RITech’s potential
There is great potential in the Rhode Island Technology Council (RITech) — if only they could get their act together. The resignation last week of Charles Nault, president and CEO of Atrion Networking, as chairman, after only six months in the position, marks yet another RITech leadership change. In January, Rick Kovar of Senator Majority Leader Paul Kelly’s office, replaced Thomas Mulhearn as executive director after Mulhearn held the post for no more than a year.
And the focus of the group seems to be an ever changing target, from a trade organization to work force development, to a conduit for government agencies to attract new businesses.
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Add to that some concern by a few in the organization that RITech may be too influenced by government agencies such as the Economic Development Corporation and Economic Policy Council. If it is, then it may be because these agencies have offered more stability of leadership than the private sector that has left a revolving door in its chairmanship, and ever changing executive directorship.
If RITech is to succeed it needs to be a real partnership between the private and public sectors. RITech, first and foremost, must serve the existing IT community, promoting growth of companies within the state, providing training, and serving as the premier lobbying group for IT concerns. That’s what was envisioned when high-tech professionals founded its predecessor organization, the Rhode Island Software Council, a few years ago.
The organization by its growing strength and representation of the industry can also become an important tool for government as it strives to attract even more companies to the state’s growing technology community.
The Massachusetts technology community has been well-served by its technology councils, and there is no acceptable reason Rhode Island cannot be equally well-served.
Dousing fires
How dare Barnaby Evans object to these other communities stealing his idea, renaming it and putting on the likes of pond and river fires. How dare he!
Wait a minute. How dare those communities, stealing not only an idea, an artist’s creation, concept, but also trying to capitalize on what has become the signature piece for Providence’s renaissance.
What ever happened to original thought.
Evans has suggested to would-be imitators that they commission local artists to develop original pieces to capture the imagination and attention of those who would join in their celebrations of rivers, ponds and the like.
Waterfire, with its 97 fires and mystical, sometimes haunting music, has captured the attention of not only Rhode Islanders but also thousands from outside the area, from as far away as Venice and Dublin to as near as Olneyville.
It is precious in its uniqueness, a magical creation that pits contrasting forces of water and fire, amid a backdrop of haunting classical music gathered sometimes from obscure corners of the world.
Barnaby Evans is not the ogre in this, but is rightfully protective of what he has developed and for what it has become. To present similar pieces and rename the results fire on the rivers or pond fire, is only to dilute this wonderful work of art.
We would hope that communities that have a notion to replicate this work, reconsider and commission any one of a number of very talented local artists to develop something unique for their communities.
