SCRA Presents Two New Knowledge Economist Awards at Board of Trustees Meeting, Announces Board Successions
May 5, 2009COLUMBIA, SC – May 4, 2009 – SCRA presented its Knowledge Economist Award to Dr. David J. Moody and Dr. Charles K. Watt for their contributions to knowledge-based economic development in South Carolina. The awards ceremony was conducted following SCRA’s Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday, April 29.
The recognition comes as Dr. Moody steps down from his role as SCRA Board Chair in order to fulfill increased responsibilities at Milliken & Company, and as Dr. Watt steps down from his seat on the board of SCRA’s SC Launch affiliate in order to concentrate on his current posts on both SCRA’s Board of Trustees and the Advisory Board of SCRA’s Applied Research and Development Institute.
Dr. Moody is President of Milliken Research Corporation and is also senior executive for Milliken’s Apparel Division. Dr. Moody’s citation recorded his singular contribution to both SCRA and the state of South Carolina in his recent years as Chair of SCRA’s Board. Included among the many SCRA accomplishments during his tenure are:
- SCRA’s growth from $89M to $110M in total annual revenue
- SCRA’s recognition by the US Navy for market-leading delivery and management of its ManTech R&D Centers of Excellence
- The Company’s capture in December 2008 of a seven-year, $700M Ordnance R&D contract with the US military and industry, the largest contract in SCRA history
- Full execution of the Company’s mandates under the SC Innovation Centers Act of 2005 and Industry Partners Act of 2006, resulting in national recognition by the State Science and Technology Institute (SSTI) of SCRA’s execution program, SC Launch, as leading innovation in technology-based economic development in the US in 2008
- As measured by a 2008 University of South Carolina Moore School of Business study, SCRA’s economic contribution to the state for the year 2007 exceeded $1.4B and confirmed more than 15,000 high tech jobs with annual per capita wages of between $55K and $77K.
Dr. Watt, retired Founder and Chair of Scientific Research Corporation, was also congratulated for his contribution to the SC Launch Inc. initiative, as he was an original member of the SC Launch Inc. affiliate Board. Dr. Watt participated in early benchmarking exercises for the SC Launch Inc. program, which evaluated knowledge-based economic development programs in other states, and helped SCRA derive relevant processes and measurements which contributed directly to SC Launch’s SSTI national award.
To backfill Dr. Moody’s seat, the Governor has appointed as SCRA Chair Mr. William Masters, a well-known upstate entrepreneur and inventor. Mr. Masters was the Founder and CEO of Perception Kayaks, a first-of-a kind provider of composite recreational vessels. Among many interests in support of SC-based entrepreneurial development, Mr. Masters is a mentor for the Liberty Fellowship program and an active member of the Upstate Carolina Angel Network. Mr. Masters was also an original member of SCRA’s SC Launch Inc. affiliate Board.
To replace Dr. Watt’s seat on the SC Launch Inc. affiliate Board, the SCRA Executive Committee has appointed Mr. Mike Gantt. Mr. Gantt is a retired senior executive of FiServ, a $4.5B information technology and services provider to the insurance industry, where he served as both group President and Chief Operating Officer. In addition to FiServ, Mr. Gantt has startup and early stage management experience with Epiphany and PMSC. Mr. Gantt now consults on strategy, technology, and outsourcing for major US corporations and asset management firms, and has served as an advisor to both the Midlands Technical College Enterprise Campus Authority, and the SC Launch Inc. Board.
About SCRA
SCRA is a global leader in applied research and commercialization services with offices in South Carolina, Ohio and the Washington, D.C. area. SCRA collaborates to advance technology, providing technology-based solutions with assured outcomes to industry and government, with the help of research universities in SC, the U.S. and around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.scra.org.
About SC Launch
SC Launch, an SCRA collaboration, assists entrepreneurial start-up companies with up-front counseling, seed-funding, and access to a powerful resource network. The SC Launch mission is to help generate knowledge economy jobs in South Carolina, enhance the state’s quality of life and provide opportunity for all South Carolinians in the new economy. For more information please visit http://www.sclaunch.org.