Monday, January 04, 2010

Senator Herring Named To State Technology Panel

If Governor-elect Bob McDonnell (R) has a New Year’s resolution, it might have something to do with bipartisanship.

In an interview with the Times-Mirror Dec. 30, Democratic State Sen. Mark Herring (eastern Loudoun) shared the news that McDonnell – who takes office Jan. 16 – has named Herring to the Technology Working Group advisory panel, part of the governor-elect’s transition team.

According to the transition office, the group involves technology leaders in the private sector with state government experience and legislators.

The mission of the panel is to do fact finding from the agencies, offer long-term strategic planning for state government and to turn campaign promises into action. The group will produce a report for the incoming governor and secretary of technology to advise them in the new administration.

Before his election in November, McDonnell had made technology a focus of his campaign.
“Northern Virginia’s technology community powers the economy of our state," he stated. "The men and women who work at [technology] companies are the innovators key to Virginia's, and America’s, future economic prosperity.”

Herring, who is halfway through his first term in the state Senate and is running for re-election in 2011, said he was “very honored” by the appointment. He added that he spoke last week with the head of the governor-elect’s policy unit about technology and the new panel.

“We talked a lot about areas where we could work together on technology, and I look forward to working with the new administration,” Herring said.

Herring represents eastern Loudoun County, an area rich in technology companies and data centers, including Aol., Verizon, Telos, Orbital, M.C. Dean, Ask.com, DuPont Fabros.
No further details were immediately available on the group's other members, or when they will meet in the coming weeks.

The position will not require Herring to give up his state Senate seat.

Herring received the 2009 Legislative Leadership Award from the Virginia Biotechnology Association for his successful efforts to adopt the Science and Technology Research Development and Commercialization Act. The legislation increases Virginia’s existing resources to support new technology and bioscience-related businesses.

Herring and his Loudoun colleague in the state Senate, Jill Holtzman-Vogel (R), both serve on the chamber's General Laws & Technology Committee.

By Nicholas Graham
Source: Loudoun Times-Mirror

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