Tech trade group bulks up

Tech industry trade group TechNet is bulking up its staff by hiring a new vice president for membership.

Longtime fundraiser and political consultant Sue Hothem is taking over to grow the group’s fundraising, outreach, sponsorship and events work, the organization announced on Monday.

{mosads}She comes from Benchmark Strategies, a political consulting firm that has worked for members of Congress, trade groups and nonprofits. Before that, Hothem helped launch the Moderate Democrats Political Action Committee and worked for the Democratic Leadership Council and the Progressive Policy Institute.

“Sue is a seasoned political fundraiser, strategist and lobbyist with deep relationships on Capitol Hill,” TechNet CEO Linda Moore said in a statement. “She will be an enormous resource to TechNet’s member network and help supercharge our growing advocacy programs at the federal and 50-state level.”

The group has more than 60 members, including major tech firms like Facebook, Microsoft and Google.

It has grown rapidly this year, with the addition of Moore — a former Capitol Hill aide who also spent eight years in the Clinton White House — and other top officials.