TechAmerica And TECNA Join Forces To Streamline And Simplify Representation Of U.S. Tech Industry
TechAmerica and TECNA (the Technology Councils of North America) jointly announced recently that they have signed an exclusive 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.
TechAmerica, based in Washington, DC, has more than 1,500 companies who rely on it for expert representation at the federal and state governments, while TECNA's state and regional councils represent over 16,000 members seeking strong advocacy, community building and economic development leadership.
"The technology council movement is alive in states and regions across the country, yet smaller groups can always use more allies and resources," noted Matthew Nemerson, president of TECNA's board of director and CEO of the Connecticut Technology Council. "Innovative, fast growing companies have a central role in the nation's economic recovery. TechAmerica brings to this alliance the Washington presence and savvy necessary to help assure that Congress and the Administration continue to work to keep America competitive."
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.
"TechAmerica was born out of a desire to better serve America's technology community, and we continue that goal today with this alliance," said TechAmerica President Phil Bond. "By combining forces with TECNA, we are expanding TechAmerica's voice as the leading technology trade. 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 DC with the mergers of AeA, ITAA, GEIA and CSIA."
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. The two organizations will immediately collaborate on events, conferences and affinity programs, sharing of newsletters/newsfeeds and joint policy efforts, among other activities.
About TechAmerica
ITAA and AeA merged on January 1, 2009, to create TechAmerica. TechAmerica is the leading voice for the U.S. technology industry, which is the driving force behind productivity growth and jobs creation in the United States and the foundation of the global innovation economy. Representing approximately 1,500 member companies of all sizes from the public and commercial sectors of the economy, it is the industry's largest advocacy organization and is dedicated to helping members' top and bottom lines. It is also the technology industry's only grassroots-to-global advocacy network, with offices in state capitals around the United States, Washington, D.C., Europe (Brussels) and Asia (Beijing). TechAmerica was formed by the merger of AeA (formerly the American Electronics Association), the Cyber Security Industry Alliance (CSIA), the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) and the Government Electronics & Information Technology Association (GEIA). For more information visit www.techamerica.org.
About TECNA
Begun in the early 1990s, TECNA is an association of independent state and regional trade associations serving the technology community. Its members represent most of the not-for-profit technology organizations in the United States and Canada. TECNA consists of between 40 and 50 members groups which themselves have over 16,000 unique dues paying member companies and combined budgets of over $20M. TECNA has a national board of directors, produces two conferences a year about the technology council industry. It works to create a national awareness of the role and contribution of state and regional technology associations in the building the national economy and often takes positions to support national policy in areas such as education and funding for regional technology development. Until 2008 the group was known as the Council of Regional Information Technology Associations (CRITA). For more information visit, www.technologycouncils.org.
SOURCE: TechAmerica And TECNA