David Archer last week was named managing director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology, a nonprofit agency designed to increase Nevada's presence in the technology industry.
Archer previously owned a marketing management consulting practice.
"At heart I'm an engineer," says Archer, who holds two degrees in engineering.
Involved with Tech Alliance, a predecessor organization to CET, Archer is keen on the entrepreneurship layer CET has since added.
"I love working with small business," he says.
One of his first tasks, says Archer, is to see if there is additional assistance CET can provide to its working partners Nevada Development Association,Northern Nevada Development Association, Nevada Commission on Economic Development and Economic Development Association ofWestern Nevada.
Of course, Tech Thursdays will continue, says Archer, who plans further marketing outreach to increase attendance at the networking event.
He also wants to increase awareness of just how well area tech companies are doing.
"There are a lot of entrepreneurial successes in Nevada, but their success stories don't get told," he says.
Archer is president of the Reno-Tahoe chapter of the American Marketing Association, serves on the boards of Northern Nevada Development Association,Western Industrial Nevada, and the Computer Science Advisory Board of Sierra Nevada College.
He serves on two committees of the Economic Development Association of Western Nevada, and is a member of the Advertising Association of Northern Nevada and the American Society for Training and Development.
Before moving to Reno,Archer held executive positions at Viacom,Netscape,AOL and Time Warner.
He holds an master's degree in marketing and a bachelor's degree in management from St.Mary's College in Moraga, Calif.He also holds associate's degrees in electronics engineering and broadcast engineering from the College of San Mateo in San Mateo, Calif.
Scott Frost, president of Las Vegas-based Desert Frost Ventures, remains chairman of CET.
David LaPlante, President of Reno based Twelve Horses, is vice chairman.
LaPlante will be instrumental in mapping out CET's strategic goals and objectives.
"The state of Nevada is a phenomenal place for technology," says LaPlante.He points to the gaming industry worldwide,with all roads leading back to this state.
Tech also plays an important role in mining.
Finally, he notes the importance of proximity to California.
The board of directors includes John Altman,Mike Ballard, Roy Farrow, Bob Goff, and Bob Shriver .
Former director Alison Estee also remains on the board.
The two-year-old CET was created as a joint venture of the state's Commission on Economic Development and the northern Nevada-based technology group previously known as TechAlliance.
