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U.S. Secretary of Commerce Appoints Dr. Emily Reichert to Advisory Council to Help Expand Entrepreneurship and Promote American Innovation

Somerville, Mass., and Washington D.C. – September 19, 2016 – U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker today announced the appointment of Dr. Emily Reichert and 29 private sector, nonprofit, and academic leaders to serve on the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NACIE). Selected from a pool of more than 200 accomplished applicants, the council members will offer recommendations for policies and programs designed to make U.S. communities, businesses, and the workforce more globally competitive.

“The members of NACIE provide important counsel to the Department of Commerce on the types of federal policies that will support entrepreneurship, innovation, and job-driven workforce training, all of which are critical to American competitiveness,” said Secretary Pritzker. “As ‘America’s Innovation Agency,’ we value the expertise of our private sector partners and appreciate the opportunity to incorporate their views into our policymaking process.”

Established in 2010, NACIE operates as an independent entity managed through the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which is housed in the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration.

“As an advocate of the innovation and entrepreneurship fields—specifically those related to energy and environment—I’m honored to serve Secretary Pritzker and the Department of Commerce as they continue to develop policies and standards to advance our nation’s innovation economy,” said Dr. Reichert. “I believe when private and public sector leaders come together, visions turn into reality and we all go farther, faster. It’s a privilege to collaborate with my fellow NACIE appointees and I’m eager to get to work!”

NACIE members, who will each serve a two-year term, have demonstrated expertise and experience in the areas of innovation, entrepreneurship, and employer-driven talent development. In reviewing applications, the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship sought a diverse group of nationally recognized leaders representing different demographics, organization size, industry sector, and geographic regions to provide a balanced viewpoint on these issues. NACIE will convene four times each year, with its inaugural meeting scheduled for October 2016.

Now in its third membership cycle, NACIE members appointed today — in addition to Dr. Reichert — are:

  • Rebecca O. Bagley – Vice Chancellor for Economic Partnerships, University of Pittsburgh
  • Esther M. Baldwin – Director of Innovation, Intel
  • Brian J. Bartholomeusz – Executive Director, TomKat Center for Sustainable Energy, Stanford University
  • Heather Boesch – Director of Business Operations, IDEO
  • Trey Bowles – Cofounder of The Dallas Innovation Alliance (DIA); and CEO, The Dallas Entrepreneur Center
  • Melissa L. Bradley (Co-chair) – Director, AU Center for Innovation in the Capital
  • Kathryn Finney – Founder and Managing Director, digitalundivided
  • Scott Frederick – Development Partner & Head of Federal, New Enterprise Associates
  • Kara Goldin – Founder & CEO, Hint Inc.
  • Julie K. Goonewardene* – Associate Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Strategic Investment/Managing Director of the UT Horizon Fund, University of Texas System
  • Orin Herskowitz – Executive Director, Vice President of Intellectual Property and Tech Transfer, Columbia Technology Ventures, Columbia University
  • Richard A. Johnson – Associate Vice President, Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation
  • Joseph Kapp – Entrepreneur in Residence, Eastern WV Community & Technical College; and CEO, Behavioral Business, LLC
  • David S. Kenney* – President & Executive Director, Oregon BEST
  • Pradeep K. Khosla – Chancellor, University of California, San Diego
  • Marie Trzupek Lynch* – CEO, Skills for Chicagoland’s Future
  • Mike Nemeth – Founder & CEO, S3 Planning
  • Andrew D. Reamer – Research Professor, George Washington University
  • Joseph L. Schocken – President, Broadmark Capital, LLC
  • Sue Griffith Smith – Vice President of Technology and Applied Science, Ivy Tech Community College
  • Whitney S. Smith – Executive Director of Midwest, Global Philanthropy, JPMorgan Chase
  • Tiffany M. Stevenson – Vice President, Talent Management & Development, Sephora USA, Inc.
  • Stephen S. Tang* (Co-chair) – President & CEO, University City Science Center
  • Eric J. Toone – Vice Provost & Director, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Duke University
  • Howard A. Tullman – CEO, 1871; and General Managing Partner, Chicago High Tech Investment Partners, LLC
  • Maribel Perez Wadsworth – Senior Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer, Gannett Company Inc.
  • Tiffany J. Wilson* – Executive Director, Global Center for Medical Innovation
  • Chad Womack – Director of STEM Initiatives, United Negro College Fund
  • Andrew Yang – Founder and CEO, Venture for America

* reappointed member

To learn more about the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, visit www.eda.gov/oie/nacie/.

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