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SSTI Digest
People
Art Garcia has resigned as director of the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund to accept a job with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in his home state of New Mexico.
People
Dr. Anthony Green has been appointed vice president of regional technology initiatives for Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania.
People
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has appointed Stephan Helgesen as director of the Office of Science and Technology at the state Economic Development Department.
People
South Dakota State University named Teresa McKnight as the first permanent director of the Innovation Campus at SDSU, the university's new research park.
People
The Northern Colorado Economic Development Corp. has named Larry Penley, president of Colorado State University, the recipient of its first Regional Economic Development Excellence Award.
People
The Association of University Research Parks named the Science Center in Philadelphia "Outstanding Research Park of the Year."
People
Gov. Jim Risch has appointed Nor Rae Spohn to his science and technology advisory council.
People
Gov. Haley Barbour has named Gray Swoope as the new executive director of the Mississippi Development Authority. Swoope replaces outgoing executive director Leland Speed, who will serve through the end of December.
People
New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch announced he will nominate his deputy chief of staff and policy director, Michael Vlacich, to be the state's next director of economic development.
People
The University of South Dakota appointed Terry Young as the director of research and development, a newly created position.
Science Foundation Arizona Releases Investment Strategy
Science Foundation Arizona (SFAz) has released its strategic investment plan for fiscal year 2006-07, which includes grants to support university research, new high-tech businesses, and K-12 STEM education. The investment strategy will guide SFAz’s grant award decisions during its first year of operations and represents a starting point for the organization, which hopes to develop the plan into a long-term strategy for economic development.
The state’s 21st Century Fund, an initiative established by the governor and state legislature during the last session, provides public funding for SFAz’s grant programs. An initial allocation of $35 million will support SFAz’s five cornerstone programs, including:
- $18 million for Strategic Research Groups, which seed partnerships between research institutions and the private sector;
- $5 million for Competitive Advantage Awards between $100,000 to $400,000 to support in-state R&D;
Texas Council Will Address State Competitiveness
Governor Urges Pension Fund to Invest in Emerging Tech Companies
Starting in January, a new advisory council within the Texas Governor’s Office will begin work on a long-term strategy to bolster the state’s economic competitiveness. The Competitiveness Council will be charged with designing an overall framework for cooperation between public and private organizations involved in economic development. Gov. Rick Perry will appoint the group’s members by the end of the year.
The governor made the announcement during his keynote address at the Texas Lyceum’s 2006 Public Conference in San Antonio earlier this month. Gov. Perry told the audience of state economic development leaders that the new state strategy devised by the council would be a logical extension of other recent Texas TBED initiatives, such as the Texas Enterprise Fund and the Emerging Technology Fund.