May 7th, 2009 - PORTLAND, Ore. – TechAmerica Oregon (formerly the Oregon Council of AeA) announced at a ceremony last evening the winners of this year’s Oregon Technology Awards. The winners represent the top companies in five categories that include: System/Hardware, Software, Technology-Service, Emerging Company, and Cool Product. This year, more than 60 nominations were received, with the top three in each category being selected as finalists. The winners were selected based on the biggest positive impact they were able to make in their industry and within the region.

More than 400 guests attended this year’s awards program to acknowledge the technical, business and community achievements of all the finalists.

This year’s Oregon Technology Award winners are:

System/Hardware Company of the Year

TriQuint Semiconductor

Software Company of the Year

Tripwire Inc.

Technology-Service Company of the Year

ACME Business Consulting LLC

Emerging Company of the Year

Jive Software

Ralph Quinsey, president and CEO of TriQuint Semiconductor, was also honored as Technology Executive of the Year. He was selected based on his leadership in his company, the greater Oregon community and the technology industry. Quinsey was chosen by a collection of the program’s previous Technology Executive of the Year and Lifetime Achievement Award recipients who make up the Selection Committee. Nominations were evaluated from the committee and from the technology community
at large.

“We wish to thank all the finalists for making this year’s competition very competitive,” said Jennifer Bosze, executive director, TechAmerica Oregon. “Oregon’s technology community is robust and offers some of the world’s most innovative products. It is an honor to come together for a fun evening to acknowledge these technical, business and community achievements.”

In addition to the winners named above, three products were previously selected as finalists for this year’s Cool Product of the Year. These products were voted on live by event attendees using state-of-the-art polling technology. Through the use of a mobile phone, each person in attendance was able to vote live and see the results tabulated in real time. The winner of this award is:

Cool Product of the Year (TBD)

XXXXXXXX

About the Oregon Technology Awards

The Oregon Technology Awards are underwritten and produced by financial and in-kind sponsors. The presenting sponsor is UnitedHealthcare. Other sponsors include Pop Art, McClenahan Bruer Communications, Webtrends, Oracle, Woodruff Sawyer, Perkins Coie LLP, Stoel Rives LLP, Momentum Management Resources, First Tech Credit Union, KPMG and USI Northwest.

To learn more about this year’s Oregon Technology Awards event, please visit http://www.oregontechawards.com.

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About TechAmerica

TechAmerica is the leading voice for the U.S. technology industry, which is the driving force behind productivity growth and jobs creation in the United States and the foundation of the global innovation economy. Representing approximately 1,500 member companies of all sizes from the public and commercial sectors of the economy, it is the industry’s largest advocacy organization and is dedicated to helping members’ top and bottom lines. It is also the technology industry’s only grassroots-to-global advocacy network, with offices in state capitals around the United States, Washington, D.C., Europe (Brussels) and Asia (Beijing). TechAmerica was formed by the merger of AeA (formerly the American Electronics Association), the Cyber Security Industry Alliance (CSIA), the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) and the Government Electronics & Information Technology Association (GEIA). Learn more at www.techamerica.org.

Press Only

Contact: Barry Katcher, McClenahan Bruer Communications for TechAmerica Oregon, at 503.546.1000 or barry@mcbru.com or Jennifer Bosze, Executive Director, TechAmerica Oregon, at 503.624.6050 or jennifer.bosze@techamerica.org.

PORTLAND, Ore. – March 20, 2009 – TechAmerica Oregon (formerly the Oregon
Council of AeA) announced today the finalists for the 2009 Oregon Technology Awards.

More than 60 nominations received in five categories comprising top picks in
System/Hardware, Software, Tech-Services, Emerging Companies, and Products.

This year’s winners will be announced at the Oregon Technology Awards event on May 7, 2009 at the Portland Art Museum in Portland, Ore.

This premier Oregon business event celebrates excellence and achievement in the region’s technology industry and honors one outstanding Technology Executive of the Year. The Executive of the Year award winner was previously announced February 6, 2009, with this year’s honor going to Ralph Quinsey, president and CEO of TriQuint Semiconductor.

