Council Vice Chair Named Secretary of Smithsonian Institution

Washington – G. Wayne Clough, university vice chair of the Council on Competitiveness and president of the Georgia Institute of Technology, was named secretary of the Smithsonian Institution on Saturday. Deborah L. Wince-Smith, president of the Council, made the following statement in response to the announcement:

“On behalf of the Council on Competitiveness, I am pleased to congratulate Wayne on his appointment as Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. I know he will bring to the Smithsonian the same passion and professional excellence that he has repeatedly demonstrated in his many leadership roles with the Council on Competitiveness. We are a stronger organization because of Wayne, and America is more competitive.

“At a time of tremendous economic challenge for the United States, the Smithsonian Institution stands at the center of the convergence of art and science, of engineering and culture – of what makes America unique around the world. As the co-chair of the Council’s National Innovation Initiative, Wayne advocated that a new competitive advantage rests at the intersection of these disciplines and through collaborative efforts among business, academia, government and labor leaders. I have no doubt Wayne’s innovative thinking will come to life at the Smithsonian Institution to the benefit of that storied organization and to the nation.”