Olympia, WA — TechNet, the national, bipartisan network of innovation economy CEOs and senior executives, today named Samantha Kersul as its new Executive Director for Washington and the Northwest. Based in Olympia, Washington, Kersul will oversee TechNet’s state advocacy and political activities in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming. She will assume the role on August 19.

Of Kersul’s hiring, TechNet President and CEO Linda Moore said, “Samantha brings an impressive policy background and valuable political acumen to the TechNet team at a time when Washington state and the Northwest region are highly engaged on many of the key issues facing the tech sector. She will be a strong advocate for policies that foster innovation and continue to encourage job creation in the Northwest.”

TechNet Vice President of State Policy and Politics David London added, “Samantha has deep policy and political experience in Washington state and the Northwest, a region that is home to some of the most iconic companies and dynamic startups in the world. She will have an immediate impact on driving the Northwest innovation economy forward.”

In joining TechNet, Kersul said, “I am excited to be a part of TechNet’s 50-state advocacy program. Many of today’s life-enhancing innovations are developed in the Northwest U.S., and implementing the right policies in state capitals is essential to ensuring this success continues. I look forward to engaging with policymakers across the region on the issues that help advance America’s global leadership in technology.”

Kersul brings more than a decade of policy and political campaign experience to TechNet. She most recently served as Director of Development and Operations for the Washington Senate Democratic Campaign, where she was responsible for overseeing all aspects of the $3 million fundraising program in support of Democratic candidates for the State Senate. Previously, she was Executive Legislative Assistant to a Washington State Senator where she was integral to advancing the senator’s legislative priorities, communicating the senator’s accomplishments, and managing constituent cases. Kersul has also managed various candidates’ campaigns for the Washington State Legislature, worked as a policy session aide in both the State House and Senate, and served as a community organizer for a clean energy advocacy nonprofit. She looks forward to bringing her collaborative and results-oriented approach to support TechNet’s members in the Northwest region.