Committees

Ambassador Committee: Phoenix

Mission: To identify prospective members, welcome new members and support existing members in the Phoenix metro area by helping integrate them into the Council’s many programs, events and member perks.

Committee Chair: Chelsea Scruggs, Director of Client Engagement, Postindustria

Staff Liaison: Bianca Buliga, Director, Marketing + Communications, Arizona Technology Council

This committee is currently only open to employees of member companies that are based in Phoenix. For more information about joining the Ambassador Committee, please email Bianca Buliga at [email protected].

Ambassador Committee: Tucson

Mission: To identify prospective members, welcome new members and support existing members in southern Arizona by helping integrate them into the Council’s many programs, events and member perks. 

Committee Chair: Ana Greif, CEO, JobPath

Staff Liaison: Karla Morales, Vice President of Southern Arizona Regional Office, Arizona Technology Council

This committee is open to employees of member companies based anywhere in the state of Arizona. For information about joining the Tucson Ambassador Committee, please email Karla Morales at [email protected]. 

Arizona Artificial Intelligence Ecosystem (AAIE) Committee

Mission: To build an exceptional artificial intelligence (AI) community in the state of Arizona, and provide a collaborative environment to share lessons learned regarding the development, utilization and societal impact of AI technologies. 

Committee Co-Chairs: Alex Dely, Contracts Manager at Raytheon; Mary Darling, CEO of Darling Geomatics; and Habib Matar, Lead Professor of AI/ML at Chandler-Gilbert Community College

Staff Liaison: Karla Morales, Vice President of Southern Arizona Regional Office, Arizona Technology Council

This committee is open to employees of member companies based anywhere in the state of Arizona. For information about joining the AAIE Committee, please email Karla Morales at [email protected].

Arizona E-Mobility & Energy Ecosystem (AEEE) Committee

Mission: To work collaboratively to ensure a uniform integration and standards between all four sectors encompassing electrification (battery manufacturing and life-cycle, charging and refueling, zero-emission vehicles and energy infrastructure).

Committee Co-Chairs: Victor Atlasman, Director of Engineering, Charging Ecosystems at Atlis Motor Vehicles, and Brett Dooley, Account Development Manager at Bosch-Rexroth

Staff Liaison: Deborah Zack, Vice President of Membership Services, Arizona Technology Council

This committee is open to employees of member companies based anywhere in the state of Arizona. For information about joining the AEEE Committee, please email Deborah Zack at [email protected].

Cybersecurity Committee

Mission: To strengthen the cybersecurity of Arizona’s technology industry. The AZTC Cybersecurity Committee serves as a platform for information security professionals to share best practices and for technology companies that lack their own chief information security officer to seek guidance on what is required to strengthen their digital defenses. By sharing knowledge and experience, we enhance the cybersecurity of Arizona’s technology companies. The committee exists to help the members of the Arizona Technology Council learn about the threats and the appropriate responses. Add your expertise to ours and learn from our experts.

Committee Co-Chairs: Frank J. Grimmelmann, President & CEO of Arizona Cyber Threat Response Alliance, Inc. (ACTRA), and Mark Kirstein

Staff Liaisons: Ron Schott, Executive Emeritus, Arizona Technology Council, and Deborah Zack, Vice President of Membership Services, Arizona Technology Council

This committee is open to employees of member companies based anywhere in the state of Arizona. For information about joining the Council’s Cybersecurity Committee, please email Ron Schott at [email protected] or Deborah Zack at [email protected].

IoT + Smart Cities Committee

Mission: To provide a platform for people to learn, collaborate, advocate and disseminate information about how IoT and smart-cities strategies can help organizations create real-time business solutions in a sensor-enabled, analytics-driven world.

Committee Chair: Chris Lucero, Director of Emerging Technologies IOTG, Intel Corporation

Staff Liaison: Deborah Zack, Vice President of Membership Services, Arizona Technology Council

This committee is open to employees of member companies based anywhere in the state of Arizona. For information about joining the IoT + Smart Cities Committee, please email Deborah Zack at [email protected].

Law & Technology Committee

Mission: To be provide and make available relevant and timely information about the laws that affect the members through the use of media and forums that are convenient and expedient. To benefit legal service providers who are members of the Council by creating and promoting forums for the legal service providers to market their services to members.

This committee provides advice in areas such as, but not limited to, capital formation, acquisitions, and disposition of assets or lines of business, protection of intellectual property, employee matters, contracts, exit strategies and liability exposure. This counsel can take the form of pro bono, discounted and/or fee-based advice. The committee also provides seminars on legal matters in the technology industry.

Committee Chair: Fred Bellamy, Partner at Dickinson Wright PLLC

Staff Liaison: Ron Schott, Executive Emeritus, Arizona Technology Council

This committee is open to employees of member companies based anywhere in the state of Arizona. For information about joining the Law and Technology Committee, please email Ron Schott at [email protected].

MedTech Committee

Mission: To bring together medical device, medical software and telehealth companies’ executive leadership to share best practices and physician and investor networks; and promote peer-to-peer group discussion with the intent to help each other accelerate growth.

