It is a first for Peoria NEXT. Today the Board of Directors announced its first President and Chief Operating Officer.

Kyle Ham was introduced to the public at the Peoria NEXT Innovation Center. He will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the organization as well as growing the group's scope of projects and revenue.

Ham wants to make sure Peoria is on the map with new-technology based businesses in the future.

Ham said, "Generating new dollars for business, so as start up companies come out of the ground they don't have to leave our community to find those avenues."

One of Ham's first jobs will be making sure the newly built Innovation Center is filled to capacity.

"This is a place where start-up high tech companies can formulate their product."

By the end of the year, Ham hopes to have it 35 to 50 percent filled. The center opened on August 30.