The Georgia Biomedical Partnership named Charles Craig as its new president.

Brian Vogt has been appointed director of Colorado's Office of Economic Development and International Trade.

The pace for new advances in science and technology has quickened significantly over the past 10 years -- so much so that companies are challenged to stay current with the latest innovations. Entire new fields such as nanotechnology are being created while products introduced this week may be obsolete before the year is out.

Former NASA Administrator Richard Truly, now head of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, announced his plans to retire in November.

Georgia Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism commissioner W. Glenn Cornell has announced his retirement, effective June 30. Craig Lesser is Gov. Sonny Perdue's recommendation as Cornell's successor.

Brian Mefford will assume the position of president and CEO of Kentucky's Center for Information Technology Enterprise.

One of the most critical elements needed for a tech-based economy is a strong higher education system that supplies a source of research ideas, new technologies and a skilled workforce. Studies have shown that individuals with college degrees earn more money, obtain better jobs, pay more taxes, and are more apt to perform volunteer work. Given higher education's important role, several states have been re-examining how higher education can play a larger role in their economy.

Advocates for deregulating Kentucky's broadband industry argued doing so would result in increased rural access to high speed Internet services. They'll have the chance to prove it with Gov. Ernie Fletcher's signature this week on deregulation legislation, HB 627.

Linda Johnson, president and chief executive officer of the Center for Information Technology Enterprise, has announced she will be leaving the position this fall to return to her academic career at Western Kentucky University.

Pam Inmann is the new executive director of the Western Governors Association.

Brian Vogt is the new director of the Office of Economic Development and International Trade in the Colorado Office of the Governor.

Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher joined National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) officials earlier this month to announce a partnership in support of the Moon-Mars initiative. The agreement pairs the Kentucky Science and Technology Corp. (KSTC) with the nation's principal agency for space exploration.

The creation and subsidization of CAPCOs, certified capital corporations intended to encourage venture capital (VC) investment, is one of the more controversial policies some states have adopted to encourage the growth of tech-based economies. With substantial revisions to Colorado's short CAPCO experiment this month, questions are raised once again for other states that either have passed or are considering various approaches to increasing the availability of risk capital for new tech firms.

The Georgia Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism, in partnership with the University System of Georgia, has appointed Page Siplon and Michael Hale as directors of the Maritime Logistics Innovation Center and the Middle Georgia Innovation Center for Aircraft Lifecycle Support, respectively.

Tino Mantella has been appointed president of the Technology Association of Georgia, a nonprofit organization that focuses on promotion and economic advancement of the state's technology industry.

The Alaska MEP, a new nonprofit entity formed by the Alaska Native Arts Foundation and the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation, has named Robert Pope as the first Interim Director.

For most people in the business sector and economic development field, perhaps, the word "innovation" is quickly associated with tech start-ups and entrepreneurial businesses. The new Tennebaum Institute at Georgia Tech, opened last month with a $5 million donation from school alumnus Michael Tennebaum, is hoping to change that.

Unofficial results posted today on the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) website reveals political control of at least 10 of the country's 99 state legislative chambers (Nebraska has a unicameral legislature resulting in the odd total for the country) changed parties in yesterday's election.

According to Gov. Ernie Fletcher, Kentucky is on the wrong side of a widening digital divide as the Commonwealth ranks 44th in its proportion of high-tech companies, 45th in household computer use, and 43rd in citizen Internet use. To help improve these figures, the governor has called for a broadband deployment and adoption plan that will leverage state, federal and private investment to have full, statewide broadband deployment by 2007.

Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue this month proposed a new $40 million Georgia Research Alliance (GRA) Venture Capital Fund to be fueled by $10 million from the state legislature and subsequently matched with $30 million from the private sector. Of the entire suite of GRA initiatives, this will be the first program not funded entirely by the state of Georgia.

 

The fourth installment of the Tech Talkin’ Govs series includes excerpts from governors’ speeches delivered in Georgia, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.

 

Georgia – see article in this issue of the Digest.

 

Kentucky

Gov. Steve Beshear, State Budget Address, Jan. 29, 2008