Dr. McConnell Shared WFUBMC Goals at Chamber Annual Meeting

From the Winston-Salem Journal:
Dr. John McConnell, the chief executive of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, spread his message to a larger audience yesterday that the system is at a crossroads.

McConnell spoke at the 125th annual meeting of the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce. He gave a similar presentation in February.

Wake Forest Baptist is playing an increasingly large role in the local economic transition. It is Forsyth County’s largest employer, with about 11,800 employees overall, and is the driving force behind the build-out of Piedmont Triad Research Park.

Read the rest of the article, including the names of the winners for both the Duke Energy Citizenship and Service Award and the Cook Medical Innovation Award, here.

Winston Salem Journal Recaps Speaker Series Event

The Winston-Salem Journal wrote a summary of yesterday's Chamber Tech Council panel discussion on cyber security.

From the article:

The cost of fending off cyber threats to businesses is increasing, a panel of local technology officials and analysts said today.

But compared with repairing cyber damage--whether to business and customer information, trade secrets and lost trust--companies are more willing to absorb the expense.

The panel spoke at the quarterly Tech Council presentation sponsored by the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce.

"It is less costly to be proactive than reactive to cyber threats," said Chris Summers, an Associate Director of Enterprise Architecture for Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

Read the entire article here.

Speaker Series Event on Cyber Security

The Tech Council held a Speaker Series event today on cyber security, with advice and wisdom from a panel of experts: Steve Scott, Vice President and Group Technology Manager of Information Security Technology at Wachovia Bank, A Wells Fargo Company; John Pueschel, Attorney at Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice; Chris Summers, Associate Director of Information Security at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center; and Special Agent Christopher Avery, Federal Bureau of Investigation. The panel discussion was moderated by Dr. Errin Fulp, Associate Professor of Computer Science at Wake Forest University.

For more on upcoming Chamber technology events, visit the Chamber website at http://www.winstonsalem.com/.

Winston + Salem = Arts and Innovation

Read this in-depth article in Winston-Salem Monthly magazine about the history of the city's efforts to grow its technology sector. From the article:

The Twin City's wealth of higher education gives us a competitive edge in the 21st century and is part of what makes its Piedmont Triad Research Park, an innovation community for life sciences and information technology, so dynamic and flush with collaborative opportunities. "Life outside the lab makes all the difference," the park's website states. "The city of Winston-Salem nurtures intellectual and business opportunities, stimulating its residents' creativity and their visions for the future."

Read the entire article here.

Celebrate 20 Years of Winston-Salem's Economic Transformation

Registration is now open for the Chamber Tech Council 20th Anniversary Gala, September 23, 2010 at the Milton Rhodes Downtown Center for the Arts. Join us for cocktails and appetizers at 5:30 p.m., followed by insightful highlights of Winston-Salem’s and the Triad’s transition to a technology and knowledge-based economy. Meet the leaders of this effort, and celebrate the people who are working tirelessly toward vision, innovation, and growth. Cook Medical is our title sponsor. For more information, contact Andrea Howell at 336-728-9228 or ahowell@winstonsalem.com.

Click here to get your tickets for this event.

Cook Innovation Award: Nominate Your Business

Do you or someone you know have an innovative product, service, concept or procedure? The second annual Cook Innovation Award, presented by Cook Medical in partnership with the Chamber, will recognize outstanding locally-developed and novel technologies that positively affect society. The winner will be presented a unique award designed by a local artist at the Chamber’s Annual Meeting luncheon. Click here to read more information about the award and to download the nomination form. Ideas must be submitted by July 23.

About the Award
Cook Medical, the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber’s Technology Council are looking to the future by inspiring and supporting the next generation of innovators in our community. On October 19, 2010, the second annual Cook Medical Innovation Award will be presented. So, let us hear about your product, procedure or concept that represents an elegantly simple solution to a complex problem; benefits society; positively affects the marketplace; and demonstrates a high degree of creativity.

For additional information, contact Peggy Low at peggylow@winstonsalem.com.