Robert J. Watts
Robert J. Watts of Scranton, Pa., has recently been named Vice President of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Technology Institute (NPTI).
NPTI is sponsored by Northeastern Pennsylvania’s 13 colleges and universities, local economic development organizations, the Department of Community and Economic Development, and private industry. NPTI provides a technology strategy for Northeastern Pennsylvania by harnessing the intellectual capital and energy from within our institutes of higher education to partner with the business community in building the region’s knowledge-based economy.
Watts, a 2001 graduate of The Pennsylvania State University, began his career as a credit manager for Wells Fargo before moving to the pharmaceutical industry as a sales representative for inVentiv Pharma. He advanced to become a deputy director before leaving for Officer Candidate School and Intelligence Officer Training at Ft. Huachuca, AZ. He is also a veteran of Operation Joint Forge, serving as a medic with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard 1/109th IN (M) Bosnia Herzegovina.
Upon his return to the area, Watts’ became active in the local business community as Sales Director with BlackOut Design, Inc. His interest in the Northeastern Pennsylvania economy led to him in 2005 to volunteer as Director of the Scranton Chapter of POWER! (Professionals Organized and Working to Enrich the Region). Under his leadership POWER flourished as never before and chapters soon emerged in Wilkes-Barre and Hazelton.
Watts is dedicated to furthering NPTI’s goal of building a strong entrepreneurial culture in our area through initiatives like the annual Business Plan Competition and Entrepreneur Institute. “NPTI provides a platform for industry to interact with higher education on technology transfer and commercialization and we will continue to stimulate an entrepreneurial culture that allows us to excel with homegrown talent,” Watts said.
“Growing up in Northeastern Pennsylvania, having been educated here, and serving in a local National Guard unit has given me so many opportunities to compete and achieve a high level of success,” Watts added. “It’s my passion to continue making Northeastern Pennsylvania a better place, a place of opportunities, and continue Northeastern Pennsylvania’s return to prosperity.”
