SSTI Digest

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed unveiled Invest Atlanta — the city's new economic development authority that places a renewed effort on job creation and competitiveness. Invest Atlanta will work primarily to attract new investment, grow international trade, fuel innovation and support entrepreneurship. Mayor Reed said, "[Invest Atlanta] represents an effort to modernize our approach to investment, attracting businesses, foreign capital and trade." Mayor Reed, who serves as chairperson of the nine-member board of directors, also announced that the organization is tasked with developing a new regional economic growth strategy. Invest Atlanta intends to leverage the benefits of bond financing, revolving loan funds, housing financing, tax increment financing and tax credits to achieve their economic development goals. Invest Atlanta will be headed by President and CEO Brian McGowan, former U.S. deputy assistant secretary of commerce under President Obama. McGowan said, "Invest Atlanta will continue to honor its traditional mission but will place a renewed emphasis and focus on ensuring that the city has the right atmosphere to help existing companies grow and attract new companies.

SSTI's Tech Talkin' Govs series has returned for its 12th annual edition. The series highlights new and expanded TBED proposals from governors' State of the State, Budget and Inaugural addresses across the nation. The first installment includes excerpts from speeches delivered in Georgia, Iowa, New York, Kentucky, South Dakota, Vermont, and Virginia. Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal, State of the State Address, Jan. 10, 2012 "... I want to announce two ambitious goals. Georgians deserve a world-class, public medical university, and it will be a priority of this administration to have a medical college among the top 50 nationally. ... "... Also within this push, the Georgia Health Sciences University will seek to become the state's second National Cancer Institute designated Cancer Center ... This designation would mean greater access to research dollars and enhance our ability to recruit top cancer specialists. "... To support this goal of a second Georgia-based Cancer Center, my budget proposal includes an investment of $5 million. ... "...

Lawmakers and technology industry leaders in Georgia and Kentucky are hoping to establish capital programs during the 2012 legislative sessions in an effort to support new business creation and remain competitive with states already offering lucrative incentives.

James Weyhenmeyer has been named the vice president for Research and Economic Development at Georgia State University. Previously, Weyhenmeyer was the senior vice provost for Research and Economic Development in the Office of the Provost of the State University of New York system. He succeeds Robin Morris, who has assumed the position of associate provost for Strategic Initiatives and innovation.

Robert McMahan Jr. has been named president of Kettering University. McMahan joins Kettering from Western Carolina University, where he was the founding dean and professor of The Kimmel School.

To more closely align Georgia's efforts to market and promote strategic industries to existing and potential companies, Georgia's Centers of Innovation (COI) program will be integrated with the programs of the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA). The move follows the legislature's decision to transfer funding for GRA's strategic economic development initiatives from the Board of Regents' Research Consortium program to the Department of Economic Development Innovation and Technology Division.

The goal for integrating the programs is twofold: to develop strategies and tactics to maximize the potential for high-tech companies generated from university R&D to thrive in the state; and, to leverage the resources of Georgia's research universities to retain and recruit companies in industries considered crucial to the state's growth. The COI's provide technology-oriented support to businesses and startups in the areas of aerospace, agribusiness, energy, life sciences, logistics, and advanced manufacturing.

Bob Crowley, president of the Massachusetts Technology Development Corp., will step down June 30. Crowley has held the position since 2002 and has been with the quasi-public agency since its beginning in 1978.

Mitch Adams, executive director of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative is resigning after leading the agency for nearly a decade.

Michael Cassidy, president and CEO of the Georgia Research Alliance, and Keith Crisco, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Commerce, have been named co-chairs of the Southern Technology Council.

Thomas Guevara has joined EDA as deputy assistant secretary for Regional Affairs.

Gray Swoope has been named president of Enterprise Florida. Swoope most recently was executive director of the Mississippi Development Authority.

Funding for university-based research initiatives would be cut significantly under Gov. Nathan Deal's proposed FY12 budget as the governor aims to close a projected deficit of nearly $1 billion. The Georgia Research Alliance (GRA), a nationally recognized model for creating and sustaining tech-based economies, would receive $4.5 million in FY12, a 75 percent reduction from the current year. The governor's budget also would transfer GRA funds to the Department of Economic Development, a move that would align TBED with the state's more traditional economic development efforts.

GRA's research and technology commercialization programs, which often are replicated by other states and regions, would be severely impacted if the governor's budget is adopted in its current form. Funding for GRA's Eminent Scholars, which is used to match university funds for recruiting world-class researchers to the state, would be eliminated.

The third installment of SSTI's Tech Talkin' Govs' series includes excerpts from speeches delivered in Colorado, Georgia, Nebraska, and South Dakota. The first and second installments are available in the Jan. 5 and Jan. 12 editions of the Digest.

ColoradoGov. John Hickenlooper, State of the State Address, Jan. 12, 2011"We also hope that every bill you consider passing will be viewed through the lens of its impact on our economic growth. ...

"... For example, we know there are several bills you are considering that will establish a venture capital fund for small businesses. We will work with you on these proposals and create strong public-private partnerships.

Maine Governor Paul LePage named Phillip Congdon as the new commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development. Cogndon is a licensed professional engineer who spent more than 20 years with Texas Instruments in Dallas. He replaces Acting Commissioner Thaxter Trafton.

Ohio Governor John Kasich announced Mark Kvamme, a partner at Sequoia Capital, will serve as the interim state development director. The Silicon Valley venture capitalist has agreed to do the job for a dollar.

Former NorTech CEO Dorothy Baunach will be Cuyahoga County's interim economic development director.

Ken Bloemer, executive director of the U.S.A. National Innovation Marketplace, will replace Phil Doepker as director of the University of Dayton, Innovation Center.

The Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI2), Community Innovation Services, is seeking a group manager for research. The EI2 Community Innovation Services team supports communities with economic and community development research, analysis and planning. Projects range from strategic planning to workforce analysis, from fiscal impact analysis of new or expanding firms to sustainable development strategies for communities of all sizes. The group manager is responsible for the successful completion of all funded projects, for overseeing and advising a team of high-performing project managers, and assigning projects to individual team members within CIS.

Two candidates vying for Georgia governor unveiled proposals to create technology jobs and invest in biomedical R&D. Democratic nominee Roy Barnes would expand the scope of the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA) to build on programs that accelerate technology transfer. Barnes credited the organization with a 20-year track record of helping create high-value companies based on university research. Republican nominee Nathan Deal would expand access to capital for biotechnology startups and create a Certified Capital Company (CAPCO) program to help fuel R&D. Georgia's current governor, Sonny Perdue, is term-limited in 2010. Both candidates offer job plans that aim to advance the state's position as a leader in the biotechnology industry.

Roy Barnes (D)

Roy Barnes, who served one-term as Georgia's governor from 1999 to 2003, announced last month proposals to strengthen the state's technology and biomedical infrastructure as part of a comprehensive jobs plan that also includes capital access programs for small businesses and a manufacturing supply chain initiative to support industry clusters within the state.

Holli Baumunk, vice president of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation, has been named president and CEO of the Colorado BioScience Association.

Georgia Gov. Sunny Perdue has tapped Heidi Green to replace Ken Stewart as commissioner of the State of Georgia's Economic Development Department. Green, who currently serves as deputy commissioner for Global Commerce, will assume the new role at the end of June. Beginning July 19, Stewart will become senior advisor on Industry Strategy at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Marie Johns has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as deputy administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration. Johns will be the second-ranking official at SBA, with major responsibility for management, policy development and program supervision.

Tom Rankin has been selected to lead the Washington Clean Technology Alliance as president and chief executive.