Arizona Technology Council Names 2014 "Tech Ten" Legislators

PHOENIX, Aug. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Arizona Technology Council, today announced the winners of Outstanding Tech Senator of the Year, Outstanding Tech Representative of the Year and the Tech Ten legislators, to be awarded at the 2014 Governor's Celebration of Innovation Awards (GCOI)  presented by Avnet, Inc.

These awards, along with business and individual awards, will be presented Thursday, November 13, 2014, at the Phoenix Convention Center, 100 North Third Street, in the West Building, third floor from 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Over 1,000 of Arizona's finest business leaders will celebrate the state's technology innovation and leadership during the evening, which will include a plated dinner, specialty deserts and music. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at aztechcouncil.org.

"Ensuring Arizona continues to grow its business-friendly environment remains one of the Council's top priorities," said Steven G. Zylstra, president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council. "We applaud each of these outstanding legislators for making strides that moved the legislative agenda forward and supporting issues critical to the technology industry and our members."

Outstanding Tech Senator and Representative of the Year

Senator Bob Worsley, District 25 is Outstanding Senator of the Year. Senator Worsley is a visionary and policy leader at the Arizona Senate. He understands the value of technology in a modern economy and advocates for advancement in all sectors, including the legislative process with his initiative AZVoices.gov.

Karen Fann, District 1 is Outstanding Tech Representative of the Year. Representative Fann has been a champion for the Arizona Technology Council during her tenure in the Legislature and sponsored the effort to expand the Refundable R&D Tax Credit program during the 2014 legislative session.

Tech Ten Legislators
The winners of the 2014 Governor's Celebration of Innovation Tech Ten Legislator awards are:

Senate Members:

John McComish, District 18, Senate Majority Leader
Senator McComish has a long and distinguished career supporting businesses through his elected and volunteer efforts. The Council has turned to Senator McComish on many occasions to spearhead its pro-technology agenda. Senator McComish has been a constant guardian of the Council's efforts to create a venture capital fund for early stage technology companies.

Don Shooter, District 13
Senator Shooter has been an effective voice for the technology sector in the Arizona Senate. He led discussions on broadband infrastructure improvements in his last term and is committed to solving this state need.

Robert Meza, District 30
Senator Meza has a proven track record of supporting the technology community at the Senate. He has always made an effort to listen to the concerns of the Arizona Technology Council and promote constructive discussion among his colleagues.

House Members:

Kate Brophy-McGee, District 28
Representative Brophy-McGee is a strong supporter of the technology sector in Arizona. She has been a tireless advocate for government reforms that encourage economic growth in Arizona.

Heather Carter, District 15
Representative Carter has a consistent record of supporting the Arizona Technology Council agenda. Her ability to form broad coalitions makes her a prominent voice at the Arizona Legislature.

Jeff Dial, District 18
Representative Dial will be moving from the House of Representatives to the Senate if reelected. He has been a tireless advocate for the technology sector in Arizona. He sponsored initiatives to make the state a leader in the data center industry and is committed to solving the issues that arise with the introduction of cutting edge technologies.

Tom Forese, District 17
Representative Forese is pro-business and sponsored HB2272, the extended Angel Investment Tax Credit Program. Its passage marked a big victory for the technology community and extends the life of the program by five years.

Ethan Orr, District 9
Representative Orr has been one of the Arizona Technology Council's champions in his first term. He has been extremely supportive of the Council's priorities as well as sponsored landmark legislation that will bring the space flight industry to our own backyard.

Thomas "TJ" Shope, District 8
Representative Shope was a consistent supporter of the Arizona Technology Council agenda in his first term at the Legislature. His commitment to both the stakeholder process and his own constituents make him a rising star at the Arizona House.

Bruce Wheeler, District 10, Assistant Minority Leader
Representative Wheeler is a champion for the high-tech industries based in the Tucson area. His voting record supports the global competiveness of the companies in southern Arizona and across the state.

About the Arizona Technology Council
The Arizona Technology Council is Arizona's premier trade association for science and technology companies. Recognized as having a diverse professional business community, Council members work towards furthering the advancement of technology in Arizona through leadership, education, legislation and social action. The Arizona Technology Council offers numerous events, educational forums and business conferences that bring together leaders, managers, employees and visionaries to make an impact on the technology industry. These interactions contribute to the Council's culture of growing member businesses and transforming technology in Arizona. To become a member or to learn more about the Arizona Technology Council, please visit www.aztechcouncil.org.

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SOURCE Arizona Technology Council