SSTI Digest

Outlining his Colorado Promise three years ago as a newly-elected governor, Gov. Bill Ritter envisioned an economy that supports high-wage jobs and offers an environment for businesses to expand and thrive. Educational programs would be synched with industry needs to produce a skilled workforce, workers would be trained in the high-demand fields relevant to each of the state's diverse regions, and enough businesses would be operating to employ them. Two years later, Gov. Ritter convened the Jobs Cabinet, bringing together the state's economic development, education, and workforce communities to make recommendations for aligning jobs with industry needs. The cabinet presented to the governor last month a report and recommendations for achieving this goal in the report "Economic Competitiveness through Collaboration, Talent Development, and Innovation." Operating on the notion that in today's global economy, competitiveness is less about providing infrastructure or tax incentives and more about providing innovation and talent, the cabinet makes several recommendations focused around five core areas: collaboration, engagement, marketing, information, and…

Rebecca Bagley, who left her position as deputy secretary for the Technology Investment Office within the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, was appointed president-elect of NorTech. Bagley will succeed Dorothy Baunach, the founding staff director of NorTech, as president and chief executive officer. Baunach will become president emeritus, serving as an adviser until December 2010. John Sider has been appointed to succeed Bagley. Prior to his appointment, Sider served as the director of venture investment for DCED. Steve Crawford is leaving Brookings to take a new job as vice president for policy and research at CFED -- the Corporation for Enterprise Development in Washington, DC. Ken Marcus has been appointed park director for the University of Arizona Science and Technology Park. Marcus succeeds Marshall Worden who retired. Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter announced he has appointed state Rep. Don Marostica, a member of the legislature's Joint Budget Committee and a Loveland business owner, as the new director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. Gov. Bill Ritter together with Christine…

The Piedmont Triad Research Park laid off Bill Dean, director of the park, and Nancy Johnson, marketing director. Park officials said that the park's project manager and executive assistant also were laid off. Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter announced that he has tapped Don Elliman, director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development, to serve as the state government's first chief operating officer. The Florida STEM Council, funded by a $580,000 grant from Workforce Florida, has been created to connect education, workforce, business and economic development leaders to identify opportunities to build and measure the state's supply of workers with skills and knowledge in these fields to support innovation in existing and emerging industries. Malcolm Kahn has been appointed vice president for enterprise development & licensing at Stevens Institute of Technology. Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation has named Kevin Carr as interim CEO, replacing Tracy Taylor, who resigned last month. Jill Kline has been named the new Wyoming Entrepreneur.Biz associate state…

Lawmakers across several western states have reached budget agreements for the upcoming fiscal year or biennium allocating decreased or level funding for tech-based economic development efforts. Lawmakers also passed new legislation supporting job-creation efforts and investments in alternative energy. While funding for many of these programs appear secure in FY10, additional spending cuts are anticipated in the coming months if state revenues continue to decline. Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter signed the budget bill (SB 09-259) earlier this month providing $19.2 billion in FY10, including $4.5 million for continued investment in the state's bioscience industry. Although the appropriation for the Bioscience Discovery Evaluation Grant Program is $1 million less than last fiscal year, it is the second installment approved by lawmakers for the five-year, $26.5 million initiative (see the May 14, 2008 issue of the Digest). Funding for this initiative is distributed for proof-of-concept grants, support for early-stage companies and infrastructure. Additional economic development appropriations include $2.7 million for Colorado First customized job training, $1.4…

PatFerrier@coloradoan.com Doug Johnson of UniverCity Connections believes a bill providing tax credits to angel investors putting their money into start-up companies will create hundreds of new jobs in Colorado and help stimulate the lagging state economy. Sponsored by Democrat John Kefalas of Fort Collins, the bill is expected to cost about $1.5 million, a price that if not reconciled will likely kill it as the state grapples with a possible $1 billion shortfall through next year. "I completely understand that unless we can come up with a non-general-fund way to pay for this, it will be difficult to get out of the finance committee," Kefalas said. "I don't want to further strain the budget for next year, but this is a very good economic development tool that will ultimately increase revenue because it will help businesses move along and create jobs. My job now is to figure out how to pay for it." The proposal, which would grant 30 percent state tax credits to investors providing seed money for startups in biosciences, information technology, aerospace…

Superclusters can be explosive. Colorado State University this week announced that its researchers have more than doubled the number of inventions, a phenomenal effort in two years. University officials attribute the success to the supercluster concept, which unites researchers with those in the private sector who can take their ideas and run, such as business experts, patent attorneys, marketers, etc. While the superclusters don't create new research, they foster it by speeding the transfer of technology from research to implementation. The number of inventions attributed to CSU researchers rose from 42 in 2006 to 91 in 2008; CSU is expecting 100 this year. Another report last week found that CSU has created 13 bioscience companies from 2002 to 2007, which is key to a growing employment sector. The report, by a coalition of advocacy groups, says Colorado ranks 11th in the country for bioscience venture capital investments. Two of three CSU superclusters are related to bioscience: infectious dis-eases and cancer research. The third supercluster is focused on renewable energy. These new…

