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| MATR Newsletter - Tue Apr 24, 2007 |
“If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man.” Albert Einstein http://www.celsias.com ... dive/
"Montana's Economy and University System will benefit by passage of HB830 to bring Deep Computing "Supercomputer" to the State." http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html ---------------- Excellent opportunities for Montana businesses to develop new international relationships "Business Networking Opportunities And Contacts At Montana Economic Summit, 4/30-5/1, Butte" http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html ----- Looking forward to seeing you in Butte next week. If you see me, please let me know what you think of MATR. I'm always interested in ways to improve its value. Russ
Boomtown Institute
Come Home Montana
- The Agurban from Boomtown Institute - The Top States, Conclusion
The IT revolution gives companies and individuals more geographical freedom, making it easier for businesses to relocate, or start up and grow in less densely populated states farther away from existing agglomerations of industry and commerce.
Developing a more Entrepreneurial Montana
- Montana Career Opportunity - Webmaster - New West Publishing
The position can be based either at New West headquarters in Missoula, or at the Flathead Beacon offices in Kalispell.
Developing Tech Jobs in Rural Communities
- Seeding Entrepreneurship Across Campus: Early Implementation Experiences of the Kauffman Campuses Initiative
Because entrepreneurs and innovative ideas can arise from within any academic discipline, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation has encouraged the expansion of entrepreneurship programs and activities campus-wide to provide educational opportunities in entrepreneurship to all students, regardless of their field.
- Hewlett Packard Offering Granfs for Microenterprise Programs
The awards are focused on providing technology access for entrepreneurs and on training micro-entrepreneurs in the use of technology to build and grow their businesses.
Montana Education Excellence
- "Making the Grass Greener: Recommendations to Attract, Retain, Develop & Support Knowledge Workers"
This report also assumes that change is needed and wanted; otherwise there is no need to do a report.
- Number of U.S. tech jobs rises despite fears of outsourcing
Tech executives are also backing a federal bill moving through the Senate seeking more math and science teachers in poor schools.
- The Best States For Tech Jobs--And The Worst
If you've ever thought about quitting your mundane, low-paying office job for a cushy position in the lucrative high-tech sector, now might be a good time to do it.
Education
- MAPS - Media Arts in Public Schools earns national success. Corvallis media arts founder, Peter Rosten, surprised by project's success. Scholarships - and a crack at fame - available
“We were hired to create a campaign that increased awareness about College Goal Sunday,” Rosten says. College Goal Sunday brings students and parents to 13 campuses in Montana to help them fill out forms for financial assistance, and “they had a 46 percent increase in attendance, which suggests our kids' advertising campaign worked.”
- Montana Indian College Student of the Year, Tyler Hoyt has big plans
The award is given to students who make positive contributions to Montana's Native American people.
2007 Montana Legislature
- Aligning Postsecondary Expectations and High School Practice: The Gap Defined
What postsecondary instructors expect entering college students to know is far more targeted and specific than what high school teachers view as important.
Montana Business
- Southern rail line off track in Senate
Funding for a feasibility study for Amtrak passenger rail service on the southern route, which passes through Livingston, died in the Montana Legislature, but the study could be funded by the Montana Department of Transportation.
- Full-time kindergarten debated
Joe McMahon, Eastgate Elementary principal, says that more than 60 percent of kindergartners in the U.S. are attending a full-day everyday program. He adds that researchers say it is the best approach during critical years of learning.
- Don't play games with Montanans' lives
This isn't a game of Texas Hold 'Em. It's not chess or another board game. Legislators glibly talk about their “end game,” but it's people's lives and livelihoods they're talking about. Please, legislators, act like you know that.
- Montana's Economy and University System will benefit by passage of HB830 to bring Deep Computing "Supercomputer" to the State.
As international competition grows, Montana risks becoming irrelevant in the global economy if we do not provide the technology infrastructure to support academic institutions and private businesses. For this reason, it is imperative that you and fellow legislators support the business communities in Montana by voting in favor of HB830 (and other key legislation) as an important economic development measure.
