TECNA NOTES

TECNA Highlights - January 2015

Happy New Year,

From my conversations with many members, 2015 is starting off VERY busy. The same is true at TECNA. This month we continue to get great press from the National Survey of Technology, Policy and Strategic Issues. Since the report’s release in December, we have had 147 unique placements with a potential audience of 129.4 million! If your council participated and has not yet sent out the pre-drafted release to your local media, please do so soon. We’d like to beat our exposure from last year.

On Monday February 2, we’ll open registration for the 2015 CEO Retreat. We just secured Adrian Davis to come back from the Summer Conference for an in-depth workshop on developing your organization’s value proposition. We have other exciting sessions lined-up addressing:

• 2015 technology sector economic forecast
• Events of the future
• Access to talent
• Turn key programs
• And much more

TECNA’s CEO salary survey being conducted by the Management Association closed January 30. Data will be presented in aggregate at the CEO Retreat.

In February we will launch our new TECNA website and member database. Stay on the lookout for new member log-in information. Also note that some links may be broken from previous communications, but the content will all still be accessible at www.tecna.org.

Finishing touches are being put on the Buildingand Sustaining Software Development Talent Survey that was conducted in partnership with the University of Phoenix and Apollo Education Group. A press release will launch on February 10 and full materials will be posted on our website. You’ll find several recommendations presented for tech councils, educators, legislators and industry. We will have a corresponding suggestion box to collect additional ideas you may have to help address this critical issue. We look forward to continuing the conversation.

With the new Congress in session, our U.S. advocacy efforts are picking up steam. TECNA and 25 tech councils gave support for the Startup Act 3.0. We are also currently working on letters of support to U.S. Senators on immigration reform and the Start Up Jobs and Innovation Act. Five new strategic partners signed onto our TechAmerica powered By CompTIA collaboration: California Technology Council, Howard Technology Council, Metroplex Technology Business Council, Nashville Technology Council, and the Wisconsin Technology Council.  We are now up to 21 councils partnering and have 6 in the process of re-signing! Last, but not least, we have broken records for the DC Fly-In with two-weeks left in registration. There is still time for members who are TechAmerica Alliance Partners to register and/or bring more delegates.

Advocacy efforts are also quickly moving ahead in Canadian where members are close to finalizing their 2015 advocacy priorities. Stay on the look out for those on our website in the next few weeks.

Best,

Bob Moore, CAE

Executive Director, TECNA

TECNA Member Spotlight - January 2015

Mike Scricca, Director of Membership, Connecticut Technology Council (CTC)

Bio: I am probably an anachronism in the tech association world, having been in my job here at CTC for 16 years. I started here in 1998 when the Dot.com and internet boom were raging here in Connecticut as it was everywhere. Some of our members went public and saw spectacular rises in their stock prices and then faded almost as spectacularly.

I started out just handling membership, but over the years I have assumed more responsibilities to include both membership and sponsorship sales. I also help a great deal with our event planning, spending at least half of my time working on our signature events.  In small organizations like CTC, one has to be able to handle multiple jobs to further an organization’s goals.

With the New Year upon us, do you have any resolutions that you plan to bring into your member outreach and support?

We have just migrated to a new membership management platform (Weblink for those of you who are curious) and I am determined to use it to better engage our members as well as provide them a better level of service. So far, staff here is impressed with the product. I like it as well.

What is the most notable change that has impacted your members during your 15+ year tenure at the Connecticut Technology Council (CTC)?

In Connecticut, I think we have done a good job of raising the awareness of elected officials to the engine that technology can be for economic development. Every year we delivered a compelling message to policy makers about how we needed to be more tech friendly and competitive with other states, and we found allies among legislators. However, you have to keep at it, as many legislators move on or retire and not everyone gets it. And while Matthew Nemerson, our previous CEO, was the consummate cheerleader, our new CEO Bruce Carlson, is prepared be equally as aggressive in succeeding him.

What is one program you’re most proud of at your organization? Why?

I have two. One is the annual Women of Innovation Awards Dinner. I started managing it its second year and it has become our best attended event in the years hence. I also manage a CEO peer group that meets each month. I learn more from the 12 CEOs who participate each month when they put their business problems on the table than I do from any other job activity.

Name one way you’ve changed your work based upon something not going as well as you hoped the first time?

I have learned to be more patient and more willing to consider the ideas of others. I often believed that my way was the best way, but after finding out that the ideas of others in the office were sometimes better, you learn to be more open to other people’s workplace thinking.

Name one tool, website, app, etc that you find very helpful professionally.

I could not live without my cell phone. I know that sounds trite, but it makes me much more productive. It obviously wasn’t available in 1998.

When you’re not working diligently on behalf of your members, what do you do for fun in your spare time?

I like to ride my bike when I can. I switched from my racer road bike to a hybrid last year so I could go off road a bit more and take bike riding a bit more leisurely. I play bocce on weekends in the summer and fall with a bunch of guys that I have played with for 30+ years. Being of Italian heritage, it was something I was playing when I was very young. I am also an avid gardener and love to tinker around my small condo garden.