capital program, awards for plant science research, and a program to encourage the use of nanotechnology in manufacturing.
How Should TBED Adjust to the Changing Face of U.S. Industry?
How Should TBED Adjust to the Changing Face of U.S. Industry? Join your peers and colleagues from around the country at SSTI's annual conference to discuss the trends described in "Whither U.S. Industry" (see story above) and other critical issues. More information is available at http://www.ssti.org/conference06.htm.
SSTI Accepting Bids for 2007 Annual Conference
With preparations for SSTI's 10th Annual Conference in Oklahoma City on Oct. 31-Nov. 2 well underway, we have received many questions from local, regional and state organizations wanting to host the premier event for the tech-based economic development (TBED) profession in 2007. Because of the increased interest, SSTI has bumped up its schedule for selecting the 2007 site. We are accepting nominations of host organizations and locations for SSTI's 11th Annual Conference until July 30, 2006.
South Carolina Program Strives to Make Start-ups Successful
Marketing tech-based economic development (TBED) programs can be challenging, particularly with the diverse nature of its target audiences of entrepreneurs, existing companies, financial sources, university researchers and, oftentimes, legislators. Sometimes, even the name of the program can cause misconceptions, particularly when a new initiative is outside the traditional services or roles offered by the TBED organization. A recent example of this comes from South Carolina.
People
Steve Biggers has been promoted to Deputy Director for the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science & Technology.
Oklahoma Supreme Court Approves $50M in Bonds for Endowed Chairs
Upon ruling in favor of a $50 million bonds issue last month, the Oklahoma Supreme Court cleared the way for an endowed chairs program at colleges and universities throughout the state .
People
Bill Mahoney is the new president of the South Carolina Research Authority.
OCAST Report Measures Success in TBED Efforts
States such as Oklahoma must leverage scarce resources if they hope to attract top scientists, stimulate development, and achieve measurable economic impact, says the latest impact report from the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST).
OCAST May Receive $12M Boost in FY 2009
Gov. Brad Henry unveiled the details of his fiscal year 2009 budget recommendation earlier this week, providing a substantial increase in funding to the state’s lead TBED agency and proposing a permanent funding mechanism for cutting-edge research through the EDGE Endowment.
South Carolina Governor Proposes $2M for Broadband
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford announced that his budget for fiscal year 2007-08 will include a request for $2 million to bring high-speed Internet access to rural parts of the state. This allocation from the state’s Capital Reserve Fund would be used to create a Rural Broadband fund to increase broadband penetration in underserved communities and is designed to boost economic development by providing Internet access to students, businesses and entrepreneurs.