Montana Economic Development
- Genesys and RightNow Create Seamless Customer Experience Across the Internet and Contact Center
Customer Service Leaders Genesys and RightNow Deliver Integrated Solution for Customer Interaction Management, Voice Self-Service and Multi-Channel Contact
Developing Funding Opportunities in Montana
- Montana Technology Innovation Partnership - Educational Events In Montana
The Montana Technology Innovation Partnership Program is offering some exciting new seminars in 2007.
- Congressional strategy aims at bringing software company, InfoTech to Great Falls, Montana
InfoTech probably would start with 35 jobs in Great Falls, which could grow to 100 in the future, according to the earmark request the GFDA submitted to Baucus.
- Billion-dollar boon: Montana Alberta Tie would open door to flood of wind projects
The growth hinges on regulatory approval and construction of the Montana Alberta Tie, a 203-mile-long transmission line that would tie into the U.S. power grid at Great Falls and the Canadian grid in Lethbridge, Alberta.
- Butte abuzz over economic summit
International ambassadors, really rich guys and even some Montana celebs are coming to talk about development and ways to boost Montana’s companies and economy.
- Business Networking Opportunities And Contacts At Montana Economic Summit, 4/30-5/1, Butte
Participants are invited to join nearly 50 regional, national, and multinational companies and other entities at the Business Networking Expo. The Business Networking Expo will be a great opportunity for Montana entrepreneurs to get connected to the national and global marketplace.
- Montana first state to recognize new class of electric vehicle
Two incentives aimed at making the state's roads a little greener have passed muster with lawmakers, and one established Montana as the first state in the nation to recognize a new category of electric vehicle.
GIS Technology
- “Community Development Venture Capital: A Catalyst for Double Bottom-Line Results.”
Rural Business Investment Companies: Designed to Promote Small Rural Enterprises
Funding and Building your Business
- ISU professor leading effort to improve GPS precision
If successful, Wissa's effort to streamline a network for Idaho organizations such as the Idaho Transportation Department, Bureau of Land Management and Society of Professional Land Surveyors, could end up helping casual adventurers as well.
North Dakota Business and Economic Development
- What Small-Biz Owners Can Learn From Blogs
Here's a sampling of blogs in this niche and what small-business owners can get out of reading them.
- Ask SCORE Enhance effectiveness of employees
These five approaches will help you contribute to that effectiveness.
- Can a Company Be Run as a Democracy?
Advocates say such systems appeal to workers, particularly younger ones, searching for careers with meaning. "Everyone wants to be a somebody," says Traci Fenton, founder of WorldBlu Inc., a Washington organization that promotes workplace democracy.
Regional Economic Development
- Garrison, North Dakota man turns JM Grain into thriving export business
What started as a family farm searching for markets for peas has turned into an international exporting business that sends North Dakota commodities all over the world.
Utah Business
- A Telecast On Growing And Keeping Your Region's Businesses, 5/7, Internet
Joseph McClure will demonstrate how a rural area incorporated volunteers into a program known as Business Expansion and Retention or BEAR that has evolved into a three-tier network of volunteers.
- High-speed rail idea gains momentum
"The only people in the United States that have local funding to study the 11th High Speed Rail Corridor is us," said Bob Briggs, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Rail Authority. "(And) we think we're in a great position to get the designation once the study is completed."
- The new Shape of manufacturing
"There's some big holes in whatever strategy exists," said Ciriello. "You can't just say you're a technology state. Where's the meat on the bone?"
- County Sued Because General Plan Doesn't Consider Global Warming
The state attorney general has joined the suit. "It's really a failure to protect the health, safety and welfare of residents,"
Utah Economic Development
- Convergys finds success letting employees stay home to do their jobs. Great commute!
Benefits for Convergys, which offers customer service and billing services for companies nationwide, include better-performing employees and growth potential without more facilities.
- Utah tech guru's startup company lands major GE contract
An American Fork company led by a renowned young technology whiz has landed a major contract to provide General Electric Co. with backup software for its fleet of personal computers.
- 7 with Utah ties make BusinessWeek's list Top 50 Best Perfoming Companies list
BusinessWeek magazine has named seven companies with operations in Utah among its 50 Best Performing Companies. The rankings are the magazine's picks from each of the 10 sectors that make up the S&P 500.
