WASHINGTON & MCLEAN, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker today announced the appointment of Maribel Perez Wadsworth, Gannett’s chief strategy officer, and 29 private sector, nonprofit, and academic leaders to serve on the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NACIE). Selected from a pool of more than 200 accomplished applicants, the council members will offer recommendations for policies and programs designed to make U.S. communities, businesses, and the workforce more globally competitive.

“The members of NACIE provide important counsel to the Department of Commerce on the types of federal policies that will support entrepreneurship, innovation, and job-driven workforce training, all of which are critical to American competitiveness,” said Secretary Pritzker. “As ‘America’s Innovation Agency,’ we value the expertise of our private sector partners and appreciate the opportunity to incorporate their views into our policymaking process.”

Established in 2010, NACIE operates as an independent entity managed through the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which is housed in the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration.

“We are proud Maribel has been selected by Commerce Secretary Pritzker to serve on this advisory council. Maribel has been instrumental in building a workplace culture at Gannett focused on experimentation and innovation and with this appointment, she joins a roster of very talented innovative leaders. She’s a thoughtful business leader – one especially driven to identify solutions for customers’ greatest needs,” said Robert Dickey, president and CEO of Gannett.

NACIE members, who will each serve a two-year term, have demonstrated expertise and experience in the areas of innovation, entrepreneurship, and employer-driven talent development. In reviewing applications, the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship sought a diverse group of nationally recognized leaders representing different demographics, organization size, industry sector, and geographic regions to provide a balanced viewpoint on these issues. NACIE will convene four times each year, with its inaugural meeting scheduled for October 2016.

Now in its third membership cycle, NACIE members appointed today are:

• Rebecca O. Bagley – Vice Chancellor Economic Partnerships at University of Pittsburgh
• Esther M. Baldwin – Director of Innovation at Intel
• Brian J. Bartholomeusz – Executive Director, TomKat Center for Sustainable Energy at Stanford University
• Heather Boesch – Director of Business Operations at IDEO
• Trey Bowles – Cofounder at The Dallas Innovation Alliance (DIA) and CEO at The Dallas Entrepreneur Center
• Melissa L. Bradley (Co-chair) – Director, AU Center for Innovation in the Capital
• Kathryn Finney – Founder and Managing Director at digitalundivided
• Scott Frederick – Development Partner & Head of Federal at New Enterprise Associates
• Kara Goldin – Founder & CEO at Hint Inc.
• Julie K. Goonewardene* – Associate Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Strategic Investment, University of Texas System
• Orin Herskowitz – Executive Director, Vice President of Intellectual Property and Tech Transfer at Columbia Technology Ventures, Columbia University
• Richard A. Johnson – Associate Vice President at Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation
• Joseph Kapp – Entrepreneur in Residence at Eastern WV Community & Technical College and CEO at Behavioral Business, LLC
• David S. Kenney* – President & Executive Director at Oregon BEST
• Pradeep K. Khosla – Chancellor at University of California, San Diego
• Marie Trzupek Lynch* – CEO at Skills for Chicagoland’s Future
• Mike Nemeth –Founder & CEO, S3 Planning
• Andrew D. Reamer – Research Professor at George Washington University
• Emily Reichert – CEO at Greentown Labs
• Joseph L. Schocken – President at Broadmark Capital, LLC
• Sue Griffith Smith – Vice President Technology and Applied Science at Ivy Tech Community College
• Whitney S. Smith – Executive Director – Midwest, Global Philanthropy at JPMorgan Chase
• Tiffany M. Stevenson – Vice President, Talent Management & Development at Sephora USA, Inc.
• Stephen S. Tang* (Co-chair) – President & CEO, University City Science Center
• Eric J. Toone – Vice Provost & Director, Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Duke University
• Howard A. Tullman – CEO at 1871 and General Managing Partner at Chicago High Tech Investment Partners, LLC
• Maribel Perez Wadsworth – Senior Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer at Gannett Co., Inc.
• Tiffany J. Wilson* – Executive Director at Global Center for Medical Innovation
• Chad Womack – Director, STEM Initiatives at United Negro College Fund (UNCF)
• Andrew Yang – Founder and CEO at Venture for America

* reappointed member

To learn more about the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, visit www.eda.gov/oie/nacie/.

ABOUT GANNETT

Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) is a next-generation media company committed to strengthening communities across our network. Through trusted, compelling content and unmatched local-to-national reach, Gannett touches the lives of more than 100 million people monthly. With more than 120 markets internationally, it is known for Pulitzer Prize-winning newsrooms, powerhouse brands such as USA TODAY and specialized media properties, in addition to its full suite of digital marketing services. To connect with us, visit www.gannett.com.

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