"Holben Hay Husman, Denver, has changed its name to Holben Hay Balzer CPAs LLC in recognition of the influence and contributions of Sheila Balzer. Balzer had been with Husman & Co. since 1994, prior to its merger with the Holben firm in 2001."

Link to WebCPA (Accounting Today)

Colorado public relations consulting firm, Absolutely Public Relations, is the PR agency of record (AOR) for the Denver-based accounting firm, Holben* Hay*Absolutely PR Owner/Founder Maggie Chamberlin Holben, APR, who says, "HHB's PR effort launched in June with its name change announcement from the Holben Hay Husman moniker used during past decade. A PR campaign focusing on Sheila Balzer's appointment to the Colorado Society of Certified Public Accountants (CSCPA) followed in July." Link to the related messaging:

Name Change Rollout: http://www.prweb.com/releases/Holben_Hay_Balzer/06/prweb4166214.htm

Sheila Balzer CSCPA Board Appointment: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/07/prweb4234394.htm

Link to today's PR Newswire Agency Roster

Link to the PR Web newswire

* For full disclosure, both Holben and Hay are Maggie Holben's first cousins by marriage.

"Holli Baumunk took over as president and CEO of the Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA) on July 12. She already was familiar with the state’s biotech drug and medical device companies from working as vice president of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corp.

A top priority of her first year will be working on creating a “fund of funds,” designed to supply capital to private venture funds investing in startup companies that commercialize Colorado technologies in the biotech drug, medical device, biofuel and clean technology fields. An industry road map prepared for the CBSA in 2008 recommended pushing for a $250 million “fund of funds” similar to ones in other states that use money from state employee pension funds and other investors."

Link to Greg Avery's profile of Holli Baumunk in today's DBJ

"The Boettcher Foundation today awarded six biomedical researchers from Colorado universities three-year grants of up to $250,000 each.

All six are in early stages of their careers, a time when it is difficult for researchers to get the grants needed to fund scientific work.

The Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Program grants are an investment in science that has the potential to make significant contributions to human health, said Timothy W. Schultz, president of the Boettcher Foundation."

Link to the Denver Post

Stop everything you're doing right now and go to the newsstand to pick up a copy of the June Oprah Magazine. Why? Because Mei Zen Facial (Cosmetic) Acupuncture is featured on page 164. Mei Zen is the facial acupuncture system co-developed and taught internationally by Denver's own Dr. Martha Lucas. The photo in O was taken at the practice of Martha's New York student, Dr. Melinda Mingus.

In addition to developing the Mei Zen system, Martha is also the author of Vanity Calamity (http://www.amazon.com/o/asin/0578026295/mockerybird/ref=nosim) -- plus, most importantly, she's my acupuncture practitioner of ten years. Thank you, Martha, for being an acupuncture trailblazer! I admire your passion and dedication to Chinese medicine www.acupuncturewoman.com.

If you're interested in learning more about the Mei Zen Cosmetic Acupuncture System and not in the Denver area for assistance from Dr. Lucas, you can find a MeiZen certified acupuncture practitioner in your area at this link: http://www.cosmeticacupunctureseminars.com/practitioners.html.

In May had a brush with history, as they say, when I got to participate in a client meeting with advertising legend and now Colorado natural resource (and CU honorary PhD) Alex Bogusky at his relatively new headquarters in Boulder called the Fearless Cottage. He was being shadowed by a writer from Fast Company, so this important personal event for me was duly witnessed by the media. I'm recording it here [originally on Facebook} for posterity (that's what we do now). Plus to give perspective on how this ranks with my other historical brushes of note: 1978, lunch presentation and photo opp with the "Best Print Copywriter Ever" Bob Levenson http://hogd.pbworks.com/Bob-Levinson-DDB-ad-Do-This-Or-Die; 1991, PRSA Counselors Academy Luncheon with "The Father of PR" Edward Bernays http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Bernays; and 2008, lunch (I sat right by him for the entire meal) and photo opp with Guy Kawasaki "New Technology and Startup guru" http://www.guykawasaki.com/about/index.shtml. That's me with Guy K. in the jpg.

Here's to being inspired by the truly high achievers in our professions!

"'Perch were born to be fried,' said Fred P. Binkowski, a senior scientist of fisheries biology with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Great Lakes Water Institute. Mr. Binkowski provides Sweet Water and similar operations with technical assistance and baby perch that he breeds under research agreements with the companies.

One company he works with is Bell Aquaculture LLC, an indoor fish farm built in a former farm field near Muncie, Ind.

Bell has invested some $50 million and has been raising perch for three years. It sells about two million fish a year to restaurants and food distributors, said Norman McCowan, president and chief executive. The closely held company expects to turn its first profit next year and eventually produce six million perch annually."

Link to the article

From the March/April issue of Aquaculture North America:

"Indiana's Bell Aquaculture fish-farming company, the United States' largest yellow perch farm, has started selling product directly to consumers.

