Willis-Knight on Health System has announced the appointment of Brian Crawford as senior vice president and chief administrative officer. Crawford assumed responsibilities Jan. 9.

Most recently, Crawford was chief administrative officer for the city of Shreveport, where he oversaw day-to-day operations of the city with a $500 million operating budget. Upon learning from the media of Crawford’s resignation from the city position, Willis-Knighton officials contacted him to thank him for his service to the city and learned that he had not yet taken another position.

“It was the perfect opportunity for us to gain a person of great expertise and one who has demonstrated a deep connection and commitment to this community,” said James K. Elrod, president and chief executive officer of Willis-Knighton Health System. “We are happy to have Brian Crawford back with Willis-Knighton. He has served our city with great distinction and was one of its most capable civil servants.”

Crawford’s appointment brings the former fire chief of Shreveport and Plano, Texas, back into the Willis-Knighton Health System family. In the early 1990s he was a medical courier, later moving to become a ground transport Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), and finally spending more than a decade as a flight paramedic aboard Life Air Rescue. “I am thrilled to be returning to Willis-Knighton.

I feel like I never left,” Crawford said. “Being so much a part of my professional career – with my roles as fire chief, working with EMS and in the mayor’s office partnering on things that strengthen the community – it has always been home to me.”

“And as incredible as Willis-Knighton is with its medical technology, it has always been about relationships and people, internally and externally,” Crawford said. “That is what has made it the leader in health care in Northwest Louisiana and what has always drawn me to WK.”

Willis-Knighton Health System is the largest hospital system in north and central Louisiana and is the largest philanthropic private donor in the region, making significant financial contributions to LSU School of Medicine among others. It also is the largest nongovernmental employer in north and central Louisiana, with 7,300 employees.

Technology event to be held in Shreveport

An event that will bring together inventors, entrepreneurs and product companies to discuss and learn about the latest trends in technology commercialization and product licensing will be held in Shreveport Feb. 21. Tickets to Tech to Market are available now (https://techtomarket.net/) for $10, and the event will take place at Remington Suites Hotel & Spa from 4:30-7:30 p.m. The event will include a keynote speaker, guest speakers, 20 featured startups, networking opportunities, complimentary food and drink, and live music.

The keynote speaker, Stephen Key, will share his experience of success and failure as a serial inventor, and how to master the skill of enjoying the entrepreneur’s life to the fullest. Key is a product licensing guru, serial inventor (including Michael Jordan’s WallBall, the Spinformation rotating label, and HotPicks guitar picks), a co-founder of the product licensing school Invent Right, and an author of several entrepreneurial bestsellers, including “One Simple Idea: Turn Your Dreams into a Licensing Goldmine While Letting Others Do the Work.” He is also a frequent contributor to such magazines as Forbes, Entrepreneur and Inc. Other speakers will include Dr. Davy Norris, chief of innovation at Louisiana Tech University, and Dr. Konstantin Dolgan, co-founder of Louisiana New Product Development Team (LA NPDT).

The event is targeted toward product companies, entrepreneurs, startups, inventors and others interested in developing or licensing technologies and products. Product licensing is a part of the Open Innovation paradigm adopted by companies worldwide to stay ahead of their competition and continuously introduce new products to the market.

The event is a collaboration of the North Louisiana Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program (NorLEAP) and LA NPDT.

BRF, the innovation hub for North Louisiana, has expanded its Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program (EAP) services across North Louisiana through NorLEAP, helping entrepreneurs grow ideas into businesses by providing them with expertise, mentorship and key connections needed to fuel their success. LA NPDT is

a product design, development and marketing company that believes in enabling and growing businesses through product innovation. The team works with inventors, startups and industrial companies on developing and launching new products. Its services include developing CAD models and PCB circuits, building prototypes, optimizing product designs for manufacturing, creating marketing materials (packaging, websites, animations, renderings) and more.

For more event and ticket information, visit https://techtomarket.net/.