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Newsletter | February 2020
TECNA Board Chair Message
Busy and exciting times for TECNA as we roll into this new year. First up this month was the annual call for nominations to serve on the TECNA Board of Directors. This is an essential part of our governance, as each year there are vacancies to fill – as many as three this cycle – which will be presented for consideration at the CEO Retreat and then to the Summer Conference for ratification. 
 
February 11 - 13 we were joined by many of our TECNA community peers and member company reps in Washington for the 2020 TECNA DC Fly-in. We had an excellent program with exploration of important topics such as 5G deployment, the emerging landscape for state and federal privacy regulations, and the implications of California’s AB 5 law and the impact it is having in the GIG economy. A very special thank you to our hosts at AT&T for helping make the event a big success.
 
Also this month, we launch the 2020 TECNA Innovation Awards which recognize tech council staff who have been integral to the development and implementation of innovative and impactful work in their tech association. Next up, we are very excited about the program for next month’s CEO Retreat in Napa, California. The response has been excellent and we have a truly exceptional program lined up for participating CEOs.
Doug Robertson
TECNA Board Chair
President & CEO
Venn Innovation, Inc
TECNA DC Fly-in
Nearly 60 TECNA members, along with the member companies, descended on the nation's capital to attend the February 11-12, 2020, TECNA DC Fly-in hosted by AT&T at their fabulous Forum venue. Some 15 policy experts participated in 4 panels that discussed 5G Deployment, state and federal privacy policies, classification of tech workers as employees vs contractors (AB 5) and securing our public infrastructure. TECNA also produced a leave-behind summarizing TECNA's privacy principles that was used as a handout for meetings on Capitol Hill. It was an excellent event that we use a foundation for next year's Fly-In. Check out some amazing photos thanks to the KC Tech Council:

New Public Policy Leadership at TECNA

The TECNA Board of Directors recently voted to have Ryan Weber and Kathy Knight serve as the respective Chairs of the U.S. and Canadian Public Policy Committees, Heather Maxfield of TAG will be serving as the Vice Chair of the U.S,. Public Policy Committee. TECNA's new public policy leadership is well-positioned to help TECNA provide even greater value to the members and industry. We thank Brooks Raiford of North Carolina for his outstanding leadership as the long-time Chair of TECNA's Public Policy Committee and for laying the foundation for TECNA to have a substantial impact on policies critical to growth and innovation in tech.
Call for Board Nominations
TECNA has entered a cycle of board nominations for terms beginning in 2020. As many as three (3) board vacancies may be filled in this nomination cycle.

The deadline to submit nominations is COB Friday, February 21, 2020.
To submit your nomination, please send your expression of interest with a biography or resume to: Alina Hardy, TECNA Project Coordinator, to ahardy@tecna.org.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss a possible nomination before submitting something, please feel free to get in touch with the TECNA Nominating Chair by email at brian.waller@technologyiowa.org or call (515) 418-3553.
Communities of Interest:
Save the Date
TECNA Communities of Interest (COI) are peer-to-peer collaborations and information-sharing groups exclusively for members: membership, events, workforce and communications. 

During webinars, conference calls and Slack Group communications, TECNA members share best practices and gain valuable insights on solving common challenges. Upcoming webinars: 

Mark Your Calendars for Upcoming Webinars:
  • Communications: Monday, March 23rd at 10:30am PST/1:30pm EST
  • Topic: TBD

  • Membership: Wednesday, March 4th at 11:00am PST/2:00pm EST
  • Topic TBD

  • Workforce: TBD

  • Events: TBD

Requests or ideas for Community of Interest webinar topics, contact the COI Chairs: 
  • Communications: Alex Curtis, Greater Nashville Technology Council
  • Membership: Kate Truman, Pittsburgh Technology Council
  • Events: Danielle Pinto, Philadelphia PACT
  • Workforce: John Shaw, Northern Virginia Technology Council 

Plus - new Public Policy Community of Interest forming in early 2020.

Recent past COI call recordings and slide decks are available for download in the members-only portal on the TECNA website. Login at tecna.org/login and click on the Resources tab to view. 

