Letter from the New Board Chair
Author: Paul Moorman, NewPage Corporation
August 2010
Technology First has changed, and those changes reflect the region’s challenges and responses to the overall economic downturn and the specific challenges facing the Dayton region.We’re delivering more value, leveraging the many and varied talents of our volunteer leaders and focusing on our core strength of building relationships across our wide diversity of member companies. The passion and commitment to making our home town successful and finding our new way during these changing times has been, and continues to be, truly exciting to witness.We are truly embracing our rich innovative history and our get-it-done attitude and work ethic.
Peer networking has always been one of the most valuable outcomes of being part of Technology First, and the move to a heavily volunteer organization has provided the opportunity to not just get to know each other, but to work closely with one another,moving beyond being acquaintances and developing deep respect and friendships.We’ve built these relationships in one short year by planning and delivering high-quality events, conferences and meetings valued by the region’s IT companies and leaders.Over the next year we will continue to deepen that community, leverage our experiences to raise our “IT IQ” and grow information technology for the region.
A renewed focus for this year is reaching out to a variety of our world-class research and development organizations to help them build working partnerships with local companies that can help take them to the next level. With the exiting of many of the region’s largest companies,we’re often times challenged to find each other. Since IT provides the underpinnings of many companies, and new solutions in the marketplace often require new and innovative IT solutions, it’s natural for a neutral non-profit organization like Technology First to facilitate introductions and use its broad base of contacts to quickly reach out to hundreds of government, education and business people to help “connect-the-dots.” Innovative people seek out opportunities, and having a motivated,well-linked group by your side can translate those desires to results.
As incoming Board chair, I look forward to my role in furthering the Dayton region’s march towards its future, one I’m sure will embrace our past and boldly face its challenges. I would also like to extend my thanks to our outgoing Board chair, Mikki Clancy, for her outstanding leadership over the last two years. Technology First could not have had a better leader shaping our organization and setting us on our new course.