The May Report: 1/23/2012: The press release hit at 9:27am today, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012: I’ve been waiting and hoping for this day for several years now and I’m sure I’ll have plenty more to say about it, but for now, the right thing to do is leave the man alone — as the character Herb Stempel (John Turturro) told the press in the movie Quiz Show when Charles van Doren (Ralph Fiennes) was losing his job and being humiliated before Congress, “You guys never leave a guy alone unless (pause) you’re leaving him alone”; — I’ve been aware of the inside story behind Terry Howerton’s pending resignation since 4:30pm on December 7th, and I’ve agreed not to write about it for a while as things play out in southwest Missouri so let’s just let it ride for the time being and wish Jim Gagnard, former CEO of SmartSignal, well; As Winston Churchill said: “In war, resolution; in defeat, defiance; in victory, magnanimity”

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Louis Brandeis: “Publicity is justly commended as a remedy for social and industrial diseases. Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.”

frequently attributed to Edmund Burke: “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” but the quote and its many variations have been the subject of dispute. See en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Edmund_Burke for more.

“Larsen E. Whipsnade”: You Can’t Cheat an Honest Man (1939), a comedy film starring and scripted by W. C. Fields

Andre’ Gide (1869 – 1951) in his “Les Nourritures Terrestres. Envoi:”:
“What another would have done as well as you, do not do it. What another would have said as well as you, do not say it; written as well, do not write it. Be faithful to that which exists nowhere but in yourself — and thus make yourself indispensable.”
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Scoop section:

– Howerton formally steps down as ITA Chairman, to be replaced by Jim Gagnard, former CEO of SmartSignal
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The Scoop Section:
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Howerton formally steps down as ITA Chairman, to be replaced by Jim Gagnard, former CEO of SmartSignal

PRESS RELEASE
Jan. 23, 2012, 10:27 a.m. EST
Illinois Technology Association Appoints Chicago Software Executive Jim Gagnard as Chairman
Founding Chairman Terry Howerton Steps Down, Grew ITA From Inception to 700 Corporate Members

CHICAGO, IL, Jan 23, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) — The Illinois Technology Association (ITA) today announced the appointment of Jim Gagnard as Chairman. Gagnard, former President and CEO of Chicago-based SmartSignal, recently oversaw the sale of SmartSignal to GE Intelligent Platforms. Gagnard accepted the reins from Terry Howerton, ITA’s founding Chairman, who will remain on the Board of Directors and active within ITA.
Gagnard assumes the Chairmanship of ITA at a time of unprecedented and sustained growth. With 700 corporate members benefitting from collaboration and exposure driven by dozens of programs and more than 150 events per year, ITA is the epicenter of the Chicago technology community.
The transition to Gagnard as Chairman comes at a time when ITA faces many strategic decisions familiar to its member companies. “This organization is not just benefitting from a resurgent tech economy in Chicago,” said Gagnard. “ITA helped catalyze it. Now is the time for our leadership team to take very intentional actions to translate the deep roots built into a new phase of growth and maturity. We have a chance to help chart the course for the Illinois technology industry for decades to come.”
“I am thrilled to be working with Jim. You can’t imagine the next 50 years of the Chicago and Illinois economy without technology playing a core role and Jim brings a wealth of insight and experience to ITA as we move to the next phase of the organization and the community,” said Fred Hoch, president of ITA. “Of course, long before technology was vogue in Chicago, Terry recognized an opportunity and deserves tremendous credit for helping transform a good idea into a resource thousands of executives regularly call upon to move our industry forward. We thank Terry for his leadership and service as Chairman and are grateful for his continuing role on the Board of Directors.”
ITA has developed a number of new initiatives in support of the growth of members which will be announced in conjunction with the change in the coming months.
About the ITA The Illinois Technology Association, a next-generation business organization is a driving force behind the growth of Illinois’ vibrant technology industry. ITA’s mission is to accelerate the growth of our 700 member companies, drive their visibility and bridge the technology talent gap from startups to industry leaders in software, services and information technology. Through collaboration and collective action, ITA brings the industry together to drive member success and advocate for the Illinois technology community locally and nationally. Illinois is a national leader in technology and ITA is committed to its continued growth. For more information about ITA, please visit www.illinoistech.org or on Twitter at @itabuzz.
Contact:
Fred Hoch
President and CEO, ITA
+1.312.924.1062
fred@illinoistech.org
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