Forward Leap

Arizona Technology Council looks to new leader and new issues to move to the next level

By Don Weiner

Steve Zylstra’s leadership experience with the highly regarded Pittsburgh Technology Council and a quartet of affiliated groups would be reason enough to draw the attention of the Arizona Technology Council in its search for a new president and chief executive officer.

But a closer look at his resume makes it clear that he was an ideal choice to replace Donna Kent, who accepted a senior vice president post last April with Phoenix-based Televerde, a marketing solutions provider. That’s because Zylstra spent 16 years in Arizona working for and on behalf of technology companies prior to departing for Pittsburgh in 2000 to become president and CEO of one of the nation’s largest regional trade associations.
While manning key positions here with Simula Technologies Inc. and the General Pneumatics Corp. Western Research Center, Zylstra also had a hand in the creation of the Governor’s Arizona Science and Technology Council and the Arizona Innovation Network.

“To some extent, this organization has its roots in many organizations that I helped start when I was back here in the ’80s and ’90s,” says Zylstra, who turns 54 in March and whose ATC appointment was announced in early January. “So there seemed to be some sort of natural fit for me to come back and take this over and see what I could do to sort of take it to the next level — not unlike what I was able to do in Pittsburgh.”

The not-for-profit Arizona Technology Council prides itself on numerous accomplishments since its inception in 2002. The statewide trade association boasts nearly 500 members with a roster that includes such companies as Avnet, Honeywell, Lockheed Martin, Motorola and US Airways. It operates a foundation for philanthropic work; publishes a trade magazine, TechConnect; provides networking opportunities for members; sponsors or co-sponsors a variety of events throughout the year such as the Governor’s Celebration of Innovation Awards Gala; and is actively involved in work force development.

But, most important, as a 501(c)(6) organization, the council formulates an annual public policy agenda and lobbies the Legislature, serving as the speaking voice of its members. Public education, job training, and enhancing the research and development tax credit were among its chief issues in 2007.

In fact, the Arizona Technology Council is not without a number of public policy victories. Ron Schott, the council’s executive emeritus, points to more than 10 bills the tech council was focused on that passed during the last three legislative sessions.

“We’re pleased with that record,” he says, adding that the council’s ongoing concern is to make “Arizona the most positive business state from a technology industry and a business perspective.”

Interestingly, discussions of Zylstra’s arrival usually include something he mentioned himself, taking the Arizona Technology Council to the “next level.”

“In my view, what we’re looking for is relevance,” says Leslie Tolbert, the University of Arizona’s vice president for research, graduate studies and economic development, and its representative to the tech council’s board of directors. “What we see in this new person is something that’s critical to us in that we’ve got a council that’s still sort of finding its niche.

“And I think what we want is for somebody to help us become the agency you go to with a certain kind of question. We want to be recognized as being able to play a critical role in advancing the state into this new (knowledge-based) economy we see for it.”

During the hiring process, Zylstra came to realize that the board members he spoke with want to see the council have greater impact and greater effectiveness when it came to such matters as legislative issues.

“One of the pitches I made to them is in order for me to do that, I need to enhance the board with more seasoned CEOs,” he says.

He points to his board of directors in Pittsburgh where more than 50 percent of its members were CEOs of technology companies and the rest were decision-makers for such organizations as law and accounting firms, educational institutions and venture-capital groups.

“If you want to achieve great things, you have to have people working on your behalf who are in positions of influence and distinction,” Zylstra says.

Also, he believes it’s important to build relationships with peers from similar groups throughout the state.

“One of my claims to fame in Pittsburgh was my ability to overcome a lot of historic bad blood between various organizations and figure out how these various organizations could work together to the common good,” Zylstra says.

“I will be reaching out to all quarters — to the academic institutions, to the other trade associations and, obviously, to my members — to try and develop a coherent strategy for Arizona that will support the continued vitality and economic growth of the tech sector.”

www.aztechcouncil.org