NASA Illinois Commercialization Center Announces New Leadership

The NASA Illinois Commercialization
Center (NICC) is announcing the appointment of Paul Myrda as the new Executive
Director. The NICC is a newly formed technology commercialization center
designed and operated in partnership by the Illinois Coalition, NASA Glenn
Research Center and Battelle Memorial Institute to enhance the competitiveness
of Illinois’ industries by providing them access to the resources of the
entire NASA system.

Prior to joining the NICC, Myrda held several positions with the UNICOM
CORP — ComEd Co. in Chicago, Illinois where he served as General Manager
since 1997.
He brings a wealth of experience to the position, in such areas
as engineering management, construction management and technology development.
Myrda had worked as a professional engineer and manager at UNICOM CORP since
1977, gaining valuable insight into the startup of new business functions
within a large firm, research and development, power plant construction,
information systems management, project management and maintenance management.
Myrda holds a Masters of Management from J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of
Management, and a Bachelors and Masters of Science Electrical Engineering from
the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Myrda’s appointment follows an extensive search by Battelle, a world
leader for more than seventy years in technology commercialization and the
current manager of GLITeC, the Midwest Regional Technology Transfer Center for
NASA. GLITeC has partnered with the Illinois Coalition, a not-for-profit
organization established in 1989 to strengthen the state’s economy through the
application of science and technology, in the management and operation of the
NICC.

The NICC will follow GLITeC’s successful model in offering a range of
technical, management and financial services. Through these services, the NICC
will aid the growth of Illinois’ most vital technology/industry clusters, help
scores of Illinois companies use NASA technology to develop new products and
processes and help establish new Illinois companies built from NASA
technology. Additionally, the NICC will offer a unique advantage to a few of
Illinois’ small and disadvantaged companies:
commercialization awards to help
them over the final hurdle in going to market.
A competitive process will be
use to select companies receiving the awards.

“Paul will be a key player in defining the role of the NICC in the
Illinois technology network,” says Pierrette G. Woodford, Executive Director
of GLITeC. The expanding network includes established electronic and
pharmaceutical giants, hundreds of dynamic early stage companies and a
vigorous venture investment community.

With a wealth of technical, business, and management experience, Myrda is
“eager to get started engaging Illinois companies and institutions in the
commercialization process, producing some exciting results for the
constituents of Illinois.”