Two top TGen officials appointed to new positions on the Arizona Technology Council’s board of directors

[Source: TGen] - Dr. Michael Berens and MaryAnn Guerra - two top officials of the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) - have been appointed to new positions on the board of directors of the Arizona Technology Council.

Dr. Berens, Director of TGen's Cancer and Cell Biology Division, was named Chairman Emeritus on the ATC board, one of four new executive officers named to two-year terms. Dr. Berens, who has served six years on the board - the past two as Chairman of the nearly 500-member organization - also was one of five Director's Emeritus named to serve indefinite terms on the board.

"It is an honor to be named by my peers on the board as one of the organization's leaders. My goal is to strengthen the Arizona Technology Council's efforts to grow the state’s knowledge-based industries by helping to promote key national and international business partnerships," Dr. Berens said.

Guerra, TGen's Chief Business Officer and President of TGen Accelerators LLC, was one of 10 new directors appointed to three-year terms on the 33-member board, following its Oct. 23 meeting.

"Being named to the board is an honor, and presents an exciting opportunity to help the Arizona Technology Council work to diversify the state's economic base with high-paying jobs in the fast-growing fields of medicine, technology and innovation," Guerra said.

The board represents the interests of Arizona's technology industries and advises ATC in its expressed goals of promoting research, education and access to a highly skilled workforce.
Three other newly appointed board executive officers are: Chairman Steve Phillips, CIO of Avnet; Secretary Ray Harris Esq., director of Fennemore Craig; and Treasurer Kevin McHolland, CPA and partner of Ernst & Young.

"The Arizona Technology Council has been the principal point of connection for technology companies," Phillips said. "As the new chairman, I will oversee an agenda that continues to build valuable programs and services for all members and supports technology innovation and growth."

Nine other newly appointed directors are: David Beauchamp, partner, Bryan Cave; Thomas Campbell, partner, Lewis and Roca; Kathleen A. Collins, Mesa functional chief engineer, Boeing; John Cummerford, shareholder, Intellectual Property & Technology, Technology, Media & Telecommunications, Greenburg Traurig; Joe Drazek, partner, Quarles and Brady; Carl Lytikainen, senior vice president of Technical Services, Lumension Security; Jane Poynter, president, Paragon Space Development Corporation; Dr. R. F. "Rick" Shangraw, vice president for Research and Economic Affairs, Arizona State University; and Judith K. Weiss, partner, Perkins Coie Brown & Bain.

Four other Director's Emeritus are: Joanne Carthey Bradley, COO, Namescape Corporation; Charles Jirauch, partner, Quarles & Brady LLP; Quinn Williams, shareholder, Greenberg Traurig LLP; and Mark Schonau, CFO, Insysrx.

Steven G. Zylstra, President and Chief Executive Officer of ATC, remains as an executive officer.