Until now, the Redkey-based fish producer and processor has been supplying primarily to restaurants. However, it recently announced that it will be selling directly to consumers in order increments of five and 20 lbs.

In February, the company also rolled out its breaded yellow-perch line along with launching its Bell Perch Online Ordering System, announced by president and CEO Norman McCowan."

Clipping pdf

"The Colorado Cleantech Industry Association in Denver has started a Web-based Career Center, connecting job seekers with prospective employers in the cleantech industry.

The job board, powered by JobTarget, serves association members as well as nonmembers."

Link to the Boulder County Business Report

"The Colorado Cleantech Industry Association has launched a new online career center for people looking for jobs in the cleantech industry and cleantech companies looking for workers.

People looking for jobs can post their resumes, including anonymous resumes, and sign up for alerts notifying them of jobs matching their criteria. Cleantech companies can post jobs to the site.

The new career center is available to members and non-members of CCIA."

Link to the posting at BrownonGreen.net

PRSA Colorado President Elisabeth Monaghan contributed another bylined article to the Denver Business Journal today: "PR pros can help executives enter networking circles." In the article, Elisabeth kindly quoted me (Maggie Holben, author of this news feed blog):

"While some executives say they lack the time to network, Maggie Holben, owner of Absolutely Public Relations in Lakewood, says they still can establish professional contacts and enhance their company’s community exposure.

'Good networkers are active in community organizations,' she said. 'They aggressively pursue and serve on committees and hold board positions, including officer stints — even if those organizations center on their children’s school or extracurricular activities. If an executive doesn’t have the time to volunteer, he can readily share his company’s management and accounting talents, and he views this as an opportunity, not a chore.'

Holben also recommends that executives encourage others in their organizations to volunteer their time and talents, sit on nonprofit boards or join professional organizations.

'It is much easier for a public relations professional to nominate an executive for an award or promote a company when the organization invites and is recognized for creating a culture of community involvement,' she said."

Read more at: http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2010/05/03/smallb4.html

A bylined article by Leah Kientz, CBSA Director of Public Policy & Programming, is featured in the current issue of the European Life Science Journal, "Europe's International Journal for Life Science." Found on page 64, this is the fourth collaboration between ELSJ and CBSA. The current ESLJ issue will be distributed next week at the BIO Convention in Chicago:

"USA: Colorado's bioscience industry boasts a strong infrastructure. 

Buildings that encompass a city would crumble without a strong foundation, and a great industry community requires the same sturdy infrastructure. The Colorado bioscience community has a strong infrastructure supporting it, but over the last year that foundation has become even stronger...Colorado's research institutions have grown in capacity and have been able to sustain this growth through the support of new endeavors."

Link to the new ESLJ (page 64: "Colorado's bioscience industry boasts a strong infrastructure")

"JEFFERSON COUNTY - the Colorado BioScience Association is hosting a Career and Resource Fair on April 28th, at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds. We featured a preview on 9NEWS 5 a.m. [CaridianBCT Recruiting Manager Michael Reilly interviewed with Kyle Dyer on behalf of the CBSA Career Fair].

The Fair is Wednesday, April 28, from 1:00 to 4 p.m. and will bring together students and job seekers looking to learn more about bioscience industry employment and training opportunities in the state.

The announcement was made by Denise Brown, CBSA Interim Executive Director, who says the fair is being held in response to company growth and workforce demands in Colorado's bioscience industry."

Link to the 9News posting

April 21, 2010 - The Colorado BioScience Association appointed nine new board members at its annual meeting Tuesday in Erie. They are:

Denise Brown, principal, DM Brown LLC. (Brown is serving as CBSA's interim executive director   
     following the resignation of John Collar as CEO in February).
Betty Iverson, state government affairs, Johnson & Johnson.
Ruth Lytle-Barnaby, executive director, Poudre Valley Health System Foundation.
Nick Saccamono, chief technology officer, SomaLogic.
Chris Smith, president, Cochlear.
Will Vaughn, director of technology transfer, Colorado School of Mines.
Jim Wilson, senior audit manager, Ernst & Young.
Dan Wittenberg, partner, Snell & Wilmer.
Michael Weiner, partner, Dorsey & Whitney.

Link to the article

April 21, 2010 - ERIE - Northern Colorado has another representative on the Colorado BioScience Association board following the appointment of new members at the organization's annual meeting Tuesday night.

Ruth Lytle-Barnaby, executive director of Poudre Valley Health System Foundation, now sits on the board with Sean Moriarty, vice president and general council for Fort Collins pharmaceutical manufacturer Tolmar and the only other board member from Northern Colorado who was reappointed at the meeting.

Link to the online article

"Indiana-based Bell Aquaculture is looking to become a player in the U.S. retail segment with the introduction of a new line of breaded yellow perch entrees.

