Shakeup at the Innovation Centre

The board of directors of the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre has quietly shuffled the organization's top management, SooToday.com has learned.

Business Manager David Williamson is now the top-ranked administrator at the troubled not-for-profit technology institution, after President and Chief Executive Officer Gerry Taylor's position was declared redundant.

Taylor (shown) now occupies a sales job in the Innovation Centre's geographic information systems department.

Williamson has retained his old title of business manager, but has taken on most of the added responsibilities of Taylor's positions and now reports directly to the board of directors.

As SooToday reported earlier this month, the Innovation Center has laid off six employees (about one third of its staff) in recent weeks.

The Sault Star has reported that number as five, but is unaware of a sixth employee who was laid off but continued coming to work, with even some co-workers not cognizant of the situation.

Meanwhile, the Innovation Centre issued the following news release today:

***************************************************************** Innovation Centre call to businesses

Community consultation session attracts small business owners

SAULT STE. MARIE, ON - March 25th 2003 - As part of the restructuring of the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre the first public session was held today at the Holiday Inn in Sault Ste. Marie.

Those attending were a diverse cross section of the small and medium sized IT businesses from the district.

The purpose of the session was twofold. The first goal was to address some of the public misconceptions of the activities of the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre and the second goal was to ask for the input of the small and medium sized businesses in deciding the direction of the organization's future focus.

"We want the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre to be a useful tool and a strong partner for small business. We are open for business and here to help those businesses succeed" Said Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre's Business Manager, Mr. David Williamson.

The presentation spoke to the various partnership models, business support services that are currently provided and the business incubation services that will be provided through the new ICT building at Algoma University College.

Along with community partners such as the EDC, the Sault Ste. Chamber of Commerce, CIPS Algoma, and FedNor, the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre provides partnership opportunities and supports for small and medium sized businesses in the Algoma District.

Examples of this community teamwork can be seen in the upcoming IT Week events organized by the partners throughout Sault Ste. Marie.

About Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre

The Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre was founded in 1999 as a catalyst for economic development activities in the IT and knowledge-based sectors in the Algoma District.

It works closely with community partners to enhance and improve IT sector opportunities.

You can check them out at http://www.ssmic.com or call for their free brochure 705-949-7927.

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