TechAmerica adds voice of state and regional council group
TechAmerica and the Technology Councils of North America have signed an agreement to coordinate the memberships, programs and services.
TechAmerica and the Technology Councils of North America have signed an agreement to coordinate the memberships, programs and services currently offered respectively through TechAmerica’s network of 16 regional councils and TECNA’s approximately 40 independent regional trade associations.
The agreement between the two organizations paves the way for TechAmerica to serve as the exclusive national partner for TECNA in advocacy and marketing activities and will begin an effort to consolidate overlapping councils and associations serving the technology community around the country, according to a TechAmerica statement released Thursday.
The two organizations will immediately collaborate on events, conferences and affinity programs, sharing of newsletters/newsfeeds and joint policy efforts, among other activities.
As the groups work more closely together, the combination of networks, activities, events and expertise of TechAmerica and the many TECNA member technology councils will create the only true “grassroots to global” technology community for innovation-based firms in the United States, the announcement said.
TechAmerica, based in Washington, D.C., was created Jan. 1, 2009, by the merger of ITAA and AeA. The new organization includes more than 1,500 companies.
TECNA’s state and regional councils represent more than 16,000 members seeking strong advocacy, community building and economic development leadership.
“Together, we are beginning the move towards seamless and effective technology industry representation at the regional and state level, just as we strengthen the industry’s voice in Washington, D.C., with the mergers of AeA, ITAA, GEIA and CSIA,” TechAmerica President Phil Bond said in the statement.
“The technology council movement is alive in states and regions across the country, yet smaller groups can always use more allies and resources,” said Matthew Nemerson, president of TECNA’s board of director and chief executive officer of the Connecticut Technology Council.