Dr. Leonard Peters is the new director of the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

Washington State still ranks first nationally in the creation of new companies, according to the third annual Index of Innovation and Technology released by the Washington Technology Center (WTC), a state-funded organization that fosters technology employment growth. The Index also shows the number of patents earned by Washington inventors increased by 11 percent from 2000 to 2001.

Washington State remains poised to capture more benefits from its technology-driven economy, according to the Index of Innovation and Technology released last month by the Washington Technology Center (WTC). As the state's lead organization to support science and technology, WTC publishes the Index to provide the state's decision makers with annual benchmarks for setting policy and  public investments to promote technology-based economic development.

Washington Gov. Gary Locke appointed Juli Wilkerson to serve as director of the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development, replacing Martha Choe, who is now serving as state coordinator for the Boeing 7E7 project.

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.

The SSTI Weekly Digest and Funding Supplement will resume publicaton October 31 as the office will be closed to attend SSTI's 7th Annual Conference, Building Tech-based Economies: From Policies to Practice, on Oct. 20-22.

Yes, only 10 open seats remain for SSTI’s 7th Annual Conference, Building Tech-based Economies: From Policy to Practice. With nearly three weeks remaining before the October 21-22 event in Seattle, SSTI anticipates it will have to close registration in the coming days based on the phenomenal response to this year’s great slate of 24 breakout sessions, great plenary sessions and wonderful location. If you are planning to attend, we encourage you to register as soon as possible.

SSTI's 7th Annual Conference, to be held in Seattle on Oct. 21-22, is now less than one month away. If you are planning to join 300 of your colleagues from more than 40 states at Building Tech-based Economies: From Policy to Practice, here are a few tips to save your organization a little money:

Seats Available for Developing Angel Organizations, Financing TBED Workshops

Tight budgets are causing many state and local tech-based economic development (TBED) programs to delay new initiatives, even forcing some to scale back on the services already provided. But mottos like "getting more bang for the buck" and "doing more with less" are fast becoming tired, transparent clichés.

Manufacturers continue to shed thousands of American jobs — at a rate of 80,000 per month over the past three years, according to the New York Times. The realities of globalization are settling in as small and mid-sized manufacturers are hit hard with competition from around the world.

Stephen Jeffery has been appointed the new president/executive director of the Technology Association of Georgia.

Bill Todd, former CEO of the Georgia Research Alliance, has joined the staff of Gov. Sonny Perdue to work on special projects.

Certified economic development professionals have an extra reason to attend Building Tech-based Economies: From Policy to Practice, the nation's premier educational and networking experience for the TBED community. The 2003 SSTI Annual Conference will be recognized by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) as a professional development event that counts toward the recertification of Certified Economic Developers (CEcD).

As more states settle into their 2003 legislative sessions, fewer Governors are giving Inaugural or State-of-the-State addresses. During the past 10 days, the Governors of Alaska, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Vermont and Wisconsin offered outlines of their priorities for the coming year(s). The following excerpts are directly relevant to building a technology-based economy.

Georgia

W. Glenn Cornell has been named commissioner of the Georgia Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism.

Nearly $1.5 million in grants from the OneGeorgia Authority will go toward specific initiatives promoting technology-based economic development in Georgia. The awards are part of almost $7.5 million in grants and loans being awarded to 16 of the state's most economically distressed communities.

Ken Olsen will become the new executive director of the Palouse Economic Development Council in Washington State.

To expand on the state's Centers of Innovation strategy, Gov. Sonny Perdue announced in November the creation of the Middle Georgia Aerospace Innovation Center (MAIC). The center is comprised of numerous partners, including the Georgia Department of Industry, Trade & Tourism's Office of Science and Technology, the University System of Georgia, private institutions and companies, and the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center (ALC).

A regional partnership of economic development organizations, led by the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), announced the launch of the Northwest Technology Investor Network last week. The network is an online forum that links investors and entrepreneurs in the high-tech sector.

The Washington Technology Center (WTC), based in Seattle, WA, is searching for a person to fill the newly created position of Manager of Statewide Programs. This person will design and develop a statewide network of programs, services and connections to serve companies and entrepreneurs across Washington State.

When budgets tighten for state and local governments, as they have in nearly every corner of the country, legislatures and political leaders look for areas to reduce spending. Having a strong documented record of the positive impact of your technology-based economic development efforts and investments can help protect vital programs from the axe.

Washington Governor Gary Locke announced the formation of the Northwest Energy Technology Collaborative (NWETC) at a signing ceremony on Wednesday attended by the founding members.

H. Day Chapin has been selected as the first Director for the new Northwest Energy Technology Collaborative.

Two Department of Energy national laboratories and two land-grant universities announced on July 17 that they will work together to form a new research institute for the production of energy and industrial products from biomass resources. The new Northwest Bioproducts Research Institute will combine the talents of DOE's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, DOE's Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, Washington State University, and the University of Idaho.