Ned Staebler, Wayne State University's vice president for economic development, has been appointed president and CEO of TechTown, the business accelerator and incubator founded in partnership with the university in 2000. TechTown's board of directors approved the appointment Monday. Staebler will continue to serve in his current role at the university after assuming his new position on March 16. "TechTown is an incredibly effective conduit for transferring the economic power and innovative energy of a public research university directly to the people in our community," said WSU President M. Roy Wilson. "Ned's leadership at TechTown will strengthen the connection Wayne State has to our community as an economic driver." According to TechTown figures, between 2007 and 2014, it has served 1,026 companies, which raised over $107.26 million in startup capital and contributed 1,190 jobs to the local economy. "My expanded role provides an opportunity to more closely align the innovation efforts of Wayne State University and TechTown," said Staebler in a statement. "In addition to the university's existing entrepreneurship programs, we will soon be launching the Anderson Engineering Ventures Institute in our College of Engineering. This is the perfect time to build on the already close relationship between the university and the city's business innovation hub," he said.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20150302/NEWS/150309987/ned-staebler-to-replace-leslie-smith-as-techtown-ceo
http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/2015/03/02/techtown-gets-new-ceo/24283461/
http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2015/03/02/wayne-state-vp-tapped-as-new-techtown-president-and-ceo/
http://www.mitechnews.com/articles.asp?id=18340
http://www.dbusiness.com/March-April-2015/TechTown-Detroit-Names-New-President-CEO/#.VPW4K_nF-4I