SSTI Digest

Jeffrey Brancato has recently joined NorTech as vice president. Prior to joining NorTech, Brancato was the associate vice president for Economic Development at the University of Massachusetts.

Randal Charlton has announced his retirement as executive director of TechTown, the Wayne State University research and technology park. Leslie Smith, the general manager of TechTown has been appointed to fill the position beginning Nov. 1.

Martin Briley has been named CEO and president of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. Since 1997, Briley has been executive director of the Prince William County Department of Economic Development.

Richard Baier, Nebraska's Department of Economic Development director plans to step down at the end of Oct. to take an executive-level position with the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce.

Lawmakers in several states wrapped up their 2011 sessions in time for the new fiscal year, which begins on July 1 for most states, allocating funds and passing bills in support of tech-based economic development. Read more...

Delaware lawmakers established a new Job Creation Tax Credit and extended the scope to include clean energy technologies. Read more...

Maine Gov. Paul LePage signed a bill expanding the state's Seed Capital Tax Credit. Read more...

Much of the recent economic recovery plans coming from governors across the country have focused on growing and nurturing existing businesses through a regional approach to economic development. The idea is that by identifying and defining the unique needs of a region, policymakers and practitioners can then provide the necessary tools and resources to grow industries likely to succeed within a given region, thus improving the overall economic landscape of the state. This approach is happening both in states and at the local level.

During the campaign trail and in speeches delivered during their first few weeks in office, governors in Florida and Nevada announced plans to overhaul economic development efforts without providing many details on how the new systems would operate. Draft legislation recently was introduced in the respective states, providing some insight on the structure and governance of the proposed agencies.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott wants to create a new Department of Commerce and establish a position of commissioner to report to him directly. The new entity, called Jobs Florida, would have four divisions to address accounting, community development, business development and strategic planning, according to an article in The Tallahassee Democrat. The commissioner would contract with Enterprise Florida, Space Florida and other public-private partnerships, the article states. Additionally, the Department of Community Affairs and the Agency for Workforce Innovation would be eliminated under a draft bill outlining the structure. The restructuring is estimated to save more than $8 million, according to the article.

Focusing on job growth and promoting the state for new business development, Gov. Brian Sandoval announced his plans to reorganize the Commission on Economic Development into a public-private partnership and increase funding for the state's economic development efforts by an additional $2.2 million in general fund appropriations each year. The governor also included in his 2011-13 biennial budget $10 million in FY12 for a proposed Nevada Catalyst Fund designed as a closing fund to bring new businesses to the state.

Although details on the proposed public-private partnership called Jobs Unlimited have yet to emerge, the governor said in his State of the State address that collaboration and tighter performance indicators would be the metrics of the new system. Many of the economic development proposals touted by the governor build on recommendations from the New Nevada Task Force, convened last year by the lieutenant governor.

The fourth installment of SSTI's Tech Talkin' Govs series includes excerpts from speeches delivered in Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, and Vermont. The first three installments are available in the Jan. 5, Jan. 12 and Jan. 19 issues of the Digest.

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.

Alaska
Gov. Sean Parnell, State of the State Address, Jan. 20, 2010
"We will create even more jobs by funding construction of two new statewide buildings, the Anchorage crime lab I mentioned earlier and we will construct the Life Sciences building at [the University of Alaska, Fairbanks]. …

"… Where energy is concerned, we will continue reducing dependency on diesel across Alaska. And we are putting $25 million toward more in-state renewable energy projects. …

As the Nevada Legislature concluded its biennial session last week, Gov. Jim Gibbons signed several bills relating to renewable energy. In particular, SB 358 creates the position of Nevada Energy Commissionerwith responsibilities - among other duties - to review policies related to the R&D of geothermal energy in Nevada and to work with renewable energy developers in identifying suitable sites for their needs. As the Associated Press reported in their coverage of the bill's passage, the process of attaining land in Nevada is sometimes a cumbersome process because 86 percent of the state is controlled by the federal government.

The third installment of the Tech Talkin' Govs series includes highlights from state of the state, budget and inaugural addresses from governors in Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, and New Mexico.

Minnesota
Gov. Tim Pawlenty, State of the State Address, Jan. 15, 2009

Dr. Michel Bitritto was named director of the new business incubator being run by the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission.

Dr. Peter Reczek was appointed executive director of the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology.

Don Siegel, president of the Technology Transfer Society, will be dean of the School of Business at the University of Albany, SUNY, beginning in fall 2008.

Michael Skaggs, former president and CEO of Next Generation Economy Inc., was named executive director of the Nevada Commission on Economic Development.

Paul Wetenhall stepped down as executive director of High Tech Rochester (HTR) to become president of the Ben Craig Center in Charlotte. David Hessler, an HTR entrepreneur-in-residence, was appointed interim president in Wetenhall's stead.

Mark Rudin, the interim vice president for research and graduate dean at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, will become the vice president for research at Boise State University, effective Jan. 1.