Jim Clinton, executive director of the Southern Growth Policies Board, will serve as the keynote presenter at the 4th Annual Chamber of Commerce Spirit of Innovation Breakfast on Friday, April 30.
The Southern Growth Policies Board is a public policy think tank in Research Triangle Park, N.C., formed by the region’s governors to develop economic policies and regional initiatives to improve the quality of life in the South.
Jim Clinton joined Southern Growth in 1999 as head of its Southern Technology Council. In that role he directed the Invented Here initiative, a regional strategic plan to promote innovation, entrepreneurship and economic growth in the South.
He was the principal author of the initiative’s two major reports. Invented Here: Transforming the Southern Economy, released in 2001, provided the groundwork for setting state goals and benchmarks. Invented Here: The Southern Innovation Index, released in 2002, identified benchmarks and 10-year targets for each of the participating states to track the progress of technology and innovation initiatives in the region.
The Spirit of Innovation Breakfast celebrates Chattanooga area businesses that are developing new products, technologies and processes. Qualifying innovations may occur in the manufacturing line, the research lab or the boardroom, but must be locally based.
The highlight of the April 30 breakfast event is the announcement of the winner of the 2004 Kruesi Spirit of Innovation Award and a select group of laureates.
The award honors the Kruesi family of Chattanooga and commemorates its Swiss ancestor John Kruesi, an accomplished practical mechanic who built the first successful phonograph and other inventions for Thomas Edison.
The award also honors Kruesi’s son, Paul John Kruesi, who settled in Chattanooga in the early 20th Century. One of Chattanooga’s most prominent citizens, he founded the American Lava Company, served as president of the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce and helped establish the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
A record 42 companies were nominated for the Kruesi Award this year. Local judges narrowed the field on March 30. A national panel, including representatives of the American Academy of Engineering Societies, National Inventors Hall of Fame, and Edison National Historic Site, will select this year’s laureates in mid-April.
Jim Frierson, a Kruesi family member and vice chairman of the 2004 Award, commented, “This year we will look at innovation from a regional perspective, and Jim Clinton is the ideal messenger. He understands that if we are to compete effectively in a global economy, it must be through innovation. The best-of-class companies in our award prove the point.”
The Spirit of Innovation Breakfast begins at 7:30 a.m. in the Chattanooga Convention Center on Friday, April 30. Cost for individuals is $25 for Chamber members, $35 for non-members. A table of eight is $275 for members, $325 for non-members.
To register online log on to the Chamber Web site at www.chattanoogachamber.com. For information or to register call 423-763-4366.