Committee Co-Chairs: Ellen Owens-Karcsay, Owner and Principal, Karcsay Consulting Group, LLC, and Beth Nillen, Attorney, Spencer Fane LLP

Staff Liaison: Deborah Zack, Vice President of Membership Services, Arizona Technology Council

This committee is open to employees of member companies based anywhere in the state of Arizona. For information about joining the MedTech Committee, please email Deborah Zack at [email protected].

Optics Valley Committee

Mission: To catalyze, convene and connect optics, photonics, astronomy and supporting business interests throughout Arizona.

Objective: Since 1992, the Arizona optics community was represented by the Arizona Optics industry Association (AOIA).  At the end of December 2016, AOIA was dissolved as an independent organization and Optics Valley was formed within the Arizona Technology Council.

Committee leadership conducts monthly meetings composed of optics CEOs, representatives from universities and community colleges, plus key stakeholders involved in the optics, photonics, and astronomy sectors throughout the state of Arizona.  The meetings are action-oriented and designed for planning future events, addressing key issues within the optics sector, and serving as an opportunity for business networking.

The Optics Valley Committee annually hosts Arizona Photonics Days. This event is designed to bring together Arizona optics companies and our partners from the Global Photonics Alliance for two days of technical discussions and business-to-business meetings.

Committee Co-Chairs: John Dennis, President and Co-Founder at Strategy1, and Jack Schumann, Retired

Staff Liaison: Jamie Neilson, Director of Operations, Southern Arizona Regional Office, Arizona Technology Council ([email protected]aztechcouncil.org)

This committee is open to employees of member companies based anywhere in the state of Arizona. For more information about joining the Optics Valley Committee, please email: [email protected].

Public Policy Committee

Mission: To ensure Arizona’s competitiveness to accelerate technology-related policy and legislation, thus affecting positively the growth and development of a vibrant technology state.

This committee focuses on issues and initiatives that accelerate technology-related public policy and legislation in Arizona affecting the growth and development of the technology industry. The targeted initiatives focused on four areas encompass the work of this committee: technology commercialization and development; workforce development; supply-chain development; and capital formation. This committee, along with Council professionals, work with legislators, elected officials and policy makers at all levels of government, to educate them on the value and promise of the technology industry.

Committee Chair: Jason Bagley, Senior Director of State Government Relations, Intel Corporation

Staff Liaison: Ron Schott, Executive Emeritus, Arizona Technology Council

This committee is also supported by Dianne McCallister, Partner at Public Policy Partners (P3). 

This committee is open to employees of member companies based anywhere in the state of Arizona. For more information on joining the Public Policy Committee, please email Ron Schott at [email protected].

Tech Inclusion Forum: Phoenix

Mission: To highlight the inclusion, diversity, equity and awareness (IDEA) challenges facing women and underrepresented identities in STEM fields today and showcasing the many extraordinary and accomplished people in Arizona’s tech ecosystem. Less of a committee and more of an event series focused on inclusion, diversity, equity and awareness, the Tech Inclusion Forum plans and executes a quarterly event with rotating guest speakers.

The Tech Inclusion Forum IDEA series is intended for everyone involved in today’s tech workplace – hiring managers, top executives, HR leaders, experienced and aspiring STEM professionals. Please plan to join us at each quarterly event as the series drills down into the inclusion, diversity, equity and awareness (IDEA) challenges currently facing the tech industry.

Committee Chair: Tracy Powers, CXO Advisory – Data Strategy and Analytics, Epam Systems

Staff Liaison: Deborah Zack, Vice President of Membership Services, Arizona Technology Council

This committee is open to employees of member companies based anywhere in the state of Arizona. For more information on joining the Tech Inclusion Forum Committee, please email Deborah Zack at [email protected].

Women in the Workforce: Tucson

Mission: To provide educational and networking events for women in the technology industry. Less of a committee and more of a female-focused event series, the Women in the Workforce group has quarterly events with rotating guest speakers.

Committee Chair: Aileen Dingus, Commercialization Network and Events Manager, University of Arizona Tech Launch

Staff Liaison: Jamie Neilson, Director of Operations, Southern Arizona Regional Office, Arizona Technology Council

This committee is open to employees of member companies based anywhere in the state of Arizona. For more information on joining the Women in the Workforce Committee, please Jamie Neilson at [email protected].

Workforce Development & Education Committee

Mission: To elevate Arizona’s position as a source of high quality technology talent and leadership. To ensure an adequate supply of technology talent to meet the needs of Arizona-based employers, by:

• Encouraging the growth of traditional education, job training and other appropriate organizations in order to attract new companies
• Promoting incentives for existing companies to stay and grow in Arizona
• Assisting engagement and experimentation among key constituencies so that Arizona is seen as a leader in innovative workforce development

Committee Chair: Cathleen Barton, Retired

Staff Liaison: Steven G. Zylstra, President + CEO, Arizona Technology Council, and Ron Schott, Executive Emeritus, Arizona Technology Council

This committee is open to employees of member companies based anywhere in the state of Arizona. For information about joining the Workforce Development and Education Committee, please email Ron Schott at [email protected].