After one trip too many to Portland, Jon Russell realized the people he wanted to talk tech with were all around him in east Clark County.
Trouble was, no one had taken the time to gather the area’s tech-savvy professionals together so they could meet each other.
“We didn’t have anything in this area, even though we are the Silicon Valley of this region,” says Russell, who owns a medical clinic and is a member of the Washougal City Council. “If you wanted to do technology networking, you had to go to Portland.”
With that thought, the loosely structured Technology in East Clark County was born. Russell and other originators who work in and around the area’s robust technology industry shared a common vision of an organization where like-minded workers could make business and job-search connections, swap stories, and develop friendships within the highly skilled technology profession.
Almost two years later, TECC, as it is known, has more than 170 members and its gatherings on the first Thursday of most months typically attract dozens of those members. Those meetings have evolved into showcases for local tech companies to show off their skills and facilities to people who understand the detailed technical information that is the industry’s stock in trade.
In December, TECC members gathered at Hewlett-Packard’s offices in east Vancouver, where HP staffers offered a history of inkjet printer development and a tour of a mock-up retail display where the company tests ways to market its printers. This evening, TECC members will hear a presentation at Wacom’s U.S. headquarters, also in east Vancouver. It’s too late to RSVP for today’s meeting, but information about the March meeting will be posted on the group’s LinkedIn page, http://linkd.in/gZHWWn.
“You get to see these places that you drive by all the time, and you don’t even know that they do,” says Vito Errico, an east Vancouver software engineer who works at ClearEdge Power in Hillsboro. Errico was among TECC’s early members, joining when he worked at HP and was looking for a technology-related group in Clark County.
Welcoming vibe
TECC event coordinator Gary Perman, owner of an executive search business specializing in technology workers, recalls that the group held its early meetings in local restaurants. But the restaurants were crowded and noisy, and engineers eschewed the standard meet-and-greet ritual of professional networking events.
“You notice that engineers just grab their food and sit down, not like other networking events where people stand up,” he says.
Now Perman organizes the meetings and has found companies willing to put out the welcome mat to their professional peers. “I haven’t had anybody turn me down yet,” Perman says. “Hitting every tech company is my goal.”
TECC member Penny Fillhoeur, also an executive recruiter, believes Perman’s success is tied to his credibility in the local tech community. “I have not seen other organizations build relationships with companies that will open their doors and let them tour, and not feel threatened,” she says.
While job-seeking and recruiting remain a part of TECC’s appeal, most members are well-positioned in their professional fields. Perman has found that east Clark County appeals to many technical professionals who appreciate its family focus, proximity to nature and the Portland airport, and a less frenetic pace that is conducive to creative work.
For his part, Russell hopes TECC will contribute to the development of startup companies and growth in the technology industry.
“We definitely need to grow technology in Clark County,” he says. “My hope is that we can get a lot of creative people together to start up companies.”
