The March of Dimes and Women in TechnologySM (WIT), the premier organization contributing to the success of professional women in the Washington technology community, are issuing a call for nominations for Heroines in Technology®, an award program that recognizes women in the technology industry who have used their experience, knowledge and skills to benefit our community. In addition, woman-owned or woman-run companies will be recognized for extraordinary commitment to local service or philanthropy. The nominations deadline for Heroines in Technology is July 18, 2008.

The 2008 Heroines in Technology will be honored at an awards dinner on November 14, 2008, at the Hyatt Regency Reston in Reston, Virginia. The chairs for this year’s event are Sandy Scearce, business development director with Grant Thornton LLP, and Gayle Sweeney, principal, North Highland.  The event will include live and silent auctions.  Proceeds from the event will support local March of Dimes programs of research, community services, education and advocacy to reduce the occurrence of birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. Since 2001, WIT and the March of Dimes have teamed together on this signature event and have raised more than $800,000 to support the March of Dimes mission of saving babies.

“We are excited to have the March of Dimes and Women in Technology working together again on this extraordinary event,” said Charlotte Pelliccia, president of Women in Technology. “This event guarantees to be exciting and rewarding as we celebrate women who balance a demanding career in technology while working hard to make a difference in our community.  The accomplishments of past nominees are inspirational and we look forward to receiving another impressive set of nominations this year.”

In 2007, individual Heroines in Technology awards were presented to Leslie Barry, vice president, Government Affairs and Business Development, GTSI; Dolly Greene Greenwood, director of Army Intelligence, The MITRE Corporation; and Ashley Hall, owner, Mediatrix Technologies, Inc.  The Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Lauren Kirby, president of TurnAround, LLC.  The corporate honorees were Kathy Albarado, president, Helios HR; Linda LaRoche, CEO, CSCI; and Dr. Lydia W. Thomas, president and CEO, Noblis.

Nominees will be considered from all segments of the technology community in the Washington, D.C., area including government, not-for-profit and commercial organizations.

To complete an online nomination form, visit marchofdimes.com/metrodc.  For more information on the nomination process or the event, please contact Tina Solomita at (703) 824-0111, ext. 20.

About Women in Technology

Women in Technology (WIT) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to offering women involved in all levels of the technology industry a wide range of professional development and networking opportunities. One of the organization's main goals is to create a forum where women in technology can be recognized and promoted as role models. WIT was founded in 1994 and has nearly 1,000 members. For more information, please visit WIT's web site, womenintechnology.org.

About the March of Dimes

The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide and its premier event, March for Babies, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org.

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