Statewide IT association hires CEO

The IT Association of Wisconsin has chosen its CEO: Jim Rice, whose background encompasses the construction of two state-wide fiber networks and founding a UW-Madison spinoff company.

Rice has held executive roles at Norlight Telecommunications and Charter Communications. He co-founded Stress Photonics in the 1990s with technology from UW-Madison's Engineering Department.

The IT association has about 40 corporate members and sponsors so far, though it needs to decide how exactly to coordinate them and its activities. Rice said that as a relative outsider he's listening with "big ears" to figure out where to take things next. Expect more out of this group starting in March, after the board has met and the Council of Regional Information Technology Associations has had its February meeting in Virginia, which Rice mentioned he planned to attend.

• Previous coverage: Statewide IT association will address IT issues and priorities

One of the association's major purposes will be political, representing the interests of IT companies and companies with heavy IT needs in the state. That's the kind of initiative a statewide industry organization can take on better than local business groups, said Jan Moen, executive director of Accelerate Madison, a group that has helped kick off the IT association. A model for the new Wisconsin group has been the Utah Information Technology Association, Rice said. The Utah association operates on a similar membership and sponsorship model. It was started in 1991.

• IT Association of Wisconsin
• Council of Regional Information Technology Associations
• Utah Information Technology Association