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Digest Newsletter | September 2021
TECNA CEO Message
Dear TECNA Members,

As we all know, one of the greatest losses we have experienced over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic is the access to in-person connection with others; with all of us being in our respective homes and out of our offices and schools for safety purposes. Still in many cases, we are unable to interact in-person the way we used to.

It’s not natural. Humans overall are programmed to be interpersonal social creatures of varying degrees. Some of the greatest collaboration and connection happens around the water cooler, over coffee, or on a personal or business road trip somewhere.

I am a hugger! I give high fives, fist bumps, and pats on the back. I really miss that type of connection! And while the video conferencing we have all utilized these last 18 months has allowed the world to continue moving forward, I am very excited to see other TECNA members in the months to come during an in-person visit, DC Fly-In, or the CEO Retreat in November. 

You have my commitment that we will be doing everything in our power to safely host in-person programs in 2022. Not just the Summer Conference and CEO Retreat, but other gatherings such as a Canadian Policy Meeting and perhaps a gathering of our new Chief Operating Officer Community of Interest! Please consider coming, if you feel comfortable, and suggest what would help in making you feel more at ease.

I will be reaching out to all of you again in October to set up a time to connect either in person, on Zoom, or by phone. I’m eager to hear how your fall is going, what successes you have celebrated, what keeps you up at night, and to learn how TECNA can best be serving you. 

I am looking forward to seeing you in the months to come.
Jennifer G. Young
Chief Executive Officer
Technology Councils of North America
Monthly Events Survey*
Can you take 3 minutes to complete a quick 5 question survey about your plans for in-person events at your council/association? Click Here
*If you responded to the survey last month, please submit your plans again - whether your plans have changed or not.
TECNA Events
2021 CEO Retreat
Register Now for the 2021 TECNA CEO Retreat
November 29-December 1, 2021
at Saddlebrook near Tampa, Florida

The TECNA CEO Retreat is the annual opportunity for TECNA Member CEOs and Executive Directors to get to know each other, connect to share lessons learned, and acquire new leadership skills and business development ideas. Retreat sessions are designed in response to member needs to help CEOs/EDs lead and grow their organizations. 
The deadline to register is Wednesday, October 27.
TECNA Member News
NC Tech will host a virtual Special Session on XR/Immersive Technology with Liz Hyman, CEO of XR Association and formerly with CompTIA, and offers TECNA Member Staff complimentary registration, use code "TECNA2021" (code for use by TECNA Member Staff only) - Learn More & Register

Arizona Technology Council released its Q2 2021 Arizona Technology Industry Impact Report, providing new details on the growth of the state’s technology sector. And AZTC launched a partnership with the University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC) to offer Council members and their immediate families a 30% tuition savings on its online programs.

TechPoint is gearing up for a record-breaking 2022 summer of exceptional on-the-job training and intro to Indiana's bustling tech ecosystem, and is currently recruiting companies to offer spots to promising college students. In past years, more than 2000 students from across the country have applied for about 200 spots in TechPoint's Xtern program. Selected students will be matched to companies during “Finalist Day” on November 12 in a day-long interview session where 800+ interviews will take place within six hours or so.

On Thursday, September 9th, the MassTLC Security Community brought together a stellar panel lead by Debby Briggs, CISO at NETSCOUT, to share their own strategies for dealing with the exploding industry of ransomware. That is correct, ransomware is an official industry, worth $20 billion so far in 2021, and is continuing to prove that it is a viable (yet illegal) business model. Read a recap and listen to the discussion here.

PACT has announced the details for the 2021 Capital Conference, the largest venture conference in the Northeast. The annual gathering of the Private Equity, Venture Capital and Entrepreneurial communities will be taking place in-person on November 4th. As part of our COVID safety guidelines, we are capping attendance at 500 attendees. Tickets are available now at pactcapconf.com

Tech Hub South Florida announced its merger with Tech Lauderdale and Nikki Cabbus was named Interim CEO of this West Palm Beach-based organization - South Florida Tech Hub - Read more.
New - Chief Operating Officer COI
This new peer group will meet every second Tuesday of the month at 4:00 EST
Please contact Jennifer Young to be sent the calendar invite, [email protected]. 

