Hello TECNA Members,

I took time off this month – a real break – for the first time in too long. I had no idea how badly I needed some time away from my house, daily routine, and work. I love this work! And, as I have told many of you (actually, anyone who will listen) I have not had a bad day at work since I started. I often always dabble with TECNA things on weekends, late nights, and in early mornings because I really, truly enjoy it. I never really turn it off. I think many of you are the same way – passion runs deep in this line of work!

The vacation I took was with my family to the beach to celebrate my parents 50^th wedding anniversary. It was a true celebration of them and of our family. It was one of the best weeks of my life as I had completely thrown myself into celebrating and being present. 

A celebration and a break. Two things I think many of us don’t do often enough (and many of our TECNA members have shared they struggle with). We don’t stop often enough to catch our breath, and we are not great at celebrating our work and our outcomes. It’s a natural outcome of who we all are – we love our work and we are head down, mission-focused, 24-7. Because otherwise for many of us, when our regions win, we win, right? Right…almost...until we run out of gas. 

I have come to realize I need a break, even from the things I love, to recharge and to be excited about them again. I also have come to appreciate the important celebrations we need to truly embrace for longer than a minute. Enjoy the view from the top of the biggest hill on the rollercoaster! We spend so much time going up and coming down that we often forget to enjoy the view from the top when we are there.

I am reminding all of us (me included!) to enjoy these last fleeting days of summer as we head into the busy fall season. Stop for a moment and celebrate the top of the rollercoaster hill when you’re there. This was part of the motivation several years ago to create the TECNA Innovation Awards - to celebrate the amazing work of you, TECNA's member councils and associations! We are all better for it and our member companies and regions all benefit from it.

Drop a note in Slack and tell us all about the creative ways you have taken a break and tell us all about the great view at the top of the rollercoaster!

I look forward to hearing from you! 

Jennifer Young

CEO

Technology Councils of North America

Interested in sponsoring the 2022 CEO Retreat?  View Sponsorship Opportunities. Contact Jennifer Young, TECNA CEO.

Events Community of Interest 2022 Q3

Wednesday, Aug 31, 2022 10:30 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada) / 1:30 PM Eastern Time

Topic of discussion: Auctions - with NC Tech, NVTC and rvatech sharing about their past and future programs.

Workforce Community of Interest 2022 Q3

Friday, Sep 9, 2022 10:30 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada) / 1:30 PM Eastern Time

Topic of discussion TBD

Marketing Community of Interest 2022 Q3

Friday, September 16, 2022 9:30 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada) / 12:30 PM Eastern Time

Topic of discussion: TBD

DEI Community of Interest 2022 Q3

Friday, September 16, 2022 10:30 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada) / 1:30 PM Eastern Time

 Topic of discussion: TBD

Membership Community of Interest 2022 Q3

Wednesday, Oct 5, 2022 10:30 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada) / 1:30 PM Eastern Time

Topic of discussion: the idea of referrals between TECNA members for national companies that have a presence in multiple locations.

CEO Monthly Happy Hour

3:30pm Pacific Time / 6:30pm Eastern Time

TECNA Member CEOs and Executive Directors are invited to join this casual monthly gathering online

Use TECNA's VoterVoice Action Center to advocate for technology priorities critical to TECNA member councils, your member organizations and their employees. Send a letter on our priorities for the American Data Privacy and Protection Act.

Laura Schmidt, chief talent development officer, of the MKE Tech Coalition (Wisconsin) has been accepted into the U.S. Chamber Talent Pipeline Management (TPM) Program. This program will allow Laura to develop a tech sector strategy that supports and builds upon other TPM initiatives in southeastern Wisconsin across other industry sectors. If your tech council is already involved in TPM, please let Laura know so that you can identify ways to integrate it into the work of TECNA’s Workforce Community of Interest.

VanHack Tech Salary Calculator

The VanHack Salary Tool provides verified salary data for global remote tech talent, allowing employers to make well-informed offers to prospective candidates. It is also valuable to tech talent seeking remote job opportunities, giving them a better idea of the compensation trends per role, location and experience.

More info on the tech salary calculator here.

TECNA Discount for Premier Virtual

TECNA has partnered with Premier Virtual to offer a 2022 TECNA Discount for their platform which offers virtual career fairs and virtual hiring events:

• First Ever Individual Event with Premier Virtual - TECNA Member Cost $3,500
• Additional Individual Events - TECNA Member Cost $3,000 (15% discount)
• Yearly License - TECNA Member Cost $13,500 (25% discount)

We are thrilled to offer this TECNA discount! We encourage you to reach out to Jamie Varraso at Premier Virtual directly with any questions about this software that bridges the gap between technology and human interaction.

Join us at CES 2023 as an Allied Association!

CES® is the world's gathering place for the entire technology ecosystem and will connect you with decision makers, investors, consumers, and the media. The Consumer Technology Association (CTA)®, owner and producer of CES, allows technology-related associations to gain exposure and make the most of their CES experience. Offering an exchange of promotional support, the program aims to create a mutually beneficial relationship between your association and CTA. Learn more about participating in the program. Exhibiting at CES also provides an opportunity for your member companies to stand side-by-side with the world’s most disruptive innovators in Gaming, AI/Robotics, Smart Home and more. Contact Jackie Black for more information.