Rebecca O. Bagley Appointed to U.S. Department of Commerce Innovation Advisory Board

CLEVELAND, May 4, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --  Rebecca O. Bagley, president and chief executive officer of NorTech, a nonprofit technology-based economic development organization serving 21 counties in Northeast Ohio, has been appointed to the U.S. Department of Commerce Innovation Advisory Board by Commerce Secretary Gary Locke. The new Innovation Advisory Board will guide a study of U.S. economic competitiveness and innovation to help inform national policies at the heart of U.S. job creation, competitiveness and global strength.

According to the Department of Commerce, the 15-member board will advise the Secretary of Commerce in coordination with the National Economic Council and other federal agencies for the development of the study – focused on America's innovative capacity and global economic competitiveness. The study will analyze the competitiveness of the U.S. economy and its capacity for innovation in comparison to that of our global competition – covering all facets of the economy impacted by national policy, including trade and exports, education, research and development, immigration, technology commercialization, intellectual property and tax policy.

The  Innovation Advisory Board was established as a result of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (COMPETES), which was signed into law by President Obama on January 4, 2011.  The COMPETES Act will continue to accelerate the nation's path to building an innovation economy for the 21st century. Board members will serve until the completion of the study – required before January 4, 2012.

"Together with the vast experience and insight of our new board members, the Department of Commerce will work to deliver the most comprehensive review of U.S. innovation and global competitiveness of the 21st century," Locke said. "With a better understanding of how the U.S. is performing in areas such as education, science and technology, and business development as compared to our economic competitors, we can make more targeted and more effective policy decisions that will create jobs, promote economic growth, and ultimately enable America to win the future."

"This is a great opportunity to shape future policy considerations that will advance economic growth in the United States," said Ms. Bagley.  She continued, "Northeast Ohio has made great progress and become a model for regional economies that are transitioning to be more diversified and innovative.  I look forward to sharing some of our region's best practices with the advisory board in order to develop policy recommendations that will successfully position the United States to compete in the global economy."

See the full list of Innovation Advisory Board members below.

1. Robert Atkinson, Founder and President, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
2. Rebecca O. Bagley, President & CEO, NorTech
3. Jim Clements, President, West Virginia University
4. Abby Joseph Cohen, President of the Global Markets Institute and Senior Investment Strategist, Goldman Sachs
5. Larry Cohen, President, Communications Workers of America
6. Judy Estrin, CEO, JLabs
7. Rebecca Henderson, Senator John Heinz Professor of Environmental Management at the Harvard Business School
8. Irwin Jacobs, Director (Cofounder and former CEO), Qualcomm
9. Arthur Levinson, Chairman, Genentech, Inc.
10. James Manyika, Director (Senior Partner), McKinsey & Company; Director, McKinsey Global Institute
11. Natalia Olson-Urtecho, President & CEO, EG (formerly Ecolibrium Group)
12. Kim Polese, Chairman, ClearStreet Inc.
13. Lucy Sanders, CEO and Co-Founder, National Center for Women & Information Technology
14. Julie Shimer, President & CEO, Welch Allyn
15. Stephen Tang, President, CEO & Director, University City Science Center    

NorTech is a regional nonprofit technology-based economic development organization serving 21 counties in Northeast Ohio.   As a catalyst for growing Northeast Ohio's emerging technology industries, NorTech is leading efforts to develop regional innovation clusters that create jobs, attract capital and have a long-term, positive economic impact.  www.nortech.org  

Media Contact:
Kelly South
Sr. Director, Communications
(216) 241-8458
[email protected]

SOURCE NorTech