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Senior Administration Officials to Speak at SSTI Conference

July 21, 2010

Want to know more about the Obama Administration's innovation strategy? SSTI is pleased to welcome two key administration officials to this year's conference. Ginger Lew, Senior Counselor to the White House National Economic Council (NEC) and the Small Business Administration (SBA), and Brian McGowan, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce and COO for the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), will discuss the administration's plans to support innovation.

In her roles at NEC and SBA, Ginger Lew serves as the administration's economic policy advisor on a broad range of matters that impact small businesses. She co-chairs the White House Interagency Group on Innovation and Entrepreneurship and leads the White House Interagency Taskforce on Regional Innovation Clusters.

Recently, the administration has been soliciting input from around the country on the various roles that universities play in regional economic development. Ms. Lew will share some of what the White House has learned from that process, and discuss the administration's current thinking on university commercialization.

We encourage those involved in university commercialization to join us at 9:00 am on Wednesday, September 15, to hear more about current developments at the federal level and to make your voice heard among federal leaders.

Read more about this plenary session ...

Brian McGowan brings a background in state and regional TBED to the EDA at a time when that agency has been shifting its focus toward regional innovation and high-growth opportunities. During this plenary session, we will hear about EDA's map for a new federal-regional partnership for innovation and learn about critical changes being made at the federal level to invest in tech-based initiatives.

Before joining the Obama Administration in September 2009, Mr. McGowan served as California's Deputy Secretary for Economic Development and Commerce in the state's Business, Transportation and Housing Agency. There, he created the California Innovation Hub program to promote technology commercialization and the California Certified Sites program to accelerate the development of new projects.

Join us on September 14 for this unique opportunity as we engage in an open discussion about the opportunities for a closer, more engaged relationship between state, local and federal TBED leaders.

Read more about this plenary session ...

Ohio, Pennsylvania