{"549111":{"#nid":"549111","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Chris Downing to head Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI2)","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology has named Chris Downing vice president of the Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI\u003Csup\u003E2\u003C\/sup\u003E), effective immediately.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe announcement ends a six-month national search for a new vice president, following Stephen Fleming\u2019s decision to step down from the position in December 2015. As the Institute\u2019s chief business outreach organization, EI\u003Csup\u003E2\u003C\/sup\u003E is the nation\u2019s largest and most comprehensive university-based program of business and industry assistance, technology commercialization, and economic development.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDowning will report directly to Stephen E. Cross, executive vice president for Research at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u201cI am thankful for this opportunity and I remain focused on our core mission at EI\u003Csup\u003E2\u003C\/sup\u003E to fulfill Georgia Tech\u2019s commitment to economic development,\u201d Downing said. \u201cWorking with the dedicated professionals at EI\u003Csup\u003E2\u003C\/sup\u003E, we will enhance Georgia Tech\u2019s work in designing the future through our service to entrepreneurs, business, researchers, innovators, and the people of Georgia.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDowning had served as EI\u003Csup\u003E2\u003C\/sup\u003E\u2019s associate vice president since 2012 and as interim vice president since October 2015. He has been at Georgia Tech in various leadership roles related to economic development since 1988.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEI\u003Csup\u003E2\u003C\/sup\u003E, including its multiple programs that support Georgia startups, manufacturers, and entrepreneurs across the state, serves all aspects of economic development in Georgia. It is a vital component of the innovation ecosystem we have built at Tech Square,\u201d Georgia Tech President G.P. \u201cBud\u201d Peterson said. \u201cChris has worked diligently to support and enhance our economic development initiatives, as well as to forge and maintain strong partnerships with other organizations across the state to strengthen the Georgia economy.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDowning, whose past posts at Georgia Tech included serving as research engineer, program manager, regional manager, and director of the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership (GaMEP) \u2014 EI\u003Csup\u003E2\u003C\/sup\u003E\u2019s largest program \u2014 has brought national recognition to the unit and several awards, including the 2014 Innovation Award in Economic Development from the Association of Public and Land Grant Institutions, the 2014 Outstanding Research Park Award from the Association of University Research Parks, and the National MEP Innovation Award in 2011 for the GaMEP.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cChris has elevated EI\u003Csup\u003E2\u003C\/sup\u003E\u2019s commitment to technology commercialization, business and industry outreach, and entrepreneurship,\u201d Cross said. \u201cThrough his leadership, EI\u003Csup\u003E2\u003C\/sup\u003E\u2019s stature and prominence in Georgia as the state\u2019s most comprehensive economic development organization has risen. His passion and commitment to EI\u003Csup\u003E2\u003C\/sup\u003E\u2019s mission has helped to make Tech Square the Southeast\u2019s premier neighborhood for innovation and economic development and is instrumental in helping to define other innovation neighborhoods adjacent to the rest of the campus.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout the Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI\u003Csup\u003E2\u003C\/sup\u003E):\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI\u00b2) is the Georgia Institute of Technology\u2019s chief business outreach and economic development organization. EI\u00b2\u2019s core mission is to provide an exhaustive suite of programs to assist business, industry, entrepreneurs, and economic developers across Georgia. As the nation\u2019s largest and most comprehensive university-base program of its kind, EI\u00b2 helps enterprises of all kinds and sizes and across all sectors improve their competitiveness through the application of science, technology, and innovation. For more information, please visit \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Einnovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Chris Downing, a 28-year Georgia Tech veteran, selected to lead the future of Institute\u2019s economic development and innovation mission."}],"uid":"28137","created_gmt":"2016-06-29 14:35:56","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:22:00","author":"P\u00e9ralte Paul","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2016-06-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2016-06-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"549631":{"id":"549631","type":"image","title":"Enterprise Innovation Center","body":null,"created":"1467320400","gmt_created":"2016-06-30 21:00:00","changed":"1475895345","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:45","alt":"Enterprise Innovation Center","file":{"fid":"92605","name":"ei2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ei2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ei2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1033781,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ei2.jpg?itok=i-e31Wmn"}},"549121":{"id":"549121","type":"image","title":"Chris Downing","body":null,"created":"1467320400","gmt_created":"2016-06-30 21:00:00","changed":"1475895343","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:43","alt":"Chris Downing","file":{"fid":"92595","name":"jrs_9934w-x3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/jrs_9934w-x3.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/jrs_9934w-x3.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":192080,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/jrs_9934w-x3.jpg?itok=7NggGg39"}}},"media_ids":["549631","549121"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"139","name":"Business"}],"keywords":[{"id":"170439","name":"Chris Downing"},{"id":"9040","name":"EI2"},{"id":"3671","name":"Enterprise Innovation Institute"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"},{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFor inquiries about the Enterprise Innovation Institute, contact:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELaura Diamond\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E404.660.2927\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.diamond@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elaura.diamond@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["peralte.paul@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}