CHATECH is Chattanooga’s Technology Council.  Our mission is to connect the Chattanooga technology community to help drive economic growth across the region. We provide outreach and educational programs for youth, award scholarships to college students in hopes of empowering Chattanooga’s next generation of IT professionals, manager peer group programs and leadership forums, collaborate on economic development partnerships, and offer the opportunity to connect.

ChaTech is a membership association dedicated to cultivating a vibrant technology ecosystem in the tri-state region. Open to companies of all sizes, our membership is comprised of twelve major industry sections from innovative startups to the most influential companies in Chattanooga.

We curate our events to bring together a mix of voices and experiences that represent our growing entrepreneurial community, small-, midsized and enterprise companies. Any interested company may join ChaTech, and membership fees are based on IT-department size.

As a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, CHATECH is supported through membership fees, sponsorships, and special fundraising events.

Carla Askonas
Executive Director
carla@chatechcouncil.org
423-826-8700

Carla Askonas has 25 years of nonprofit management, program development and fundraising experience. While not a trained IT professional, Carla is a technophile and serves as an informal IT support person to family and friends.

Carla loves listening to the discussions at ChaTech’s programs for exposure to new ideas, to learn about the practical side of technology, and to understand current and future trends. She applies this understanding to shape ChaTech programs and better serve its members.

Before coming to ChaTech, her work touched land conservation and community parks, Superfund issues, early childhood programs, and women’s health, among others. In all her work, Carla enjoys bringing people together to collaborate across stakeholder groups.

Carla and her husband, Chuck Jones, have two grown daughters, a dog and two cats. She has lived in Chattanooga for 28 years.

Melissa Phillips
Membership & Finance Officer
melissa@chatechcouncil.org

Melissa Phillips joined ChaTech in January 2018. She received her B.S. in Accounting and MBA from UTC. Melissa comes to ChaTech with 13 years of accounting experience in the long-term health care industry.

An accountant at heart, Melissa enjoys managing the financial aspect of ChaTech’s operations. She also enjoys interacting with ChaTech members and learning more about technology hot topics through ChaTech’s various programs.

Melissa lives in Ooltewah with her husband, Skyler, and two boys, Noah and Elliott. She likes traveling with her family and homeschooling her children.

Jen LaRose
Marketing Associate 
jen@chatechcouncil.org

Originally from Georgia and just back from living in Northern California, Jen LaRose has a Bachelor of Fine Art from the University of West Georgia with a concentration in Photography. Her marketing experience of 11 years spans from digital and social media to content creation and event campaigns.

Jen oversees all ChaTech marketing including event marketing such as TechX and Scenic City Summit.

She lives in downtown Chattanooga and looks forward to immersing herself in her new city.