RIO on research park board agenda Thursday

The future of the local Regional Innovation Organization is on the agenda of the Research Park Corporation Board of Directors meeting tomorrow. RIO is an initiative of BRAC; but the Research Park board, which oversees the Louisiana Technology Park, provides funding for the RIO. The organization’s director, Terry Jones, resigned last month—under pressure, according to sources—although BRAC spokesman Mike Odom says Jones has agreed to stay on through the transitional period that includes a search for a new director. The agenda doesn’t specify any options that may be considered for RIO, and board Chair Terrell Brown could not be immediately reached for comment. One option that sources say has been discussed for the past few months is bringing RIO under the umbrella of the Research Park Corporation and merging the positions of RIO director and director of the Louisiana Technology Park. For more on the founding of RIO, click here. —David Jacobs