The company is going to begin selling product online, as well, Norman McCowan, president and CEO, said in February.

For the past year, the farm has been building out, he said Bell's perch (Perca flavescens) has been available through restaurant partners and various public sales and special events."

This issue was distributed at the 2010 Boston Seafood Show.

Link to the IntraFish/Fish Farming International Web site

Link to the related Bell Aquaculture PR Web newswire 5:31 pm edt          Comments

"Dozens of patients – frequently tiny babies – have been killed or wounded by a little-known medical mistake made by nurses and doctors. Well documented in medical literature, the error is a tubing misconnection. It occurs... when caregivers deliver the wrong medication or liquid to the wrong part of a patient’s body.

Now, borrowing theory from automotive and industrial designers, medical supply companies are redesigning their tubes and syringes with behavior-shaping constraints that make these devastating mistakes impossible. In this arena, [Denver-based] Baxa Corp., has developed a syringe and pump specifically to feed premature babies in intensive care."

Link to the article posting

"Frozen breaded yellow perch fillets and Cajun nuggets are now available through an online ordering system from Bell Aquaculture.

Bell’s panko breading balances tangy and mild flavors, and the fillets cook best in canola oil in just under three minutes. The sweet, mild-tasting fish is available year-round. Bell Aquaculture in Albany, Ind., owns and operates one of the nation’s largest yellow perch farms, with corporate headquarters and production facilities nearby in Redkey, northeast of Indianapolis. The fillets and nuggets are available in orders of either 5 or 20 pounds. Non-breaded fillets will be available online in the near future. Contact Bell Aquaculture at (765) 369-2392, or visit www.bellperch.com."

Link to Seafood Business online

There was a great multi-part feature in Sunday's Denver Post on the Fitzsimons Life Sciences District and Anschutz Medical Campus and how it "has emerged as an economic bright spot in the area, bringing advanced health care and research facilities to the region, garnering national attention, and providing an economic engine that is expected to employ nearly 45,000 people when it is fully developed."

Don't miss these related articles:
1) Venture capital firms sought to boost Fitzsimons life-science incubator
2) Fitzsimons growth fueling retail development
3) CU Hospital's diabetes research sets standards worldwide

Link to Margaret Jackson's Feature Article

Chad Vander Veen's article in the March 2010 Governing magazine includes quotes from Matt Cheroutes, CCIA Founding Board Member:

"That's the case in Colorado, where Gov. Bill Ritter ordered his Energy Office, Economic Development Office and state CIO to collaborate on ways to nurture green technology start-ups and create demand among consumers for emerging — and typically more expensive — green products.

Colorado is testing a new Discovery Grant Program designed to help early stage companies, which are often simply groups of researchers attempting to take an idea out of the lab and into the commercial market.

'At that point, there's not a lot of available seed capital. So to give them some small grants at the very beginning really shows great support from the state,' says Matt Cheroutes, director of communications and external affairs for the Colorado Governor's Office of Economic Development and International Trade.

Cheroutes, a founding member of the Colorado Cleantech Industry Association, says strong executive support for green technology in Colorado will lead to job growth and economic prosperity. But that won't happen, he says, unless companies can deliver their products to a public that can afford them — a tall order in green tech markets that are often too immature to deliver at affordable economies of scale.

Cheroutes says the state works closely with renewable energy firms to develop incentives for consumers. Take solar power, for example, where the cost of installing solar panels typically doesn't pencil out for the average homeowner.

'We've had a lot of people in our state say they want solar on their homes,' Cheroutes says. 'But they simply can't afford the initial investment to do it. We've seen estimates anywhere from $8,000 for a very small home to $15,000 for a medium-sized home. These days, not a lot of people have the ability to pay that.'

The state worked with two Colorado solar firms — SolarCity and SunRun — to develop a financing model that makes solar installations more affordable. Instead of paying the full installation fee upfront, consumers instead put up a down payment that is a fraction of the total cost. Over the next three or four years, the energy savings the consumer realizes goes back to the solar company to pay the remaining balance. After the company is paid in full, the consumer's energy bill decreases significantly. . .

'The culture has changed in Colorado,' says Cheroutes. 'It's something that everyone in Colorado has sort of agreed to and bought in to. And whether that's out of a desire to protect our mountains or to keep our kids from being sent halfway around the world to fight, or if it's to keep kids who are home employed and working, it's a cultural mind change, and sometimes those are the hardest things to deal with in the beginning. So if you have the will of the people, of industry and of political leaders, you can make anything happen.'"

Link to the article

"Local bioscience industry boosters have formed a state-supported nonprofit institute to fund biotechnology startups and provide them executive leadership at their earliest stages.

The Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development (CID4) is armed with $3.75 million from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade and $1 million from the Fitzsimons Redevelopment Authority in the next five years."

Link to the Denver Business Journal feature