Posted 01/17/2007

University of Kentucky executive named to lead USC's Innovista initiative

The University of South Carolina has selected an executive with an impressive record of developing university research parks to head up Innovista, the university's emerging 500-acre research district in downtown Columbia.

University officials announced Thursday that John B. Parks, executive director of the University of Kentucky's Coldstream Research Campus, will become the first executive director of Innovista Feb. 1.

Parks will succeed Columbia business executive John Lumpkin, who has served as interim director of Innovista since fall 2005.

University President Andrew Sorensen said he is confident that Parks, with his extensive experience and leadership qualities, is the right choice to lead Innovista.

"With his success in developing university research parks, John Parks clearly understands the unusual nature of university research districts," Sorensen said. "His business acumen, coupled with his understanding and insights into what is required to develop a successful research district, makes him an ideal choice to oversee the development of Innovista and the creation of an economic renaissance for the Midlands and South Carolina."

As executive director, Parks will lead the planning and implementation of Innovista, an innovative plan to integrate 8 million square feet of urban research, residential, retail and recreational space stretching from the university's main campus to the Congaree River. It features a live-learn-work-play focus that makes Innovista different from the typical research-only complex.

The first structure, a research center for the Arnold School of Public Health, opened in fall 2006, and four additional buildings, two at the Horizon Center and two at Discovery Plaza, are under construction and slated for completion in 2008 and will be occupied by university and private-sector researchers.

Parks said the same attributes that attracted him to Columbia will attract high-tech development to Innovista.

"Innovista is not your typical research campus," Parks said. "What impresses me about Innovista comes down to three things: vision, community will and lifestyle. President Sorensen's vision includes growing the research base, building the physical infrastructure and creating the entrepreneurial culture. The university, the business community and the public are committed to making this happen.

"There's a momentum at the university and in the Midlands right now that attracted me. And the same lifestyle qualities in South Carolina that appeal to me, I think, also will be attractive for high-tech recruitment."

Parks has served as the University of Kentucky's director of the Coldstream Research Campus and president and CEO of Kentucky Technology Inc., the university's technology incubator program, since January 2004. During his three years, he recruited 14 new companies, increased employment and nearly doubled space to more than 975,000 square feet. He had similar successes as director of the Research Park, Enterprise Works, and the Technology Commercialization Lab at the University of Illinois (July 2000 - January 2004) and as president and CEO of Iowa State University's Research Park Corp (1997 - July 2000).

UK president Lee Todd credits Parks with advancing the Coldstream Research Campus.

"Under John Parks' leadership, our research park – Coldstream – took significant steps forward in successfully commercializing some of the most promising university research," said Todd. "We will miss him but wish him every success in this position of leadership at the University of South Carolina."

Prior to his leadership positions in higher education, Parks was vice president of Dasher Management Corp. in Iowa from 1982 - 97. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees in business administration from Iowa State University.