SSTI Digest

The Tennessee Biotechnology Association has changed their name to Life Science Tennessee.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the selection of 10 regional economic development and job creation efforts through a new pilot program, Innovative Economies, that supports small business participation in regional economic clusters. SBA's funding is designed to expand the opportunities and the role small businesses play in these regional collaborations. The awardees were selected from among 173 applicants. Awards went to organizations in: Alabama, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio and South Carolina. Read the full release

Since 2006, Michigan's economic development programs designed to transition its economy from the traditional manufacturing-based economy to an economy driven by clusters of innovative manufacturers and service providershave led to more than 24,407 direct and indirect jobs created or retained, the creation of approximately 1,500 new companies and almost 900 patents. A Foundation for the New Michigan Economyprepared by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation details the initial results of three programs —the 21st Century Jobs Fund (21st CJF), the Michigan Life Sciences Corridor (MLSC) and the Michigan Technology Tri-Corridor (MTTC) —that are designed to commercialize new technologies and increase access to capital for new and existing businesses.

Neal Wade will resign his position as director of the Alabama Development Office in November and has been named senior vice president of economic development for St. Joe, one of Florida's largest real estate development companies.

Ray Gilley resigned as chief executive of the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission after nine years on the job. Gilley was responsible for helping lure the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute to Central Florida.

Andre Pettigrew, the director of the Denver Office of Economic Development, will become the first executive director of Climate Prosperity Inc., a Washington, D.C., climate-change think tank. LaCharles Keesee, the city's deputy chief financial officer, will assume an interim role as head of the city's economic development department until a final replacement is named.

A $3 million grant from the New Economy Initiative for Southeast Michigan recently was awarded to a group of four business accelerators working together to support area entrepreneurs and grow Michigan's knowledge-based economy. The grant will support efforts of the newly formed Business Accelerator of Southeast Michigan, which includes Ann Arbor SPARK, Automation Alley, Macomb-OU INCubator, and TechTown. Projects involving venture capital funding, the development of best practices and intellectual property, and plans to build a statewide database listing all business resources for entrepreneurs are in discussion.Read the press release.

Automation Alley in Troy, MI is seeking a business accelerator client coordinator. Some of the responsibilities include managing business accelerator client process from intake to referral and ongoing client support, coordinating with shared services for administrative functions and maintaining accurate SalesForce information for all clients.

A plan to provide loans and specialized training to foster entrepreneurship recently was announced by Gov. Jennifer Granholm. The two-pronged, $43 million strategy consists of a loan partnership between credit unions and Michigan Small Business and Technology Development Centers with specialized training provided through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation's FastTrac NewVenture Program.

The fourth installment of SSTI's Tech Talkin' Govs series includes excerpts from speeches delivered in Alaska, Connecticut, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, and Oklahoma. The first three installments are available in the Jan 13, Jan. 20 and Jan. 27 Digests.

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

TBED People
Eric Abelquist has been named executive vice president of Oak Ridge Associated Universities and deputy director of the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education.