RIEDC Executive Director, Keith Stokes, to Address RI’s Bioscience Industry

April 16, 2010 - PRLog -- Providence, R.I. – April 15, 2010 – Tech Collective, Rhode Island’s Bioscience Industry Association, will be welcoming Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation Executive (RIEDC) Director, Keith Stokes, as the featured speaker of its BIO ED: Government Affairs Forum event on Wednesday, April 21st, from 8:30am -10:00am at the Sheraton Airport Hotel in Warwick.

The event will be Stokes’ first Bioscience industry-wide address since being appointed RIEDC Executive Director in January. Stokes will speak to three main topics:

 --   Where Rhode Island is positioning its Bioscience industry
 --   What the commitment of resources is from RIEDC
 --   What the strategies are to grow Rhode Island’s Bioscience industry

“At the January BIO ED event, we unveiled the details of our recently released RI Bioscience Industry Skills Gap Report,” said Kathie Shields, executive director of Tech Collective. “Executive Director Stokes’ appearance at next week’s highly anticipated BIO ED session is natural follow up to some of the issues and recommendations posed in that report. Executive Director Stokes has made his commitment to Rhode Island clear, and we are very excited to welcome him to address the state’s Bioscience community. It is a step we need to truly meet the industry’s needs and drive its critical growth.”

The BIO ED: Government Affairs Forum event is open to the public, all bioscience stakeholders of any field or career are encouraged to attend. The event is free for Tech Collective members and $25.00 for non-members. Breakfast will be served. For more information and to register, visit www.tech-collective.org.

About the Tech Collective BIO ED Series:
Tech Collective’s BIO ED series is a three-part suite of educational information sessions designed to provide an overview of Rhode Island's Biotechnology/Life Sciences industry, where it is today, its challenges and achievements, and how the industry, academia and government can work together to ensure its future success. Each of the events will provide a forum for knowledge sharing, awareness and an understanding of the potential for this industry to have a significant impact on Rhode Island's workforce and economy. The BIO ED series is sponsored by the Bioscience Industry Partnership grant funded through the Governor’s Workforce Board of RI. To learn more about BIO ED or Tech Collective, visit www.tech-collective.org.