March 2005

Volume 28, Number 2
February 2005

Kennedy, Romney Headline Council’s 2005 Annual Meeting
Discuss Education, Economy, Praise Council on BRAC Efforts

On March 4, more than 150 leaders from the technology community experienced a rare joint appearance by Senator Edward M. Kennedy and Governor Mitt Romney at the Council’s 2005 Annual Meeting.  The state’s top two political leaders have been working very closely with the Council and its affiliated Massachusetts Defense Technology Initiative in efforts to preserve and expand the missions of Hansom Air Force Base and the Natick Solider Systems Center.

Spirit of Bipartisan Cooperation

Both leaders were in very good spirits and even joked about their future electoral plans.  The Boston Herald went as far as to label the event a Romney-Kennedy “love-in.”

But beyond the collegiality, both leaders spoke with passion on a broad range of issues.  Kennedy opened by discussing the importance of education and that the U.S. is continuing to fall behind the rest of the world in producing the skilled workforce of the future.  He also highlighted the importance of federal Research & Development funds – National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health and the Small Business Innovation Research grants – to Massachusetts.

Romney used the opportunity to highlight his economic stimulus plan to the assembled business leaders, highlighting the need to reform the state’s sluggish and costly building permitting system and the need to create a more competitive Unemployment Insurance system.  Romney indicated that these are the two biggest barriers to the state’s competitiveness.

Kennedy, Romney Praise Council Work on BRAC

Both leaders praised the Council and the technology community for its role in developing and implementing the state’s strategy in support of the missions of Hanscom and Natick.  Kennedy recounted his and Romney’s numerous high level meetings with military brass last fall and the positive reaction that Defense Department officials had to the Massachusetts strategy.  “There isn’t a community in the country that has been more visionary,” said Kennedy of the efforts of the Council’s affiliate organization, the Massachusetts Defense Technology Initiative (MassDTI), which Romney and Kennedy co-chair.

Romney talked about the importance of the state’s defense technology cluster, which consists of world-class universities and research centers, experienced industrial partners and the skilled technology workforce here.  He reiterated the state’s commitment to expand the mission capacity of the bases through the passage of a $261 million state bond bill in February.

Gudonis Outlines Council Agenda

Council Chairman, Paul Gudonis, Chairman & CEO of Centra Software, told the crowd that he had been inspired to enter the sciences by President John F. Kennedy’s challenge for the US to reach the moon in the decade of the 1960s.  “It seemed like a patriotic duty to study math and science at time,” he said.

Gudonis released the results of the Council’s 2005 CEO Survey (available at mhtc.org) and outlined the Council’s policy priorities for the year.  Gudonis discussed the challenges of Massachusetts and the nation in generating the workforce of the future, while other states and countries were gaining on us.  He noted that “interest in science and technology careers among the state’s college bound seniors now sits at 19 percent - down from 26 percent in 1999.   If these trends are allowed to continue, Massachusetts will lose its edge as a high tech state.”

The Council’s 2005 education agenda calls for further education reform, specifically with providing hiring and firing authority to teachers and providing higher pay to the best math and science teachers.  It also outlines more support for the University of Massachusetts system, helping it toward becoming one of the world’s premier public higher education systems.

On the fiscal policy front, Council CEOs want to see reform of the state’s uncompetitive unemployment insurance system.  Gudonis noted that the annual per employee costs for UI for Massachusetts employers was nearly double that of competitor states New York and California.  Reforming the state’s costly medical malpractice system and the better use of technology to reduce costs and improve quality of the health care system were two other policy priorities for the year.  For a complete list of approved Council priorities, please see page 4 of this issue of High Tech News.

Bush Names BRAC Commission, Principi Chairman

President George W. Bush on March 15 officially nominated the nine-member 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRACC).  Former federal Department of Veteran’s Affairs Chairman Anthony Principi will serve as BRACC Chairman. 

Council President Christopher Anderson, who also serves as President of MassDTI, praised the of the President’s nominees as a “distinguished and experienced group who should help guide the efficient transformation of the U.S. military infrastructure.”

The Commission is a critical component of the BRAC process – much more than a rubber stamp for the Pentagon’s closure recommendations.  The Commission will serve as an objective, analytical watchdog to ensure the closure process actually accomplishes the stated Transformation objectives of the Secretary of Defense.

While MassDTI had hoped for a commissioner with direct ties to and understanding of the Northeast’s military technology cluster, the Commission as a whole has an appreciation of the role of technology in creating the next generation of warfighting capabilities.  “We commend the Commissioners’ commitment to public service and look forward to working with them in support of the mission of Hanscom AFB and SSC-Natick,” said Anderson.

For more on the Commission and the MassDTI campaign, please visit www.massdti.com.

New Book Published on Natick Soldier Systems Center

A new book on the 50-year history of the Natick Soldier Systems Center hit the bookshelves in March, just in time to make a positive impact on the BRAC process.  The book, titled U.S. Army Natick Laboratories; The Science Behind the Solider written by former Mass High Tech Editor Alan Earls, unfurls the story of how Natick has grown into a world leader in the creation of soldier systems and smart materials to support the work of the military and first responders throughout the country.

For more information on this informative new book, visit www.arcadiapublishing.com.