Washington, D.C. — TechNet, the national, bipartisan
network of innovation economy CEOs and senior executives, today announced the
appointment of Laura Bennett as its
Executive Director for California and the Southwest. Based in Sacramento, Bennett will oversee TechNet’s state advocacy and political
activities in California, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, and
Utah.

In making
this announcement, Linda Moore, president and CEO of TechNet, said: “We are excited to welcome Laura to the TechNet team. Many of our nation’s most important technology
policy debates are playing out in Sacramento and state capitals across the
southwest. With the addition of Laura’s
deep policy and advocacy experience, TechNet is well positioned to continue fighting
and winning these debates on behalf of the innovation industry.”

Bennett joins TechNet from Verizon, where she was
based in Sacramento and served, most recently, as Manager of State Government Affairs. During her 12-year tenure at Verizon, Bennett
worked on state legislative and regulatory policy issues including privacy, telecommunications,
procurement, and general business issues. In addition to her policy work at Verizon,
Bennett also worked with local community-based organizations in the strategic initiative areas of STEM,
health, sustainability, and domestic violence prevention and awareness.

Bennett is the latest addition to TechNet’s 50-state
advocacy program, which is impacting legislative and regulatory debates across
the country. Led by Andrea Deveau, the state program includes Joanie Deutsch, executive
director, Washington and the Northwest; Caroline Joiner, executive director, Texas
and the Southeast; and Matthew Mincieli,
executive director, Massachusetts and the Northeast. TechNet’s state executive directors engage on
a range of technology policy issues, including the gig and sharing economies, energy,
tax, cybersecurity, privacy, computer science education, and the expansion of broadband.

“I
am thrilled to join TechNet and its highly effective 50-state advocacy team,” added
Bennett. “California and the southwest
are home to some of the most innovative technology companies in the world, and
it is critical that these companies have their voices heard in the policy
debates taking place in this region. I
look forward to continuing to engage with lawmakers to advance policies that
foster innovation and promote growth in the technology industry.”

Bennett is a native Californian and graduated from
California State University, Sacramento and Lincoln Law School of Sacramento.

TechNet’s network of 72 members includes: Apple, Facebook, Oracle,
Microsoft, Google, Cisco, Lyft, Uber, Airbnb, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers,
Bloom Energy, eBay, and Nasdaq, among others.
A full list of TechNet members is available here.

About TechNet
TechNet is the national,
bipartisan network of technology CEOs and senior executives that promotes the
growth of the innovation economy by advocating a targeted policy agenda at the
federal and 50-state level. TechNet’s
diverse membership includes dynamic startups to the most iconic companies on
the planet and represents more than two million employees in the fields of
information technology, e-commerce, advanced energy, biotechnology, venture
capital, and finance. TechNet has offices in
Washington, D.C., Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Sacramento, Austin, Boston,
Seattle, Albany, and Tallahassee.