Illinois Medical District Commission Names New Executive Director

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - April 11, 2004

Seasoned Technology Business Incubator Professional To Lead
Continued IMD and Chicago Technology Park Growth

CHICAGO (April 11, 2004) - The Illinois Medical District Commission (IMDC) today announced that it has appointed Samuel W. Pruett to the position of executive director of the Illinois Medical District and president of the Chicago Technology Park.

Mr. Pruett most recently served as president and CEO of the Memphis Incubator Systems, Memphis, Tenn. In this role, Mr. Pruett launched Emerge Memphis, the Memphis metropolitan area's first technology business incubator. Prior to his role with the Memphis Incubator Systems, Mr. Pruett spent more than 10 years as executive director of the GENESIS Technology Incubator and as an economic development officer for the University of Arkansas. Under Mr. Pruett's leadership, GENESIS received the National Business Incubator of the Year award for best overall program in 1992, and became nationally recognized as a "best practice" incubation program.

"The Illinois Medical District is a regional focal point for clinical medicine, technology commercialization and urban redevelopment, and has done an excellent job to serve Chicagoland community," said Mr. Pruett. "The Greater Chicagoland area contains all of the elements necessary to achieve significant technology-driven business expansion in the near- and long term. My goal is to work closely with the community to identify, develop and maintain programs to help satisfy unmet needs and foster continued growth."

The Illinois Medical District Commission appointed Mr. Pruett after it conducted a nationwide search for a replacement of Thomas E. Livingston, who left his post as executive director of the IMD in the Fall of 2003 to work in the private sector.

About the Illinois Medical District
The IMD is a public body charged with governing coordinated growth and enhancement of the specially designated 560 acre "district" on the near west side of Chicago. The District was created in 1941 by the Illinois General Assembly and is among the largest of its kind in the world. In addition to urban planning functions, the IMD directly operates the Chicago Technology Park and is redeveloping a 100-acre District Development area. For more information, visit www.imdc.org.

# # #

Associated File: None