Senator Chris Coons, Rep. Robert Goodlatte and North Carolina Technology Association's Brooks Raiford Recognized as TechVoice Champions

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- CompTIA and TECNA, through its TechVoice partnership, presented the 2014 TechVoice Champion Awards to Senator Chris Coons (D-DE),  Rep. Robert Goodlatte (R-VA) and Brooks Raiford, president and CEO of the North Carolina Technology Association, in recognition of their leadership and advocacy on behalf of the country's information technology (IT) industry. The TechVoice Champion Awards were presented last night as part of the two-day TechVoice D.C. Fly-In.

"Last year, the foundation was laid for major policy reforms that would benefit technology, innovation and growth," said Todd Thibodeaux, president and CEO, CompTIA. "With this year's TechVoice Champion Awards, we recognize three individuals who were instrumental in realizing some of these accomplishments – and continue to advocate that small and medium-sized (SMB) technology firms are the backbone of our nation's economy."

Sen. Coons has earned a reputation as a principled, pragmatic legislator with a strong voice for job creation and the innovation economy. He has worked across the aisle to introduce two pieces of legislation that will benefit small tech companies, both of which TechVoice has supported, Startup Innovation Credit Act of 2013, S.193 and Startup Act 3.0, S. 310.

"It's been an honor to tackle significant issues affecting America's innovators and small business owners. For close to three decades, innovative startups created nearly all net new jobs in the U.S. We need to continue investing in the potential of startups and have the R &D tax credit accessible to SMBs. I am grateful and thankful to have the support of CompTIA and TECNA, and am honored to accept the 2014 TechVoice Champion Award," Sen. Coons said.

Rep. Goodlatte  has a long and distinguished history of leading on technology issues. As chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, he has been a leader on an array of important issues to the technology community, including high-skilled immigration, patent reform, data security, the internet tax moratorium and access to broadband.

"I have dedicated much of my elected career to focusing on issues that help to expand our technology footprint – through STEM education, Internet freedom, broadband deployment, modernized patent laws and pro-growth tax and immigration policies. I look forward to working with the leaders of TechVoice and am honored to receive the 2014 TechVoice Champion Award," said Rep. Goodlatte.

Brooks Raiford, president and CEO of the North Carolina Technology Association, has taken on the pivotal role to advance the North Carolina technology sector, to bring members of Congress together with the leaders from the tech industry and to provide stellar representation for one of the most prominent high -research and development centers in the United States.

"It is a great honor to receive the 2014 TechVoice Champion Award," said Raiford. "I am privileged to be able to help connect executives, public policy leaders, visionaries and world- class leaders around the business of technology. I appreciate the opportunity to work with CompTIA and TECNA to help shape policy that foster growth and opportunity for SMBs."

The TechVoice Champion Awards were presented at the TechVoice Champion Awards Dinner in conjunction with the TechVoice D.C. Fly-In, held February 11 and 12. The fly-in allows U.S. business leaders in the technology sector to meet face-to-face with Congressional representatives on Capitol Hill and other key policymakers in Washington.

"As Washington, D.C., and state capitals focus on making 2014 a year of action, we want to make sure that policymakers prioritize policies that support the nation's IT industry — whose products, services and people create the engine that drives economic opportunities for so many other Americans. Engaging strong voices from our industry, like Sen. Coons, Rep. Goodlatte and Brooks Raiford, who have been on the forefront of advocacy, is equally important," added Steve Zylstra, president of the TECNA and president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council.

TechVoice is a partnership of CompTIA, TECNA and participating regional technology associations. TechVoice represents thousands of technology companies across the country employing millions of workers. For more information on the 2014 TechVoice Champion Awards and the TechVoice D.C. Fly-In, visit www.techvoice.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.

About CompTIA
CompTIA is the voice of the world's information technology (IT) industry. Its members are the companies at the forefront of innovation; and the professionals responsible for maximizing the benefits organizations receive from their investments in technology. CompTIA is dedicated to advancing industry growth through educational programs, market research, networking events, professional certifications and public policy advocacy. Visit http://www.comptia.org/home.aspx, http://www.facebook.com/CompTIA and twitter.com/comptia to learn more.

About TECNA
The Technology Councils of North America (TECNA) represents almost 50 IT and technology trade organizations that, in turn, represent more than 16,000 technology-related companies in North America. TECNA serves its members and the industry through its strong peer-to-peer network and its regional initiatives to raise the visibility and viability of the technology industry.

SOURCE TechVoice