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.

Walton Robinson
Executive Director
email
423-826-8700

Walton Robinson is a Chattanooga native who returned to the Scenic City in 2015 after working in Atlanta, Nashville, and Washington D.C. He brings over a decade of non-profit, advocacy, communications, and development experience to ChaTech. Walton also brings a personal passion for technology and a drive to help our local tech community grow and thrive. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia (Go Dawgs!) and a master’s degree from Appalachian State University. Walton and his wife Meghan live with their three rescue dogs in the Fairfax Heights neighborhood of Chattanooga.

Melissa Phillips
Membership & Finance Officer
email

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 
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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.