To assist high-tech entrepreneurs starting new businesses, IEEE-USA and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) have agreed to work in cooperation to promote, strengthen and expand small business development throughout the country. This agreement will benefit IEEE members who are starting their own technology-based businesses. 

As part of this partnership, the following webinar is being presented.

IEEE Section, Area, and Regional representatives met in SF this past weekend to provide training for new members, discuss region finance and events, as well as select the candidates for 2011 region director-elect, and 2011 IEEE President-elect.  It was reveled that over $1 million will be spent on the 2011 Section Congress that will be held in SF.  Tom Coughlin, the Congress Chair, wants this international event of over 1200 Section Chairs and their families to be a model for the future, "This Section's Congress will set the bar for all future Section's Congresses".  

The IEEE MGA Board will donate $700 thousand to the Congress, but additional funding will be required from corporate donors, and from Section budgets.  The Regional ExCom voted to raise the regional assessment fee from $1 to $3 in order to offset declining contributions from the national level, and to keep the budget healthy to support region activities.  The increase was carried by near unanimous vote in the general OpCom assembly.