director of RITEC.
Jack Sommer said it didn’t take him very long to decide to give up his daily commute to Boston to accept his position as the new executive director of the Rhode Island Technology Council (RITEC).
And, as the organization continues to evolve and try to help create more opportunities for technology workers in Rhode Island, that is what Sommer hopes others will do: trade commuting time for increased quality of life and help enrich the talent pool within the state.
Harnessing talent with local ties, be they through school, family or friendships, is crucial to work force development in the IT industry, Sommer said, because “IT workers are mobile – they’ll go cross-country without batting an eye.”
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Sommer replaces RITEC’s former executive director, Rick Kovar, who resigned at the beginning of the year. The decision to hire Sommer was made at RITEC’s monthly board of directors meeting Feb. 21.
Under Kovar’s watch, Sommer said, the non-profit trade organization “picked up a lot of momentum,” growing from 50 to more than 250 members in a two and a half year period. “We want to continue that and use the resources that we have…Leverage what we’ve done, and springboard into the next level for RITEC,” he said.
Ask Sommer his number one aspiration for the organization, and he will tell you the group wants to position itself as a resource for entrepreneurs.
“Connectivity is the IT term to bring people, places and ideas together so that they can leverage their products, ideas and services,” he said.
Providing that type of connectivity, Sommer adm-itted, is a Herculean task that “means different things to different people.” Even so, Sommer said the goal is for RITEC to act as something of a “reference desk” for technology companies in the state, offering leads for such diverse needs as funding possibilities, insurance options or where to find interns.
“The more we offer, the more (entrepreneurs) can spend time developing their product, growing their business,” he said.
Sommer first became involved with RITEC when he worked in the Providence office of the accounting firm Ernst & Young, LLP as manager of audit and advisory business services. The company contributed financially to the young organization and helped enhance the management skills of its membership by presenting at RITEC’s professional lecture series.
Sommer joined the RITEC board of directors, but said he had to curb his involvement with the organization a bit when he began his commute to Boston for his position at Student Advantage as corporate controller.
Last year, Sommer helped put together RITEC’s 2002 budget and reconnected with the organization.
His plate is already very full. In the works are IT job listings for the RITEC Web site; a grant application that would fund retraining of local workers; and the continued development of programs such as the NAF (National Academy Foundation) in Newport to enhance the educational experiences of high school students throughout the state.
Sommer says that he – and RITEC – are up to the challenge.
“We’ve got a lot of momentum,” he said. “We’re going to continue to move forward.”