The second installment of the Tech Talkin' Govs series includes highlights from state of the state, budget and inaugural addresses delivered by the governors of Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Oregon and Vermont.  Arizona  Gov. Janet Napolitano, State of the State Address, Jan. 9, 2009 "Arizona must stay on the path toward a greener future..We also must work to limit our greenhouse gas emissions through the Western Climate Initiative, and move forward in building a strong renewable energy sector, particularly with respect to solar energy. The entire nation is going in this direction - and Arizona has much to gain by being a leader." Colorado  Gov. Bill Ritter, State of the State Address, Jan. 8, 2009  "By reviving the Colorado Credit Reserve Program, we can give thousands of small businesses vital access to credit and capital. .. ". By enacting House Bill 1001, the job-creation tax credit I announced last month, we can level the playing field with other states when it comes to attracting new companies and new jobs. ... …

Complete descriptions of these opportunities and others are available at http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory, (NREL) the nation's primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development, is looking for an NREL Licensing Executive. Primary responsibilities include evaluating early stage energy inventions for commercial potential, seeking promising markets for NREL technologies, directing the NREL commercialization strategy. The Licensing Executive will take charge of all licensing for NREL. Requirements include a master's degree in science and/or engineering, or equivalent relevant education/experience and at least five years of relevant experience. This position posted by the Vortechs Group. Pennsylvania State University, College of Engineering, invites applications for the Director of the Engineering Entrepreneurship Minor, a highly visible position within the School of Engineering Design, Technology, and Professional Programs at University Park. The Director's responsibilities will include teaching, advising, research, and providing leadership on key goals including expansion of the program…

Gov. Jim Douglas plans to merge the Vermont Departments of Economic Development and Housing and Community Affairs. Douglas's deputy chief of staff Betsy Bishop was appointed commissioner of the Department of Economic Development. She replaces Mike Quinn, who stepped down after serving six years in the position. Linda Brander resigns as program manager of the Montana Technology Innovation Partnership Program to begin a new job as the Restoration Coordinator at the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. John Collar has been named Executive Director of the Colorado BioScience Association. The Tech Council of Maryland has announced that chief executive office Julie Conns is resigning her post. Matt Dugener resigned from the LEAP (Lansing Economic Area Partnership). Denyse Ferguson, Executive Vice President, has agreed to serve as the interim president. Governor Brad Henry of Oklahoma has been elected chairman of the Southern Growth Policies Board. Saul Kaplan resigned as the executive director of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation. Kelsey Kohler has left her position as executive director of the…

Gov. Bill Ritter announced his administration's plan to inject $12 million into initiatives that promote job training, provide small businesses with access to capital, and invest in the state's New Energy Economy and bioscience sectors. The proposals were outlined as part of the governor's fiscal year 2009-10 budget recommendations earlier this month, which includes nearly $5 million for economic development initiatives in the upcoming fiscal year and another $7 million contingent upon budget reserves in 2010. >From the 2009-10 General Fund, the governor recommends $4.9 million for economic development incentives divided among three priorities: Helping small businesses gain access to capital and creating education and outreach programs to improve the availability of credit to small businesses; Establishing job training programs at community colleges in the areas of renewable energy and energy efficiency. This proposal would use the existing structure of Colorado FIRST, a workforce development program that focuses on science and technology; and Renewable energy economic activities within the Governor's Energy Office. The remaining $7 million…

The outcome of Tuesday's election resulted in several wins and some defeats for TBED among the more than 150 ballot measures presented to voters across the nation. Outlined below are the unofficial election results of select ballot measures from each state's respective election office and local media reports as of Wednesday, Nov. 5. More detailed information on the measures is provided in last week's issue of the Digest, which is available at: http://www.ssti.org/Digest/2008/102908.htm#election. Arkansas Voters approved 63 percent to 37 percent a constitutional amendment authorizing the General Assembly to establish, operate and regulate state lotteries to fund scholarships and grants for residents enrolled in two- and four-year colleges and universities in the state. Voters also approved a measure to shift the state's budgeting from a two-year cycle to an annual cycle. California Two measures supporting renewable energy were defeated by California voters. Proposition 7, requiring public and private utilities to generate a percentage of their power from renewable energy, was defeated 65 percent to 35 percent. Proposition 10, authorizing the state to…

While the Presidential election takes center stage on November 4, voters in several states also will cast their votes on statewide ballot issues affecting the TBED community. In addition to the 11 gubernatorial races and more than 5,800 state legislative seats up for grabs, voters across the nation will consider measures to provide funding for public education, expand investment in alternative and renewable energy, lift restrictions on stem-cell research, and eliminate income tax and state spending caps. Following is a summary of selected ballot issues from across the nation. Funding Public Education Florida Florida voters will be asked to amend the state constitution to require that the legislature authorize counties to levy a local option sales tax to supplement funding for public community colleges. Ballot question 8 requires voter approval to levy the tax. Maryland A proposal in Maryland asks voters to approve an amendment to the state constitution authorizing video lottery terminal gaming to provide funds for public education. Question 2 legalizes up to 15,000 machines at sites in four counties and the city of Baltimore. HB 4 requires…