The Solano Economic Development Corporation on Jan. 31 likely will have an educational message, specifically the value and impact of the University of California.
The keynote speaker will be Gary S. May, the newly named seventh chancellor of the University of California, Davis.
The meeting, the EDC’s annual luncheon, begins at 11 a.m. and continues to 1:30 p.m. in the Hilton Garden Inn, 2200 The Courtyard, Fairfield.
Tickets are $50. To reserve, send an email to Pat Uhrich, the EDC office manager, at pat@solanoedc.org, or call 864-1855.
Leaders of the EDC, a public-private nonprofit firm dedicated to the economic growth of Solano County, are seeking sponsors to defray costs of the luncheon.
A fee of $1,250 guarantees a table for eight, with priority seating, a logo on the invitation and program, signage at the luncheon and public recognition during the event introduction and closing, Uhrich noted in a press release.
Before coming to Davis, May, 53, served as the chair of the School of Electrical & Computer Engineering at Georgia Tech University in Atlanta.
As the UC Davis chancellor, he leads a public university with 37,000 students, a school that brings in nearly $800 million annually in sponsored research, and contributes at least $8 billion to the California economy each year.
In 2015, President Obama honored May with the Presidential Award for Excellence in STEM Mentoring.
Over the years, he has won many research awards for his work in computer-aided manufacturing of integrated circuits and other devices.
May, who earned a doctoral degree in electrical engineering and computer science from UC Berkeley, has written more than 200 technical articles and contributed to 15 books.
A native of St. Louis, he is married to LeShelle May, a software engineer. They have two daughters who are in college.
In addition to May’s speaking engagement, Robert Burris will be recognized as the EDC’s new president, succeeding Sandy Person.
Before his hiring at EDC, Burris worked in the economic development department for the city of Fairfield.
