Jennifer Poole Sobocinski and Terry S. Trout to Co-Chair WIT’s
9th Annual Women of the Year in Technology Awards, Presented by Grant Thornton
WOTY to Honor Three ‘Women of Impact’ Sept. 18 at Cobb Galleria

May 12, 2008 – ATLANTA – Women In Technology (WIT), the leading association committed to the development of Georgia's businesswomen in the technology industry, today announced that Jennifer Poole Sobocinski, founding partner, CarterBaldwin, and Terry S. Trout, vice president of Customer Experience, Cbeyond, will co-chair the Women of the Year in Technology (WOTY) Awards, presented by Grant Thornton, to be held Sept. 18 at the Cobb Galleria.

WIT’s board is delighted that Jennifer and Terry will spearhead this prestigious awards program. They are exemplary role models in their companies and in the community, and will make a lasting impact on this year’s event," said Judi Vitale, president of WIT.

"Sobocinski is a nationally recognized for her expertise in executing "C" level officer, and board of director level searches for public and private clients. Under her leadership, CarterBaldwin has achieved more than 400 percent revenue growth since its founding in 2001 and she has expanded the organization’s presence throughout North America. CarterBaldwin was named to the prestigious Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing privately held companies twice, and to Atlanta’s Top 10 Retained Search Firms. Catalyst Magazine named Sobocinski among Atlanta’s Top 50 Entrepreneurs. Currently, she serves on the board of the Technology Executive Roundtable, and is a sponsor of the Atlanta CEO Council.

There aren’t a lot of great forums that highlight the success of women in the technology community, which is why WIT’s WOTY Awards is so critical," says Sobocinski. "As someone who works in executive search, being able to pull more and more women into the technology sector is critical for our industry over the long-term. WIT is doing its part to raise the profile of women tech leaders for what’s available today, and that can only encourage the future generations to see the possibilities. This is important given that only 13 of the Fortune 500 CEOs in the United States are women," she adds.

Trout, winner of the 2007 Women in Technology (WIT) Woman of the Year award in the mid-size company category, brings more than 25 years of leadership experience to her role as vice president of customer experience for Cbeyond. She champions the customer experience strategically across the organization – aligning cross-departmental initiatives to ensure the highest level of customer satisfaction. Previously, Trout was responsible for customer care, service delivery, technical support, collections and operations training. She led the development of CbeyondOnline™, an online account management tool that simplifies bill payment and gives customers complete control of their account. She also launched Cbeyond's community service program enabling Cbeyond employees to give back to the communities where they work and live.

Trout founded Cbeyond's Women's Network, an organization designed to foster professional development for Cbeyond women through a variety of educational sessions and networking events. She holds board positions at The Sullivan Center and with WIT – Women in Technology. In addition, Trout is a mentor for WEDA (Women's Economic Development Association), and an advisory board member for Atlanta Woman Magazine, which named her one of the Top 25 Power Women to Watch in 2006.

I am thrilled to be a co-chair of WIT's Women of the Year in Technology Award. Not only is this flagship event an impressive celebration of three very special 'Women of Impact,’ but also the entire process serves to recognize and promote exceptional women who are on the rise in our technology community," Trout says. "Recognizing and celebrating achievements in business, community and in the mentoring of other women is at the foundation of WIT’s mission-- promoting the advancement of women in the field of technology."

In its ninth year, WOTY recognizes women who exemplify leadership, positive influence and a have made a lasting impact on the technology industry, as well as on the life and well-being of the community. This year’s theme is Women of Impact. To be eligible for nomination, a nominee must hold business, technology, or scientific leadership roles within a technology corporation or hold technology or scientific leadership roles in a non-technology corporation.

About Women in Technology (WIT)
WIT is a not-for-profit organization made up of an influential community of diverse, talented professional women focused on promoting the advancement of women in the field of technology in Georgia. WIT’s monthly meetings feature nationally recognized speakers who address topics on leadership and professional advancement to support women in their technology careers while also providing a valuable networking opportunity. WIT delivers programs, such as WIT Executive Coaching and WIT Careers in Action to enable members to hone their leadership skills and achieve visibility within the business community.

WIT’s philanthropic and educational programs, such as Girls Get IT, provide outreach to educate and encourage girls and young women to pursue careers in science and technology. WIT has two annual premier events, WIT Connect, WIT’s annual fundraiser event and WIT’s Women of the Year in Technology Awards honoring the women who lead Georgia’s technology community. WIT is a founding society of the Technology Association of Georgia, an umbrella membership organization that serves the Georgia technology community. For more information on WIT and the WIT Foundation, WIT’s philanthropic arm, visit www.witinc.org.

About Grant Thornton
Grant Thornton LLP is the U.S. member firm of Grant Thornton International, one of the six international audit, tax and advisory organizations. Through member firms in 110 countries, including 50 offices in the United States, the partners and employees of Grant Thornton member firms provide personalized attention and the highest quality service to public and private clients around the globe. Visit Grant Thornton LLP at www.GrantThornton.com

Media Inquiries Contact:
Anne Wainscott-Sargent
WIT PR Chair
678.352.0009
anne@annewainscott.com