NVCA Elects Kroon –

Kroon said his principal role will be to support and assist Mark Heesen, president of the NVCA, whose responsibilities include overseeing all of the associations activities, leading its professional staff and working with the board of directors to set association policies and strategies. The real day-to-day management of the NVCA lies in the hands of the association’s full time staff, Kroon added.

The NVCA is a source of information about venture capital, providing its 372 member firms with professional education programs and political advocacy, in addition to supporting research on issues important to the venture process. Recently, the NVCA urged its members to contact their Congressional leaders to grant China permanent normal trade relations so it can then enter the World Trade Organization. “Going into a [presidential] election year we have to work to help the Congress understand what venture capital does and how important it is to the country for keeping the economy going,” Kroon said.

At its annual meeting, the NVCA also gave lifetime achievement awards to the late Stanley Golder, a founding partner of Golder, Thomas, Cressy, Rauner Inc., Burton McCurty, general partner of Technology Venture Investors and Reid Dennis, founder of Institutional Venture Partners. John Doerr, a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, received the NVCA Outstanding Service Award., while Frontenac Co. founder Martin Koldyke received the American Spirit Award.

The association also chose five directors: James Cavanaugh of HealthCare Ventures LP, Patrick Hopf of St. Paul Venture Capital Inc., John Huntz of Fuqua Ventures LLC, Robert Keith of TL Ventures and Anthony Sun of Venrock Associates. The NVCA’s directors set the associations priorities.