April 2006
Welcome New TA Board Members, and Thank You to Our Renewing Members!
Three outstanding individuals were elected to the TA board at its January 19th meeting. We are thrilled to welcome new members Dr. Christopher Elias, Karen Hedine and Cheryl Vedoe, and look forward to working with them to advance our organization’s mission.
Dr. Elias is President of the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH), which works to advance health care technologies for low-resource settings, strengthen health care systems and encourage healthy behaviors in more than 100 countries throughout the world. Prior to joining PATH, he was a senior associate in the International Programs Division of the Population Council, where he served as the country representative in Thailand for six years and managed reproductive health programs throughout Southeast Asia.
Ms. Hedine is President & CEO of Redmond-based Micronics, Inc., which develops point-of-use diagnostic systems for real-time patient test results. She has over 15 years’ experience in the biotechnology industry and international expertise, having served in executive positions at three international technology companies in Canada, England and Germany and possessing extensive licensing experience in Asia. Ms. Hedine serves on the board of the Washington Biotechnology & Biomedical Association and as a consultant on technology transfer to the University of Washington.
Ms. Vedoe is President & CEO of Apex Learning Inc., a provider of online education solutions at the middle and high school levels, including distance learning, curriculum resources and test preparation. Prior to leading Apex, she was Vice President of Education Products and Marketing at Apple and served as president of Apple’s PowerSchool division. Previously, Ms. Vedoe was CEO of Post Communications and held engineering and marketing management positions at Sun Microsystems, Apollo Computer and Digital Equipment Corporation.
The TA is also pleased that eight current members have renewed their commitment to board service:
- Bill Grinstein, Senior Advisor, Battelle/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
- Ken Myer, Principal, Atlantis Consulting Group
- Ron Howell, President, Washington Research Foundation
- Robert Nelsen, Managing Director, ARCH Venture Partners
- Chris Rice
- Marty Smith, Partner, Preston Gates & Ellis
- Melissa Waggener Zorkin, CEO, President & Founder, Waggener Edstrom
- Chad Waite, General Partner, OVP Venture Partners
Thank you to our new and continuing board members for your support of the TA and its work!
Innovation & Inspiration: Celebrating 10 Years of Forward Thinking at the 2006 State of Technology Luncheon, Featuring Amazon.com Founder Jeff Bezos
- Monday, May 15, 2006
- The Westin, Seattle
- Networking & registration: 11:00 am
- Doors open: 11:30 am
- Luncheon program: 11:45 am – 1:30 pm
In the mid 1990’s, Jeff Bezos was inspired by a burgeoning innovation called the Internet to make his way from New York to Seattle to set up shop as Amazon.com. In the company’s initial month of operation, Jeff fielded customer orders from 50 states and nearly as many countries in Amazon’s very first fulfillment center: his garage. From this humble beginning, Jeff led Amazon into new and expanded territory, adding features and product offerings to become the online retail powerhouse we know and love today, as well as the ultimate Seattle startup success story.
On Monday, May 15, Jeff will sit down with Technology Alliance board member Ed Lazowska, Bill & Melinda Gates Chair in Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington, to share his thoughts on maintaining an innovative spirit, his drive to make Amazon “Earth’s most customer-centric company,” and staying competitive in the 21st century global economy.
The Inland Northwest Science and Technology Connection: PNNL Director Len Peters Kicks Off First Season of Spokane STRT
Eighty-five people turned out for the opening breakfast of the Technology Alliance’s new Spokane Science & Technology Roundtable program on January 6th. Dr. Len Peters, director of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and a member of the TA board, started off the season with a presentation on the latest research and important contributions of PNNL. He emphasized how the lab’s many partnerships in eastern Washington, on initiatives ranging from homeland security to agriculture to energy, are making a difference in our state, our nation and the world.
STRT Podcasts and the Trumba Calendar
Catch the ones you missed, share your favorites with colleagues and friends, or discover for the first time what’s so special about the Science & Technology Roundtable with our new podcasts. And when you’re done, be sure not to miss future STRT breakfasts and other Technology Alliance events with the Trumba Calendar, another exciting new feature on the TA web site.
Dealing with Darwin: A luncheon workshop with bestselling author Geoffrey Moore
Mark your calendars! The Technology Alliance is proud to present a luncheon workshop with Geoffrey Moore, author of Dealing with Darwin: How Great Companies Innovate at Every Phase of Their Evolution on Thursday, July 13th at the Westin in Seattle.