Someone in the group will serve as moderator each month, and a topic for loose discussion unless another more pressing issue is on the table. A TECNA COO Slack Channel was also established so that you’re easily able to communicate with your peers.

Kara Lowe, COO, KC Tech Council will be the first meeting moderator, and she passed along the below article from Harvard Business Review to read prior. She’s asked that everyone “bring” their job description as the role of COO can be vastly different from organization to organization. Second in Command: The Misunderstood Role of the Chief Operating Officer
 
CEO Happy Hour
Third Thursday Each Month at 3:30pm PT/6:30pm ET via Zoom

All TECNA Member CEOs and Executive Directors are invited to this informal Zoom gathering each month. Come if you can and stay as short or as long as you can! Some months we will have discussion topics and if so, they will be circulated ahead of time. Contact Jennifer Young at [email protected].
Best Practices Databank

We're gathering Member Documents and Best Practices to add to TECNA's databank of resources available to all TECNA Members.

Documents available to all TECNA Member Staff on the Resources tab when you login to tecna.org/login include Job Descriptions, Governance Docs, Event Best Practices,
Membership Structures and more.

If you have files you're willing to share with the TECNA membership, please send them to Alina at [email protected]
TECNA Public Policy Advocacy
Public Policy
Visit our website for the full U.S. Public Policy Agenda - click here.

Recently, Jennifer G. Young, TECNA CEO, was invited to testify on behalf of TECNA before the House Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship (Judiciary) at a hearing which occurred on Tuesday, July 13 at 2:00 p.m. ET titled, Oh, Canada! How Outdated U.S. Immigration Policies Push Top Talent to Other Countries.   The hearing’s focus was centered on the United States’ antiquated highly skilled immigration policies (i.e. H1-B visas), and how the Unites States is losing these highly skilled workers to other countries and fast. Watch the testimony online.

News Coverage:


Register online to be added to the US or Canadian Public Policy Committees mailing lists - click here.
TECNA Communities of Interest

TECNA Communities of Interest (COI) are peer-to-peer collaborations and information-sharing groups exclusively for members: communications, events, membership, public policy and workforce.
Upcoming COI Webinars

Workforce COI
Wednesday, September 22, 10:00amPT/1:00pm ET

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion COI
Wednesday, October 13, 10:00amPT/1:00pmET


Missed a Webinar?
Past COI webinar 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.


Requests or ideas for Community of Interest webinar topics, contact the COI Chairs:
TECNA Partnerships
TECNA Discount for Premier Virtual

We are very pleased to announce TECNA has partnered with Premier Virtual to offer a 2021 TECNA Discount for their platform which offers virtual career fairs and virtual hiring events: 
  • First Individual Event with Premier Virtual - TECNA Member Cost $3,500
  • Additional Individual Events - TECNA Member Cost $4,000
  • Yearly License - TECNA Member Cost $15,300 (30% 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.
TECNA 401k Program Offering

TECNA is partnered with 401(k) Tech Collective to offer the TECNA National 401(k) Program. This is a national retirement program built by the WTIA, one of our member associations. This program has been constructed specifically for technology organizations.
 
This partnership enables you to offer this exclusive program to your own member companies, providing additional value to their membership and helping them attract and retain talent in this competitive time. It also opens the door to a new revenue opportunity for your association.

Please check out all of the benefits here: 401ktechcollective.org
TECNA Health Insurance Benefit

TECNA offers a health insurance benefit for members, as well your members. TECNA is committed to helping member councils provide additional value to you, your staff and your members. Insurance is one area where TECNA may be able to offer immediate savings on items for which you and your members are currently paying. Your council must be a member of TECNA in good standing to qualify for this benefit. Please click here to see an overview of TECNA’s Health Insurance Benefit.

Coming Soon: Member General Liability, Professional Liability (Errors & Omissions) Cyber Liability, Property & Workers Compensation Insurance.
More Ways to Connect
TECNA on Slack
Join TECNA's community on Slack exclusively for TECNA Member Council staff. Slack Channels include membership, events, talent/workforce, policy and private channel for CEOs.
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.
Subscribe to TECNA 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.
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: [email protected].