SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO – October 8, 2014 – More than 230 delegates convened in Santa Fe, New Mexico for the University Economic Development Association’s (UEDA) 2014 Annual Summit. The three-day Summit, under the theme “Higher Education as a Catalyst for Economic Development: Innovation + Inspiration + Impact,” featured top speakers from across North America. “There has never been a more important time for this delegation to convene than now,” said Mike Dozier, UEDA’s 2014-15 President, and Executive Director of the Office of Community & Economic Development at California State University, Fresno.
“The UEDA Summit is an annual catalyst for new ideas, economic development collaboration, and conversations linking higher education and economic development,” Dozier added. “Our institutions of higher education are more than merely talent factories. They are the drivers of their modern regional economies through research, tech transfer, commercialization, business incubation, and community development.”
The UEDA Membership also elected Lindsay Emery, Executive Director of the CEDI Society, as its new vice president.
Each year, the Association elects new board members to serve terms of two years. Individuals newly elected to the board include:
- Camilla Bustamante, Interim Dean, School of Trades, Technology, Sustainability and Professional Studies, and the School of Business and Education, Santa Fe Community College
- Maureen Klovers, President & CEO, Lyon Park Associates
- Ashish Vaidya, Special Advisor to the President for Regional Economic Development, California State University, Los Angeles
Individuals re-elected to the board for a second term include:
- Christina Brown, Vice President Business Development Government and Education, Apollidon Learning
- Gene Merrell, Chief Technology Transfer Officer, University of Idaho
In addition, Kenny Flowers was appointed to serve the remaining year of a vacated board seat.
UEDA is the cornerstone membership organization representing higher education, private sector and community economic development stakeholders. The annual gathering brought together senior university officials, federal agencies, private sector firms and economic development intermediaries to take part in discussions on the future role and impact universities have on our nation’s competitiveness and economic development.
Highlighting the 2014 Annual Summit was a keynote address by William Fulton, Director of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University. Fulton kicked off the Summit framing the discussion of the conference to be that of developing economic development opportunities organically, rather than creating strategies of business attraction. Other sessions included topics of crowdfunding to commercialize innovations, university’s role in public-private partnerships, creating strategies for university collaboration and engagement. The Summit’s marquee programming included the Awards of Excellence finalist presentations, featuring leading higher education economic development initiatives from across North America. The category winners were announced (https://universityeda.org/2014-awards-of-excellence-winners-selected/) at the Awards of Excellence banquet on Tuesday evening.
“Our nation’s universities impact the three key pillars for modern economic growth: education, innovation, and community impact,” said UEDA Executive Director and President of Fourth Economy Consulting, Rich Overmoyer. “UEDA members must continue to be at the center of the national discussion on our nation’s economic competitiveness, ” Overmoyer added.
The 2015 UEDA Annual Summit will be held in Anchorage, Alaska, September 27-30, 2015.