Guest blog post by Julie Lenzer , Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, U.S. Economic Development Administration

What does an entrepreneurial beverage company, corporate innovators, a community college in rural West Virginia, world-class universities, and venture firms have in common? They are among the 30+ organizations represented by innovators who were selected to advise the U.S. Secretary of Commerce as part of the third membership cycle of the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NACIE).

The overwhelming number of applicants for “NACIE 3.0” represented significant accomplishments and successes in their fields, making the final selection difficult. The members announced today—with a few returning for a second term — have not only experienced notable success in their careers but also bring varied experiences and perspectives, and hail from diverse geographic regions and backgrounds. This diversity is a key element in devising innovative recommendations to help the U.S. government accelerate innovation and entrepreneurship across ALL regions of the United States.

Continuing the work of the last Council, NACIE 3.0 will also focus on helping companies — from the earliest startups to the largest corporations — gain access to the people with the skills those companies need to help them start, grow, and ultimately be more globally competitive. Bringing an innovative and entrepreneurial lens to this common skills problem is part of Secretary Pritzker’s strategic plan, and NACIE 3.0 will continue to address this problem through the Obama administration’s transition and into the next presidential administration.

One of the great benefits of NACIE 3.0 is the unique opportunity to bridge the transition to the next administration. In fact, for this membership cycle, five Council members are returning to provide institutional knowledge. Being appointed for a two-year term means the members will have the privilege of serving the next Secretary of Commerce while building on the momentum of the current Council, which ends its term October 5, 2016. Although the current Council is completing its two-year term, they will continue as NACIE alumni and pass along their big initiatives to NACIE 3.0.

As NACIE 3.0 convenes for the first time on October 6-7, we’ll learn more about what the Council chooses to tackle as they look to help the Department of Commerce and greater U.S. government continue to support innovation and entrepreneurship across the nation. To see the full list and biographical information on the newly appointed NACIE members, visit https://www.eda.gov/oie/nacie/members/.