Women's High-Tech Coalition

Thank you to our amazing speakers and guests that were able to attend our event yesterday, Making Moves: Perspectives on Career Pivots and Transitions from Leading Women in Technology Policy! Subscribe here to stay up to date on WHTC and upcoming events: https://lnkd.in/dmfxpi8H

Introducing another amazing board member: Mattie Duppler! Mattie currently leads Amazon's engagement with stakeholders on a range of economic and regulatory issues. She has over deep experience in government relations, strategic communications, and politics, with a Master of Science in Finance from Georgetown University. Mattie previously founded a successful strategic consulting firm where she married a strong public relations identity with quantifiable campaign results. She also served as the Senior Fellow for Fiscal Policy at the National Taxpayers Union. As the former Coalitions Director in the United States House of Representatives, Mattie is a skilled relationship builder. Serving in that role until 2016, she focused on modernizing partnerships between the hill and third party allies. Her work centered on developing and elevating the political leaders' message to impact new, diverse audiences. A native of Appleton, Wisconsin, Mattie earned bachelor's degrees in Political Science and Philosophy, accelerating her coursework to graduate with honors from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2008. She earned a Master of Science in Finance from Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business in 2022. We are truly grateful to have Mattie on our board!

Introducing another member of our board: Melissa (Missy) Cortese Foxman! Missy is Vice President of Federal Government Affairs at the Entertainment Software Association. She is the former Executive Director of the Women’s High-Tech Coalition (WHTC), a non-profit serving women working on tech policy in the public and private sectors. Prior to the WHTC and managing her firm, Baseline Public Affairs, she was a senior advisor at Blank Rome Government Relations and represented clients from the telecom, technology, homeland security, transportation, and financial service sectors. Before Blank Rome, Missy helped establish and run the Washington office of a Colorado-based, mid-sized technology company. Her public sector background includes serving U.S. Sen. Connie Mack (R-FL) as Deputy Chief of Staff at the Senate Republican Conference and professional staff member of the Joint Economic Committee. She was also a political appointee at the U.S. Small Business Administration under President George H.W. Bush. Missy is a proud Wake Forest Demon Deacon and mother of two daughters, three cats, and a Golden Retriever. Three fun facts about Missy include that she is an avid pickleball player, a sixth generation native Washingtonian and she attended 12 years of Catholic school! We are so grateful to have Missy on our board!

Introducing another one of our amazing Board Members: Rebecca Steele! Rebecca is the Director of Emerging Technologies Policy for Toyota Motor North America where she leverages her creativity and advocacy acumen to advance Toyota's priorities. As a federal lobbyist, her policy expertise includes artificial intelligence, cyber security, and data access. Steele leads the team responsible for Toyota’s award-winning digital and grassroots advocacy programs and the company's political action committee – both of which have seen substantial growth under her leadership. Prior to joining Toyota, Steele served in the United States Senate in senior digital communications roles for U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (OR), the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, and Wyden’s re-election campaign. Steele holds her B.A. in Political Science from the University of Portland in Oregon and her M.A. in Communication from Johns Hopkins University. Some fun facts about Steele are that she has drifted in an 86 (as the driver), she is from Utah and will make any excuse to go to a mountain, and she has a 5-year-old lab mix, Kuzy (named after the Stanley Cup-winning Capitals player Evgeny Kuznetsov) and a 10-year-old cat named Tallulah. She serves on the board of the Women’s High-Tech Coalition and the Community Volunteer Committee for Girls on the Run DC. We are so grateful to have Rebecca on our Board!

It’s always great to get together with new and old friends for great conversation and delicious cocktails! Thank you to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States for hosting us yesterday evening! While Congresswoman DelBene was unable to join due to the voting schedule, we appreciate her support of our programming and for serving as the co-Chair of the Congressional Women’s High Tech Caucus!

Up next in our Board Member Spotlight Series is Paula Timmons! Paula serves as the Director of Federal Legislative Affairs for T-Mobile. In this role, she collaborates with Members of Congress and key policy stakeholders to advance issues critical to T-Mobile's business, particularly focusing on the transition to 5G. Notably, Paula played a pivotal role in the passage of the 5G SALE Act, a significant legislative achievement enabling T-Mobile to acquire essential spectrum assets hindered by government red tape. Her strategic leadership was crucial to the bill's enactment, making it the final piece of legislation signed into law in 2023. Beyond her legislative efforts, Paula is dedicated to veterans' causes, actively supporting T-Mobile’s partnership with Warrior and Quiet Waters, an organization that aids post-9/11 combat veterans in rediscovering their purpose through outdoor activities. We are so grateful to have Paula on our board!

We hope you consider joining our special guest and Congressional Women's High Tech Caucus Co-Chair, Rep. Suzan DelBene (WA-01), for a reception next Tuesday, July 23rd, 5-6pm (Message us for more info)! We appreciate the Congresswoman's leadership on tech related issues and her involvement with WHTC. Keep reading to learn a bit more about Rep. Delbene!   Rep. DelBene is in her sixth term in Congress, she serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, the following Subcommittees: Select Revenue Measures and Trade. Prior to her election in 2012, Rep. DelBene served as the Director of the Washington State Department of Revenue. She received a Bachelor's Degree in Biology from Reed College and a Master's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Washington. We are so grateful to have her as Honorary Co-Chair!

Introducing another one of our amazing Board Members: Belinda Garza Hartwig! Belinda leads Federal Affairs at Instacart where she is responsible for the company’s engagement strategy with Congress, the Executive Branch, and third party stakeholders. She began her career in Washington, DC as a staff member for her hometown Member of Congress from San Antonio, Texas. Following that time, she was one of the first hires within Walmart’s federal government relations team, where she spent 10 years managing issues from financial services to health care. She then joined Univision Communications, Inc. as Vice President of Government Relations and Public Engagement where she represented the company in state capitals, with federal officials, and third party organizations. Prior to her joining Instacart in 2020, Belinda worked on behalf of the business community at the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce to advocate for policies that supported the economic growth of the seventh largest city in the United States. Belinda serves on the board of Women’s High Tech Coalition and was named a Top Lobbyist by The Hill in 2023. Belinda lives in the DC area with her husband, two daughters, and rescue pup. We are so grateful to have Belinda on our Board!

We have loved partnering with TechGirls over the years! Here are some photos from our event in 2023. We’re looking forward to seeing the group when they are back in August! TechGirls is an annual exchange program hosted by the Department of State that encourages secondary school girls from 37 countries and territories to pursue careers in tech and higher education💜 Melissa (Missy) Cortese Foxman Sara Decker Linda Moore

Join us for a happy hour on Tuesday, July 23rd. We will be joined by Rep. Suzan DelBene, Honorary Co-Chair of the Congressional Women's High Tech Caucus! If you are interested in this event or have any questions, send us a message!