Contact:
Linda Knopp
Communications Manager
National Business Incubation Association
(740) 593-4331
lknopp@nbia.org

NBIA Names New Executive Committee

November 13, 2006

ATHENS, Ohio – The National Business Incubation Association’s board of directors named its new executive committee during an October meeting in Denver.

New officers include Joel Wiggins, CEO and president of the Enterprise Center of Johnson County in Lenexa, Kan., chairman; Devron Veasley, director of the Bessemer Business Incubation System in Bessemer Ala., first vice chairman; Tony Antoniades, general manager of the Advanced Technology Development Center in Atlanta, second vice chairman; Jean-Jacques Ledoux, manager of the National Research Council’s Industry Partnership Facility in Ottawa, Canada, treasurer; and David Lohr, executive director of the Virginia Biosciences Development Center in Richmond, Va., secretary.

Committee leaders also were named at the meeting: Evan Jones, director of @Wales Digital Media Initiative in Cardiff, Wales, Membership Committee chairman; Lohr, Events and Training Committee chairman; Antoniades, Strategic Directions Task Force chairman; Angela Glover, executive director of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Business Development Center in Chattanooga, Tenn., Audit Committee chairwoman; Jim Robbins, executive director of the Environmental Business Cluster in San Jose, Calif., Nominating Committee chairman; and Jim Sanders, director of new ventures for Honeywell Technology Solutions in Columbia, Md., Development Task Force chairman.

“Both the Executive Committee and committee and task force leaders exemplify high standards of commitment to the organization,” NBIA President & CEO Dinah Adkins said. “Staff look forward to working with them in the upcoming year to provide better services to members and a higher return on investment.”

Business incubation programs catalyze the process of starting and growing companies by providing entrepreneurs the expertise, networks and tools they need to make their ventures successful. In 2001 alone, North American incubators assisted more than 35,000 start-up companies that provided full-time employment for nearly 82,000 workers and generated annual revenue of more than $7 billion.

Based in Athens, Ohio, the National Business Incubation Association is the world’s leading organization advancing business incubation and entrepreneurship. Since 1985, the association has provided industry professionals with information, education, advocacy and networking resources to bring excellence to the process of assisting early-stage companies.

NBIA’s 16-member board of directors, made up of representatives from leading business incubation programs, governs the organization. The group meets three times a year to discuss association business, including educational programming, finances, member recruitment/services and publications.