Continuing to expand its influence in Arizona’s technology community, the Arizona Technology Council announced it has appointed Chris Koziol, president, Aspect; David Pinkus, VP of software engineering, Infusionsoft; Russ Yelton, CEO, Pinnacle Transplant Technologies; James Winebrenner, vice president, worldwide sales, Viptela; and Irena Milanovic, vice president, Wells Fargo Commercial Bank, to its board of directors. The current board includes 40 members, representing a diverse set of prominent Arizona-based organizations.

“Chris, David, Russ, James and Irena are all highly respected executives who will be wonderful additions to our diverse and influential board,” said Steven G. Zylstra, president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council. “The vast range of experience and expertise they bring to the Council will prove invaluable to our membership as we advance our agenda designed to make a positive and lasting impact on the technology industry.”

In addition to the five new board members, two current members, Michael Hawksworth, president and CEO, MSS Technologies, and Alex Luorio, vice president, Avnet, have been elected to serve as at-large members of the Executive Committee for a one-year term ending in October 2017.

Each of the five new board members, and the newly elected Executive Committee members, provide a unique perspective on the industry, as well as a strong background from a wide variety of business and technology roles. The outstanding work of the Technology Council can be attributed to the board and its continual election of experienced leaders who provide new insights and expertise.

Chris Koziol, Aspect

Koziol is a seasoned technology executive with more than 30 years of progressive experience in managing and directing high-growth, mature and start-up technology companies. He has extensive experience working very closely with the board of directors for two NASDAQ traded technology companies. Additionally, Koziol has served on the strategic advisory board of two privately held technology companies and served for three years on the board of directors for the Computer Technology Industry Association. Koziol is a graduate of the Harvard Business School’s Program for Management Development and holds a Bachelor of Science, Business Administration – Marketing, from the University of Arizona.

David Pinkus, Infusionsoft

Pinkus is currently the VP of software engineering for Infusionsoft, leading a team of 70 engineers building a SaaS sales and marketing automation platform designed exclusively to help small business save time and grow their businesses. Prior to Infusionsoft, Pinkus was the chief innovation officer for Fast Company’s 28th most innovative company, Western Governors University, the largest competency-based university in the U.S., based in Salt Lake City. At WGU Pinkus led a variety of student-success initiatives, including working with the White House on how to integrate and fund computer science boot camps as part of a university curriculum.

Russ Yelton, Pinnacle Transplant Technologies

Yelton is chief executive officer of Pinnacle Transplant Technologies. PTT is a regenerative medical company, which operates a human tissue bank. PTT develops allograft tissue for transplant along with an amnion fluid product line. Yelton is responsible for strategic direction, corporate culture and overall growth management. PTT is six years old, has 90 associates and operates out of a 25,000 square-foot facility. Prior to PTT, Yelton was president/CEO of the Northern Arizona Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology. At NACET, Yelton oversaw multiple business incubation sites across the state of Arizona.

James Winebrenner, Viptela

Winebrenner is vice president, worldwide sales at Viptela, where he is responsible for global go-to-market strategy and leads the field sales, channels and business development teams. Winebrenner joined Viptela in 2013, and has more than 17 years of global sales management, business development, and technical marketing experience in cybersecurity and network infrastructure across a range of industry verticals. Prior to Viptela, he served as director of sales in the financial-services division for Cisco Systems.

Irena Milanovic, Wells Fargo Commercial Bank

As a member of the Arizona business community, Milanovic has spent the last 13 years underwriting and advising privately held middle market companies on various aspects of financial transactions, including commercial debt structuring, strategic capital investments, leverage finance, investment banking, global banking and treasury management. Besides working with Arizona-based companies, Milanovic has also focused on helping multinational companies, foreign-owned subsidiaries, headquartered in Arizona, with some of their complex treasury management needs.

Companies represented on the Arizona Technology Council Board of Directors include:

APS, ASU-Office of Knowledge & Enterprise Development, AZ Tech Finders, Alerion Capital Group, Alliance Bank of Arizona, American Express, Aspect Software, Avnet, Inc., Ballard Spahr, Barrow Neurological Institute, BeyondTrust, Clark Hill PLC, Cox Communications, EY, Honeywell Aerospace, Indecomm Global Services, Infusionsoft, Insight Enterprises, Intel, International Research Center, JVP Strategic Consulting, LLC, Lane Terralever, Lynx Technology Partners, MSS Technologies, , PADT Inc,, PayPal, Phoenix Business Journal, Pinnacle Transplant Technologies. Quarles & Brady, LLP, Raytheon Missile Systems, Ryley Carlock & Applewhite, Securaplane Technologies, Solugenix, Symantec, TGen, The Uber Technologies, Viptela, Vonage Business Solutions Group, WebPT and Wells Fargo Bank.

About the Arizona Technology Council

The Arizona Technology Council is Arizona’s premier trade association for science and technology companies. Recognized as having a diverse professional business community, Council members work toward furthering the advancement of technology in Arizona through leadership, education, legislation and social action. The Arizona Technology Council offers numerous events, educational forums and business conferences that bring together leaders, managers, employees and visionaries to make an impact on the technology industry. These interactions contribute to the Council’s culture of growing member businesses and transforming technology in Arizona. To become a member or to learn more about the Arizona Technology Council, please visit http://www.aztechcouncil.org.