SSTI Job Corner
Complete descriptions of these opportunities and others are available at http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm.
Tennessee Governor Requests $29.3M for Jobs Package, Research
Referring to his fiscal year 2008-09 budget recommendation as “back to basics,” Gov. Phil Bredesen proposed significant investments in research and workforce initiatives while vowing not to tap into reserves or raise taxes.
SSTI Job Corner
A complete description of this opportunities and others is available at http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm.
Tennessee Governor Requests Funding for TBED, Alternative Fuels in Next Budget
Gov. Phil Bredesen’s budget proposal for 2007-2008 includes more than $100 million in new funding for several new education and high-tech development initiatives and a strategy to spur the state’s alternative fuels industry.
South Carolina Governor Proposes $2M for Broadband
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford announced that his budget for fiscal year 2007-08 will include a request for $2 million to bring high-speed Internet access to rural parts of the state. This allocation from the state’s Capital Reserve Fund would be used to create a Rural Broadband fund to increase broadband penetration in underserved communities and is designed to boost economic development by providing Internet access to students, businesses and entrepreneurs.
SC, UT Chambers Want Bigger TBED Efforts
Business community advocacy for public investments in technology-based economic development (TBED) may make the difference between legislators appropriating programs $1 million or $100 million.
Texas Gov. Requests $300M for New TBED Effort
Gov. Rick Perry is asking the Texas Legislature to appropriate $300 million for a new program designed to foster emerging technologies, enhance university-industry collaboration, and promote technology commercialization. If approved, the multi-faceted effort would be the most aggressive tech-based economic development initiative in the state's history.
Funding Cleared for $3B Stem Cell Research in California
Texas Voters Likely to Decide on Similar Level for Cancer Research
After years of legal challenges to the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Act, the path for funding the $3 billion initiative has been cleared by the California Supreme Court. Texas may soon join the race to fund medical research with its own $3 billion bond issue supporting cancer research.
Job Corner: TTDC Seeks President & CEO
The Tennessee Technology Development Corporation (TTDC), the lead organization in Tennessee for technology-based economic development, is seeking a president and chief executive officer (CEO). This position is responsible for the overall direction and management of TTDC and its programs, including resource development, finances, contracts, compliance reporting and operational policies. He or she will work with a 22-member board of directors to establish and successfully implement a work plan that fulfills the organization's mission.
People & TBED Organizations
The Houston Technology Center has launched its new Emerging Technology Council.
People
South Carolina Research Authority president Larry Druffel has announced he will retire next year.
People
Joe James, director of the South Carolina Council on Competitiveness, has resigned his position with the S.C. Department of Commerce.
People
SSTI congratulates Tom Persons, president and CEO of the South Carolina Technology Alliance, for receiving the Individual Achievement Award from the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce.
Texas STEM Program Finds Improved S&E Attitudes, Perceptions
Many minority population groups are historically underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. This is particularly true of the country's Latino population, one of the fastest growing segments of the U.S workforce. As a result, several state and regional tech-based economic development programs are looking for ways to broaden participation in STEM fields. A recent evaluation of a Texas program finds encouraging results, perhaps suggesting a model for others to replicate.
Texas Unveils First Phase of Cluster Initiative
Gov. Rick Perry announced last month a long-term, strategic job creation plan that will focus state efforts on six industry clusters that economists say will be the engine of future job creation and economic growth in the U.S. Although the state already has an advantage in terms of a growing workforce, the key is retaining workers that are skilled and trained in emerging technology fields, the governor said.
People
Michael Terry, president and CEO of EmergeMemphis, has announced he will resign at the end of the year.
People
Gary Schneider is the new chairman of the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce (S.C.).
People
The Sacramento Regional Technology Alliance is losing its executive director as Clare Emerson has announced she is relocating to oversee AEA's Texas office.
People and Organizational News
Jeff Wadsworth has been named the next director of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Wadsworth was a former deputy director of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
SC Commits $30M To University R&D...
South Carolina's three major research universities were awarded a total of $30 million this week to establish the state's first six centers of excellence, according to The State, a Columbia, S.C.-based newspaper.
...while Texas Gov. Cuts $54.5M for Academic Research
As many states are striving to increase their academic research capacity in areas that will strengthen long-term economic competitiveness, the governor of the Lone Star State is pursuing an alternate course that closely resembles traditional business recruitment and retention models.
People
Fred Tompkins, professor and interim dean of the University of Tennessee (UT) College of Engineering, has been named interim executive director of the UT Research Foundation.
Texas Abolishes TDED, Governor's Office Takes Over
For Texas, the appropriate role for the state to serve in fostering economic development continues to evolve. With the passage of Senate Bill 275 earlier this month, the third organization in seven years will take the lead to encourage economic growth — this time with a strong focus on clusters and technology-based economic development.
Women's Business Center Opens in South Carolina
The South Carolina Women's Business Center has opened its doors and already has 30 customers, the South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (SCMEP) recently announced. Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., the Women's Business Center will focus on serving only manufacturing facilities in 2003 but will add services to other types of businesses in 2004.
People
Richard Greene, director of the Arlington Technology Incubator and former mayor of Arlington Texas, has been appointed regional administrator of the U.S. EPA.