Changes

So as everyone laments the fact that San Diego loses another corporate HQ, AMCC Press Release, I was quoted (Union Tribune Article) commenting on it, I told them that while any loss is bad, the workforce should stay intact. It is one thing to move the CEO and CFO's to the valley, it is quite another to move the engineers and key R&D folks, many of whom I am sure are very fond of San Diego.

San Diego needs to get used to the idea that it is not a Corp. HQ town. And that is not all bad!! San Diego should celebrate the innovation that takes place in San Diego and the hundreds of small technology startups that dot our landscape. I would even make the argument that when these companies get bought up, people that cash out turn around and invest in other San Diego startups. We have seen it at HNC Software, MP3.com, Ipivot and a host of other 'cash outs'. From my point of view as executive director, I have benefited from these spinouts as many of them have joined AeA i.e. HNC offshoot ID Analytics and Ipivot offshoot Tarari as well as countless others.

Speaking of AMCC, Tom Tullie, past president of AMCC recently landed the top job at Path 1 Networks. I had met the Chairman of Path 1 Networks , Fred Cary a few years ago while we were on a lobbying trip to Washington DC on stock options. Qualcomm had very generously donated the use of their corporate jet and Path 1, AMCC, Cymer and a few other folks made the trip. I talked to Fred about their technology and sounded very promising, even back than. Picking up Tom Tullie was quite a coup for them.