Austin, TX (September 24, 2019) // Austin Tech Alliance announced Sarah Ortiz Shields has been named executive director of the nonprofit dedicated to engaging Austin’s tech sector in civic action.
Sarah Ortiz Shields had been serving as ATA’s interim executive director since November of 2018. Ortiz Shields first joined ATA as a program manager with over 15 years of experience in managing technology and startup teams, including a year with the City of Austin as a Design, Technology and Innovation Fellow. “I am honored to serve as the executive director of Austin Tech Alliance, and I look forward to working with our Board, members and volunteers to continue raising awareness of civics in Austin’s tech community,” said Ortiz Shields.
“It was a natural and easy decision to have Sarah take on the role of ATA’s executive director,” said Joshua Baer, co-founder of ATA and founder of Capital Factory. “Sarah brings institutional knowledge of ATA, work experience in Austin’s tech and startup scene, and the Board is impressed with her performance as interim executive director.”
“Sarah’s proven leadership coupled with her engaging personality convinced us that she can lead ATA into the future through growth and community impact,” said Dan Graham, co-founder of ATA and founder of Notley Ventures.
ATA invites the public to celebrate this exciting announcement with civic trivia and entertainment at ATA’s Third Birthday Bash on October 23rd. Tickets can be purchased at www.austintech.org/events.
Austin Tech Alliance is a nonpartisan nonprofit building a culture of civic engagement in Austin’s tech sector. The organization is focused on helping every tech employee cast an informed vote and using tech as a tool to tackle our community’s most pressing challenges.
As a member-based nonprofit, ATA has membership options for both individuals as well as companies. ATA is made up of over 70 civically engaged companies that are up a cross-section of leading tech brands, including AT&T, Capital Factory, Dell, Facebook, Google, Lyft, RetailMeNot, Silicon Labs, SXSW, Uber, WeWork, WP Engine, and others.