MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- The board of the Minnesota High Tech
Association today named Kate Rubin president of the state's largest technology
trade organization. Rubin, a 19-year veteran of IBM who served at DataCard
Corporation before launching her own consulting firm, replaces R. Jane Brown,
who became executive director of Second Harvest Heartland in late October.
Rubin begins Monday, Dec. 3.
"We were pleased with the number of strong candidates who stepped forward
for consideration," said Leon Kline, president and CEO of Shared Resource
Management and the 2001 board chair for MHTA. "Kate impressed the selection
committee with her diverse technology industry background, her knowledge of
what it takes to keep and grow technology businesses in Minnesota, and her
understanding of what a trade association must do to successfully serve its
members."
Rubin's highest priority will be to focus MHTA on the strategies that will
best enable Minnesota's technology-based economy to maintain its highest
rankings. She will also work to improve technology areas where the state
lags, such as creating technology jobs and increasing the visibility of
technology's impact on our local economy.
"Minnesota has a rich technology history," Kline said. "We rank in the
top 25 percent of states on nearly every study that measures the health of
technology sectors. We are a technology-savvy state, ranking high in personal
and business use of technology. And we have a broad base of technology
companies, which helps us weather economic slumps such as the most recent
dot-com downturn.
"But we're not creating new technology jobs and growing new technology
businesses as quickly as most states, and that has implications for the
continued health of our existing technology-based companies and for the
state's entire economy."
Rubin's experience includes a diversity of technology and technological
organizations. This will be important as MHTA determines how best to serve
its 400 members, who represent a wide range of technology and include
Minnesota's largest and smallest technology-based businesses.
At IBM, Rubin created and managed a 100-person branch, led a regional
advanced technology business unit that was a forerunner to a national
consulting practice, and designed IBM's Advanced Leadership Program. She
joined DataCard Corp. in 1996 as director of Organizational Development and
Staffing, and started Leadership Foundations, a business consulting firm, in
1998.
About the Minnesota High Tech Association
The Minnesota High Tech Association (MHTA) is the largest technology trade
association in the state of Minnesota, representing small, medium, and large
companies across a variety of industries. The MHTA has nearly 20 years of
experience with the high tech community and is the leading support for
technology-based companies in public policy advocacy, economic development,
community outreach, education and training. The MHTA works in partnership with
the AeA (American Electronics Associations), representing organizations that
contribute to technology in the state of Minnesota. For additional
information, visit http://www.mhta.org
SOURCE Minnesota High Tech Association
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Related links:
http://www.mhta.org
CONTACT:
Leon Kline, President and CEO of Shared
Resource Management and 2001 Board Chair for MHTA,
+1-651-766-2121, LKline@srminc.com , Tony Olson, Manager of
Communications of Minnesota High Tech Association,
+1-612-230-5307, tolson@mhta.org , or Dawn Skelly, Senior Account
Executive of Padilla Speer Beardsley, Inc., +1-612-872-3769,
dskelly@psbpr.com , for Minnesota High Tech Association
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