SSTI Digest

Reports suggest New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey, resigning his office in mid-November, will be named the first director of the Stem Cell Institute of New Jersey. Securing funding for the center has been a legislative priority for the Governor this year.

Dave Eater has announced his departure from the New Jersey Science and Technology Commission.

Sherrie Priesche, the science and technology advisor to New Jersey Governor James McGreevey, has been appointed as the new executive director for the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology.

"We cannot be satisfied with simply passing stem cell research legislation."

New Jersey is launching a new program to stimulate new investment, business growth and job creation in the biotechnology and life sciences industries through a special fund to be established through the Business Employment Incentive Program (BEIP).

John Tesoriero has left the New Jersey Commission on Science & Technology to become Associate Director of the Center for Advanced Information Processing at Rutgers University. David Eater is Acting Executive Director for the Commission as a search is conducted for a permanent replacement.

The Fourth of July might just be a paid holiday for New Jersey's tech-based economic development agency after all. Since Governor James McGreevey released his FY 2004 budget request six months ago, the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology has been living under a June 30 death sentence. Facing a deficit forecast in excess of $4 billion, the governor had called for the elimination of the $15 million program.

Gov. James McGreevey recently appointed Alfred Koeppe as the new Chairman of the Economic Development Authority of New Jersey.

To help make his state a leader in research, development and innovation, New Jersey Governor James McGreevey recently signed an executive order establishing the Commission on Jobs, Growth and Economic Development. Highlighting the state's strengths but calling for it to move forward, even with a $5 billion budget shortfall looming, the governor said the commission is needed to put New Jersey in position to be more competitive.

NJCST Out, Cancer Research In

Two separate news stories covering different New Jersey's technology-based economic development initiatives may give one of the first peeks at Governor James McGreevey's plans for science & technology in the Garden State.

Democrats took the year’s only two races for governor, electing Jim McGreevey in New Jersey and Mark Warner in Virginia. 



Democrats also took control of the New Jersey Assembly for the first time in 10 years. Republicans, meanwhile, strengthened their control of Virginia's Assembly by 12 seats. The GOP now holds 64 of the 100 seats in the chamber. In Washington, Democrats claimed a narrow majority of the seats in the house, giving the party control of both legislative chambers and the governor's office. 



With Tuesday’s election results, Republicans hold 27 governorships, Democrats control 21 seats, and Independents hold Maine and Minnesota. Each party controls 17 state legislatures while 16 are split between the two. Thirty-six states will hold elections for governors next fall. Incumbents in 19 of these states either are not running or are barred by term limits from serving another term. 



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