ISTC Advocacy Council

Mission Statement

The Illinois Science & Technology Coalition Advocacy Council exists to inform the policy advocacy activities of the organization, which focus on fostering economic development and job growth in Illinois through effective research, commercialization, entrepreneurship, and immigration policies. In this role, the Council represents the organization’s membership to guide ISTC’s policy agenda by identifying gaps in the ecosystem that state and/or federal policy could fill. The Council works with ISTC leadership to craft new or updated policies to fill existing gaps and meet the needs of Illinois’ innovation community. Finally, the Council works to assist ISTC to advance these policy initiatives to implementation.

Members

T.J. Augustine, Ph.D.

Interim Vice Chancellor for Innovation, University of Illinois at Chicago

TJ Augustine is the Interim Vice Chancellor for Innovation for the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), where he coordinates the technology commercialization and entrepreneurship activities that are part of UIC’s innovation ecosystem, and a professor in the Department of Chemistry. The units reporting to Dr. Augustine include ACCC, Extended Campus, and a new office focused on corporate relationships. Previously, Augustine served as Associate Vice President for Economic Development and Innovation for the University of Illinois System where he was responsible for providing strategic leadership in identifying potential public-private partnerships and enhancing connections among internal and external stakeholders to foster innovation and technology commercialization.

Laura Apenzeller

Executive Director at the University of Illinois Research Park and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Economic Development

Laura Frerichs oversees the University of Illinois Research Park operations and development, manages the entrepreneurship programs at EnterpriseWorks technology incubator, and supports the University’s economic development efforts. She also serves as Director of Economic Development at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and supports special projects of the Chancellor’s Economic Development Council.

Bob Greenlee

Consultant, Tuck Strategies & Senior Advisor, Illinois Science & Technology Coalition

In addition to his role with Tuck Strategies, Bob Greenlee provides strategic advisory, legal, public advocacy, and project management experience to his role as Senior Advisor to the Illinois Science & Technology Coalition. Prior to working at ISTC, Bob worked as an attorney in private practice at the Quinlan Law Firm LLC and at Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Bob also worked at the State of Illinois serving as Deputy Governor, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Office of the Governor, and Deputy Director of the Illinois Office of Management and Budget.