Tech Valley finds new director
TROY, N.Y. >> The Tech Valley Center of Gravity is ready to move forward into the new year with a new executive director.
In mid-January, Holly Cargill-Cramer became executive director of TVCOG, taking over the position from Thomas Tongue, who will continue to serve the organization in the volunteer role of president.
“It takes most new not-forprofit organizations five to ten years to achieve milestones that Tech Valley Center of Gravity reached in its first three,” said Cargill-Cramer in a news release. “This organization was birthed by passionate volunteers with extensive experience in technology, manufacturing and entrepreneurship for whom building this organization has been a part-time job. They recognized the need to bring in professional management to continue the growth trend, while allowing them to step back and focus on strategy.”
TVCOG is located in downtown Troy and offers manufacturing and office space to startups, as well as access to welding machines and 3-D printers. In 2015, the center moved to its current location in downtown Troy’s Quackenbush Building.
Cargill-Cramer comes to TVCOG with more than 25 years of experience in communications and nonprofit management. Cargill-Cramer is a 1994 graduate of The College of Saint Rose. She has held management roles in higher education and regional organizations, including The State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill, the New York State Restaurant Association and the Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Most recently she served as senior association management team leader at Association Development Group, an association management company in Albany that provides all manner of professional assistance to organizations. At ADG, Cargill-Cramer specialized in revitalizing challenged organizations and transitioning organizations from volunteer management to professional management.
In addition to tightening management structure, Cargill-Cramer’s focus at TVCOG will be to increase the organization’s visibility, forge new community and professional relationships with the organization, and develop programs to engage the members and develop a leadership structure. Since its founding in Dec. 2012, TVCOG has nearly 500 members on the roll.