Melissa Cutcher, Executive Director, Technology First

As this year ends, I have been reflecting on our mission to connect, strengthen and be a champion for our IT community. So much has happened this year!

• Technology First hosted almost fifty special interest group meetings to engage regional leadership, to learn and find inspiration in their field of interest. With over 1,000 IT professionals in attendance!
• We hosted our first ever virtual digital mixer in partnership with Jobs Ohio and SOCHE. We had over twenty-five employers and over two hundred students and adults register for the event. It was a tremendous success, and we look forward to hosting the next Digital Mixer on Wednesday, February 16^th, at WSU Student Union.
• In April we launched a new website! The new website is fantastic and allows for peer-to-peer communication through the forums. If you have not checked it out yet…https://www.technologyfirst.org/Peer-Forum
• We hosted a Girl Scout Cyber Challenge in partnership with Girl Scouts of Western Ohio to explore the world of Cybersecurity for a day filled with activities. Activities were led by over twenty cyber security professionals/volunteers. Volunteers tasked just under fifty plus girl scouts with stopping a cybersecurity breach and went through various stations to break through technological based challenges.
• Technology First awarded $5500 in Scholarships to IT students at University of Dayton, The Ohio State University, Wright State University, and Sinclair Community College. To date we have awarded over $95,000 to students across the region! And this year the golf outing raised over $3800 for the Technology First Scholarship Fund!
• We participated in Career Adventure Camp in partnership with Dayton Metro Library and hosted four stations with almost 20 IT professionals who volunteered their time and talents towards to share IT career pathways with over 950 7^th & 8^th grade students. Our volunteers shared their professional journeys and experiences with the students and inspired them to consider careers in IT.
• Taste of IT 2021 was in-person! Wow, what a momentous event and it was amazing to see everyone in 3-D. We had two keynotes, twenty-five breakout sessions, over thirty exhibitors and over 300 IT professionals in attendance. It was a major event full of learning, networking, and fun! We look forward to seeing you next year for the 16^th Annual Taste of IT on Wednesday, November 16, 2022!

AND, oh so much more! We would not be able to accomplish all these remarkable things, and more, if it were not for the amazing leadership and volunteers that make up Technology First. Thank you so much for your support. Volunteers change the world, and we are forever grateful! Thank you for joining us and we look forward to seeing you in 2022!

Cheers!