David Harmer, executive director of the Utah Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), announced his retirement. Chris Roybal, senior advisor to Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. for economic development, will take on many of Harmer's responsibilities.

It is an unfortunate and annoying consequence of politics that sometimes, with the change of gubernatorial administrations even within parties, excellent people with enviable records of delivering results for tech-based economic development programs lose their positions. SSTI has learned that Rod Linton and Michael Keene were among 33 "at-will" economic development staff at the Utah DCED fired en masse last Thursday. Gov. Huntsman, who began his term of office on Jan.

Jeff Edwards recently was named interim president and CEO of the Economic Development Corp. of Utah (EDCU). Edwards replaces Christopher Roybal, who will serve as the senior adviser for economic development for Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., starting next year.

The biopharmaceutical industry is poised to become an important source of economic growth in regions that are successful in nurturing it, according to a recent report from the Milken Institute. With so many states and communities focusing significant financial resources toward developing bio-based economies, the industry analysis is likely to be welcome news.

Utah State University named J. Michael Brooks as director of its Innovation Campus. He will also serve as associate vice president for research and economic development, beginning Sept. 20.

Citing the goals of expanding its impact and stabilizing funding, the member-based TechAlliance has given up its political independence to become a nonprofit agency under the auspices of the Nevada Commission on Economic Development.

Richard Baier has been appointed director of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development.

Nebraska Governor Mike Johanns has appointed Richard Baier as the state's first rural development director. Baier will work closely with the new Nebraska Rural Development Commission.

In these tight state fiscal times, many government functions would view level funding with the previous year as very good news. Since tech-based economic development (TBED) programs are investments toward economic prosperity, conventional wisdom would hold that legislatures would shield these types of investments from deep cuts.

The University of Nebraska Technology Park has named Steve Frayser as president.

Legislators in Utah have passed a constitutional amendment that, with approval by voters, would allow the state's universities to take ownership in private businesses in exchange for intellectual property. The proposed amendment cleared the Utah State Legislature with relative ease, despite some concerns it will thwart the incentive of researchers wanting to commercialize their results.

Investments in science and technology (S&T) – from higher education to industry research and development (R&D) – are the decisive factors in creating a sustainable economic future, a new study finds.

Dan Curran is the new director of the Business Development Division of the Nebraska Department of Development.

Tim Rubald, interim executive director of the Nevada Commission on Economic Development, was appointed to the position on a permanent basis.

Chuck Henderson has announced he will retire as president of the University of Nebraska's 130-acre Technology Park next June.

Carla Patterson is the new director of the Nebraska Manufacturing Extension Partnership.

Rod Linton has been tapped to lead Utah's new Office of Science & Technology within the Dept. of Community & Economic Development. Mike Keene is the new State Science Advisor and Director of the Centers of Excellence Program.