The Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA) announced on April 16, 2024, that Kristen Forecki would succeed Dave Cotter as chair of its board. The appointment was a historical change, not a current leadership update: WTIA’s current About page lists Cotter as board chair.
What changed in April 2024
WTIA’s April 16, 2024 announcement named Forecki board chair for a two-year term. She had been serving as vice chair. Cotter was expected to remain on the board as chair emeritus. GeekWire’s report that day also identified Forecki as Cotter’s successor and said she had been appointed vice chair in 2021.
Who Forecki was at the time
WTIA and GeekWire identified Forecki in April 2024 as senior director of Experiences and Devices Strategy at Microsoft. The announcement also cited her previous leadership roles at Convoy, Rover and Amazon. Those are details reported at the time of the appointment; the available sources do not establish her current job title.
What the chair role means
WTIA described the chair’s responsibility as leading its board in guiding and governing the organization’s collection of companies. Its current About Us page describes WTIA as Washington State’s technology industry association, with work that includes policy advocacy, founder programs, events and community initiatives. It also describes a broader organizational structure that includes the nonprofit member trade association, the nonprofit tech apprenticeship intermediary Apprenti, and the for-profit business-services company Portalus.
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What WTIA and its CEO said
In the April 16, 2024 release, WTIA CEO Michael Schutzler praised Forecki’s experience, saying, “Kristen is a leader with deep experience in strategy development and building rapid growth startups,”. The release also quoted Forecki describing WTIA as “a benchmark for technology trade associations across the US and Canada.” These are statements from the organization’s announcement, not independent evaluations.
Forecki’s statement also referred to more than $300 million in investment capital raised by Washington founders with the startup accelerator. That figure was presented in the WTIA announcement and should be understood as the organization’s claim, not an independently audited total.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the current board listing confirms
WTIA’s current About page lists Dave Cotter as WTIA Board Chair. The page does not explain the governance timeline after the 2024 announcement’s stated two-year term for Forecki, so the sources do not establish when or how Cotter returned to the chair role. The reliable distinction is that Forecki’s appointment was announced in April 2024, while Cotter is the chair named on WTIA’s current roster.
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