COLUMBUS
Gov.-elect John Kasich has appointed a longtime friend and Silicon Valley venture capitalist to oversee the privatization of the Ohio Department of Development.
Mark Kvamme, a partner in the California-based private equity firm Sequoia Capital, will spend about six months reviewing the state agency as part of a transition to Kasich’s Jobs-Ohio group, a nonprofit that the governor-elect envisions handling the state’s economic-development duties.
“Mark has been a friend of mine, and he has been involved … [in] my private life and business,” Kasich said Friday in announcing his selection during a press conference before an Ohio State University business class. “And also, at all times, he and I have spent a lot of time talking together about public policy and the way to do things.”
Kasich said he has known Kvamme since his days in Congress. Kvamme also has donated thousands of dollars to Kasich and Ohio
Republicans — he and his wife gave more than $44,000 to the governor-elect’s election campaign, according to disclosures filed with the Secretary of State.
Kvamme has been a partner at Sequoia Capital for more than a decade; the firm was an early investor in many high-profile Internet businesses, including YouTube, Google, PayPal and Cisco Systems.
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Comments
What a joke! Here's the guy that's going to work for a dollar for a few months to turn Ohio around. He's from California and look at their debt. One would think he'd straighten out his own state before tackling Ohio. But one thing for certain they are FRIENDS and he has a job! This is going to go NO WHERE PERIOD!
And now the hits start coming . Boy what a game we are in for . Our state is going to be run by a Fox news contributor. This guy is going the be better to watch then JIMBO.
Like some of Obama's Chicago buddies weren't appointed to offices in his regime?
Get used to it. To quote Barak Hussein Obama: We WON, didn't we?
Marc Dann did the same thing with his buddies and you see how that worked out for him.
Give the guy a chance. We can always kick him out. How much worse can it get? Our new Gov. has a lot to deal with. I believe the unions are in his sights, although I could be wrong.
"Marc Dann did the same thing with his buddies and you see how that worked out for him."
I am certain Kasich has better quality friends.
Besides, who was he going to hire, his enemy? I want officeholders to hire people they are comfortable with. I just want fewer officeholders like Dann.
I love how Betras got his operatives out on here bashing Kasich on a daily basis. They all realize he is going to much better than the past two horrific Governors our state has had; which means big trouble for the Dems...
The one who should worry the most right now is Obama. Good luck winning Ohio in 2012!
I just don't understand this whole term of overseeing the "privatization" of Ohio development. How can you privatize a public entity? It sounds like a big fat scam for a few individuals to steal more money from the taxpayers.
Can we stop thinking kasich will be an expert on economic affairs? He has a BA in Political Science and has been sucking off the government teat his whole life.
Now he appoints a CA resident who will NOT move to Ohio all because this crook donated the most to his campaign.
A new day a new way indeed.
I will enjoy seeing the reich wing troll apologists struggle to defend this RINO moron kasich for the next four (maybe not) years.
They will need to put down extra newspaper as they constantly crap their cages.
Do you all actually read what you post? Its that type of animosity/rage/uninformed opinion that causes people to go shoot congressman. Why dont we all actually debate the issues, and leave the uneducated name calling for the nine-year olds?