Team
Alina Hardy
Communications Director
ahardy@tecna.org
Chris Fisk
Senior VP, Government Affairs
Chris Fisk, Senior VP, Government Affairs, TECNA
Chris is an experienced strategist with a record of leading complex, high-stakes efforts across a wide range of issues. He has advised public officials and political candidates at the highest levels of government, some of the world’s largest philanthropic foundations, international development and finance institutions, national and community-based nonprofits, business and trade associations, and educational and research institutions, among others. Most recently, Chris served at the White House as deputy policy director for Vice President Kamala Harris and special assistant to President Joe Biden.
Prior to his appointment in the executive branch, Chris held several senior roles leading broad policy portfolios—primarily focused on issues of economic mobility—in both chambers of the United States Congress, including on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee and the House Committee on Education and Labor. During that time, Chris drafted and negotiated provisions enacted in landmark, bipartisan legislative vehicles across committee jurisdictions, including the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, CHIPS and Science Act, National Defense Authorization Act, and multiple appropriations packages. He also developed policies totaling over $100 billion for budget reconciliation measures and successfully defended them before the Senate Parliamentarian.
Chris serves as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University and on the boards of several nonprofit organizations. Originally from Miami, Florida, he began his career as a high school teacher and instructional coach in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools system. Chris has a B.A. from Georgetown University and an M.S. from Johns Hopkins University.
Kate Custer Kwedar
Operations Assistant
kkwedar@tecna.org
Jennifer G. Young
Chief Executive Officer
jyoung@tecna.org
Jennifer G. Young Chief Executive Officer, TECNA
Jennifer Grundy Young serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Technology Councils of North America (TECNA). TECNA represents more than 60 technology trade organizations from across the United States and Canada that collectively represent more than 22,000 technology-related businesses.
Jennifer is driven by her passion for of helping and connecting people while working toward making the North American economy the best it can be. Her unique and strong work experiences built a deep understanding of and ability to work for and with nonprofits with a capitalist hat on her head.
As CEO, Jennifer leads TECNA’s efforts to support the continued growth and strength of the innovation economy in North America through national, regional and state advocacy to promote policies critical to the technology industry; identifying and developing industry best practices; and otherwise aligning resources and messaging toward a strong, unified tech sector. A long-time, fierce advocate of Canada-U.S. relations and commerce, Jennifer served on the Great Lakes Manufacturing Council Board for its entire 10-year existence and helped decommission the organization once it achieved its goals.
Jennifer is respected and credible thought leader on issues that impact the tech sector. She has testified before legislative committees and panels, including the U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration & Citizenship, where she spoke about the need for high skilled immigration reform. A trusted and credible expert on tech issues, she has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, and Fox Business on issues affecting the tech workforce and its significance to the North American economy.
Prior to joining TECNA, Jennifer served as the Director of Policy and Public Affairs for Life Sciences PA, a statewide association that advocates on behalf of Pennsylvania’s diverse life sciences-related industries. She also served the members of the Pittsburgh Technology Council for nearly 12 years and worked directly with tech companies and other community leaders as a field representative for a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.