People
Virginia Gov.-elect Tim Kaine named Aneesh Chopra as his administration's secretary of technology.
People
South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds announced that Jim Hagen will resign as secretary of the Department of Tourism and State Development, effective Jan. 17.
People
David Hollister announced he will leave his position as director of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth on Feb. 3, to head Prima Civitas, a newly formed nonprofit agency promoting economic development.
People
Bill Mahoney is the new president of the South Carolina Research Authority.
People
Guin Robinson is the new director of the newly created Talladega office of the Alabama Technology Network.
People
Phillip Singerman resigned as executive director of the Maryland Technology Development Corp.. Renee Winsky will serve as interim executive director until a permanent replacement is named.
People
Georgia Tech announced that Dr. Jeffrey Skolnick will join its faculty this spring as the Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Computational Systems Biology.
People
The Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development appointed Benjamin Wu as the assistant secretary for the Capital Region and senior advisor for technology policy.
North Carolina Creates SBIR/STTR Incentive, Matching Program
With the passage of the state's biennial budget, North Carolina's small businesses are now eligible for follow-on support from the state for research projects funded under the federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.
Initiatives Aim to Close Digital Divide Among Low-Income Households
Two initiatives aimed at closing the digital divide, particularly among low-income Americans, were announced earlier this month.
Southern Growth Offers Index Tool for Creating Stronger Communities
The bottom line for all regional economic development initiatives should be improving the quality of life for the area's residents. A new report from the Census Bureau — revealing the increased percentage of the U.S. population living in poverty and median household income remaining flat again, after two years of decline — provides a not-too-subtle reminder for the technology-based economic development (TBED) field.
NIH Releases Final Ethics Rules
Ban on Outside Consulting with Industry Remains in Force
The Scuttlebutt on SSTI's Annual Conferences
Many of the readers are new to the Digest since last year's conference, so we're getting questions about how SSTI's upcoming 9th annual conference, to be held in Atlanta on Oct. 19-21, differs from other events.
The easiest way to answer that is to let the conference speak for itself — through the comments we received from past participants:
State Tobacco Settlement Funds & TBED: Where Are They Now?
Following the 1998 Master Tobacco Settlement Agreement, states across the country set out to dedicate significant amounts of funding from their share of the settlement to support research and other TBED programs.
EDA Telecast to Discuss SACI Recommendations
On Monday, Sept. 26, 2005, the Economic Development Administration will host a one-hour telecast, to discuss the final report of the Strengthening America’s Communities Advisory Committee.
SSTI Job Corner
For more information on the positions below, visit SSTI's online Job Corner at http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm.
People
Joe Alviani has resigned as Executive Director of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative to accept a position in the private sector. MTC Executive Vice President Philip Holahan is serving as Interim Executive Director.
People
Joe Alviani has resigned as Executive Director of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative to accept a position in the private sector. MTC Executive Vice President Philip Holahan is serving as Interim Executive Director.
People
The Vermont Economic Progress Council has named Fred Kenney as Executive Director. VEPC is the nine-member panel established in 1994 with members appointed by the Governor to provide long-term economic policy planning. In 1998 it was given the responsibility of implementing the Economic Advancement Tax Incentives Act and reviewing applications for tax incentives.
People
After seven years of serving as the first president of the Connecticut Technology Council, Laura Kent is resigning her position at the end of June. The Council now boasts over 400 members.
People
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge has promoted Tim McNulty to the new position of Deputy Chief of Staff for Technology Initiatives.
President’s 2002 Budget Request: An Overview for Tech-Based ED
The Bush Administration's first budget request offers a mixed bag for state, local, and non-profit practitioners and policymakers in tech-based economic development. In research categories, the budget reflects the Administration's research emphasis in defense, biotechnology, and life sciences. The budget also reorganizes the nation's energy research priorities. Most other research categories were held at FY 2001 funding levels or received modest increases or cuts.
US Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Research funding levels, with the exception of $150 million in Congressional earmarks, remain relatively flat between FY 2001 appropriations and the President's FY 2002 request. Economic development and Digital Divide programs, on the other hand, take several hits. Selected agency program highlights include:
Department of Commerce
The total agency budget request is $4.8 billion, $300 million less than the FY 2001 appropriation level. The majority of the reduction is absorbed by elimination of new project funding for the Advanced Technology Program, a 67 percent cut or $30 million for the Technology Opportunities Program, and a $77 million cut in Economic Development Administration programs. Selected Commerce program highlights include: