Doña Keating resigned as president of West Sound Technology Association at the end of October. A founding member of 9-year-old WSTA, she has been president since 2003. Under her leadership, the organization grew to about 150 members, developed partnerships with many other organizations and businesses, recruited numerous sponsors and launched several events including a successful annual summit.
Keating is credited with taking the association to a new level, as WSTA became more established as a resource and an advocate of technology as a tool for efficiency and best practices.
“True leadership requires embracing organizational change. As I shift focus to my private consulting practice, Professional Options, and other civic leadership opportunities, I invite the community to engage WSTA with renewed purpose and vision as we charter it into new directions,” Keating said in her announcement of retirement from the board.
The Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal visited with Keating to talk about her work with WSTA, and about local technology issues.
KPBJ: What are the ongoing challenges that remain as you leave WSTA?
Keating: The challenge remains in garnering more financial and partnership support from public and private sector entities so that WSTA is truly positioned as the region’s technology resource and hub. Similar organizations across the state have been much more successful in achieving buy-in for what is considered a strong industry in our regional towards economic vitality. Engaged, responsible and professional board and officer leadership are others.
KPBJ: As you resigned, you invited the community to be involved while WSTA goes into new directions. What might this new direction be and why is it needed?
Keating: Some options include partnering with a larger entity, such as Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA), reducing monthly meetings to quarterly, or placing the association on temporary hiatus. The first would be needed to provide increased access to presenters and resources, which can increase its value proposition, and make running the association easier or less time-consuming for a volunteer board. Reducing meetings would also address this issue, but also respond to a decrease in attendance being faced by us and many other organizations.
Hiatus is a possibility, should the needed leadership fail to materialize. WSTA has grown too much to leave its governance and operations to two or three well-meaning volunteer board members, and if the community decided it didn’t value the association enough to adequately support it, hiatus would be a time to regroup. Though it might also be a direction more likely to lead to the association’s demise.
KPBJ: How would the loss of WSTA impact the community?
Keating: We’d lose a voice on statewide technology issues and lose the ability to provide a resource for new and current businesses. I think it will tell the rest of the state we don’t care as much about technology as a cluster in this region as we said we do.
KPBJ: What would you hope to see next?
Keating: It’s my hope that people step in and move it forward… It’s a call to the community to step up and support it. It’s not about giving us money and showing up at the meetings; it’s about having a conversation on how we can make technology a viable part of this region.
KPBJ: What’s your view in general on opportunities in Kitsap County for new tech companies to thrive?
Keating: We have to take steps to learn more about who they are, their needs, and which community resources can help them do so. A stronger B2B effort can also be effective, and both public and private entities need to commit to using quality talent wherever possible. Increased outreach and education to companies and entities regarding the importance of technology in a 21st century world would also build more opportunity.
KPBJ: How would you rate the technology infrastructure here and what are the biggest hurdles for further development?
Keating: The physical infrastructure is good and getting better. Efforts to promote broadband for nearly 10 years have yielded good results, with many utilizing cable or even fiber backbone connections. It also mirrors the needs of the area, surrounded by water. Making transportation and access to the business centers time consuming, this helps promote telework and telecommuting, but at a very basic “just get it done.”
The social network behind that infrastructure is not nearly as solid. There is still a reaction that in order to get someone good you need to go Eastside, and that harms local businesses. WSTA still has to promote that there is a tech component to the local economy and try to do business here first. Beyond the attitudes, our challenges are also workforce-centric.
There is a focus on improving education, primary, secondary and college level including four-year, but much of what WSTA focuses on is what people do after college, best practices in the workplace and such. There is a huge need but this is not being well addressed. As a result, we are left out of the loop when it comes to receiving state, federal, or county funding, and existing entities don’t reach out to us as partners when they’ve been funded to explore what role we could play in furthering their goals. Given these tendencies, our mission is limited because of insufficient human and financial capital.
As a result of Keating’s efforts, the association developed partnerships with dozens of regional associations and sponsors, including: Washington Technology Center, MIT Enterprise Forum of the Northwest (MITEF), Northwest Entrepreneur Network (NWEN), Prosperity Partnership, Shidler Law Center for Science and Technology at UW, Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA), Seattle ITEC, and the Technology Alliance.
Sponsors recruited include SMB Nation, Keating Consulting, Harrison Medical, The Kitsap Sun, Autonomix, Embarq Communications, Intellicheck-Mobilisa, Kitsap Bank, Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal, Kitsap County, KPS Health Plans, Port Madison Enterprises, Port of Bremerton, The Doctors Clinic, Trust CC, Microsoft, BOXLIGHT, Paladin Data Systems, eAcceleration, Olympic College, and more.
Keating has worked closely with other organizations such as Kitsap Public Utility District, Kitsap Regional Library, The Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council, Kitsap Economic Development Alliance (KEDA), and many others.
WSTA also updated its logo and website, began the production of its quarterly newsletter, and launched Catching Bytes Radio, a live broadcast which reverts to On Demand. Business Breakfast Briefings were also launched, and monthly meetings can be viewed online or on BKAT and Bainbridge Island TV. She also spearheaded the association’s annual Western Washington Summit, now in its eighth year.
