The Arizona Technology Council was named the winner of the Public Policy Advocacy category and a finalist in the Creative Marketing and Communications category at the 2021 Technology Councils of North America (TECNA) Innovation Awards.
TECNA represents about 60 technology associations across the U.S. and Canada. It hosts the awards each year to recognize and honor tech council teams who develop and implement innovative and impactful work.
“I’m grateful to our dedicated staff, board members and community partners for their collective work which led to these awards,” said Steven G. Zylstra, the president and CEO of the Council, in a statement. “From the U.S. Congress and the Office of the Governor to legislative committee rooms and city halls across Arizona, the Council serves as the voice calling for a technology-based, pro-growth, business-focused agenda. Despite the distance created by the pandemic, we worked hard throughout the year to ensure all of our stakeholders were informed.”
In regards to public policy advocacy, the Council accomplished many things, including lobbying for the 10-year extension of the Angel Investment Tax Credit and lobbying for the Arizona Corporation Commission’s new rules that require the state’s utilities to provide at least 50% renewable energy by 2035 and be fully carbon-free energy by 2070. The Council’s team also worked with The Western Way in support of clean energy policies, produced its 2020 Vote TechSmart Guide and 2021 Public Policy Guide, and continued to manage and promote its Political Action Committee.
Within the realm of creative marketing and communications, the Council launched AZTechBase.com, which provides a comprehensive list of companies, people and investors in the tech sector here. The team got 82 stories published in media outlets across the state, including TechFlash and My View opinion editorials for the Phoenix Business Journal. The Council also published the TechConnect magazine, in partnership with the Arizona Commerce Authority. The team produced AZTechCast, a monthly podcast, with Phoenix Business RadioX and developed the TechFocus Member Spotlight Podcast with Tucson-based Michael Beach Coaching & Consulting.
The Council also began new, innovative virtual events called the Tech Speaker Series and Tech Breakfast Series. The team distributed TechTalk, the monthly newsletter; produced the Annual Report and Public Policy Guide; and refreshed the Council’s website.