“We wish to thank all of the companies that prepared nominations for this year’s awards,” said Jennifer Bosze, executive director, TechAmerica Oregon. “This region boasts many noteworthy companies that continue to influence technology development through out the rest of the world, and we’re excited to help highlight them.”

The Oregon Technology Award finalists were selected from approximately 60 entries representing a broad range of companies within five categories. Three finalists were selected in each of the categories. The 2009 Oregon Technology Award finalists are:

System/Hardware Company of the Year

nLIGHT Corp.
RadiSys Corp.
TriQuint Semiconductor

Software Company of the Year

Digimarc Corp.
Tripwire Inc.
WebTrends Inc.

Technology-Service Company of the Year

ACME Business Consulting LLC
EasyStreet Online Services Inc.
Integra Telecom

Emerging Company of the Year

Elemental Technologies Inc.
Jive Software
Monsoon Inc.

In addition to the finalists named above, three products have been named finalists for this year’s Cool Product of the Year. This award will be voted on live at the May 7 event using innovative technology. These finalists are:

Cool Product of the Year

Clearwire Corp. – Clear Spot™
GadgetTrak Inc. — GadgetTrak®
Ontier, Inc. – Pixetell™

To learn more about this year’s Oregon Technology Awards event, please visit http://www.oregontechawards.com.

About TechAmerica

TechAmerica is the leading voice for the U.S. technology industry, which is the driving force behind productivity growth and jobs creation in the United States and the foundation of the global innovation economy. Representing approximately 1,500
member companies of all sizes from the public and commercial sectors of the economy, it is the industry’s largest advocacy organization and is dedicated to helping members’ top and bottom lines. It is also the technology industry’s only grassroots-to-global advocacy network, with offices in state capitals around the United States, Washington, D.C., Europe (Brussels) and Asia (Beijing). TechAmerica was formed by the merger of AeA (formerly the American Electronics Association), the Cyber Security Industry Alliance (CSIA), the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) and the Government Electronics & Information Technology Association (GEIA). Learn more at www.techamerica.org.

For more information, contact:

Barry Katcher
McClenahan Bruer Communications
barry@mcbru.com
503-546-1000

Jennifer Bosze
Executive Director
TechAmerica Oregon
jennifer.bosze@techamerica.org
503-624-6050

The Oregon Council of AeA (formerly the American Electronics Association) announced on Friday, Feburary 6, 2009, the selection of Ralph Quinsey, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Hillsboro, Ore.-based TriQuint Semiconductor, as the 2009 Technology Executive of the Year. Quinsey will be recognized publicly for the honor at this year’s Oregon Technology Awards program on May 7, 2009 at the Portland Art Museum in Portland, Ore. Quinsey’s company, TriQuint,
(NASDAQ: TQNT) is a leading radio frequency (RF) product manufacturer and foundry
services provider in the semiconductor industry.

Award Selection

Quinsey was selected as the Technology Executive of the Year based on his leadership in his company, the greater Oregon community and the technology industry. Quinsey’s results- and employee-oriented approach to guiding TriQuint has contributed greatly to the company’s year-over-year growth over the past three years during a challenging period for much of the semiconductor industry. In his spare time, Quinsey contributes to his community in a variety of ways including his membership on the advisory board of Portland State University’s Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science, which receives input and funding from TriQuint.

About Quinsey

Quinsey is widely recognized as streamlining the operations and focusing the market direction of TriQuint since he joined the company in July 2002 as president and CEO. While TriQuint has received mainstream exposure for its products’ place in many of the industry’s leading smartphones, the company also supplies products for WLAN, GPS, basestation, WiMAX, and defense and aerospace markets.

For this year’s award, Quinsey was chosen by a collection of the program’s previous Technology Executive of the Year and Lifetime Achievement Award recipients who make up the Selection Committee. They evaluated nominations from the committee and from the technology community at large.

“It truly is an honor to be recognized by one’s peers in the Oregon technology community,” said Quinsey. “This award would not be possible without the determination and innovation of my colleagues at TriQuint. I have been fortunate to work with such a talented team during the past six years.”

