ANCHORAGE, ALASKA – October 26, 2015 – More than 200 delegates convened in Anchorage, Alaska for the University Economic Development Association’s (UEDA) 2015 Annual Summit in September. The three-day Summit, under the theme “Unlocking Diversity: Innovation + Talent + Capital,” featured top speakers from across North America.
“With global competitiveness at the forefront of discussions in regions throughout North America, impactful and strategic ideas for economic growth are in high demand,” stated Dr. Rick Wolk, president of UEDA and principal of Rosewood Coaching. “The UEDA Annual Summit provides these concepts to the regional doers who can learn and replicate initiatives that are driving success in other communities.”
Wolk was elected UEDA’s vice president in 2013, during the Annual Summit in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Each year, the Association elects new board members to serve terms of two years. Individuals newly elected to the board include:
- Kenny Flowers, East Carolina University
- Meridith Jaeger, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh
- Nolan Klouda, University of Alaska, Anchorage
- John Provo, Virginia Tech
- Susan Sciame-Giesecke, Indiana University, Kokomo
The UEDA Membership also elected the following officers:
- President-Elect: Janice Kleinwort, Arizona State University
- Vice President: Bob Velasquez, University of Texas San Antonio
- Secretary / Treasurer: Genna Hurd, University of Kansas
The board also appointed the following members-at-large:
- Dan Ripke, California State University, Chico
Established in 1976, UEDA is North America’s membership organization that brings together public and private higher education; private sector; public agencies; and community economic development stakeholders in economic development. UEDA’s members work to expand economic opportunity and prosperity in our communities and regions by leveraging education / talent development; research and technology development; and community-building and place-making strategies.
Highlighting the 2015 Annual Summit was a keynote address by Sethuraman (Panch) Panchanathan, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Office of Knowledge Enterprise Development, Arizona State University. Panch’s engaging address focused on the American University and its role in driving real economic impact in modern communities. Dr. Jim Johnsen, President of the University of Alaska also addressed the attendees on the critical path ahead for building the Alaskan economy and the role of higher education in this effort.
The Summit also featured a university presidents’ panel with representatives from 1890s Land Grant institutions, including, Dr. Juliette B. Bell, President, University of Maryland – Eastern Shore; Dr. Jessica M. Bailey, Interim President, Fort Valley State University; and Dr. Kevin Rome, President, Lincoln University. Other sessions included topics such as Empowering Women in Technology Startups; The Shifting University Role in Leveraging Smart Data; Leveraging Student Ingenuity to Cultivate a Campus Culture of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Community Engagement; and much more. The cornerstone of the UEDA Annual Summit, the Awards of Excellence program, highlighted best practices for higher education economic development, while recognizing those programs that are highly impacting their own regions. The award category winners were announced at the Awards of Excellence banquet on Tuesday evening.
“Our recently released definition of higher education economic development shows the areas of talent, innovation, and sense of place converging to create relevant universities,” stated Wolk. “Our Summit program represents this convergence, as we challenge our participants to employ ideas and concepts to drive economic growth in each attendee’s home region.”
The 2016 UEDA Annual Summit will be held in Roanoke, Virginia, October 16-19, 2016.
For more information about UEDA, visit www.UniveristyEDA.org.
About UEDA
Established in 1976, UEDA is North America’s membership organization that brings together public and private higher education; private sector; public agencies; and community economic development stakeholders in economic development. UEDA’s members work to expand economic opportunity and prosperity in our communities and regions by leveraging education / talent development; research and technology development; and community-building and place-making strategies. UEDA’s mission is to serve its members by advancing knowledge and practice in economic engagement by institutions of higher education. https://universityeda.org