TAG Education Collaborative Announces Karen Hallacy has joined the Board of Directors

New Board Member Brings Strong Ties to Education

ATLANTA (June 22, 2011) – TAG Education Collaborative (TAG-Ed), the charitable organization established by the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG), that is dedicated to preparing the next-generation workforce through better education and real-life job experiences, announced today the addition of Karen Hallacy to the Board of Directors. Hallacy is an advocate for a better education system and has a proven track record of leading improvements in Georgia’s education system.

Chris Reinking, Partner and Co-Founder at Jabian Consulting and Chair of the TAG Education Collaborative Board Development Committee commented, “We are very pleased to have Karen join the TAG-Ed Board. Her extensive experience promoting education reform at the Capitol brings a new dimension to TAG-Ed.”

Hallacy has been involved with the education community for ten years serving in a variety of roles to support the advancement of education and access to education for students throughout Georgia. She served on the Georgia PTA Board of Directors for six years, most recently as the Second Vice President (2009-11) with oversight responsibility for all standing committees. As a member of the Executive Committee she had responsibility for the ongoing operations of the statewide association of over 300,000 members. She also served as the lead director for Georgia PTA in its efforts to support passage of the Common Core State Standards Initiative.

Hallacy previously served as the Georgia PTA Legislative Chairman (2007-09) and was responsible for leading all advocacy efforts that affected children and youth. She has served on the Georgia PTA Legislative Committee since 2003 and has worked closely with many education groups including the Georgia School Board Association (GSBA), the Georgia School Superintendents Association (GSSA), the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE), the Georgia Association of Educators (GAE), and the State Department of Education. She also served as Georgia PTA’s Resolution Chairman (2005-07) where she helped craft and refine resolutions that gave the PTA a voice on issues affecting children. Karen has also served as a local and council PTA president. She has also served on several task force committees for the Cobb County Board of Education including funding, code of conduct and redistricting and on the Cobb County Chamber Business Education Steering Committee (2003-06).

Prior to her work in education, Hallacy was a senior manager at Anderson Consulting where she worked on several large systems development projects including the historical reservation system for United Airlines and revenue accounting system for the Internal Revenue Service. She attended Lawrence University in Appleton, WI where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics, graduating Magna Cum Laude. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

Tino Mantella, President of Technology Association of Georgia adds, “Karen’s interest in TAG-Ed provides inroads into the education community that will aid us in attracting students to STEM careers and prepare them for the exciting opportunities that the technology industry provides.”

For more information on the Student Internship Program, visit www.tagedonline.org or contact Michael Robertson, Executive Director of TAG Education Collaborative at mrobertson@tagonline.org .

About TAG Education Collaborative
TAG Education Collaborative initiatives include a student internship program, the WebChallenge competition for high school students, and the Vine Event, a fundraiser launched in 2009 which has raised more than $80,000 to support STEM education. The TAG Education Collaborative provides middle school and high school programs designed to provide these students with hands-on activities that enable them to gain an appreciation for the opportunities available in STEM careers. For additional information, visit TAG Education Collaborative or contact Michael Robertson at (404) 920 – 2038 or mrobertson@tagonline.org

About The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG)
The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) is the leading technology industry association in the state, serving more than 13,000 members and hosting over 170 events each year. TAG serves as an umbrella organization for 30 industry societies, each of which provides rich content for TAG constituents. TAG’s mission is to educate, promote, and unite Georgia’s technology community to foster an innovative and connected marketplace that stimulates and enhances a tech-based economy. The association provides members with access to networking and educational programs; recognizes and promotes Georgia’s technology leaders and companies; and advocates for legislative action that enhances the state’s economic climate for technology. Additionally, the TAG Education Collaborative (TAG’s charitable arm) focuses on helping science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education initiatives thrive. For more information visit the TAG website at www.tagonline.org or TAG’s community website at http://www.TAGthink.com. To learn about the TAG-Ed Collaborative visit http://www.tagedonline.org/.

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