TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WELCOMES NEW LEADERSHIP TEAM

New Members from Leading Southern California Technology and Services Organizations in Place to Guide Organization along New Strategic Path

TORRANCE, CALIF. – April 27, 2009 – The Technology Council of Southern California, www.tcosc.org – the premier forum for the region’s technology leaders – announced today the largest leadership change in the organization’s history, appointing a new president, Los Angeles Chapter chair, and five new members to its Board of Directors. The organization also reappointed four Board members in April, and named former president Uri Blackman as Chairman. The terms begin immediately and extend for two years.

Rick Sharga, senior vice president, RealtyTrac Inc., has been elected Technology Council president. Working with Blackman, Sharga will play a key role in leading the organization along a new strategic path that leverages the vertical-specific experience and leadership of its members to provide events, connections, information and resources that help technology companies succeed.

Sharga brings more than 25 years experience in building and maintaining technology brands, and developing sales and marketing programs for companies such as Toshiba, Fujitsu, Hitachi, JD Edwards and Honeywell to the Technology Council. Based on his work at RealtyTrac, which publishes the country’s largest database of foreclosure and bank-owned properties, he is uniquely positioned to understand the current economic climate and its impact on the technology industry. His experience will also prove critical in further positioning the Technology Council as the premier forum to unify and promote the many vibrant and diverse companies that make up the Southern California technology industry.

New Technology Council Board members include:

·         Himanshu Palsule, Executive Vice President & GM, SAGE Software

·         Geoffrey Selzer, CEO & Chairman, Emergent

·         Ned Sherman, CEO, Publisher and Executive Editor, Digital Media Wire, Inc.

·         Robin Zucker, Marketing Director, Yahoo!

·         Jeff Zwelling, CEO, Convertro

Existing Board members Gavin Galimi, executive vice president and general counsel, March Vision Care, Inc.; Kris Kaufmann, partner, Deloitte & Touche; Jay Molloy, special counsel, Sheppard Mullin; and Brad Spahr, director of mobile entertainment, Sony were re-elected for new two-year terms. Richard Neff, partner, Greenberg Glusker was appointed Los Angeles Chapter Chair overseeing initiatives throughout the region. 

“This executive team embraces the challenge of leading the Technology Council of Southern California along a new strategic path that leverages the vast experience and leadership of its members within their specific areas of expertise,” said Sharga. “Increased emphasis will be placed on providing peer-to-peer connections, events, information and resources that stand to benefit members across the many vertical markets that comprise the Southern California technology industry. This represents a significant shift from the organization’s former geo-focused approached, and we see it as an excellent opportunity to better meet the diverse interests of our members.” 

Members of the Technology Council of Southern California are represented by senior executives and decision-makers. Through the variety of activities the organization supports, it serves organizations ranging from start-ups to large global enterprises. In addition, the Technology Council has associate members who provide professional services to technology organizations. Examples include venture capital firms, marketing firms, law firms, banks, CPAs and staffing organizations.

About the Technology Council of Southern California

The Technology Council of Southern California is the premier forum for the region’s technology leaders, providing events, connections, information and resources to help technology companies succeed. From recognizing excellence in innovation through its annual awards event to providing access to funding through VentureNet, the Technology Council supports companies throughout their entire corporate lifecycles. Founded in 1991 as the Software Council of Southern California, the Technology Council has a 18-year history of supporting technology companies across the region. For more information visit www.tcosc.org

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