CONNECT Names June Chocheles as New Chief Operating Officer.

SAN DIEGO -- Third graph, second sentence of release should read: Chocheles was also involved with the SAIC Venture Capital Corporation (sted Chocheles also managed the SAIC Venture Capital Corporation). Also, third graph, fifth sentence should read: She co-created SAIC's new tagline -- "From Science to Solutions(R)" (sted She co-created the SAIC's new tagline -- "from science to development").

The corrected release reads:

CONNECT NAMES JUNE CHOCHELES AS NEW CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER 

CONNECT, a globally recognized technology and business accelerator dedicated to the success and growth of San Diego-based technology and life science companies, announced today the appointment of June Chocheles as chief operating officer effective August 1. Chocheles will succeed Tyler Orion, who will be retiring in August.

"June is perfect for this role and I look forward to working with June to continue CONNECT's momentum in helping entrepreneurial startups. She has had an impressive career with SAIC over the past 20 years and brings a great deal of experience and enthusiasm to CONNECT," said Duane J. Roth, CEO of CONNECT. He added, "Tyler's contributions have been many, including recruiting and rebuilding the CONNECT team, growing our key programs, engineering the merger of the San Diego Regional Technology Alliance into CONNECT and creating our affiliation with the MIT Enterprise Forum. She has been fundamental to CONNECT's resurgence and growth in the last year and a half, and we will miss her greatly."

Chocheles recently served as vice president for science and technology strategy in the Corporate Engineering and Technology Office at Science Applications International Corporation where she oversaw SAIC's multi-million dollar diversified project portfolio as manager of operations at the IR&D Program Management Office. Chocheles was also involved with the SAIC Venture Capital Corporation, where she evaluated the technologies of companies seeking funding from SAIC VCC. She played a leadership role in the development and execution of the company's IP protection initiative and SAIC's Technology Commercialization Program. As chair of SAIC's Mentor Advisory Board, Chocheles helped develop the program's core curriculum and mentored junior members of her technical staff helping them develop their management skills. She co-created SAIC's new tagline -- "From Science to Solutions(R)."

Prior to her position at CETO, Chocheles held various positions at SAIC. She was branch head of the Systems Application Branch, Ocean Surveillance Systems Division from 1986 to 1990 and was a technology assessment specialist in the Applied Science and Technology Division from 1985 to 1986. Prior to that, she was an analyst in the Government Operations Division.

Before joining SAIC in 1982, Chocheles worked in the Office of Public Affairs, National Air and Space Museum Public Affairs and Publications Department at the Smithsonian Institution where she produced and distributed OPA press materials, wrote articles for the Smithsonian's News Service and promoted special events.

Chocheles is active in community affairs and is a member of UCSD Athena and founder and chair of its Century Club Scholarship Fund, a program awarding scholarships to five young women who will be pursuing undergraduate studies in math, sciences or engineering. She has served as a judge for CONNECT's Most Innovative New Product Awards as well as a panelist for various CONNECT Springboard presentations. Chocheles was appointed to the Advisory Council of the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists and was a member of the Board of Directors of the San Diego Aerospace Museum.

About CONNECT:

CONNECT is the globally recognized public benefits organization fostering entrepreneurship in the San Diego region by catalyzing, accelerating, and supporting the growth of the most promising technology and life sciences businesses. Founded in 1985 at the urging of San Diego's business community, CONNECT is widely regarded as the nation's most successful regional program linking high-technology and life science entrepreneurs with the resources they need for success: technology, money, markets, management, partners and support services.