Two measures backed by the Arizona Technology Council hold the promise of investing in a better tomorrow for the research community while promoting economic development. At press time, the Arizona Senate had voted to support a measure that, if passed, ultimately would protect the dark sky corridor that takes hold after the sun sets. Headed to the House of Representatives was … [More]
Council Launches Initiative to Create Mega PAC
Anyone who follows the shaping of public policy in Arizona no doubt notices the voice of the Arizona Technology Council continuously grows stronger. An example is its annual Public Policy Guide, which lays out its agenda to state and federal lawmakers in addition to Council members. To support this massive agenda, the Council is taking the next step. While it has had a state … [More]
Congressional Connection for the Tech Industry
With a new administration and Congress coming into power, members of the technology community headed to Capitol Hill to get a sense of what lies ahead for their industry. Arizona’s was among some 20 state technology councils that joined the Technology Councils of North America (TECNA) and more than 140 technology executives and business owners representing 29 states at the … [More]
Board Gains Talents of Five
The Arizona Technology Council has named five new members to its board of directors. They are: Chris Koziol, president of Aspect, which helps enterprises break down the walls between people, processes, systems and data sources. He has more than 30 years of progressive experience in managing and directing high-growth, mature and startup technology companies. Koziol has … [More]
Steven G. Zylstra Fall 2016 Message
In my time, I’ve seen a variety technologies evolve from infancy to leaving lasting impacts that have profoundly changed our lives. Color televisions, transistor radios, DVRs, cell phones, computers, software — all moved at some point from “gee whiz” to “how did I even live without it?” And all have played roles in shaping what we have become as a society. In my role, I … [More]
Head of the Class
Capturing the attention of the White House and Gov. Doug Ducey. That’s not bad for the inaugural year of a special program whose participants aren’t even old enough to vote. These are just a few highlights of the very much non-partisan Chief Science Officers (CSO) program that, in its first year, counted more than 130 sixth- through twelfth-grade students throughout Arizona … [More]
Eye On Success
In a move to boost ongoing efforts to grow the science and technology sectors of Arizona’s economy and increase the number of high-paying jobs in the state, the Arizona Technology Council has signed an agreement to launch collaborative efforts with the Arizona Optics Industry Association (AOIA). The Council has agreed to form an Arizona Optics Industry Committee to advocate … [More]
Council Staff Recognized With Awards, Promotion
Steven G. Zylstra, president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council, was named the Leader of the Year in Public Policy in the technology category by the Arizona Capitol Times in recognition of his efforts to influence Arizona’s technology industry. Under Zylstra’s leadership, the Council’s Public Policy Committee is directly involved with the process of evaluating … [More]
Two New Members Added to Council’s Board
Security software and securities law have been added to the mix of expertise as two new members have been named to the Arizona Technology Council Board of Directors. Rich Hlavka, CEO of Lynx Technology Partners, and Travis J. Leach, partner at Ballard Spahr, were appointed to a board that represents a diverse set of prominent Arizona-based organizations. “The talent, … [More]
Steven G. Zylstra Summer 2016 Message
Who are the leaders to follow? As Arizona and the rest of the nation enter the home stretch leading to the November elections, this is a question that comes up again and again. When it arises in the state’s technology community, the answer is easier to reach: They walk among members of the Arizona Technology Council. Several council initiatives are preparing rising stars for … [More]
A Winning Session
As the voice for the state’s technology community, the Arizona Technology Council becomes intimately involved with helping shape the public policy that can drive our industry forward. Fortunately, the Council’s priorities for the most part meshed with those of our lawmakers, as proven by action in the 52nd Arizona Legislature combined with the support of Gov. Doug … [More]
National Interest
Imagine launching an idea unlike anything that’s been done. Now imagine that idea gets the attention of colleagues across the country. Even better, the White House is interested. This is what is happening with the Chief Science Officers (CSO) program, which puts Arizona students in charge when it comes to getting their schools interested in science, technology, engineering … [More]
Seeing the Light
It’s a rare sight — if a person can even see it. That’s why the Arizona Technology Council is interested in helping preserve a commodity that literally disappears at the flip of a switch: darkness. The dark skies over the state were an early gateway for the state’s movement into science and technology circles. Astronomers and others have turned to Arizona’s dark sky corridor … [More]
New Dimension
To address the issues related to new processes that are rapidly changing the traditional methods of manufacturing, the Arizona Technology Council has established the Additive Manufacturing Committee. Additive manufacturing (AM) refers to methods in which parts are fabricated layer by layer compared to cutting a part out of a solid block of material. It’s more commonly known … [More]
Millennial View
The Arizona Technology Council added the millennial point of view with one of three recent appointments to its board of directors. The newest board members are Brad Jannenga co-founder of WebPT; David Woody, senior vice president, technology operations and transformation at American Express; and Chad T. Fogg, an operations and logistics manager for Uber Technologies. By … [More]
AZ Tech Council Spring 2016 President’s Message
Talk about timing. I had just arrived in Washington, D.C., recently to lead Arizona’s delegation for the annual DC Fly-In, an opportunity for members of the nation’s technology community to share their hot button issues directly with lawmakers. Suddenly, Capitol Hill was ground zero for one of our topics: cybersecurity. That day the word came out a hacker or hackers had just … [More]
Preparing for the Future
The Arizona Technology Council has partnered with the Arizona Commerce Authority on separate yet related initiatives to prepare the state’s workforce for technology jobs expected to be in demand well into the future. While their joint efforts actually began nearly two years ago, both organizations are starting to see a more solid game plan take shape for preparing more people … [More]
Congressman turns to students in STEM fact-finding
When it comes to a fact-finding trip for members of Congress, that often can mean they pack their passports and head off to exotic lands for meetings with heads of state. For the representative of Arizona’s 3rd District, the destination was Estrella Mountain Community College in Avondale to meet with front-line experts in science, technology, engineering and math … [More]
