SSTI Digest

Mitch Daniels, the director of the White House Office of Management & Budget, has announced his resignation.

Sylvia Goodman is leaving her position as director of technology and innovation at Louisiana Economic Development.

Marc Holtzman, Colorado's former science and technology advisor, is taking the position as president of Denver University.

The Board of Directors for Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) announced last week their selection of Peter Jobse as the new president of CIT. Jobse has been CIT’s executive vice president and chief operating officer since joining the organization in October 2002.

Ed Linsenmeyer, with the Naval Surface Warfare Center, has been elected to serve as the Chair of the Federal Laboratories Consortium for Technology Transfer at the FLC's recent annual meeting. Larry Dickens, with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, was elected Vice Chair.

Bill Madia is leaving his position as director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory to oversee all Department of Energy business for Battelle Memorial Institute.

Larry Moolenaar is the new Executive Director of the Eastern Carolina Council of Governments.

Noreen Scott, former economic development division director for the New Mexico Department of Economic Development, is the executive director for the Rio Rancho Economic Development Corp.

The Greenville Spartanburg Anderson Technology Council has named Philip Yanov executive director.

Research released this week by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) suggests that, failing a dramatic turnaround in the national economy, a recovery in the IT sector in 2003 will most likely continue to be a “jobless” one. A telephone survey of 400 hiring managers from IT and non-IT companies nationwide found that predicted demand for hiring IT workers has reached an historic low of only 493,000 positions over the next 12 months — down from 1.6 million at the start of 2000 and less than one-half of the predicted 1.1 million positions needed at the start of 2002. Sixty-seven percent of those interviewed said they thought hiring demand would stay the same or decline over the next 12 months. Companies are also moving more positions overseas, with 12 percent of IT companies and 3 percent of non-IT companies saying they have already opened up overseas operations. Large IT companies were most likely to say they have made the move — 22 percent have already moved work offshore. Additionally, 15 percent of IT firms say they will, or are undecided about, moving jobs overseas in the…

In the final week of its 2003 Legislative Session, the North Dakota State Legislature passed sweeping legislation that favors tech-based economic development in the state. The Greater North Dakota Association (GNDA), serving as the state's Chamber of Commerce, subsequently issued a summary of those bills targeted toward job growth. Some highlights of GNDA's summary are presented below: Increased options for early-stage financing for new businesses by allowing the Bank of North Dakota to invest up to $5 million in North Dakota alternative and venture capital investments (SB 2335). Also, expanded access and funding by $5 million for an established venture capital pool for beginning entrepreneurs (SB 2259); Expanded an existing program that provides tax credits to encourage people to invest in North Dakota businesses (HB 1019); Provided $2.6 million for workforce development and training to support job growth in new and existing businesses (HB 1017 and HB 1020); and, Established accountability measures to evaluate the effectiveness of the state’s economic development…

To spur technology development in the state, the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) has entered a collaborative agreement with the nation's cryptologic organization, the National Security Agency (NSA). TEDCO’s mission is to help foster a technology economy that will create and sustain businesses throughout Maryland. NSA coordinates, directs and performs highly specialized activities to protect U.S. information systems and produce foreign intelligence information. The agreement establishes that TEDCO and NSA will focus on tech transfer by identifying federally funded NSA research results ready for industrial transfer; identifying technologies in the industrial sector that merit transfer into NSA; and identifying technology-based business opportunities that benefit both Maryland and NSA. It is not the first time TEDCO and NSA have joined forces. In November 2001, the two organizations hosted a technology showcase that drew nearly 200 entrepreneurs, scientists and inventors. Their new agreement comes as part of TEDCO's Federal Lab Partnership Program (FLPP), which seeks to…