To learn more about this year’s Oregon Technology Awards event, visit http://www.oregontechawards.com. At the site, nominations are currently being accepted for the following awards: System/Hardware Company of the Year, Software Company of the Year, Technology-Service Company of the Year, Emerging Company of the Year and Cool Product of the Year.

About TriQuint

Founded in 1985, we “Connect the Digital World to the Global Network”™ by supplying high-performance RF modules, components and foundry services to the world’s leading communications companies. Specifically, TriQuint supplies products to four out of the top five mobile device manufacturers, and is a leading gallium arsenide (GaAs) supplier to major defense and space contractors.

TriQuint creates standard and custom products using advanced processes that include gallium arsenide, surface acoustic wave (SAW) and bulk acoustic wave (BAW) technologies to serve diverse markets including wireless handsets, laptops, GPS/PND, base stations, broadband communications and defense and aerospace. TriQuint is also lead researcher in a multi-year DARPA program to develop advanced gallium nitride (GaN) amplifiers. TriQuint, as named by Strategy Analytics in August 2008, is the number-three worldwide leader in GaAs devices and the world’s largest commercial GaAs foundry. TriQuint has ISO9001 certified manufacturing facilities in Oregon, Texas, and Florida and a production plant in Costa Rica; design centers are located in North America and Germany.

About AeA

AeA, the nation’s largest technology trade association representing all segments of the high-tech industry, is dedicated solely to helping our members’ top line and bottom line.

We do this in partnership with our small, medium, and large member companies by lobbying governments at the state, federal, and international levels, providing access to capital and business opportunities, and offering select business services and networking programs. For more information, please visit www.aeanet.org. AeA and ITAA merged to become Tech Technology Association of America on January 1, 2009.

Nominations are now open for a number of additional awards that include:

• System/Hardware Company of the Year
• Software Company of the Year
• Technology-Service Company of the Year
• Emerging Company of the Year
• Cool Product of the Year

For more information, contact:
Barry Katcher
McClenahan Bruer Communications
barry@mcbru.com
503-546-1000

Brandi Frye
Director, Corporate Marketing Communications
TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc
bfrye@tqs.com
503-615-9488 (direct)
503-780-2318 (mobile)

It was about 1:30 Pm when Paige and I arrived at PNCA+FIVE Idea Studios at Pacific Northwest College of Art.

Dr. Saul Ostrow sat at the front of the room and began reading from a small stack of paper in front of him. He had a pleasant, descriptive voice, and his face was illuminated by a small lamp.

Behind him was a projection screen displaying a series of disconnected abstract black and white scenes. Sometimes these scenes had muted scenes of people giving speeches. When Saul spoke, it sometimes looked like these ancient philosophers was coming back to life.

While he spoke, I attempted to write down every thing I could, but some of what he said may be unclear or missing. Please excuse this.

Transcript:

“Before I begin my speech on Models of Critical Production, one of the things that I tend to do is that I need definitions.

We all tend to say — even in the titling of this — we say ‘oh, I know what that means”

I need to clarify what I mean by it.

To model is to give form to or to display.

Critical is a moment of importance.

Practice is to perform with proficiency, or to exercise in order to gain proficiency.

To train in a systematic matter to a given end.

Therefore, what I am going to speak about gives form in a systematic manner to judgment.

System — a number of elements working together in concert, in an ordered manner, to create a whole, or to accomplish a task.

Obviously, we are talking not about something singular, but a complex network of interrelated relationships.

What does one need to make a judgment or to take a position? A position is something that one uses to locate themselves relative to another thing or person.

What are some of the terms of valuation -so that they may be a guide to one’s practice — to one’s performance. What are the standards, values and criteria are to be employed –and how might these come to be.

Standards and criteria are comparable and therefore quantitative .

Values are qualitative and therefore relative.

Criteria — the terms of evaluation or appraisal.
Desirability, or comparative quality. Obviously, these reflect a system.

Ideology –a series of imagined set of relationships that guide one’s actions and guides one’s subjectivity. A sense of self, or identity.