For more information about COIs, please contact Alina Hardy: ahardy@tecna.org.
2020 CEO Retreat
The 2020 CEO Retreat will be held at the fabulous and exclusive  Las Alcobas Resort, Napa Valley, California March 17-19, 2020. We have a fabulous program planned and plenty of time to build lasting relationships in a world-renowned location.
The Registration Deadline Has Passed. Any late registrations cannot be guaranteed, and pending room availability will be charged the market room rate.

If interested in sponsoring the 2020 CEO Retreat,  click here to learn more.
2020 Innovation Awards
The 2nd annual TECNA Innovation Awards will recognize staff of TECNA member councils who have been integral to develop and implement innovative and impactful work on behalf of their tech associations.
The work being nominated should have a milestone in 2019.

Nominations may be made by TECNA member council staff, a member of your tech council or Board, or by a community or government partner of your tech council.

Award categories include: 
  • Membership Retention & Recruitment
  • Creative Marketing & Communications
  • Talent Pipeline & Workforce
  • Major Impact on Tech Community
  • Public Policy/Advocacy
Save the Date: 2020 TECNA Summer Conference
Wednesday - Friday, July 22-24, 2020

The 2020 TECNA Summer Conference will be hosted by TECNA member Pittsburgh Technology Council and held in Pittsburgh, PA, in July 2020. 
TechGirlz Partnership Opportunities for TECNA Members
TECNA and TechGirlz are partnering in 2020 to offer member tech councils the opportunity to host a workshop.

The TechGirlz program works to make learning technology both thrilling and inviting for middle school girls, through their free extra curricular workshops (or TechShopz as their coined them!). From programming to robotics, web/app design, genetics and beyond, there is so much for the TechGirlz to experience. Their vision is to create a world where girls have a lifelong passion and confidence in their use of technology throughout their careers.

TECNA member councils interested in organizing a TechGirlz workshop please contact Alina Hardy, ahardy@tecna.org.
TECNA Member News
Welcome New TECNA Members!
Welcome to new TECNA member TechRochester ! They p romote the technology community in the Rochester region through collaborative partnerships, workforce development, education and recognition.
Welcome to the new TECNA Member DC Tech & Venture Association! They represent the tech and innovation ecosystem in Washington, DC.
Venn Innovation shares a video about hiring tips - watch online here and new blog about one of our startups in our Venn Garage Program - read online.

FlagshipKansas shares a blogpost about Viaanix setting its sights on being ‘the Amazon of IoT’ - read online.

Pittsburgh Technology Council shares their radio show and podcast series landed as number 12 of 20 in Feedspot.

KC Tech President & CEO Named TECNA US Policy Chair - read more.

Wisconsin Technology Council shares featured news from Inside Wisconsin:
  • Wisconsin at center of looming federal battle over health records - read online.
  • Federal rules on data privacy make more sense than state-by-state laws - read online.
Final Reminder for 2020 Membership Renewals
2020 Membership Renewals are due. 
Login to TECNA's website to process your renewal: click here. Please contact Executive Director Tim Jemal with any questions at tjemal@tecna.org.

We thank you for your continuing support of TECNA! 
Subscribe to TECNA Event Calendars
Click a link below and follow the prompts to synchronize with the default calendar on your system (if available). To synchronize with a different calendar, copy and paste the desired URL into your calendar software in the location where feeds are accepted, often identified with "Subscribe", "Add Calendar", etc.


 
Contact Alina for assistance, ahardy@tecna.org.  
TECNA on Slack
Join TECNA's community on Slack exclusively for TECNA Member Council staff. Slack Channels include membership, events, talent/workforce and private channel for CEOs. A policy Slack Channel will be launching soon.
TECNA Members Only

You can group chat, private message, share files and search the discussion archive for help and best practices shared by other members.

Contact Alina Hardy with questions about Slack. 
Thank You to TECNA's Strategic Sponsors
Keep Us Informed
We are always looking to provide valuable content to TECNA members. If you have any suggestions for content in the TECNA Digest, please email: news@tecna.org.