Results of Ann Arbor SPARK Board Meeting: Announces Entrepreneur Business Incubator, Names New Board and Executive Committee Members, Merges with Ann
DATELINE: ANN ARBOR, Mich. May 22
ANN ARBOR, Mich., May 22 /PRNewswire/ -- At its recent board meeting, Ann Arbor SPARK, the region's economic development authority, elected five new members of its Board of Directors and four new members of the organization's Executive Committee. Additionally, Ann Arbor SPARK and the Ann Arbor IT Zone have merged to create one unified organization promoting high tech growth in the region. SPARK also announced their intent to develop an entrepreneur business incubator in downtown Ann Arbor.
"The new members of our leadership team support Ann Arbor SPARK's goal of engaging community leaders to drive the growth and success of the Ann Arbor region," said Michael A. Finney, Ann Arbor SPARK chief executive officer. "The merger of the Ann Arbor IT Zone and SPARK creates one driving force for entrepreneurial growth in the region, making resources from seminars and forums to start-up funding available through one organization. The combined actions of the SPARK Board of Directors will have a positive impact on businesses of all types and sizes throughout the Ann Arbor region."
With funding from the Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti SmartZone Local Development Finance Authority (LDFA), SPARK is in the process of developing its space at 330 E. Liberty in downtown Ann Arbor as a start-up business incubator. The entrepreneur business incubator will occupy 2,500 square feet at the existing location and will share space with MichBio and the Great Lakes Entrepreneur's Quest.
"The LDFA's mission is to support new business formation and education in the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area, said Mike Reid, LDFA chairman. "Ann Arbor SPARK's entrepreneur business incubator will give start-ups the business support and a location when they need it, at the earliest stage of formation. We are excited to partner with SPARK on the development of a much-needed business resource for entrepreneurs in the region."
The new directors are:
-- Charles Gulash, vice president, Toyota Motor Engineering &
Manufacturing North America, Inc.
-- Roger Newton, senior vice president and site director, Esperion
Therapeutics
-- Richard Sheridan, president and ceo, Menlo Innovations LLC
-- Maria Thompson, president, T/J Technologies
-- Kingsley Wooten, plant manager, GM Powertrain Group
New members of the SPARK Executive Committee are:
-- Grady Burnett, head of online sales & operations, Google
-- Paul Dimond, senior counsel, Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone
-- Bhushan Kulkarni, president and ceo, GDI Infotech, Inc.
-- Kenneth Fischer, president, University Musical Society
Ann Arbor SPARK's merger with the Ann Arbor IT Zone, the technology organization formed in 2000 that sponsors forums, seminars and networking
sessions for entrepreneurs and the business community, will be completed by the end of June.
At the completion of the Ann Arbor SPARK and Ann Arbor IT Zone merger, the resulting organization will be Ann Arbor SPARK. The former Ann Arbor IT Zone activities will be incorporated into Ann Arbor SPARK.
About Ann Arbor SPARK
Representing all communities in Washtenaw County, Ann Arbor SPARK, a non- profit organization, is the driving force in establishing the Ann Arbor region as a destination for business expansion, retention, and location by identifying and meeting the needs of business at every stage, from startups to large organizations. Ann Arbor SPARK collaborates with business, academic, government, and community investor partners including the University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University, the Herbert and Grace Dow Foundation, Pfizer, Washtenaw County, the City of Ann Arbor, Bank of Ann Arbor and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. For more information, visit http://www.annarborspark.org/ .
CONTACT: Jennifer Cornell of Eiler Communications, +1-734-761-3399; or
Elizabeth Parkinson of Ann Arbor SPARK, +1-734-761-9317
Web site: http://www.annarboritzone.org/
http://www.annarborspark.org/
SOURCE Ann Arbor SPARK