June and July are our designated membership drive months. Let me thank all of you who have stepped forward to renew your financial support for the Council. If you are already a member, you should have received a member renewal packet in the mail by now. If you did not receive the packet, then please let me know.

If you are not already a member of the Tech Council then let me encourage you to join us. As the Council enters our fourth year, we have a strong work program outlined for 2005-2006 which will encourage and foster more networking opportunities within our region's technology sector and build upon those programs and initiatives that we have already undertaken as part of our mission.

You may download our 2004-2005 Annual Report and Member Registration and Pledge Form online. If you have interest in sponsoring one of our events or becoming a Corporate Sponsor you can find more information about those opportunities on our website as well. So, want you join us? We welcome new members!

Jonathan Whitt, Executive Director

You may have read the article in the July 4th edition of the Central VA Business Magazine about our hot spot directory. Our online hot spot directory project began last summmer with a goal to have 50 hot spots in the directory by the end of this August. If you know of a wireless hot spot location that is not currently on the directory, please let us know about them.

First Regional Meeting for IT Professionals

After much feedback from local IT Professionals, the Tech Council has responded to create the IT Professionals Forum. This is the first of four quarterly events planned for IT Professionals in the region. The IT Pro's Forum is designed to offer hard-hitting, relevant, cutting-edge information to today's busy IT Professional. Who should attend? CIO's, IT Administrators, IT Professors, Software Designers, Programmers, and anyone else who makes their living in the IT field.

Join the Council Today

Welcome Tatum CFO Partners and 7 Hills Media Group, we are pleased to have you as new members of the Tech Council! Not a member yet? Click here for more information about membership. Benefits to Membership include:

Region 2000 Tech Prep Academies
August, Lynchburg
The Region 2000 Tech Prep Consortium, in partnership with Central Virginia Community College, The Advanced Manufacturing Technology Education Center and the Region 2000 business community will once again offer High Technology Academies for middle school students. These academies are high-quality career exploration events and a growth experience for all participants.

Blue KIWI Summer Camps
This Summer, Various Locations
It's a week of fun days, and you'll learn how to start your own business! We'll show you how to become an entrepreneur; we'll even teach you how to pronounce the word! As a blue KIWI you'll get to experience economics and practice citizenship concepts, vital to running a successful business. You'll be introduced to local business owners and government leaders who will share how they've approached their careers. You'll even have an opportunity to start your own business thanks to Mini-Society"! Introduced to Region 2000 last year, Mini-Society has been taught for years throughout the United States. It's designed for children ages 8 to 12, coinciding with Virginia's Standard of Learning objectives for that age group. Join us for one of our six summer camp experiences!

COVITS 2005
September 18-20
The Greater Richmond Convention Center is the site for the 7th annual Commonwealth of Virginia Information Technology Symposium (COVITS 2005). Virginia's signature business and technology event is hosted by Secretary of Technology, Eugene Huang for the Governor of Virginia, Mark Warner. The COVITS 2005 theme is: "The Promise of the Digital Government." COVITS 2005 is nationally recognized as a key event where industry solutions meet government requirements. Issues and challenges facing governments and the solutions offered by the private sector will be examined. For more information and to register, please visit www.covits.org.

VPTC Fall Symposium
October 6
The Virginia Piedmont Technology Council is planning it's second annual Fall Symposium that will focus on "Mobile Applications and Wireless Networking: Understanding and Evaluating the Technology." The 2005 VPTC event will be held Thursday, October 6, 2005 at the Doubletree Hotel in Charlottesville. The Symposium is designed for large and small enterprises, educational institutions, healthcare organizations, and government agencies that are investigating, developing and using Mobile Applications and Wireless Technology. For more information and to register, please visit www.vptcfallsymposium.com.