Government Technology
- Utah higher education to 'bank' property. Plan is to buy up land needed for state's colleges, universities
"We need to be sure the future of education is served by having the appropriate amount of land available for expansion,"
Idaho Business
- Strategic Plan, Web Site, Released to Combat Identity Theft
The plan focuses on ways to improve the effectiveness of criminal prosecutions of identity theft; enhance data protection for sensitive consumer information maintained by the public sector, private sector, and consumers; provide more comprehensive and effective guidance for consumers and the business community; and improve recovery and assistance for consumers.
Washington State Business
- Reintegrating the workplace
"We still have more jobs than people."
Wyoming Business
- RAHCO of Spokane, WA sold to Danish concern
A transaction the buyer says likely will lead to employment growth here.
- Washington State firms rake in venture capital. Biotechnology the darling of quarter
Venture capitalists invested $365 million in Washington state companies during the first three months of the year
University Business Plan Competitions
- Industry backs Wyoming tech ed center
Two Campbell County commissioners have won support from 10 companies in the energy industry to raise local property taxes to help build a technical education center at Gillette College.
- Wyoming lags in industrial diversification
Idaho, along with Montana and Utah, had an index of over 95 percent - meaning it's largely succeeding when it comes to growing new industries.
Montana Education/Business Partnerships
- Students vie for funding; BYU team among best at the International Finals of the Venture Capital Investment Competition
There are other components of a winning presentation, but I found it interesting that the judges utilized these points to help differentiate among five competitive deals.
Careers
- Professors, Jack Morton and Jerry Furniss start Web biz in collaboration with the University of Montana. "America’s Professor LLC"
Merging private industry with public education is a relatively new trend, and if monitored closely, business agreements such as these will benefit everyone involved, said Sheila Stearns, Montana commissioner of higher education.
Energy
- Five Tips for Writing A Tailored Thank-You
For job candidates seeking an edge, sending interviewers a customized thank-you is critical.
- Why Good Candidates Can't Find New Positions
Career counselors say that discouraged executives may not realize that the best way for them to find new positions isn't like the methods used by other job hunters. This means they need to conduct their job searches differently as well.
- An economic survival guide for recent college grads
Expert advice for Generation Y, which will likely have tougher time financially than their parents did.
Connectivity & Communications
- Carbon Gas Is Explored as a Source of Ethanol
The company, LanzaTech, based in Auckland, said it had developed a fermentation process in which bacteria consume carbon monoxide and produce ethanol.
Commuter Rail Development
- From Many Tweets, One Loud Voice on the Internet
It’s one of the fastest-growing phenomena on the Internet.
- Embracing Mobility to Strengthen the Campus Community
The Center's research reveals that most universities believe that the increase in mobile technologies on campus will prove to have an immense, positive impact on the lives of both students and faculty
- Save Internet Radio From Perishing on May 15th
Contact your Congressperson, and spread the word.
Leadership Montana
- Rail Line Drives Utah Development
The expanding light rail system in metropolitan Salt Lake City, Utah, is giving many developers opportunities to build transit-oriented housing and retail projects, especially in the suburbs.
City Club Missoula
- "Where Have All the Leaders Gone?" by Lee Iacocca and 'True North' offers leadership lessons
"I voted for 12 presidents, and I've known nine of them. I knew three popes. I know two dozen CEOs. And I watched 'em and studied 'em. And these are the things that made 'em," "What emerges from these stories is that virtually all the leaders interviewed found their passion to lead through the uniqueness of their life stories," he writes. "Not by being born as leaders. Not by believing they had the characteristics, traits, or style of a leader. Not by trying to emulate great leaders."
- City Club Missoula discussion looks at proposed Missoula Community Performing Arts Center
Missoula County Public Schools fine arts director Paul Ritter - a member of the committee - opened the discussion with a comparison of the community’s school or public-based facilities and how they stack up with others in Montana. Ritter’s conclusion was that neither school nor public facilities in Missoula - particularly the school ones - match up very well.
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