ABOUT USTF
The Uplands Science & Technology Foundation (USTF) is a nonprofit research foundation dedicated to supporting the vitality of WestGate@Crane Technology Park. USTF was created in 2021, following the completion of the WestGate@Crane Master Plan.
USTF was created to:
- Facilitate the transformation of WestGate into an innovation community,
- Lead the technology park's development strategy by managing and coordinating the park's real estate assets and development process,
- Drive new activities and attract new firms and talent in emerging technology areas like microelectronics, artificial intelligence, and hypersonics, and
- Create a unique regional hub with a distinctive sense of place
The Master Plan process engaged dozens of organizations from the Indiana Uplands region and laid out a transformative vision for the technology park. Upon completion of the Master Plan, several partner organizations worked with The University Financing Foundation to develop a roadmap for governance and project implementation at WestGate.
The USTF was created to lead the park’s long-term strategy and growth, building on the successes that have been achieved by the WestGate Authority and other partners.
STAFF AND BOARD
Bryant Niehoff, AICP
Chief Executive Officer
812.227.6735
812.259.2177
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Bryant Niehoff is CEO of the Uplands Science & Technology Foundation, overseeing economic development at the WestGate@Crane Technology Park next to Naval Weapons Station Crane. Before that, he was Executive Director of the Daviess County Economic Development Corporation and Shelbyville Planning & Building Director. A Rush County native and Ball State University urban planning graduate, Bryant lives in Jasper, Indiana, with his wife Sara and their four daughters.
Matt Kavgian, MPA, MAIR
Director of Operations & Communications
812-227-6735
315-560-3786
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Matt leads USTF's operations, communications, stakeholder engagement, and project coordination efforts. A prior Executive Director of the Indiana Economic Development Association, and senior policy advisor at NSWC Crane, he earned graduate degrees in public administration, international relations, and security studies from Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and a bachelors degree in political science from Wheaton College (Illinois). He resides in Bloomington, Indiana.
Bryant Niehoff, AICP
Chief Executive Officer
812.227.6735
812.259.2177
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Bryant Niehoff is CEO of the Uplands Science & Technology Foundation, overseeing economic development at the WestGate@Crane Technology Park next to Naval Weapons Station Crane. Before that, he was Executive Director of the Daviess County Economic Development Corporation and Shelbyville Planning & Building Director. A Rush County native and Ball State University urban planning graduate, Bryant lives in Jasper, Indiana, with his wife Sara and their four daughters.
Matt Kavgian, MPA, MAIR
Director of Operations & Communications
812-227-6735
315-560-3786
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Matt leads USTF's operations, communications, stakeholder engagement, and project coordination efforts. A prior Executive Director of the Indiana Economic Development Association, and senior policy advisor at NSWC Crane, he earned graduate degrees in public administration, international relations, and security studies from Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and a bachelors degree in political science from Wheaton College (Illinois). He resides in Bloomington, Indiana.
Our Board
Voting Directors
- Tina Peterson, President & CEO, Regional Opportunity Initiatives (Chair)
- Jeff Quyle, President & CEO, Radius Indiana (Treasurer)
- Kevin Byrne, President & CEO, The University Financing Foundation (Secretary)
- Joe Carley, Director for Economic Development, Indiana University
- Bob Grewe, Executive Director, Daviess County Economic Development Corporation
- Devin Hillsdon-Smith, Founder & Principal Consultant, Hyphen Strategies
- Brianne Jerrells, Executive Director, Greene County Economic Development Corporation
- Bill Kaiser, Co-Chair, Dentons National Corporate Practice, Dentons Bingham Greenebaum LLP
- Andrew Kossack, President & CEO, Applied Research Institute (ARI)
- Mark Lewis, Chief National Security Officer, Purdue Research Foundation
- John Mensch, Chair, WestGate@Crane Authority
- Matt Meredith, Vice President, Daviess County Council & Redevelopment Commission
- Jackie Kerby Moore, (Retired) Sandia National Laboratories
- Russ Mumper, Vice President for Research, Indiana University
- Jessica Potts, Executive Director, Martin County Alliance for Economic Growth
Non-voting Advisory Directors
- Bryant Niehoff, CEO, Uplands Science & Technology Foundation (USTF)
- Chris Jeffers, Vice President, Defense Business Development, Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC)
- Phil Smith, Command Advocacy Lead, NSWC Crane
- Sandore (Sandy) Zehr, Senior Strategic Advisor-Command Staff, NSWC Crane
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Voting Directors
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Non-voting Advisory Directors
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