Robinson named K-State Innovation Partners president, CEO
MANHATTAN — Following an internal search, Rebecca Robinson has been named as the next president and CEO of K-State Innovation Partners by the board of directors.
Robinson is replacing Kent Glasscock, who recently announced his retirement after 20 years of service to the university.
As an integral member of the Innovation Partners team for 14 years, Robinson has been committed to building industry partnerships for K-State and driving university-based economic development in the Manhattan region and beyond.
"Rebecca is exactly the talented, visionary and exciting leader who will make Innovation Partners even more effective in progressing the Kansas State University mission as it defines itself as a Next-Gen Land-Grant University," said Kent Glasscock, outgoing Innovation Partners president and CEO. "Her skills and professionalism, along with her knowledge of the university, community and state, will allow Rebecca and her team to be instrumental as K-State serves the state and its people. At her core, she is a passionate innovator with a love for K-State and its mission."
Prior to accepting the role as president, Robinson served on the organization's leadership team as the chief corporate engagement and economic development officer at Innovation Partners. She facilitated strategic industry partnerships and directed economic development initiatives to achieve the goals and objectives of university-community partners Knowledge Based Economic Development, or KBED, including strategy development, budgeting, marketing and aligning university and community strategies.
In partnership with the community and university, she has participated in or led the recruitment of 27 technology-based companies to the Manhattan region, creating more than 1,100 new high-wage jobs and a projected economic impact of more than $1 billion.
Robinson has garnered international recognition for her corporate engagement and economic development efforts at K-State, including invited presentations at national conferences and multiple awards of excellence for the KBED partnership. She is currently serving as the past president of the University Economic Development Association.
"Rebecca has provided vision, leadership and oversight to multiple successful corporate engagement and economic development strategies," said David Rosowsky, vice president for research and chair of the Innovation Partners board of directors. "Over the course of her career both at Innovation Partners and on the national stage as a recognized leader in her field, Rebecca has accumulated broad and deep understanding of the challenges and the opportunities that lie ahead for corporate relations and university-industry partnerships. I look forward to working with her as Innovation Partners' next CEO as she brings new vision and leadership to advancing economic development, technology transfer and commercialization, and corporate engagement at K-State."
Robinson earned her master's in business administration and her bachelor's degree in marketing, Spanish and leadership studies, both from Kansas State University. She is currently a doctoral candidate in leadership communication at K-State.
"I am truly honored to serve as the next president and CEO of K-State Innovation Partners," said Robinson. "Like many of my colleagues, I've had the privilege of being part of the organization since I was an intern and have seen first-hand the incredible talent, dedication, and passion of our team that has built a strong foundation of success. As we enter this next chapter, I look forward to working with the team and our partners to lead the organization to new heights."
