SSTI Digest

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.

A new Georgia center features a variety of resources to assist life science entrepreneurs. The Georgia Bioscience Commercialization Center, funded by Georgia Bio and the Georgia Research Alliance, offers incubation space, counseling for experienced bioscience executives, entrepreneur education, and connection to TBED organizations around the state. Read more ...

Lawmakers in Georgia and Kansas recently approved scaled-back funding for their states' respective tech-based economic development (TBED) programs in the coming fiscal year. Although many states are struggling to fill large deficits in the aftermath of a national economic downturn, funding for TBED initiatives, even at reduced levels, continues to be a priority for most states as a means to grow and diversify the economy.

Georgia Lawmakers recently approved a $17.9 billion budget for FY11, an increase of $800,000 over the amended FY10 budget. Tackling a budget deficit of more than $1 billion at the start of the session, lawmakers cut funding across several state agencies, including those focused on economic development. Many of the reductions to university-based research initiatives were in line with Gov. Sonny Perdue's recommendations (see the Jan. 20, 2010 issue of the Digest). The Georgia Research Alliance, a public-private partnership that acts as Georgia's lead science and technology initiative, is slated to receive $18.25 in FY11, down from $23.9 million in FY10.

Jeff Blodgett, Vice President of Research, at the Connecticut Economic Resource Center, Inc. is retiring.

The University of Virginia has named W. Mark Crowell, vice president for business development at The Scripps Research Institute, to the newly created position of executive director and associate vice president for innovation partnerships and commercialization.

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley will receive the BIO Governor of the Year Award this week at the 2010 BIO International Convention.

Guido Silvestri will serve as chief of the Division of Microbiology and Immunology at Emory University's Yerkes National Primate Research Center as a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar.

Bryan Allinson has joined Ohio University as director of technology transfer.

Martha Connolly, director of the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute Maryland Industrial Partnership program (MIPS) at the University of Maryland, was given the President's Award at the Greater Baltimore Committee's fifth annual Bioscience Awards ceremony. In 2007, the MIPS program received an SSTI Excellence in TBED Award in the Improving Competitiveness of Existing Industries Category.

Stephen Cross has been selected as Georgia Tech's executive vice president for research. Cross has served as vice president and director of the Georgia Tech Research Institute since 2003.

Gov. Sonny Perdue last week outlined an $18.2 billion budget for FY11 that reduces spending across several state agencies, including a $9.6 million reduction for R&D activities through the Research Consortium. The governor’s budget also would eliminate two science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs within the Department of Education.

The Research Consortium, which supports R&D and tech-based economic development activities at Georgia’s research universities, would receive $16.7 million in FY11, down from $26.3 million approved last year. Executive recommendations include eliminating funding for the Traditional Industries Program ($1.6 million) and the Bio-Refinery program ($200,000).

TBED People Eric Abelquist has been named executive vice president of Oak Ridge Associated Universities and deputy director of the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education.

Arn Boezaart, who has been interim executive director of the Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center the past six months, will take over the position permanently.

Melanie Brandt has been hired as chief operating officer for the Technology Association of Georgia.

President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate Nicole Y. Lamb-Hale to serve as assistant secretary of commerce for manufacturing and services within the International Trade Administration.

President Obama nominated Francis Collins, a physician and scientist who helped guide the Human Genome Project to completion, as the next director of the National Institutes of Health.

Stephen Fleming has been named vice provost of Georgia Tech's Enterprise Innovation Institute. Since 2005, Fleming has served as chief commercialization officer and led the Enterprise Innovation Institute's Commercialization Services Division. Fleming succeeds Wayne Hodges, who retired recently after a 40-year career at Georgia Tech.

Larry Irving will step down as co-chairman of the Internet Innovation Alliance in September. Irving will join Hewlett Packard, the world's leading technology company, as vice president of Global Government Affairs.