Gov. Gregoire Appoints Egils Milbergs Director of New Economic Development Commission

For Immediate Release: January 23, 2008

OLYMPIA � Gov. Chris Gregoire today appointed Egils Milbergs director of the newly formed Economic Development Commission. Milbergs was selected through a joint process involving the governor and the Economic Development Commission.

�Mr. Milberg�s national reputation and unique talents will be a tremendous asset to our state in implementing the state business plan, Next Washington,� said Governor Gregoire. �We can create even more family wage jobs in Washington by streamlining our state economic development initiatives.�

Milberg and the Commission will play a key role in updating the state�s economic development vision and strategies, she said.

Last year, the Legislature changed the composition of the Commission and expanded its responsibilities. The 18-member Commission includes 11 voting members appointed by the governor.

�The Commission is very pleased to have attracted a director with such high caliber credentials and national experience,� said Economic Development Commission Chair, Melanie Dressel.

Egils Milbergs is founder and president of the Center for Accelerating Innovation. The Center conducts research on the changing nature of the innovation process and consults with start-ups, corporations, associations and governments on growth acceleration strategies. Milbergs played a principal role in the National Innovation Initiative (NII), the Innovation Vital Signs project of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

From 1998-2003, he served as president of the National Coalition for Advanced Manufacturing, an industry-led organization aimed at improving the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing. He established the Advanced Manufacturing Leadership Council, which organized a powerful policy consensus on R&D, human capital, and supply chain issues focused on strengthening the �extended production enterprise.� In 1994, he founded Learning Access to pioneer Internet applications in the K-12 education sector, including a unique multi-million dollar partnership of Internet-based after-school centers called the Chicago Neighborhood Learning Network.

From 1986-1993, Milbergs served as president of the non-partisan Institute for Illinois, a partnership of the Illinois Congressional Delegation, business and research community. A major accomplishment was implementing a $2 billion federal R&D project portfolio for improving the state�s research and technology infrastructure. He served as an advisor to the president of Virginia�s Center for Innovative Technology (CIT), and gained legislative approval and budget for its first strategic technology plan and space commercialization initiative.

From 1980-1986, Milbergs served as deputy assistant secretary for productivity, technology and innovation at the U.S. Commerce Department under Malcolm Baldridge in the Reagan Administration.

Milbergs is a graduate of Harvard College, where he concentrated in public policy and economics. He lectures frequently on the subject of technology policy, innovation, entrepreneurship and global competitiveness issues.

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