Senate Puts Richard Lippe
To Work For NYSTAR

The Attorney of Nassau
By: Edward Puerta
December, 2000

The recent creation of Governor Pataki's technology board, the New York State Office of Science, Technology and Academic Research (NYSTAR), has left many seats to be filled. Two members of NYSTAR Advisory Council, Richard A. Lippe and Erland E. Kailbourne, have just been confirmed by the State Senate after being appointed by the governor to fill two of those seats.

"We are pleased that the Senate has confirmed Mr. Lippe and Mr. Kailbourne," said Pataki. "They are both talented and experienced people and their work with NYSTAR will help make New York State the premier location for high-technology research and economic development."

Kailbourne is the retired chairman and CEO of Fleet Natioanl bank, New York Region. He is currently chairman of the John R. Oishie Foundation in Buffalo and a director of many companies including Adelphi Communications Corp., Albany International Corp., Bush Industries Inc., Rand Capital Corp., and Statewide Zone Capital Corp.

Lippe, a corporate lawyer, is a partner in the Mineola-based law firm, Meltzer, Lippe, Goldstein & Schlissel. He has been with the firm since 1979, before which he served as Deputy Nassau County Attorney.

He is deeply connected to the technologies field. He acts as general counsel to the Long Island Software and Technology Network, a non-profit organization of 800 companies dedicated to fostering the growth of computer software and other high technology companies on Long Island. He also sits on the board of directors of a number of Long Island tech companies including The Collaborative Group Ltd., MyDocuments.com Inc., OmniCorder Technologies Inc., and TheBuyersNet.com LLC.

Lippe says he is not surprised at his appointment to NYSTAR and credits a great deal of it to the fact that he is founder of the Long Island Software and Technology Network (ListNet), a Long Island -based tech company that has enjoyed tremendous success. ListNet is a consortium that has been growing in size and awareness and is now affiliated with Microsoft and Oracle. Lippe states that one of the things on his agenda as a member of NYSTAR's Advisory Board is the creation of something called NYSNET. It would be an organization under the NYSTAR umbrella to act in a collaborative sense with technology companies based in the state.

"Technology transfer" is something else that Lippe has in mind. The term refers to the cooperative exchange of technology between SUNY schools and other universities and the private sector. Lippe would urge an increase of funding in this area, as well as increased state emphasis.

The main focus of the Advisory Council at the moment, however, is to decide how to spend the $95 million allocated by the state to spend on the new Capital Facility Program. The program will determine what to put in the new building in Albany which will be the headquarters of NYSTAR and the technologies wing of the state government. There is also $7.5 million to allocate to the NYSTAR Faculty Development Program.

Dr. Russel Bessette, the executive director of NYSTAR mirrored the governor's comments. "[They] are welcome additions to NYSTAR's Adisory Council. Their business and high-technology know-how will be of great use to us."

Lippe credits the governor for making brave, apolitical decision, since Lippe is a registered Democrat. He will join the Advisory Council which currently has nine members, including Lippe and Kailbourne, and is expecting two more.