New Iowa Innovation Council Features Tech Corridor Leaders

7/13/2010

New Advisory Group Seeks to Drive New Strategy to Implement Economic Growth by Focusing on New Public-Private Partnerships

Ensuring Iowa competitiveness in the global economy for jobs and business growth, the Iowa Department of Economic Development has empowered a group of Iowa's top business leaders to identify strategic opportunities to spur best practices for long term growth in the state.  This new advisory group is known as the Iowa Innovation Council (IIC).

"The Iowa Innovation Council utilizes our state's brightest business minds to ensure we remain competitive in the global business economy," said Governor Chet Culver.  "This first meeting marks the beginning of unified efforts between business representatives and government officials to develop methods and policies that will foster innovation and the entrepreneurial spirit."

Moving beyond the parameters of traditional economic development, which often focuses solely on a state's natural attributes, the Iowa Innovation Council will place a renewed emphasis on advancing Iowa's status as a national center of emerging industry.  Concentrating on developing an innovation-based economy and working with the state's knowledge-based strengths, such as the community college and university system, the Council will develop strategies to leverage the state's specialized talent pool into available jobs.

Led by the state's top business leaders, the Council will work with and advise the Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED) on public policy and strategic initiatives to spur innovation-based economic development in Iowa.  The IIC will develop new strategies and long-term innovation plans to ensure the state stays competitive in the global business economy.

The Iowa Innovation Council was formally created earlier this year when Governor Chet Culver signed the legislation into law.  It is the product of consolidating three existing organizations, the Bioscience Alliance, Advanced Manufacturing Council and Information Technology Council, into a streamlined organization that moves the state's strategic economic development into one cohesive unit.

The Council consists of 29 voting members and four ex-officio members.  Of these, 20 of the members are business leaders within the targeted, high-growth industries who have volunteered for the position.  The remaining nine were appointed by the Governor and government agencies, as required by the enacting legislation.  A full list of the members of the council is listed below.

Iowa Innovation Council

Theodore Crosbie, Chair

VP Global Plant Breeding Monsanto (Ames)

Iowa's Chief Technology Officer

 

Glenn Baker   

Director, Engineering, Technology & Quality

Deere and Company (Des Moines)

 

Christine Boge-Hubbard

Senior VP, Integrated Supply Chain

Integrated DNA Technologies (Coralville)

 

Curt Carlson

President and CEO

BodyViz (Ames)

 

Irving Hahn

President

QCI (Des Moines)

 

Roger Hardens

President and CEO

AccuMold (Ankeny)

 

Jack Harris

Director, AdvancedManufacturing Technology

Rockwell Collins (Cedar Rapids)

 

Peter Hemken

VP, Strategic Planning

DuPont/Pioneer (Johnston)

 

Kate Holt

Senior Director Business Development & Alliance Management

KemPharm, Inc. (North Liberty)

 

Peter Hong

VP/COO

NewTech Ceramics (Laurens)

 

Chris Kavars

Principal

SENSR (Elkader)

 

Mark Kittrell

President

TEAM Companies (Cedar Falls)

 

Mary Landhuis

President

EZ Way, Inc. (Clarinda)

 

Denise Link

Vice President Phasient Learning

Technologies (Ames)

 

Maureen Lockwood

Manufacturing Manager

Thombert, Inc (Newton)

 

Chris Nelson

President

Kemin Industries, Inc. (Des Moines)

 

Karen Pease

CEO

Celadon Applications (Iowa City)

 

Bob Riley

President and CEO

Feed Energy Company (Des Moines)

 

Mark Schuet

President

American Natural Soy (Cherokee)

 

Joan Severson

President

Cognitive Media (Cedar Rapids)

 

Joanne Stockdale

President

Northern Iowa Die Casting (Lake Park)

 

Required Members by Legislation

Bret Mills

Executive Director

IDED (Des Moines)

 

Greg Geoffroy

President

Iowa State University (Ames)

 

Sharron Quisenberry (ISU alternate)

VP Research and Economic Development

Iowa State University (Ames)

 

Sally Mason

President

University of Iowa (Iowa City)

 

Jordan Cohen (U of I alternate)

VP for Research and Economic Development

University of Iowa (Iowa City)

 

Ben Allen

President

University of Northern Iowa (Cedar Falls)

 

Christine Twait (UNI alternate)

Assistant Provost for Sponsored Programs

University of Northern Iowa (Cedar Falls)

 

Lorri Tritch

Acting State CIO

Department of Administrative Services (Des Moines)

 

Rob Denson

President

Des Moines Area Community College (Des Moines)

 

Penny Wills

President

Northeast Iowa Community College (Peosta)

 

Iowa Capital Investment Board Representative

Rick Neumann

Nymaster Good (Des Moines)