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GTA Board: Congrats and thank you to Nancy White and Kent Heighton who were reelected President and Vice-President, respectively. Many thanks to Mark Daly with Insitu who recently stepped down after years of great work on the Board, including development of the GTA website and logo.

Get Involved: With Mark stepping down, we are looking to fill our Board vacancy. Alternatively, if you want to get more involved with the GTA in a different way, there are commitees looking for a few good participants. Contact Jessica Metta for information about the Board or committees.

Survey: Thanks so much to the 62 of you who took the GTA's survey about tech businesses in the Gorge! The results are being compiled along with additional research into a White Paper, expected to be finished by the end of August.

Congratulations to GTA Sponsor Insitu! The Bingen-based company constructed its 1000th ScanEagle this month with much celebration and press over the accomplishment. The company has grown by leaps and bounds in the last few years, even opening an Australian office. This Gorge-grown technology business is a great example of the world-class ideas and talent that can be found here in our beautiful backyard. Click here to read more about Insitu's history and future.

Columbia Gorge Community College will be offering one Computer Information Systems course per term during the 2009-10 school year. Courses will be held at the Hood River Indian Creek campus. The courses selected are based on results from a technology course needs assessment that GTA members assisted with in January. Ron Fullmer will be developing and teaching the courses. Ron has a Master's in Computer Science and 25 years of computer-related experience.

The course schedule is as follows:
Fall 2009  - Operating Systems: Microcomputers
Winter 2010 - Microcomputer Hardware & Troubleshooting
Spring 2010 - Data Communication Concepts I

The Fall schedule will be out July 30 with more information about the Fall course and how to register.
Visit CGCC online to learn more.

Oregon Entrepreneurs Network recently received grant funding to continue its Outreach Project to communities in the Gorge and Eastern Oregon with a goal of connecting private equity investors with promising entrepreneurial companies. Combined grant monies totaling $39,000 from the US Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration and US Department of Agriculture Rural Development will help support Gorge and Eastern Oregon PubTalk events already in progress, the Gorge Angel Conference in Hood River, now in its third year, as well as provide guidance in forming Angel Investor Networks in Pendleton, Hermiston, La Grande, Baker City, Enterprise and Joseph. Click here to read more.

Both the US House and Senate approved the "Enhancing Small Business Research and Innovation Act of 2009" in July. This Act amends the Small Business Act with respect to the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs "to extend funding and revise provisions, including those concerning qualifications for program participation, research and development topics, nanotechnology, project goals for funded projects, project commercialization, second and third stage funding of projects, outreach to increase program participation, prioritization of applications, and federal administration and oversight."

Click here to read The Oregonian's July 9, 2009 article on the Act.

Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute and Washington Technology Alliance present the premier nanoscience and microtechnologies research and business event in the Pacific Northwest.

The event also includes a Solar Materials Symposium where two mixed university/industry panels will discuss problems and perspectives surrounding current PV materials and the exciting potential of new nano/micro PV technologies. Oregon BEST will also highlight the results of an Oregon-wide inventory of university solar research assets.

The Conference is September 21-23 at Doubletree Lloyd Center in Portland. For more information, click here.