Warren Nash hired as new Lexington Innovation & Commercialization Center director

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 13, 2010) —The University of Kentucky's Office for Commercialization & Economic Development is pleased to welcome Warren O. Nash III as the new director of the Lexington Innovation & Commercialization Center (ICC) effective January 1, 2011.

Formerly deputy commissioner for the Kentucky Department of Commercialization & Innovation, Nash has worked with the ICC for seven years. In his new position, which is a joint UK-state partnership, Nash will work with the Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship, part of the UK commercialization and economic development office, as well as the Bluegrass Business Development Partnership, a collaboration between UK, Commerce Lexington and the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government.

"Warren brings a wealth of knowledge on state economic development programs," said Len Heller, vice president of UK's Office for Commercialization & Economic Development. "He has well-established relationships across the state and he has worked directly with many of the Lexington ICC clients."

As the Lexington ICC director Nash will work with UK researchers and Lexington area entrepreneurs to provide business startup services including business plan consulting, market research and competitive analysis, financial planning, company valuation, and development of investor presentations.

Nash will also co-manage the Lexington Venture Club and will work with the Bluegrass Angels.

"Warren has a passion for working with entrepreneurs and will help our Bluegrass partnership continue to produce strong results in both new job and wealth creation," said Dean Harvey, executive director of the UK Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship. "He is a seasoned veteran who understands technology-based business startups and can step into the job immediately."

As deputy commissioner of the state commercialization and innovation office, Nash helped lead the Cabinet for Economic Development's efforts to recruit and support high-tech and knowledge-based companies. He also served as the cabinet's deputy commissioner of the Department of Financial Incentives where he was involved in awarding grants to businesses to relocate and expand operations in the Commonwealth.

"I am very excited about this new opportunity to assist Kentucky's entrepreneurs and their start-up companies to commercialize new technologies and products and also create new jobs for Kentuckians," said Nash. "Over the last 30 years, start-up companies have dominated the net job creation in the United States and are also a critical part of Kentucky's future economic growth."

Nash is a graduate of Kentucky's Georgetown College and later developed and implemented the college's $96 million capital campaign as director of planned giving and senior assistant to the president. He received his law degree from Salmon P. Chase College of Law and worked nine years as an attorney for the Kentucky Finance and Administration Cabinet.

Warren is the father of two daughters—Ashley, a junior at Transylvania University and Kristin, a senior at Scott County High School.