Paying your fair share of taxes. Members of the Arizona Technology Council recognize that is part of doing business. Consider Senate Bill 1460 in the Arizona Legislature. The measure was designed to create parameters for determining the taxable status of digital goods and services at state and local levels. The Council and its members fully support the original intent of … [More]
Global Impact in the Sights of Committee
With a focus on success, Optics Valley members have been working to capture the world’s attention for an industry that serves fields ranging from aerospace to telecommunications. A new workforce development program now gives this Arizona Technology Council committee the chance to influence others who are considering joining this cutting-edge profession. Formerly known as the … [More]
Increased Costs Bring Council Membership Dues Hike
Just as the roster of programs and services provided by the Arizona Technology Council has grown, so have the related costs. That’s why its board of directors has voted to institute an approximately 10 percent increase in annual membership dues. Existing members will see their increase when it’s time for renewal, while the increase for new members became effective April 1. … [More]
New Reader Experience Accompanies Magazine Update
Think of your favorite magazine. If it still exists after all this time, odds are it has been through some changes but is still a part of you. That captures what has happened with TechConnect magazine. Since its launch in 2005 by the Arizona Technology Council, the publication has gone through redesigns and evolved from print only to an online digital format. After 56 … [More]
Meet 3 Newest Members of Council Staff
Jill Brownley Director, Marketing + Communications Brownley’s experience includes public relations, marketing communications, social media, copywriting and technical writing, public affairs, internal communications, advertising and graphic design. Most recently, she was a public relations consultant serving bioscience clients. Previously, she was director of marketing and … [More]
Planner Becomes Critical Partner for Council Events
Chuck Smith still remembers his first experience with the Arizona Technology Council. He was invited to attend its annual Governor’s Celebration of Innovation in November 2016 and was shocked to see people considered competitors actually getting along throughout the event. “We were just blown away by the camaraderie,” he says. “If we wanted to get into the pulse of the local … [More]
Staff Profile: Deborah Zack
For hundreds of members of the Arizona Technology Council, Deborah Zack is the Council. As senior director of membership services, Deborah Zack has been the one constant in the lives of many members. Whether it’s offering basic information about joining the group or responding to inquiries about how a company can become more involved in the Council, Zack is the go-to person. … [More]
December 2018 President’s Message
Like most people in fall 2009, it was hard not to still feel the effects of the slow recovery after the Great Recession that technically ended in June of that year. A national employment rate that hit 10 percent in October was perhaps the most telling sign of how bad things still were. I had been in my current role not quite three years and had heard more than my share of the … [More]
Introduction to Israel
There’s no denying the international outreach of the Arizona Technology Council. President and CEO Steven G. Zylstra has added his signature to an agreement formalizing a bilateral relationship that promotes growth and expands business opportunities for the Greater Phoenix and Hermosillo metropolitan regions. China was the destination for past trade missions he helped lead. And … [More]
Report update reveals good news for paychecks, venture capital
Whether you were looking for a better payday last year or an increase in venture capital this year, Arizona’s technology industry was the place to be. Those are a few of the highlights from the recent quarterly update of the Arizona Technology Council Industry Impact Report based on data collected from sources such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CompTIA and … [More]
Change for the Better
In an environment of exponential change — especially in the field of technology — every organization faces daunting questions of how it will adapt to add value for its constituents and community. With this in mind, the Arizona Technology Council continuously reviews and tests its value proposition. To assist with the latest analysis, the Council has enlisted myself, David … [More]
Whole New World
Editor’s note: The Chief Science Officers Program, a collaborative initiative of the Arizona Technology Council Foundation and Arizona Commerce Authority, recently brought together members from Arizona, Georgia, Michigan and Oregon, as well as Kuwait and Mexico for its CSO International Summit in Washington, D.C. The event gave the students opportunities to position themselves … [More]
Blockchain Technology
Blockchain, the technology principally known for powering Bitcoin, will be the focus of presentations by speakers and panelists at the Arizona Technology Council’s third annual Cybersecurity Lunch Forum on held Dec. 12. The forum organized by the Council’s Cybersecurity Committee will be co-hosted by the Arizona Cyber Threat Response Alliance (ACTRA)/Arizona InfraGard. The … [More]
Steven G. Zylstra Summer 2018 Message
It’s not often that you get a front row seat to history. Make that the driver’s seat. That’s what has been happening in Arizona, which has turned into a high-profile technology proving ground for autonomous, or “self-driving,” vehicles. Consider some of the companies that have turned our roads into their labs — Google, Ford, General Motors, Intel and Uber — and you can … [More]
Impact of an Industry
It was a rather simple question: How many technology-based companies are in Arizona? A few publications had put the total at more than 8,000. But staff at the Arizona Technology Council weren’t buying it since they didn’t see that many companies as they made their contacts in the sector here. They needed some proof. That came with the new Arizona Technology Council … [More]
Vote TechSmart
As every other session of the Arizona Legislature ends, the campaigning to fill seats of both chambers in the next session begins in earnest. But long before the drop of the gavel, a small group of people has already been working on the election outcome — except you won’t find any of their names on a ballot. They are members of the Arizona Technology Council’s Public Policy … [More]
Breaking the Mold
It’s not the norm. When it comes to presentations at the Institute for Learning Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers conference, it’s not the supposed-to-be-the-adults learning — let alone even hearing — from children. But then again, participants in the Chief Science Officers (CSO) program do anything but follow the norm. Recipients of National … [More]
It Takes a Team
While the year 2017 was one in which the Arizona Technology Council continued to best represent the interests of the state’s technology community, perhaps it was the partnerships that evolved during the year that demonstrate exceptional results can happen when people work together. Examples of such results are among the details of Council achievements included in the 2017 … [More]
