WIT Announces the 2006 Finalists for the
Annual Women of the Year in Technology Awards
Nine finalists were announced at a VIP Reception held Wednesday, March 22.

March 23, 2006 - ATLANTA, GA - One is the chief information officer for a major state university.  Another heads up technology for the city's public transportation system.  A third is an executive vice president at a world-leading news outlet based in Atlanta.

Who are they? They are three of the nine finalists for WIT's 2006 Women in the Year in Technology Awards.

Women in Technology's (WIT Women of the Year in Technology Awards, recognizes women who hold business, technology or scientific leadership roles within a technology corporation or those who hold technology or scientific leadership roles in a non-technology corporation.  Now in it's seventh year, the awards are one way WIT, the leading association devoted to the development of Georgia's businesswomen in the technology industry, celebrates their accomplishments.

Nine finalists, chosen from among 50 nominees, were announced last night at a VIP reception honoring all of the nominees.  Three finalists will compete in each of three categories.

This year's finalists are:

Not-For-Profit / Government

• Cigdem Delano, Deputy Executive Director, Georgia Technology Authority
• Jannet Thoms, Assistant General Manager for Technology and Customer Service Delivery/Chief Information Officer, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA)
• Dr. Barbara White, Chief Information Officer and Associate Provost, University of Georgia

Small / Medium Business

• Helen Berg, Chief Information Officer, Internet Security Systems
• Wendy Reed, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, InfoMentis
• Terry Trout, Vice President of Customer Experience, CBeyond Communications

Enterprise Business

• Shirley Bridges, Chief Information Officer, Delta Air Lines, Inc. and Chief Executive Officer, Delta Technologies
  
• Susan Grant, Executive Vice President, CNN News Services
• Marian Lucia, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta

The winner in each category will be announced at the awards ceremony, to be held April 27th at TWELVE in Atlantic Station.  Jacqui Chew, chairperson of the WIT Women of the Year in Technology Awards, said, "All of our nominees for this year's awards were true leaders and mentors in their fields.  Our nine finalists represent a diverse and significant group of women who are committed to demonstrating and supporting excellence among women in technology."

The sponsors for this year's awards include Grant Thornton LLP as the Presenting Sponsor; Kilpatrick Stockton LLP and McKesson as Gold Sponsors; CIBER® as the Silver Sponsor and the Atlanta Business Chronicle as the Media Sponsor.

About Women in Technology (WIT)
WIT is an all-volunteer, not-for-profit association promoting the advancement of women in the field of technology.  WIT is a founding society of the Technology Association of Georgia, an umbrella membership organization that serves more than 5,000 members of the Georgia technology community.  WIT hosts bimonthly meetings featuring nationally recognized speakers who address business issues relevant to members of the technology community.

WIT sponsors a number of initiatives such as WIT Executive Coaching, Executive Roundtable, WIT Mentor and WIT's Executive Speakers Bureau.  WIT presents premier annual events including The Women of the Year in Technology Award, WIT's Best Employer Award and WIT Connect, which is WIT's annual fundraiser.  Through its philanthropic arm, the WIT Foundation, WIT organizes and funds programs like Girls-Get-IT and WIT on Track.  For more information on WIT, visit www.witinc.org.

About the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG)
The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) is a non-profit organization that serves the technology community in Georgia.  TAG is dedicated to the promotion and economic advancement of the state's technology industry and provides leadership in driving initiatives in the areas of policy, capital, education and giving.  TAG helps to bring the technology community together through events, initiative programs and networking opportunities.  For more information on TAG, visit www.tagonline.org

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Media Inquiries Contact:
Asheley Potts
Assistant PR & Marketing Director, WIT
apotts@aboutreaction.com
404.961.1903