Anne Doherty Johnson joined AeA in March 2001 as Executive Director for AeA’s New England Council, located just north of Boston and covering the six New England states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. Founded in the 1943 by David Packard and William Hewlett, AeA is the nation’s largest high-tech trade association representing nearly 2,500 companies that span the spectrum of the technology industry. With 20 offices and more than 100 full time staff, AeA provides a comprehensive portfolio of resources designed to help companies operate more effectively and efficiently. In New England, AeA represents over 100 high-tech companies and is dedicated to fostering growth in the New England region by effectively representing our industry on a host of legislative issues, promoting our region as a center of innovation and new product development, and providing high-tech companies access to AeA’s wide array of member resources and business opportunities.

As Executive Director, Anne works closely with members to insure they are maximizing the competitive advantage they gain as an AeA member. A long time advocate of high-tech business issues, she represents many of our industry’s leading companies on a host of critical issues including: education and workforce development, tax policy, e-commerce laws, environmental compliance regulations, state procurement and economic development. In addition to overseeing state government affairs and grassroots activities, she develops local programs and activities to facilitate networking and best practice sharing among AeA members.

Anne has experience and expertise in association management, strategic public affairs, membership development and marketing. As Senior Communications Specialist for CGU Insurance, she handled producer communications and provided public relations counsel to the company’s internal departments. As Director of Public Affairs for the American Insurance Association, she directed grassroots activities and media relations to advance the group’s public policy agenda in New England, and created a local industry-backed community college training program. As Director of Communications for the Professional Independent Insurance Agents of New England, she was recognized with national excellence awards for managing the association’s communications, public relations, membership development and advertising/sponsorships sales, consistently growing membership and revenues.

A Boston native, Anne received her Bachelors Degree Magna cum Laude from the University of Massachusetts Boston with a double major in Economics and English. She is a graduate of the AeA/Stanford Executive Institute, an accelerated MBA-style formatted executive program run in partnership with Stanford's School of Engineering and Graduate School of Business in Palo Alto, California. She serves on the Board of Directors of the New England Society of Association Executives. She has also been active in efforts to increase student interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers and has served as a coach for Springboard Enterprises, an organization dedicated to accelerating women's access to the equity markets, and as a business plan judge for Youth Tech Entrepreneurs.