by Ed Linsenmeyer
FLC Chair
To all of my friends in the FLC:
It is time to say goodbye.
After four years as Chair of the FLC, I am turning over the reins of leadership to Dr. Scott Deiter. I wish him well during his tenure, and ask that you continue to support him as well as you have supported me.
Management of the FLC is easiest when the members and elected officials work together in a collegial relationship to accomplish their goals and objectives. It has been a great pleasure for me to have participated in such a relationship and to have been part of the FLC family during the past 15 years. Many of my closest friendships have been as the result of membership in this organization. I will not single out the many who mentored, advised, and criticized me during this time, as I am sure to leave someone unrecognized—which I do not want to do. Instead, I will thank all of you.
More than 30 years ago, when technology transfer was new, legislation was needed to authorize technology transfer activities within the federal government. This legislation established a number of mandates for the FLC. As I look back at the accomplishments of the FLC in meeting these mandates, I am proud to say that we have made significant progress toward achieving the goals they established.
Training of technology transfer personnel was one of the major objectives of our original legislative mandates. It is clear that the FLC has been very successful at accomplishing this goal, offering the highest quality education and training activities through the national and regional meetings, as well as through a variety of publications. I know that, in the future, the FLC will establish an even broader range of training activities for laboratory managers, scientists, and engineers—as well as educational outreach opportunities for members of small and large businesses, and state and local governments.
In the early days of the FLC, the Internet was barely emerging from its ARPA origins as a tool that could be used by people around the world. Now the FLC offers virtually instant access to the federal laboratories and their technologies through a variety of electronic information services. The FLC website, Technology Locator, FLC NewsLink, and national and regional e-mail roundtables provide Consortium members, managers and staff of federal technology transfer offices, and the general public with a networking service that is of incalculable value to the federal technology transfer mission. In addition, the FLC's highly professional technology highlights and technology transfer awards publications provide members of Congress and the Administration, state and local officials, and the general public with excellent information about the activities and successes of the federal laboratories in transforming federal technology into products for public use. And I know that in the future, we will provide even more information on the impacts and outcomes of these success stories.
Because we are aware that the FLC was organized to serve laboratory technology transfer professionals and their respective agencies and departments, it is imperative that we continually reevaluate and redefine our goals and objectives to ensure that we continue to serve our constituencies as efficiently and effectively as possible. We have undertaken a number of initiatives recently to ensure that this is the case. In 2006, through the hard work of many people involved in the administrative aspects of the FLC, the Consortium promulgated a new Strategic Plan and an accompanying action-oriented Execution Plan designed to measure our progress toward meeting and fulfilling the goals of the Strategic Plan.
In addition, just last month, members of the Executive Board, federal agencies, and representatives of our customer base met for a two-day strategy game, and examined many issues regarding the FLC's current situation and its future role—all for the purpose of better accomplishing the federal technology transfer mission. Strategy game participants examined such critical issues as determining how best the Consortium can continue to serve its members and agencies in a new world economy, what new priorities need to be established, what new business practices need to be developed, and what new relationships need to be formed. By the time this farewell letter is published, the new Executive Board will be in place and will begin to respond to the results of the strategy game.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my association with the FLC—both as a member and as an officer. I am looking forward to remaining active in the Consortium and continuing to work with you—my friends and colleagues—to further the mission of the FLC and to help realize the goals of federal technology transfer.
My best wishes to all of you.
FLC Chair Ed Linsenmeyer presents during the 2007 FLC Awards for Excellence in Technology Transfer. (Click image to enlarge)
