I did not expect that, at this point in my career, I would be taking on new responsibilities. But when Phil Weiser was called to service in Washington, D.C., I viewed the opportunity to step in as Executive Director of Silicon Flatirons as too important and too interesting to pass up. Phil has, in characteristic fashion, worked diligently with myself, Anna Noschese, Paul Ohm, Brad Bernthal, and the other members of the Executive Committee (Ray Gifford, our chair, Sue Wyman, Dick Green, and Tom Lookabaugh) to ensure a smooth and effective transition. I share his confidence and enthusiasm about the program’s future, even though I know that I, like all of us, will miss his vision, energy, and leadership. Washington’s gain is our loss.
With Phil’s support, the guidance of the Executive Committee, and advice from many of you, we have already set up an exciting array of conferences and programs that we will continue to build on as the academic year progresses. On September 9th, we will start off with an event focused on “Telecommunications Regulation in Comparative Perspective.” On October 12th, we will return to the Cable Center in Denver to explore the cutting edge issues around “The Rise of Broadband Video and the Future of Digital Media.” On December 4th, we will hold a conference on “Reforming Internet Privacy Law.” To start off calendar year 2010, we will hold our flagship Digital Broadband Migration conference on January 31st-February 1st. It will focus on “Examining the Internet’s Ecosystem” and bring to Boulder a number of leading policymakers from Washington, D.C.-including our own Phil Weiser! And this will all be in addition to our regular activities in the entrepreneurship space, including sponsoring the New Technology Meetup, our Entrepreneurs Unplugged series, and the Crash Course series for entrepreneurs.
I look forward to working with many old friends and making new ones as I take on the Executive Director position. I believe deeply in the interdisciplinary approach to policy research and in the mission of Silicon Flatirons-to elevate the debate in technology policy and support thoughtful policymaking, to nurture student interest and networking, and support entrepreneurship-and I look forward to finding ways to engage the national and local technology community on these fronts. If you have any ideas on this score or are just interested in getting more involved with Silicon Flatirons, I welcome your suggestions and encourage you to reach out to me at dale.hatfield@colorado.edu.
Thanks again for your past support and best regards,
Dale Hatfield