To model a critical practice is to give form or to display one’s sense of self, but what is this sense of self?

A sense of self is how we as individuals understand our individuality and collectivity. How we collectively and individually compare ourselves to each other

It is this self that is the emergent subject that enables us to act as well as inhibiting ourselves.

———–

Let us first clarify the notion of the emergent subject -that which moves under or moves something away

The emergent subject is one who acts, or orders.

One is not fixed. Our actions in the world move us .

We possess the ability to act in an ever new and reflexive way. In other ways we are always manifesting and an ever evolving awareness of ourselves.

It is our awareness that allows us to act, and consequently, the modeling of a critical practice is the display of the awareness by which you experience the world. And how the world might be ordered to the evolving self.

The experience of the self is always for the self and the position of advancing the self — both individually and collectively –

Relative to the subject with this talk — at this point, I’ll remind you — I cannot tell you the whole of this with any certainty — because based on the position I have announced here — I do not know the whole of it.

What I do know that there is more to it.

There are three elements of this model of the self

• Self criticality.
• Ethicality
• The Aesthetic.

Neither a priority or inherent, self criticality is a fail safe as we cannot extract ourselves from our world view.

We cannot understand ourselves except for that which is done in the way of value.

That we invest in ourselves tin that that effort will render up an additional value — in that one believes one needs, or one believes the world needs.

This “putting” into the world requires an aesthetic. We must think of it as an inclusive -as well as a means by which we do things. Ourselves in the world - it is the terms by which we represent our terms of self and the ability to progress. It is the means by which the emergent sel.

The content of such a practice is always political — these politics being the economy of social power.

To revise or transform how it has come to understand. Essential to advancing its position within the world is an affirmation or a means of introduction.

—————-

Thinking of Objects Rather than Systems

This desire to categorize art as object rather than critical discourse

one ends up worrying about the market rather than the cultural effect of the things that are produced.

Art is free. It is in our galleries. We can see it.

If we choose to posses it then we worry about markets. And possessing an object rather than the art.

If all of those fields are the creation of distinctly different things, then how do these ever interact?

Answer: there is never (not any interaction - it’s omnipresent) it is the material conditions of our lives. We are born into this — there is no undoing of it?

Is there value in that? There is only value we subscribe to.

We have common projects — some of us participate in those projects and some of choose not to
And we’ve determined that some of s participate in these things that we deem ed best to me in that collective.
Tom Summer: How is the possibility of communication between this intersubjective space possible? It is by consensus forming one contour of collectivity.

What does it mean to “take care of yourself”?

The fixity of the subject is not attached as an image- - is a restless activity (reminds me of Erving Goffman’s seminal book on the understanding of human existence, ”
If one presents new terms - if one is constantly seeking to unfix something - that is illicit. Once it becomes fixed - put in its place- it ceases to become a critical practice. Constantly offering up new propositions. If that worked, will this work?

Do artists ever fall prey to being licit without knowing it?

Not every artist is involved critical practice — the constant reinvention and rexamination of one’s own thoughts, ideologies, self-presence (except perhaps maybe online?).

Very often we talk of things as a singularity –as an art–as a thing- a singular thing. rather than the notion that there are artists that have little or no interest in criticality, but still culturally produce.
Not any singular practice –

the question of dialogue and intersubjectivity . the clash of these practices makes culture still dynamic.

Entering into the same aesthetic and same assumptions we would have a very structured culture, in which the practices would all be subscribed. There are some of us that unsubscribe — for instance, to say, “Oh I know that position, and I’m not interested in believing that anymore”.

Critical practice is always for something; it is not against something.

If I do away with evil - good will remain.

Theory always moves towards practice. they are interrelated.

Practice without some grounding is habit. if it has no self reflexivity. if it has no affirmation -being informed - we end up engaging in something that is habitual . the notion of theory is that I put things into the world as proposition. even the objects that one makes are always grounded in some sort of theoretical position.

You construct a theory of intuition. theory is the propositions that guide us.

