1974 - A group of state telecommunications professionals from the midwestern states meets and formalizes the first of many state telecommunications directories. The need to establish a national telecommunications organization of federal and state telecommunications professionals emerges.
State telecommunications professionals meet in Atlanta in 1978 and create NASTD, the "National Association of State Telecommunications Directors." Two years later, NASTD becomes affiliated with the Council of State Governments and hosts its first national conference in Williamsburg, Virginia. Regularly scheduled meetings follow and the association elects officers.
1985 - NASTD organizes itself into four regions that host yearly meetings. NASTD opens doors to the first trade show held in conjunction with the annual conference in 1986. The trade show welcomes participants from the corporate world to showcase their products and services to the states.
Recognizing the value of its corporate partners, NASTD creates the corporate affiliate program in 1987, thus connecting the vendors directly to decision makers in state government telecommunications and technology.
In 1989 an electronic Bulletin Board provides NASTD members with a method of sharing computer files and holding electronic discussions. 1989 - NASTD, APCO - the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials and a number of Federal, county and city agencies, come together in a cooperative effort known as Project 25 to develop digital radio standards by and for public safety wireless users.
NASTD goes live in 1995 with its first web site, www.nastd.org.
In 1996 the Corporate Affiliate Advisory Council (CAAC) is formed to provide the affiliates an organized voice in the association.
Recognizing the role that NASTD members played in state infrastructure and operation issues, the Schools and Library Division of the FCC begins communicating with the Regulatory Action Committee on the issue of E-rate. This substantial issue for NASTD members results in the establishment of the E-rate standing committee.
In 1998 NASTD expands its membership to include other governmental departments or agencies with a responsibility for, or interest in, telecommunications, transforming itself from an association of 50 "state telecommunications directors" to an association for "telecommunications and technology professionals in state government."
Regional meetings officially open to the corporate affiliates in 1999 with the Southern Region Winter meeting in Tampa.
With further inclusion for the vendor community, CAAC chair attends the 2001 executive board meetings and participates in discussions concerning association issues.
In November of 2003, the association created the public safety wireless special interest group to track development in that increasingly important area.
Beginning in 2004, NASTD established formal relationships with SAFECOM in the Department of Homeland Security and the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC), a federation of organizations with public safety telecommunications responsibilities.
The association approved a leadership model for its four regions in 2005 to provide some structure, continuity and experience for primary state members in the regions and for their staff.
To reflect the wider range of its members operational responsibilities, in 2007 the association changed its name to the "National Association of State Technology Directors."