New Chair & Two New Members Elected to TechColumbus Board

(Columbus, OH – December 18, 2009) – TechColumbus announced today that Steve Allen, CEO of Nationwide Children’s Hospital, has been elected Chair of the TechColumbus Board of Directors. Allen succeeds Jay Jordan, CEO of OCLC, who has served as Chair since TechColumbus’ inception. 

“Jay Jordan has provided outstanding leadership over the past four years leading the TechColumbus Board, and we’re pleased he will continue to bring valuable guidance as an active board member going forward,” said Ted Ford, president and CEO of TechColumbus. “Steve Allen is an excellent choice to succeed Jay and impart his leadership as we continue to build a world-class tech economy in Central Ohio.”

In addition, the Board elected two new members. They are Bob Irwin, CEO of Sterling Commerce, and Ray Shealy, formerly CEO of HTP prior to its acquisition by McKesson/RelayHealth last year. Three current members were elected to officer positions. They are Dwight Smith, CEO of Sophisticated Systems, Inc., vice chair; Alan Cullop, secretary; and Rhonda DeMuth, Chair and CEO of TDCI, Inc., treasurer.

“Both Bob Irwin and Ray Shealy bring enthusiasm, commitment, and new perspectives to an already strong Board lineup,” added Ford. “We look forward to working with this new leadership as we continue to build and invest in Central Ohio’s tech community.”

“We are also pleased to have Dwight Smith, Alan Cullop, and Rhonda DeMuth in their new Board officer roles,” said Ford. “These individuals have been an instrumental force as members of the Board and we look forward to the expertise they bring in their new roles.”

These transitions occur at a time when momentum in the Central Ohio tech economy is at an all-time high:

• Regional and national awareness of the area’s strength as a tech center has reached new heights as talent and companies choose to locate in Central Ohio.
• The TechColumbus TechStart initiative, part of Ohio’s Third Frontier, has engaged more than 3,000 entrepreneurs, has attracted more than $200 million in venture funding and has created more than 900 jobs. TechStart has been recognized as a national model for programs like it around the country.
• TechColumbus membership has grown to 570 companies, remains on track for 1,000 by the end of 2010, and has become the foundation for the region’s technology and entrepreneurial eco-system.

About TechColumbus
TechColumbus is a nonprofit organization that focuses on technology-based economic development in the 15 counties of central Ohio. TechColumbus accomplishes this by:

• Providing professional development and technology business assistance to both large and small companies that rely on technology for business success
• Managing a 62,000 square foot technology business incubator that has been recognized as one of the best in the country
• Managing TechStart, the $22.5 million Central Ohio Entrepreneurial Signature Program, with a mission to create, finance and launch new tech companies in central Ohio
• Assisting in the development of facilities for tech companies
• Working with state and local organizations to attract new tech companies to the region

For more information about TechColumbus visit our website. Follow us on Twitter @TechColumbus.
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