The notion of artificiality - as it is with objects it is with us. They are tremendously unstable objects.

A critical practice is always illicit, but never negative.
—

A theory , in a sense -

Do not pick a meaning inappropriate to the subject.
There are just some things you can’t make a painting out of.
Which need is stronger—to make a painting about that subject or to be a painter?

A person decides to paint a picture of mars and Venus. And so they must learn everything they can about Mars and Venus—the whole story—so they can find the perfect moment in which to it.

in depth research - and understanding of relationships - self reflexivity.

Then it becomes how to represent that appropriate moment.

When models of existing practices should exceed existing structures.

Thomas Zummer: We’re always negotiating conflict.

A system network is constantly in negotiation. Constantly in practice. Constantly informing who and where we are in our positions in the world.

On Human Expiration

Productivity is dependent on death and destruction.

Some argue that what makes our human is the knowledge of our mortality.

In that we attempt to constructs things to leave behind.
The fear of death - drives us to produce the social -drives us to produce civilization.

Death is not destruction. I don’t see death as destructive! You’re talking about violence and I see violence as something else.

—————–

@paigedestroy will be going on a two week retreat with Tom Summers and Saul Ostrow. I’m letting her borrow my tape recorder who can by in multiple places at once.

A formal ind of decay or destruction to be subdued in the destruction is to be consumed in that productively is to be consumed in those forms the the transstion or production of those forms.

Those frameworks are always producing or always creating those decays.

We are dying every moment.

What I Took Away from the Lecture

Bordieu - that we are always reterritorializing things —-moving the boundaries of things. We only see it online because it is newer there – and disconnected. –
at one time you could not frame this with a new body

it is just more mechanical online, the reinvention of self — it does not mean that we do not do it in real life. the distance between spaces in which we do it online is just larger more granular — less resolution. we do not notice it in real life because it is so smooth and there are so many more systems at play — the granularity, the smoothness and the complexity of the system in real life compared to the systems online is so much more that we notice things more easily online. It is not “liquid” modernity” it is not fast and continual flux. it is slower online. much slower.

Moreover, as sociologist Emelie Durkheim said, as society matures and progresses, they flow from mechanical to organic.

We exist in space for a prolonged period and we call that time.
I’m more include to talk about entropy than decay.
These negotiations of certain processes. Things moving to a steady state.

I think its a society looking for its values and world view to be expressed and that it goes back to — reception. Those things we call artists are the agents by which we express something.

——-

I don’t believe in a Zeitgeist -because I don’t know when that time is.
if I could predict what would touch those million people. For instance, I could say, ‘what people really need right now is hope’ — but I don’t really know what hope looks like.

At the end, he pointed out something along the lines of the time cost of painting, adding “It’s better to work in film”.

And in similar vein of Artists are force carriers of culture.

—-

About PNCA+FIVE Idea Studio

————————
This lecture series was part of the PNCA + FIVE Idea Studio: Models of Critical Production
Saul Ostrow will be at Pacific Northwest College of Art from October 13–16.

————————

Event Schedule

Models of Critical Production
October 13 – 16
PNCA Campus
Free and open to the public

October 13
Tom Zummer workshop | Commons | 4 – 5:30 pm

October 14
Saul Ostrow lecture | Commons | 12:30 – 1:30pm
Tom Zummer workshop | Commons | 4 – 5:30pm

October 15
Tom Zummer lecture | Commons | 12:30 – 1:30pm

October 16
Saul Ostrow lecture | Commons | 12:30 – 1:30pm

More at PNCA Lectures occurring this week.

Doug Fieldhouse of Vesta, ClearEdge Power, ID Experts, nLIGHT and BRING Recycling Are Selected as this Year’s Award Winners

Sept. 18, 2008, Portland, Ore. — The Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN) announced the winners of the 2008 OEN Tom Holce Awards for Entrepreneurship during its 15^th annual awards ceremony on September 18, 2008. The ceremony, held at the Oregon Convention Center, honored finalists in four categories: Entrepreneurship Award for Individual Achievement; Development Stage Company of the year; Working capital Stage Company of the year; and the Growth Stage Company of the year.

