Spring 2007
A Warm Welcome and Heartfelt Appreciation to Our New and Renewing Board Members
The Technology Alliance board is pleased to welcome four outstanding leaders to its ranks in 2007: Marc Diamond, KPMG LLP, Mark Emmert, University of Washington, Jeremy Jaech, Trumba Corporation, and Lura Powell, Advanced Imaging Technologies, Inc. The TA is also celebrating the continuing commitment of 13 members who recently extended their board service.
Marc Diamond is a partner in CFO Advisory Services at KPMG LLP, where he services as the firm’s Global Lead Partner for Microsoft and the Advisory Market Leader for the Pacific Northwest region. He has over 30 years of experience in providing a range of process improvement and other advisory services to companies of various sizes in technology and other sectors.
Prior to his transfer to Seattle, Diamond worked for over 20 years in Silicon Valley. A Certified Public Accountant, he is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Washington and California societies of Certified Public Accountants, as well as being a member of the Redmond Chamber of Commerce. Diamond has been a featured speaker at numerous professional conferences and has served as an instructor for KPMG and external training courses. He received his Bachelor of Science degree with high honors from the University of Illinois – Champagne/Urbana.
Mark Emmert was appointed UW’s 30th president in June 2004. With the university already ranked as the leading public university in research grants and contracts, Dr. Emmert’s foremost goal as president is to further expand UW’s stellar national and international standing by working with faculty and staff to support the continued growth of important research and provide students with greater educational opportunities. Prior to his appointment at UW, Dr. Emmert served as chancellor of Louisiana State University from April 1999, following five years at University of Connecticut as chancellor and provost. He previously served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Montana State University and held administrative and faculty positions at University of Colorado.
Dr. Emmert was a J.W. Fulbright Administrative Fellow in Germany and a visiting scholar in Melbourne, Australia, and has conducted training programs in Hong Kong, Okinawa, Panama City and Guam. He previously served as chair of the Council of Academic Affairs for the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges, and currently co-chairs the NASULGC Board of Oceans and Atmosphere. A UW graduate, Dr. Emmert received his master’s and doctoral degrees in public administration from the Maxwell School of Syracuse University.
Jeremy Jaech is president and CEO of Trumba Corporation, a Seattle-based developer of event marketing technology and web-hosted calendar solutions. Prior to co-founding Trumba, Jaech founded and led two successful, market-creating software companies: Visio Corporation, developer of the first mass-market business drawing and diagramming software, and Aldus Corporation, the first company to create design software for graphic arts professionals using personal computers and laser printers. Jaech served as Visio’s president, CEO and chairman from 1990 until its acquisition by Microsoft in 2000. At Aldus, Jaech was the technical leader for the original development of PageMaker and served as vice president of engineering before the company was acquired by Adobe in 1994.
Jaech serves on the boards of RealNetworks, Inc. and privately-funded company Alibre Inc. He previously served on the TA board from 1997 to 2003. He holds a bachelor of arts in mathematics and a master of science in computer science from University of Washington.
Lura Powell is president and CEO of Richland-based Advanced Imaging Technologies, Inc., a leader in dense breast imaging marketing the ARIA Breast Imaging System, a cost-effective platform for enhanced imaging of dense breast tissue to improve diagnostic decision-making. Prior to ATI, Powell was senior vice president of Battelle and director of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. She previously served as director of the Advanced Technology Program at the National Institute of Standards and technology, overseeing the selection and management of a high-risk technology investment portfolio in excess of $2 billion.
