Griffiss Institute president to retire at end of September

ROME, N.Y. — William Wolf, president of the Griffiss Institute (GI), plans to retire at the end of the month as GI moves into its new home in the Innovare Advancement Center, the organization announced Monday afternoon.

Wolf has led the nonprofit institute for the past 14 years, taking it from a one-person operation in 2006, to an organization that currently has more than 30 employees and over $200 million in contracts with the federal and state government. GI says it partners with the Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate (AFRL/RI), private industry, and academia to grow the area’s technology base and tackle cybersecurity problems.

“I have been extremely fortunate and enjoyed the opportunity to lead this great organization,” Wolf said in a statement. “It has been a wild and wonderful ride and I thank you all for taking the ride with me.”

The Griffiss Institute says that today it is a major player in technology transfer, training and education, and economic development in the Mohawk Valley.

Most recently, the Griffiss Institute partnered with the AFRL/RI and Oneida County in establishing the Innovare Advancement Center, a new open innovation campus located at the Griffiss Business and Technology Park. This new center will enable a high-tech entrepreneurial, R&D, and educational ecosystem for the region and the nation by driving advancements in key strategic areas, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, cybersecurity, and quantum. This research will take place not only locally, but also at partner organizations all over the world.

“This is the ideal time for me to step aside and bring in fresh talent to lead this giant step forward,” says Wolf. “It is my hope that new leadership will enable the Griffiss Institute and the Innovare Advancement Center to become a truly world class research center and further establish Rome and the Mohawk Valley as the Center of Excellence in these important technologies and all that this implies for the growth of the local economy”.

Wolf began his career in 1968 as an electrical engineer at the Rome Air Development Center (which later became the Air Force Research Laboratory). He held a variety of positions in both management and technical leadership. During his career, he served on numerous technical and international committees relating to cybersecurity. Wolf retired from civil service in March 2006 as chief of the cyber-operations branch and later that year became president of the Griffiss Institute.

 GI says a national search is being conducted for Wolf’s replacement.