WIRED
Planning Meetings throughout Region
ITAAO conducted planning meetings on May
1, in Athens, and May 3, in Portsmouth on the Department of
Labor WIRED – Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic
Development grant.
The grant was awarded to ITAAO, through the Ohio Department
of Job and Family Services, to continue its efforts to develop
a Region of Excellence in Interactive Digital Technology (IDT).
The grant of 5.1 million dollars over a three year period
will be used to develop a continuum of training and workforce
support for the newly exploding computer training and simulation
industry known as serious games.
The planning sessions have been well attended and extremely
productive, said Gary Little, president of ITAAO. Twenty nine
attended the planning session in Athens, and twenty six were
a part of the event in Portsmouth. The participants have included
private business people, workforce development officials,
economic development staff, elected officials, educators from
all age levels, and students in interactive digital technology
degree programs.
The planning sessions are managed by a facilitation team from
the Institute for Local Government Administration and Region
Development (ILGARD), a division of the Ohio University George
Voinovich School for Leadership and Government Affairs.
The half day events include opening project concept presentations
by Bill Sams, Executive in Residence with Ohio University,
and ITAAO Board Member, and by Tom Stead, former Chair of
the School of Fine and Digital Arts at Shawnee State University.
After these presentations the facilitators lead full-group
and sector discussions on collaborative arrangements and methods
to enhance workforce development in IDT in Appalachian Ohio.
The information gathered at the WIRED Planning Meetings, and
from individual interviews with key players from the various
sectors will be incorporated in an implementation plan to
be presented to the Department of Labor later this summer.
A third planning meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 16,
2007, at the Kent State University Tuscarawas Campus in New
Philadelphia. The meeting will be from 1:30 to 4:30 in the
Science and Advanced Technology Center. The planning meetings
are open to the public.
WIRED Leadership Team Forming
ITAAO has been working with organizations and institutions
in Appalachian Ohio and in neighboring states over the last
four years to develop a Region of Excellence in Interactive
Digital Technology (IDT). A Leadership Team is now being formalized
to provide oversight and direction for the region-wide effort
to build an interactive digital technology workforce and industry.
The Leadership Team will have direct governance responsibility
for the Department of Labor WIRED (Workforce Innovation in
Regional Economic Development) grant.
The first formal meeting of the Leadership Team was held on
Monday, April 30, 2007 at the ITAAO offices in the Ohio University
Innovation Center. The Leadership Team
Members currently include:
Chris Abbuhl, County Commissioners, Tuscarawas
County
Greg Andrews, Dean, Kent State University Tuscarawas
Kevin Aspegren, Director, Business Dev. Group, Ohio University
Brice Bible, CIO, Ohio University
Mark Birnbrich, Asst. Deputy Director, ODJFS
Paul Brown, President, Zane State College
Angie Cantrel, CEO, ACEnet
Linda Clark, Director, OU Innovation Center
Phil Coyner, President, IT Toolworks, LLC
Lisa Duvall, Director, Governor’s Regional Office
Lynn Gellermann, President, Adena Ventures
Ted Gentsch, Director of Information Services, Lauren International
Charlotte Hatfield, President, Washington State Community
College
Stan Jennings, Superintendent, Scioto Joint Vocational School
Dan Krivicich, CEO, Electronic Vision
Gary Lambert, Executive Director, ACCEL
Gary Little, President, ITAAO
Doug Mann, Special Asst. to Dean, OU College of Osteopathic
Medicine
Christi Mash, Director, Governor’s Regional Office
Joe McGraw, owner,
Ed McKell, VP for Development, Horizon TelCo
Rita Rice-Morris, President, Shawnee State University
Linda O’Connor, Deputy Director, ODJFS
Rosie Picklesimer, Director, WIB Region 1
Tom Reiser, Commissioner, Scioto County
Conard Richardson, CIO, Gatewood Products
Bill Sams, WIRED Program Manager, Executive in Residence,
University Outreach, OU
Jennifer Simon, CEO, Athens Area Chamber of Commerce
B.J. Smith, Director of External Affairs, ATT
Tom Stead, Professor, Shawnee State University
Alice Stevens, Director, WIB Region 6
Mark Sullivan, Commissioner, Athens County
Larry Triplett, President, Resource Systems
Jeff Welch, VP for Business & Retirement Services, Peoples
Bank
Mark Weinberg, Director, OU George Voinovich School of Leadership
& Government Affairs
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on August 1, 2007, the 6th
Annual Board Meeting was
held at the Walter Lecture Hall Rotunda on the
Ohio University campus. ITAAO Board Chairman, Doug Mann, presented
the organizations accomplishments and the expectations for
the coming year.
The Board members elected the Board of Governors
for the 2007/2008 program year.as well as new members
The Board currently includes:
Phil Coyner
Ted Gentsch
Gary Lambert
Doug Mann
Ed McKell
Rita Rice-Morris
James Connard Richardson
B.J. Smith
Larry Triplett
Jeff Welch
Dan Allwine
Bill Treciak
Marcus Bost
Click
on the News Headlines below to view more information
2006
News
2005
News
- SO I.T. Now on the News
Stands
ITAAO's new
student publication, SO I.T., is now available. The
second publication has articles on 3 rd Frontier Internship
Program, on interns that have landed IT jobs in the region,
on growing computer gaming clubs in the region, with additional
article on starting up your own IT company and the need for
business plans, as well as features on successful IT companiesin
the region.
The publication
is intended to introduce the region's high school and college
students to information technology business, organization,
and education activities in the region.......all in an effort
to link IT students to IT enterprises in the region, and even
encourage the development of new IT entrepreneurs from the
crop of IT students in the region's colleges, universities,
tech and community colleges.
SO I.T.
is available on-line in pdf format at www.itaao.net.
Go to the itaaojobs pages.Hard copies
are also available at the ITAAO office in Athens. Call if
you would like copies shipped to your school, or organization.
If any students
or student organizations have news worthy information for
SO I.T. , you are encouraged to contact ITAAO at
itaao@itaao.net
ITAAO
Receives Governor's Office of Appalachia Funding to Develop
a Regional Technology Council
ITAAO received
a grant of $49,000., at the end of June from the Governors
Office of Appalachia to develop a regional technology council.
The council will be a membership organization of high tech
companies, enterprises, and institutions working together
to promote high tech industry development, research, and education
in the region to state and federal bodies. A portion of the
funds will also be available to promote the information technology
sector of the region through High Tech Ohio, and itaaojobs
web sites. ITAAO will be working with the Athens Area Chamber
of Commerce and the Ohio University College of Communications
to accomplish the grant objectives.
Register
your jobs online here
Website specializes in IT jobs
in the region. Itaaojob.com has local, and sometimes not so
local, job postings. Resumes and contact info can also
be posted. The is also a link to a publication on IT
happenings in the region and on internship activities.
SO I.T. has a lot of ideas and a lot of connections in the
region.
Get your college interns
while they're hot!
ITAAO can place 80 college interns in the region! Through
a grant from the Ohio Department of Development, 3rd Frontier
Internship Program, ITAAO has eighty slots available for IMMEDIATE
placement in IT and high tech position throughout the region.
Companies can receive up to $3,000., reimbursement for hiring
Ohio resident college students that are majoring in the sciences.
Students must be Sophomores or Juniors, or Seniors that are
working in their second year on the 3rd Frontier Internship
Program. Second year technical college or community
college science students are also eligible. Contact ITAAO
if you are a company wanting interns. If you are a student
wanting an Internship placement, also contact ITAAO. or click
on this link for the 3rd Frontier Program website. http://www.ohio3fip.com/3fip_bro01.php |
