Chairman of Technology Councils of North America and Arizona Technology Council President and CEO Steve Zylstra Heads to DC with Council Members to Advocate for the Technology Sector

PHOENIX, Feb. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- This week, Steven G. Zylstra, chairman of Technology Councils of North America (TECNA) and president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council is joining TechVoice to advocate for the technology sector priorities on Capitol Hill during the organization's annual fly-in to Washington, D.C.  TechVoice, a partnership of CompTIA and TECNA works to provide a voice to technology companies on Capitol Hill.

Taking place February 11 and 12, Zylstra will also be joined by two prominent executives of Arizona Technology Council member companies; Mary Juetten, founder, CEO of Traklight and Russ Perry, managing director, NSB/Keane USA. All will be meeting with Arizona Congressional representatives including Sen. Jeff Flake and Rep Matt Salmon, Rep. Ron Barber, Rep. David Schweikert, Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, and Rep. Trent Franks. In addition, the delegation will be meeting with the staffs of Rep. Raul Grijalva, Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick and Rep. Ed Pastor.

The purpose of the meetings is to focus attention on policies and issues that affect the technology sector including patent reform, counter abusive patent litigation tactics by so-called "patent trolls", ensuring tax reform is fair to technology SMBs (Small- and Medium-Sized Businesses); and immigration reform that includes making it easier to recruit and retain the 'best and the brightest' of high-tech workers in an effort to close the skills gap and remain globally competitive.

"Technology sector innovation is a key force behind a strong 21st century economy and, Congress should focus on the central role that high-growth startups must play to assure continued U.S. economic strength," said Zylstra.  "Virtually all of the growth in U.S. jobs has been driven by the formation of firms less than five years old, and these new firms have been disproportionately responsible for commercializing the cutting-edge innovations that characterize modern life."

This is the sixth year that the Arizona Technology Council has participated in the TechVoice Fly-In led by Zylstra.

"As the technology sector grapples with the implementation of 2014 Congressional priorities, TechVoice will continue to facilitate open discourse between legislators and small and medium-sized technology businesses," said Todd Thibodeaux, president and CEO of CompTIA. "Through a balanced, multi-policy approach that incorporates the needs of hiring businesses, Congress can boost economic growth nationwide."

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 http://www.aztechcouncil.org.

About TechVoice
TechVoice is a partnership of the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), the Technology Councils of North America (TECNA), and participating regional technology associations. Collectively, TechVoice represents thousands of technology companies across the country employing millions of workers. TechVoice is dedicated to empowering and mobilizing the grassroots tech community to impact legislative and regulatory issues important to growth, innovation and job creation. For more information, visit www.techvoice.org and http://twitter.com/tech_voice.

SOURCE Arizona Technology Council