Governor Taps Assistant Secretary Of Commerce For Technology Post; Dr. Phillip A. Singerman to Become President of TEDCO.

BALTIMORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 16, 1999--

Dr. Phillip A. Singerman, Assistant Secretary for Economic Development at the U.S. Department of Commerce, has been named President of the Maryland Science, Engineering, and Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO), Governor Parris N. Glendening today announced.

TEDCO was established last year by the General Assembly as a tool for Maryland to use in maintaining and enhancing its reputation as a leader in technology. As President, Dr. Singerman will serve as TEDCO's principal Executive Officer, responsible for strategic development, planning, program management, business development and government relations.

"Maryland is poised to become the nation's technology leader in the 21st century," said Governor Glendening. "With Dr. Singerman's strong background in technology and economic development, I am confident TEDCO will be a powerful tool in positioning Maryland to compete in the high-tech industry of the future."

"The selection of Dr. Singerman is an outstanding one," said Lt. Governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend. "It sends a clear message to the Maryland technology community that the State is serious about maintaining Maryland's technological edge. With Dr. Singerman's national reputation, I am certain we can accomplish that goal."

Nominated by President Clinton, Dr. Singerman has served as Assistant Secretary for Economic Development at the U.S. Department of Commerce since January 1996, serving as Administrator of the agency's Economic Development Administration (EDA).

Under Dr. Singerman's aegis, EDA completed an Agency reinvention process, re-engineering its grants processing, streamlining its organization and initiating comprehensive program evaluation, while reducing its staffing by 30 percent. In 1998, EDA successfully achieved the first Congressional reauthorization of its programs since 1981, and the first overall reform of the Agency's processes since its creation in 1965.

Prior to joining the Clinton Administration, Dr. Singerman served for 12 years as President and CEO of the Ben Franklin Technology Center of Southeastern Pennsylvania. The Ben Franklin program is a State-sponsored industry-university partnership that promotes regional economic competitiveness through innovation and technology.

Dr. Singerman also served as a planning consultant for the City of Philadelphia, coordinating technology and business development reuse strategies for the Philadelphia Naval Base Complex. He was a member of the Board of the Philadelphia Commercial Development Corporation, the Philadelphia-Israel Chamber of Commerce, the West Philadelphia Empowerment Zone, Community Trust Board and the Governor's Task Force on Technology Transfer, and is currently on the Board of Directors of the Ben Franklin Technology Center.

Dr. Singerman's 25 years of experience in economic development also includes positions as: Director, Mayor's Office of Policy Development City of Philadelphia; Director, Policy Development, Connecticut Conference of Municipalities; and Executive Assistant to the Development Administrator, City of New Haven, Connecticut. For two years, Mr. Singerman served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Colombia, South America, working in rural community development.

"I am thrilled that Phil Singerman has agreed to become TEDCO's first president," said House Speaker Casper R. Taylor. "My desire to create an organization that promotes technology in Maryland has now been realized and I look forward to helping make TEDCO a success."

"The TEDCO Board was extremely pleased with the number of highly qualified applicants," said Beverly Byron, chair of the TEDCO Board. "We are pleased that Phil Singerman accepted the job."

"Dr. Singerman has a national reputation of excellence as an eminent technologist and leading economic development official of the federal government," said Richard C. Mike Lewin, Secretary of Business and Economic Development. "His contributions will be crucial as Maryland is recognized as one of the best places in the country for technology businesses to locate and grow."

"I believe that TEDCO, as a quasi-public agency, will provide innumerable benefits to the Maryland technology community," said David Weiss, Maryland's Technology Coordinator. "I look forward to working closely with Phil Singerman to ensure that the state's initiatives in economic development and technology commercialization are tightly interwoven."

Dr. Singerman received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Oberlin College and his Master of Arts and Doctorate in Political Science from Yale University. His doctoral dissertation analyzed the intersection of politics, bureaucracy and public policy in New Haven's urban renewal program. He has taught urban policy and regional development at Barnard College (Columbia University), the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University. Singerman resides in Montgomery County with his wife, Dr. Katalin Roth, and the couple's two children.