Doug Fieldhouse of Vesta received the 2008 Entrepreneurship Award for Individual Achievement. “Doug exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit that we celebrate with these awards,” said Bob Sternberg, judging chair for this year’s awards. “He thinks big and looks for ways to make a tremendous impact, and he has the ability to execute on those ideas in ways that scale up effectively. His success with Vesta is just one example of his ability to change and jump into new opportunities and persistently grow the business over time.” In addition, he has a long history of mentoring and coaching young entrepreneurs.

In the Development category, ClearEdge Power of Portland, Oregon is this year’s winner. ClearEdge Power is a pioneer and provider of ultra-clean and efficient on-site energy generation systems. They have a substantial market opportunity and are professionally managed, well funded and are making substantial progress with product development and early adoption customers.

ID Experts of Beaverton is the winner in the Working Capital Category. ID Experts provides identity theft protection services for individuals, corporations and the public sector. They have successfully adapted to the changing needs of the market when required. Their painstaking and labor intensive process to restore customers’ identities will make it difficult for other companies to compete successfully against them in this marketplace. Due to these efforts, they have a 100 percent success rate restoring identities.

The winner of the Growth Category is nLIGHT Corporation of Vancouver, Washington.

nLIGHT develops and manufactures photonics modules for industrial, defense, and medical applications. The company had the vision to intelligently re-invent itself in the early stages of the collapse of the telecom bubble and the temerity to implement that new strategy under extremely difficult circumstances. It applied its skills and ingenuity in the marketplace to create, shepherd and grow a novel mentoring program (MAPS—Mentoring for Advanced Program for Students) that is having a real impact on local education and the future of this community.

BRING Recycling is this year’s winner of the Non-profit Award. BRING Recycling collects and resells low-cost used building materials as well as provides deconstruction and recycling services. Revenues generated fund conservation and education programs about the best way to reuse and recycle. BRING Recycling was selected for its organizational and entrepreneurial strengths overall, and how the organization was able to change course to meet changing demands in the community. BRING Recycling received a $5,000 award from the Meyer Memorial Trust at the Awards Ceremony.

“The recipients of this year’s awards have been successful because of their determination, independent thinking, and their ability to change direction and chart their own course.” said Linda Weston, executive director and president of OEN. “From clean power to identity protection, these Oregon and Southwest Washington companies are making innovative contributions that make a difference in our communities and beyond.”

The winners were chosen from 14 finalists by the OEN award judging committee, chaired by Bob Sternberg. Companies from throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington were nominated for the Awards, and were narrowed to the 14 finalists after hundreds of hours of due diligence, including site visits and face-to-face interviews. A comprehensive list of winners and finalists follows this release.

Individual Category

Doug Fieldhouse, Vesta - Winner
Ray King, AboutUs.org
Susan Sokol Blosser, Sokol Blosser

Working Capital Category

ID Experts- Winner
Beaverton, OR

Pop Art, Inc.
Portland, Oregon

PV Powered
Bend, Oregon

Growth Category

nLIGHT Corporation- Winner
Vancouver, WA

HemCon Medical Technologies, Inc.
Portland, Oregon

Timbercon
Lake Oswego, WA

Development Category

ClearEdge Power- Winner
Portland, Oregon

AboutUs, Inc.
Portland, Oregon

Jama Software
Portland, Oregon

Plas2Fuel Corporation
Chris Ulum
Kelso, WA

About OEN

Founded in 1991, the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to providing opportunities for Oregon entrepreneurs and improving the business climate for emerging, growth-oriented companies statewide. The organization has members throughout Oregon and southwest Washington. For more information about the OEN, visit its website at www.oen.org.

For more information, press only:
Jessica Foote
OnPR
503-802-4406
jessicaf@onpr.com

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Congratulations to all of the winners! Thanks for helping to put Oregon’s Entrepreneurs on the map!

Amber Case is a Cyborg Anthropologist and Social Media Consultant based in Portland, Oregon. You can contact her by E-mail or @caseorganic on Twitter.