July is off to a great start as I have wonderful news to share!

Just yesterday, July 2 the Laboratory and the LANL Foundation signed an agreement that ensures continued funding for a wide variety of science education and outreach programs in northern New Mexico. The agreement provides $3 million annually to support STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education for our communities. With these resources, the Foundation is positioned to award competitive STEM funds to school districts via its "Educational Enrichment Program." In addition, the Foundation will award competitive funds to support STEM efforts of nonprofit and other public organizations via its "Educational Outreach Program." We appreciate your patience these many months as we collaborated with a number of folks and organizations to make the agreement a reality. The LANL Foundation has already announced deadlines for these competitive education programs.

Make it a safe Independence Day and a fun July!

The new exhibit will feature a collection of documentary portraits by noted Santa Fe photographer aj Melnick, who set out to find and photograph as many local people as she could who had worked on "the Hill" during the war years.

Please join us at a reception on July 16 from 4:30- 6:00 p.m. at the Museum. Admission is free and is open to the public. The exhibit will run from July 16 through January 6, 2008.

For additional information, call the Museum at (505) 667-4444

The BBBS program serves children (ages 6 to 14) in Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, and Santa Fe counties. BBBS is seeking volunteers 18 years and older from all walks of life willing to spend an hour a week with their "littles" Volunteers are positively affected by sharing everyday activities with their "little" as they explore new horizons and find magic in the simplest moments.

Programs are either community based, where your "little" is taken to the park, a museum, swimming, or just hanging out together; or school based, where you meet your brother or sister at school for an hour each week, perhaps at breakfast, lunch, or after school.

For more information on volunteering for BBBS visit the VolunteerMatch web site.

In August of this year, Tsay will also complete 36,000 square feet of improvements to their existing gaming property building. And later this year, a new 163,000-square-foot conference facility will be completed. The new state-of-the-art facility will be located and attached to the north end of the Ohkay Casino.

Another project includes $4.5 million worth of improvements and expansion of the airport in Ohkay Owingeh. This project is in its final planning stages. The improvements will include hangar space, fuel facilities, and improved security fencing. The adjacent industrial park will also share utility infrastructure construction as well as roadways with the airport. The objective is to create an industrial cluster using the airport as a magnet for the Espanola Valley.

This camp will guide students who have shown special interest and promising business ideas through the process of developing a business plan--the first step in starting a business. Juan Casimiro, a national youth entrepreneur trainer, will lead the camp and help provide expert instruction and guidance using New Mexico LEAD (NM Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Development) curriculum. Participants who complete the five-day training will be ready to work with their teachers and other youth to start a school-based enterprise or an individual business.

Camp participation is limited to 30 students from the EBS service area (Rio Arriba and Taos Counties). Contact Ron Martinez or Marcia Brenden at 505-747-7238 or visit the bizport website for more information.

Van Prooyen was serving as acting deputy director and, prior to that, was principal associate director of operations. Before coming to LANL, Jan was president of Bechtel's Defense and Space business unit.

Mallory has many years experience in U.S. Department of Energy and commercial operations, engineering, and program management. He has served as president and general manager of BWXT Pantex and vice president at Honeywell Federal Manufacturing & Technologies.

Ten principles and practices have also been designed to enhance the Laboratory's Regional Purchasing Program. They are geared toward supplier development by helping build the capability, competency, and capacity of the local business community to enable them to provide competitive goods and services to the Laboratory and improve their ability to serve other customers locally, regionally, and nationally. These principles and practices will be implemented by LANL's Acquisition Services Management Division (ASM).

To learn more about the program, visit the ASM Small Business Office website.

The LANL Technology Transfer Division will be requesting ideas for the 2007 LANS Venture Acceleration Fund beginning July 9. To learn more or to submit an idea for the LANS Venture Acceleration Fund, contact Belinda Padilla at (505) 667-9896 or bee@lanl.gov.

The contract awarded to Accelerated Remediation Company is worth $36.4 million. This is the largest award to a minority-owned small business since at least 1999.

Work is scheduled to begin in July, and is scheduled for completion in December 2010.

Economic Development

• Kudos to Danielle Duran,City of Espanola councilor, who was selected as one of New Mexico Business Weekly's "40 under 40," in its annual ranking of young and promising business people.

Business Kudos