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HISTORY This organization was started with a grant from the Native Peoples Technical Assistance Office at the University of Arizona. An Arizona Nonprofit Corporation was formed and the Articles of Incorporation were filed with the Arizona Corporation Commission on September 2, 2004. The Affidavit of Publication of the Articles of Incorporation was filed with the Corporation Commission on November 5, 2004 completing our state approval. On January 13, 2005; the IRS assigned our Employer Identification Number: 83-0415581. An Advance Letter of Determination of Tax Exemption by the IRS was received on June 2, 2005. At the organizational meeting on January 19, 2005, the first Board of Directors was elected. Three Directors were elected for terms of one to three years. The Directors elected were: Hamp Merrill, Director of the Native Peoples Technical Assistance Office at the University of Arizona, Walt Pearson, President of Wholesale Lithographers, Inc. in Tucson and N. Levi Esquerra, Director of the Center for American Indian Economic Development at Northern Arizona University. Claudia Nelson, Assistant Director of the Native Peoples Technical Assistance Office at the University of Arizona was elected Secretary-Treasurer of the organization and Tom R. Van Sickle was elected Executive Director. Mr. Esquerra was elected President and Mr. Pearson was elected Vice-President. Unfortunately Mr. Merrill passed away very unexpectedly one month later. The two remaining board members elected Claudia Nelson to the vacancy on the board. FOUNDER
In the summer of 2004, he became aware of a program in Virginia that provided refurbished Internet-ready computers to disadvantaged youth. He immediately set out to create a similar program in Arizona. New Technology4 Arizona Kids, Inc. is that program. He was elected to the initial Board of Directors of the organization, but passed away quite unexpectedly shortly thereafter. However, his vision and his spirit will live on for at least seven generations in the work of this nonprofit organization. DIRECTORS N. Levi Esquerra, Program Director of Center for American Indian Economic Development at Northern Arizona University. He is a an enrolled member of The Chemehuevi Indian Tribe. Claudia E. Nelson, Director of Native Peoples Technical Assistance Office at the University of Arizona. Walt Pearson, President of Wholesale Lithographers, Inc. in Tucson, Arizona. Damon Platero, Agency Director, Nizhoni, Inc., an Arizona 501 (c) (3) Nonprofit Organization. He is an enrolled member of The Navajo Tribe at Crownpoint, NM. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Tom R. Van Sickle, Working to establish this organization as a major factor in Arizona in refurbishing used computers so they are Internet-ready. TECHNICAL ADVISOR Frank Gordon, Former Computer Science Instructor at Yavapai Community College. |
As Director of the Native Peoples Technical Assistance Office at the University of Arizona, Hamp Merrill was always casting about for new programs that would improve the living conditions on the Native American Reservations in Arizona. He was especially interested in creating educational opportunities for the young people of the communities and in providing better communications access for entire Villages and Reservations.