TECH ALPHARETTA NAMES NEW CHAIRMAN OF STRATEGIC BOARD OF DIRECTORS
LeasePlan USA Executive, Felipe Smolka, Begins Two-year Term
ALPHARETTA, GA (Aug. 25, 2020) – Tech Alpharetta, the nonprofit organization helping the City of Alpharetta lead in innovation, announces Felipe Smolka as the new Chairman of its Strategic Board of Directors. Smolka, who joined the Board in May 2019 and was elected as Vice Chair in January 2020, succeeds Ryan Hollenbeck as he concludes his 28-month term.
“I’m honored to have been selected to lead Tech Alpharetta’s Strategic Board,” shares Smolka,
EVP and Transformation Officer for LeasePlan USA. “The accomplishments that Ryan and the rest of the Board have achieved over the past couple of years is truly remarkable. I look forward to continuing to build on their momentum and further establish Tech Alpharetta and the city of Alpharetta as a global technology hub.”
As Chairman, Hollenbeck, who is SVP of Marketing for Verint, worked with CEO Karen Cashion, the Board of Directors and City leaders to help expand Tech Alpharetta’s impact as a tech economic development engine for the City of Alpharetta – home to more than 700 tech companies. Tech Alpharetta’s incubator continues to help foster innovation, while bringing new technology companies and jobs to the community. Through Tech Alpharetta’s local programming, which supports and grows Alpharetta’s thriving tech ecosystem and its many key partnerships, the organization assists the city in continuing to attract and retain tech companies and a skilled workforce.
“Ryan has been a tremendous leader, generously volunteering his time, his ideas, and his enthusiastic support to Tech Alpharetta. During his tenure as Chairman, Tech Alpharetta has substantially grown the footprint of our programming, our Board and our incubator,” says Karen Cashion, CEO of Tech Alpharetta.
Tech Alpharetta’s Board, which focuses on ideating and implementing strategies for growing the local tech community, features local c-suite and senior executives, along with community partners – ATDC, Technology Association of Georgia (TAG), Gwinnett Technical College, the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce (GNFCC). Since its establishment in 2012, Tech Alpharetta and its Board have advised the city of Alpharetta on tech infrastructure and ecosystem expansion.
For more information about Tech Alpharetta, its mission and it programs, or for information about the Tech Alpharetta Innovation Center, visit www.techalpharetta.com.
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About Tech Alpharetta
Tech Alpharetta (previously the Alpharetta Technology Commission), the first organization of its kind in Georgia, was established in 2012 by the City of Alpharetta and is an independent, 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization today. The organization runs a strategic advisory board of Alpharetta’s leading technology companies, monthly technology events for tech executives, and the Tech Alpharetta Innovation Center, a flourishing tech startup incubator.
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