Jay Galbraith is the new president of Bridg, following the January departure of its top executive, Jim Vandevere.
Galbraith previously was vice president for public affairs at Valencia College for more than 10 years and interim executive director of the Valencia College Foundation for more than two. Valencia College has a close relationship with Bridg, as both are part of a supergroup coalition going after government grants together.
Galbraith, who frequently has met with leaders in Tallahassee and Washington for his Valencia College post, will continue to advocate with government leaders on behalf of Bridg, according to the nonprofit’s news release. Bridg board chairman Clarence Thacker was quoted in the news release as saying Galbraith is a good fit because of his strength in business administration and his relationships with partners.
Bridg — which stands for Bridging the Innovation Development Gap — is partly responsible for steering the 500-acre, mixed-use business park NeoCity in Kissimmee. NeoCity is home to tech businesses that include semiconductor manufacturing and advanced packaging businesses.
Galbraith said in a prepared statement that he’ll help Osceola County realize its dream of creating a semiconductor manufacturing and advanced packaging workforce hub. He also said that recent grants are a catalyst toward that goal.
In January, a coalition led by Osceola County won a grant of up to $160 million from the U.S. National Science Foundation for development work to be done largely at NeoCity. Both Bridg and Valencia College are part of that coalition.
Osceola County won $50.8 million to pump into the semiconductor sector at NeoCity — part of the Build Back Better Regional Challenge — according to a Sept. 2, 2022, White House announcement.
Further, NeoCity will be the site where work will happen for a U.S. Department of Defense advanced packaging manufacturing contract worth up to $289 million, announced in November 2023.
Galbraith was not available for an interview, said Bridg Vice President of Marketing and Communications Gloria LeQuang.
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