Tech Talkin' Govs VI: A Final Look at the 2001State of the State, Budget Addresses
Editor's Note: The sixth and final installment in our review of the Governors' inaugural addresses, state of the state addresses, and budget messages for 2001. Previous weeks' installments are available on our website http://www.ssti.org/Digest/2001/headlines01.htm
University R&D, Tech Big Winners in Competing NY Proposals
Whether it is proposal A, proposal B, or some combination of A and B, university research and development efforts in New York stand to gain an additional $40-50 million per year for the next five years. The new funding would be in addition to the $135 million injection of state funding directed toward university research excellence through the New York State Office of Science, Technology and Academic Research (NYSTAR).
People
Linda Hartsock was hired by Empire State Development to serve as regional director for Central New York.
People
Marilyn Higgins joined Syracuse University as vice president for community engagement and economic impact.
New TBED Ideas Surfacing: Will They Endure?
Policymakers and practitioners continually seek new ideas to integrate into their overall TBED strategies in order to capitalize on innovative approaches and remain a competitive force in the global marketplace. Over the last few months, two new concepts in TBED aimed at supporting higher education have surfaced in New York and Wisconsin with two distinct goals: achieving the status of a world-renowned research capital and increasing college graduates to raise per capita income.
People & TBED Organizations
Jeffrey Boyce was named the assistant vice president of the Research Foundation of the State University of New York. Boyce had been the deputy commissioner for manufacturing services at Empire State Development.
People & TBED Organizations
Helene Schember became the first executive director of the Cornell Center for a Sustainable Future Dec. 3, joining the center as its first full-time staff member.
People
The Center for Economic Growth has selected F. Michael Tucker as its new president and CEO. Tucker replaces Kelly Lovell, who left the position in December to become president and CEO of International Business Development Group.
People
Jeffrey Corcoran has been named director of the new SUNY Fredonia High Technology Incubator in Dunkirk, N.Y.
People
Paul Tonko was elected as president and CEO of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Tonko replaces Peter Smith, whose resignation is effective at the end of June.
People & TBED Organizations
Dr. Russ Lea has been named vice president for research at the University of South Alabama.
People
Gov. Eliot Spitzer has named Avi Schick and David Emil, respectively, as chairman and president of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation.
Alabama Directs $35.8M to STEM Initiative
Alabama Gov. Bob Riley and lawmakers recently gave the state's Department of Education a substantial boost by increasing the budget for the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative (AMSTI) by two-thirds for fiscal year 2008 – a leading example in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education.
People and Organizational News
New York Ecomm has changes its name to The Executive Council of New York to better reflect the organization's broader membership and program offerings.
TBED Comings and Goings
G. Michael Alder has been named executive director of the Biotechnology Association of Alabama.
TBED Comings and Goings
Hempstead (New York) Mayor James Garner was elected to serve as the 61st president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors during its annual meeting this week.
Alabama Plans $71M Next Generation Robotics Training, Research Facility
Alabama Gov. Bob Riley recently announced a plan to launch an advanced robotics research, training and education center to prepare workers for the robotics industry and attract high-tech employers to the state. Calhoun Community College in Decatur will host the $71 million center, in partnership with the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Gov. Riley first proposed the robotics campus in 2006 and believes the center will help increase the state’s profile as a leader in the robotics industry.
People & TBED Organizations
President Bush announced he will nominate Assistant Secretary of Commerce Sandy Baruah to serve as the administrator of the Small Business Administration.
The Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce has created the Economic Development Partnership to help businesses relocate to or expand in the county.
SSTI Job Corner
A complete description of this opportunity and others is available at http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm.
People & TBED Organizations
The Beaver County (Pa.) CO-OP announced it will change its name to StartingGate. The incubator will continue to assist entrepreneurs and new business start-ups and help expand existing businesses.
Joe Dedman was chosen as the first executive director of the Southeast Indiana WIRED.
Brian DuBoff was named the director of Maryland's southern region Small Business Development Center, which is hosted by the College of Southern Maryland.
$700M for New York Upstate Economic Plan in Budget Agreement
Legislators passed the fiscal year 2008-09 budget last week, increasing spending by 4.9 percent over last year and investing in New York’s Upstate economy despite projected shortfalls for several years to come.
People & TBED Organizations
Dr. Michel Bitritto was named director of the new business incubator being run by the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission.
Dr. Peter Reczek was appointed executive director of the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology.
Don Siegel, president of the Technology Transfer Society, will be dean of the School of Business at the University of Albany, SUNY, beginning in fall 2008.
Restructuring State Economic Development Organizations in Oregon, New York
Earlier this month, the governors of Oregon and New York both outlined changes to the structure of their states’ lead economic development organizations.
Before Gov. Ted Kulongoski signed Executive Order 08-11 to reorganize the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department (OECDD), it consisted of three components:
Southern States Advance Several TBED Initiatives into 2009
Legislators in Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee recently approved spending plans for the upcoming fiscal year. Highlights of appropriations supporting TBED are included below.
Alabama
Two Reports Highlight Opportunities for State Broadband Policies
Although the U.S. broadband infrastructure has expanded rapidly over the past decade, 45 percent of rural areas still lack access to high-speed Internet services. A recent issue brief from the National Governors Association (NGA) Center for Best Practices provides a number of strategies that have proven effective in expanding broadband access, particularly in underserved rural areas.