GOVERNOR LINGLE ANNOUNCES MEMBERS OF THE HAWAI‘I INNOVATION COUNCIL

August 30 - "You are the best of the best, and I am counting on you to help lead the way in increasing innovation in Hawai`i," Governor Lingle said at the first meeting of the Hawai`i Innovation Council.

Established by the Governor through an Executive Order on June 1, 2007, the Hawai`i Innovation Council will serve as the principal advisory group to her Administration on innovation policy issues, as well as specific measures and actions that the state can take to improve Hawai`i's innovation capacity.

"Studies that outline the criteria for suitable environments for innovation show that Hawai`i is a perfect place for it."  Karl Hess, a member of the National Science Board.

The 15-member council is co-chaired by three nationally-recognized entrepreneurs who are Hawai`i residents or part-time residents. They are Marc Benioff, chairman and CEO of Salesforce.com; Ron Higgins, president and CEO of RSHF, LLC; and Jay Shidler, founder and managing partner of The Shidler Group.

The Council will meet on a quarterly basis to discuss and assess progress, and make recommendations on Hawai`i's innovation policies and programs; coordinate with state, federal, county and private sector organizations to increase the positive economic impact of Hawai`i's innovation assets and resources; and provide a forum for ideas to enable Hawai`i to become a global leader in innovation and technology research, development and product creation.