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PADT Co-Founder Eric Miller Elected as Board Chairman of the Arizona Technology Council
[October 18, 2019]

PADT Co-Founder Eric Miller Elected as Board Chairman of the Arizona Technology Council


The Arizona Technology Council today announced that Eric Miller (News - Alert), co-founder and principal of PADT, Inc., was elected by the Council's board of directors to serve as chairman for a term ending Oct. 31, 2020. He is stepping up from his previous position as vice-chairman.

"Eric has shown consistent dedication to the Arizona Technology Council's success throughout his career," said Steven G. Zylstra, the Council's president and CEO. "He heavily prioritizes innovation and has the necessary connections and skill set to propel Arizona forward in our nation's technology ecosystem. His expertise in the field of engineering will continue to be paramount to the success of our board."

The Council also welcomes Jonathon Talcott, attorney, Ballard Spahr, as an officer in the position of secretary. Eric Lewis, CPA, partner, EY, was reappointed as an officer to the position of treasurer.

In addition, four directors have been elected to the board for three-year terms ending October 31, 2022. They are Christine Boles, general manager, Industrial Solutions Division, Intel®; Yakov Sidorin, IP attorney, Quarles & Brady; Islamshah Amlani, director, Cyber Security Organization, Honeywell (News - Alert) Aerospace; and Drena Kusari, regional director, Lyft.

Leah Sweet, senior vice president of Global Design, Delivery and Operations, PayPal, and Todd Hardy, managing director, ASU Innovation Zones, were reappointed to the board for three-year terms ending October 31, 2022.

The Council also is proud to recognize outgoing board members for their service, including former chairman David Tuhy, general manager, NSG Software Division, Intel; Bob Rasmussen, director of Technology, Honeywell; former secretary Jacque Westling, attorney, Quarles & Brady; and former board member Fred Bellamy, Esq., attorney, Carpenter, Hazelwood, Delgado, & Bolen.

The board serves an advisory and fiduciary role by representing the interests of the state's technology industries in the Council's strategic planning and ongoing operations. The current board includes 36 members representing a diverse set of organizations.

The biographies of the new board appointments are:

Eric Miller, co-founder and principal, PADT

As an industry veteran of 34 years, Miller has perfected a diverse set of skills that he implements as co-founder and principal of Tempe-based PADT. His role encompasses oversight of simulation and product development consulting, IT, marketing, operations, human resources and administration. Miller is not only a successful businessman and engineer but also a mentor to startups and small businesses. He often speaks on the use of simulation to drive product development, as well as the effective applcation of 3D printing. Miller also serves on the BioAccel Advisory Council and the screening committee of Arizona Technology Investors, and as a mentor for the ACA's Venture Ready program.



Jonathon Talcott, attorney, Ballard Spahr

Talcott is an attorney who represents clients in a broad range of complex commercial disputes and transactions. He advises clients from startups to multinational corporations on business matters ranging from intellectual property to franchise rights. A former engineer, Talcott's patent litigation experience has spanned a broad range of technologies and industries, including hardware, software, the Internet, medical devices and sports equipment. Talcott's trademark practice includes advising clients on branding issues, securing trademark rights from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and defending and enforcing trademarks in court. He also has extensive copyright experience and advises clients in the areas of cybersecurity and privacy law.


Christine Boles, general manager, Industrial Solutions Division, Intel

Boles is a vice president in the Internet of Things Group (IOTG) and general manager of Intel's Industrial Solutions Division. Her organization is responsible for Intel's Industrial IoT business within the manufacturing, energy, logistics and commercial building segments, including the product and ecosystem strategies for this rapidly evolving space. Boles joined Intel in 1992 as an application engineer for 16-bit microcontrollers. For 25 years, she has led development, delivery and the enabling of customers and ecosystems for Intel-based solutions in many managerial roles. These solutions span a broad range of embedded and IoT applications across many industries, including communications, storage, retail, imaging and commercial buildings.

Yakov Sidorin, IP attorney, Quarles & Brady

Sidorin's intellectual property practice includes nearly all areas of intellectual property counseling for a variety of clients, including academic institutions, multinational corporations, mid-size companies and startups. Prior to practicing law, Sidorin contributed to the development of optical sciences and technologies as an engineer, scientist, chief technology officer, and director of research and development of established companies and several startups, one of which delivered products to market and was acquired. He also held an adjunct faculty position at the Optical Sciences Center at The University of Arizona.

Islamshah Amlani, director, Cyber Security Organization, Honeywell Aerospace

Amlani has over 20 years of experience in a wide range of products and technologies spanning mechanical/avionics, materials, IoT, cybersecurity, data science and analytics enabled solutions and business models. He has been recognized for creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship by a number or organizations including Merrill Lynch, University of Notre Dame and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Amlani has authored 50+ technical publications and owns several patents in the area of nanotechnology.

Drena Kusari, regional director, Lyft

Kusari oversees growth strategy, marketing and operations as regional director at Lyft. Under her leadership, Lyft has added over $150 million in economic impact in the Southwest territories and was recognized with an IMPACT Award by the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce. She previously worked at Infusionsoft (now named Keap) and has been in the tech-enabled field for the past 10 years. Kusari also was an analyst at Goldman Sachs and a senior strategy leader with McKinsey and Company, advising Fortune 500 companies. She is a dedicated leader and mentor in the community, volunteers on multiple boards and serves as a mentor for Social Venture Partners.

Companies represented on the Council's board of directors include:

AccountabilIT; Alerion Capital Group; Alliance Bank of Arizona; American Express; APS; ASU Office of Knowledge & Enterprise Development; Avnet; Ballard Spahr; Benchmark; BeyondTrust; Carpenter, Hazelwood, Delgado & Bolen; CISCO; Cox (News - Alert) Communications; EY; Greenberg Traurig LLP; Honeywell Aerospace; IBM; Ideas Collide; Indecomm Digital Services; Intel; Iron Mountain; JVP Strategic Consulting LLC; KEAP; LaneTerralever; Lyft; MDSL (News - Alert); MSS Business Transformation; PADT; PayPal; Phoenix Business Journal; Solugenix; TGen; The University of Arizona Office of Research, Discovery & Innovation; University of Advancing Technology; Vonage Business; and Wells Fargo (News - Alert) Bank.

About the Arizona Technology Council

The Arizona Technology Council is Arizona's premier trade association for science and technology companies. Recognized as having a diverse professional business community, Council members work towards furthering the advancement of technology in Arizona through leadership, education, legislation and social action. The Council offers numerous events, educational forums and business conferences that bring together visionaries, leaders and employees to make an impact on the technology industry. These interactions contribute to the Council's culture of growing member businesses and transforming technology in Arizona. To become a member or to learn more about the Arizona Technology Council, please visit http://www.aztechcouncil.org.


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