Departments
Message from the CEO
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Dianne Strunk |
Council’s Gold Patrons
Give — and Receive
As the holidays approach, we all give thanks for the family members and friends who enrich our lives. It’s also a time of year when we at the Council, like most of you, pause to appreciate the people who have enriched our organizations in the past year through their contributions as colleagues, partners, investors, vendors or clients.
In a year that was difficult for every not-for-profit organization, I have way too many people to thank — starting with you and all the other members who are using Council contacts, capital, information and education to build your businesses. Your participation and feedback sustain the Council’s role as a relevant and meaningful resource in the region.
Yet I feel the need to express special thanks to eight amazing people whose contributions to the Council have gone way above and beyond. All are leaders of Gold Patron companies that have made important financial contributions, but these individuals have truly extended themselves by providing the Council with generous quantities of leadership, guidance, involvement and support.
Thank goodness, these leaders who give so much also believe that they get a lot in return. Asked why they and their companies support the Council, they responded with testimonials I am honored to share with you today.
A truly elite eight
Please join me in thanking these eight individuals and the Gold Patron companies they represent:
- Frank Baldino, Jr., Chairman and CEO at Cephalon
- Walter Buckley III, Chairman and CEO of Internet Capital Group
- Michael Forman, Managing General Partner of FB Capital Partners
- Thomas Gravina, Executive Chairman of GPX Enterprises [Evolve IP]
- Frank Hermance, Chairman and CEO of Ametek
- Albert Piscopo, Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers
- Charles Robins, Managing Director of Fairmount Partners
- Stephen Zarrilli, Senior Vice President and CFO of Safeguard Scientifics
What Gold Patrons get
I asked some of the leaders who give extraordinary amounts of time and resources to the Council why they do it. After all, the Council is not a charity; they have a right to expect something in return. As you might expect, these leaders have a strong sense of civic duty. I am gratified and humbled by their decision to fulfill that duty by helping the Council to make this region a thriving center for innovation and business growth in technology and life sciences.
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Charles Robins
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“We believe strongly in this region, and this region has been a great home to us, our families, careers and businesses. We feel we have a responsibility to give back to the region, and we have chosen the ETC as a key avenue for our support because of the unique and vital role it plays. In our opinion the ETC is the lynch-pin for continuing to drive this region forward as a recognized center of technology and technology businesses. We believe that the long-term success of this region in technology hinges on getting, keeping and supporting great talent, entrepreneurs and businesses. This requires an active and accessible network including capital sources, smaller and larger businesses, universities and service providers. It also requires a civic-minded focus that draws all of these groups together to provide resources, mentoring and lobbying in support of the regional technology community. The ETC focuses on precisely these areas, and therefore is positioned to be a major difference-maker to our collective future.”
— Charles Robins, Fairmount Partners
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Michael Forman
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“I have been a long-standing member and supporter of the Eastern Technology Council. I have had the pleasure of working with Dianne Strunk and her predecessor, Rob McCord. The Council has flourished under their outstanding leadership. I have found the Council to be a great resource for both entrepreneurs and established businesses, providing a great networking forum for its members. The Council is particularly important in difficult economic environments as the sense of community and support it provides are of great value to this region and its businesses.”
— Michael Forman, FB Capital Partners
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Thomas Gravina
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“Evolve IP has been a sponsor of the ETC for many years. We cannot understate the value they have provided to us, and to all companies in the region looking to establish themselves as leaders in their industry. The leadership, networking opportunities, and educational programs provided by the Council give business leaders access to the expertise and connections that will help position them for success. We look forward to continuing our partnership with the ETC and all of its member companies to maximize each other’s business potential.”
— Thomas Gravina, Evolve IP
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Stephen Zarrilli
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“Safeguard, a proud founding member of the Eastern Technology Council more than 20 years ago, values the Council's support to the entrepreneurial community. The Council has served as an instrumental leader and resource to the technology and life science entrepreneurial community throughout its history. It is this mantle of leadership that distinguishes the Council from its peers. The Council is also an important thread within the fabric of the Philadelphia business community. It harmonizes the varying views of a variety of participants and constituents, while fostering an environment of collaboration. Without the Council, our business community would be without an important ‘glue’ to bind our collective efforts in supporting organizational growth and success within our entrepreneurial community.”
— Stephen Zarrilli, Safeguard
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| Frank Baldino, Jr. |
“Cephalon is proud to have been a founding member of the Eastern Technology Council and I believe that the services the Council provides are as relevant today as they were at the Council’s inception over 20 years ago. Through leadership, collaboration and networking the Council’s activities are important to our continued success in the region.”
— Frank Baldino, Jr., Cephalon
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| Frank Hermance |
“I greatly appreciate the role the Council serves as a conduit for ideas and information among the region’s leading technology and life sciences businesses. That communications is vital to fostering growth and innovation across the region and is especially important in positioning our region both nationally and globally.”
— Frank Hermance, Ametek
