State Legislators, Technology Leaders Unveil the North Carolina Technology Association’s Annual Agenda
Posted: 03-10-2009 : RALEIGH, N.C.

Raleigh, N.C. — The North Carolina Technology Association (NCTA), the primary voice of the technology industry in North Carolina, today announced its 2009 legislative agenda at the organization’s annual Technology Day at the Legislature. Under the theme, “IT Leaders Advocate for IT Jobs,” state legislators and technology leaders outlined a number of initiatives to improve education and IT job creation across North Carolina.

Among the legislators who participated in the Technology Day at the Legislature were Senator Katie G. Dorsett, Co-Chair, Select Committee on Energy, Science and Technology; Senator Joe Sam Queen, Co-Chair, Select Committee on Energy, Science and Technology; Representative Ty Harrell, Chair, Committee on Science and Technology; and Representative Joe Tolson, Co-Chair of the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Information Technology.

“Technology is an extremely vital industry in North Carolina and we must make efforts to support various policies and programs that will create more jobs and educational opportunities for our state’s citizens,” said Representative Ty Harrell. “NCTA’s public policy agenda will help bring to light some areas of technology that would benefit from our attention.”

Proposed areas of interest in 2009 include the support of technology through all levels of education with an emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education, job creation through state tax structure and appropriations as well as the creation of a statewide cluster of defense, security and intelligence e-businesses. The NCTA membership also encourages the legislature to efficiently use North Carolina’s information technology funds to connect citizens to government and help make the state a leader in the green economy through best practices and research and development incentives.

“We are pleased to have the backing of some of North Carolina’s most well-respected leaders in technology and politics,” said Brooks Raiford, President and CEO of NCTA. “Despite the current state of our economy, it is more important than ever that we continue supporting and urging law makers to promote technology initiatives in North Carolina. Such initiatives will allow the state to continue to prosper and maintain its status as a leader in technology.”

The event also included a legislative breakfast, sponsored by Cisco Systems, Inc., and an exhibitor’s showcase featuring area technology companies including Alphanumeric, AT&T, CIBER, Cisco Systems, Inc., Dell, HP, CommScope, The Whitlock Group, Procom Services, SAS, Lenovo, IBM, and Cii Associates.

About NCTA
The North Carolina Technology Association’s mission is “Making North Carolina #1 in Technology and Technology #1 in North Carolina.” The organization does this through three main focus areas: executive engagement, public affairs, and knowledge workforce. For more information, visit our website at www.nctechnology.org.