In June 2005, Powell was appointed by Governor Christine Gregoire to serve as the first chair of the Washington Life Sciences Discovery Fund Authority board of trustees. She also serves on the boards of Avista Corporation and the Tri-City Industrial Development Council (TRIDEC), the National Board of Advisors of Washington State University’s College of Business and Economics, and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center’s Strategic Directions Committee. Powell received a bachelor’s in chemistry and doctorate in analytical chemistry from University of Maryland, and is an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
In addition to the elections of these four outstanding individuals, the TA is pleased that the following members have extended their commitment to the board:
- Scott Bergquist, Northwest Division Manager, Silicon Valley Bank
- David Clarke, Partner, Perkins Coie LLP
- Ed Fritzky, Former Chairman, CEO & President, Immunex Corporation
- Randy Hassler, Vice President, Facilities Operations, Site Administration, Amgen
- Ed Lazowska, Bill & Melinda Gates Chair in Computer Science & Engineering, University of Washington
- Richard McAniff, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Corporation
- Alan Nelson, Chairman & CEO, VisionGate, Inc.
- V. Lane Rawlins, President, Washington State University
- Vaho Rebassoo, CTO, Information Technology Services, The Boeing Company
- Dan Rosen, President & CEO, Dan Rosen & Associates
- Tom Simpson, Managing Partner, Northwest Venture Associates
- John Stanton, Partner, Trilogy Partners
- Doug Walker, Retired Chairman & CEO, WRQ, Inc.
We are grateful to our new and renewing board members for their dedication to the TA’s mission and for supporting the work that we do to advance education, research and entrepreneurship in Washington State.
TA Annual Luncheon Preview: A Candid Conversation with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer
- Thursday, May 31, 2007
- Washington State Convention & Trade Center
- Seattle
- Networking and registration: 11:00 am in the Skybridge
- Doors open: 11:30 am
- Luncheon program: 11:45 am – 1:30 pm
We don’t call Washington the “State of Technology” for nothing. Washington is home to a vibrant cluster of world-class research institutions and innovative companies delivering breakthrough discoveries and new products and services that enhance our lives at home, at work and at play.
Microsoft’s impact on all three can not be overstated. It is one of the most influential technology companies in the world, and one that put Washington firmly on the innovation map. On Thursday, May 31st, TA board member Ed Lazowska of the University of Washington will sit down with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to find out how the company does it, where it goes from here, and what he thinks Washington needs to do to cement our claim as the “State of Technology” far into the future.
“The Best Gig in Town,” and MBA Fellows Rise to the Occasion
Every autumn, two new MBA fellows take over the day to day operation of the Alliance of Angels, 
screening business plans, working with entrepreneurs, and helping investors get the most out of their AoA membership. Rebecca Lovell and Avniel Dravid, the 2006-2007 program managers, are the latest in a line of energetic and knowledgeable MBA fellows serving as the public face of AoA. And they are overseeing a resurgence of investment by our members, culminating in the greatest number of deals completed of any year in the program’s history.
Stalking the World’s #1 Cancer Killer: Dr. Alan Nelson Shares His Vision for Regular Lung Cancer Screening at the Seattle Science & Technology Discovery Series
The World Health Organization estimates that one million new cases of lung cancer are diagnosed annually around the globe. At least 21 million people in the United States alone are considered to be at high risk of developing the disease, and 162,000 of those die of lung cancer each year at a cost of $50 billion. 
Most lung cancer cases are diagnosed in the later stages, when the five-year survival rate barely approaches 15%. Early detection could improve the rate to 75% or greater – if only we had an effective way to screen for the disease.
Thanks to Dr. Alan Nelson and VisionGate, we may soon have one. In his presentation to Seattle Discovery Series members, Dr. Nelson shared these grim statistics on lung cancer and how a breakthrough technology developed by his company, Gig Harbor-based VisionGate, Inc., has the potential to revolutionize how we deal with this killer disease.
The Science & Technology Discovery Series: Food for Thought!
Our Seattle and Spokane Discovery Series programs bring you the latest developments in science and technology from our state’s most innovative institutions and companies. All our members have to do is bring their curiosity – and a healthy appetite. Here, we look ahead to what’s on tap for the remainder of this season, and offer a sneak preview of what’s coming up in 2007-2008.