RichTech Honors the Area’s Greatest Tech Firms and Folks

RichTech held its 15th Annual Awards Gala this evening, honoring the best local companies and leaders that drive Central Virginia’s technology-based economy.

“During the last year we’ve watched the economy turn brighter, and so too have Central Virginia’s technology companies. Businesses are stronger and more efficient, good talent is getting hired, and clients locally and nationally are being well-served by the slick tech companies that call the Richmond area home,” said Chip Farmer, Executive Director of RichTech.

“Altogether, the companies that make up RichTech have come together and strengthened our organization as one that stimulates and connects innovative, creative and technical people.”
During the past year, RichTech – formerly the Greater Richmond Technology Council – has revamped its brand, logo and website. It has also updated its membership structure to allow more individuals to join, and reached out to peer groups across the region to promote the cause of supporting innovation and creativity throughout the local technology community.

More than 500 people attended the Technology Stars gala, held at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. The awards are structured in a way that recognize individual accomplishments, corporate wins, non-profit success stories, innovators in their field, and small business triumphs.

“This is RichTech’s 15th year of celebrating innovation, perseverance, and investment in the future of our region and beyond,” said Margaret E. “Lyn” McDermid, Senior Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer at Dominion and RichTech Chair. “It has been exciting and encouraging to watch our companies grow and strengthen. Tonight we honor the value of technology in our community through these very deserving nominees and award winners.”

The award winners are:

IBM Community Catalyst Award: Mark Herzog This is Herzog’s 10th year as executive director of the Virginia Biotechnology Association. Through his work at VaBIO and the organizations that support it, new technology discoveries are being made in Virginia in medicine and healthcare, the environment and energy. The award recognizes an individual or organization that has made a significant impact on the growth of technology in this region, and/or the advancement of Greater Richmond as a center for technology innovation.

Computer Resource Team Educator Award: Richmond Area Program for Minorities in Engineering (Virginia State University & Virginia Commonwealth University) This pre-college program prepares "new-century engineers" to to gain experiences and target a conceptual understanding of science and technology topics in order to develop workforce skills. The award recognizes an educator or school program that provides exceptional technology leadership and encourages students to pursue higher education or training in engineering, math, and the sciences.

Cherry Bekaert & Holland Emerging Company Award: TBL Networks TBL Networks designs, implements, and supports Cisco IT systems as well as data center infrastructure. The company also provides ongoing troubleshooting, support, and maintenance. The award recognizes a local technology company that has demonstrated recent growth in revenues and/or employees - a company whose recognized accomplishments and prospects demonstrates the ability to achieve commercial success.

The PLANIT Technology Group Technology Builder Award: Altria Client Services Information Systems (IS) team ALCS Information Services provides the full range of IT services and solutions as an internal shared services organization. The group was ranked by Computerworld in its “100 Best Places to Work in IT” survey, ranking No. 1 in Virginia and No. 26 nationwide in 2009. The award recognizes an institution or organization that delivers technology solutions and/or services to internal or external clients that drive business or operational efficiencies.

The VACO Technology Innovation: Financial & Professional Services Award: Capital One Capital One is a diversified bank that offers a broad spectrum of financial products and services to consumers, small businesses and commercial clients. A Fortune 500 company, Capital One has approximately 44 million customer accounts and is one of the nation's most recognized brands. The award recognizes a company or organization whose use of new or existing technology in finance and professional services vertical creates or significantly enhances new processes, methodologies and/or services for their or others benefit.

The Cisco Systems & Packet360 Technology Innovation: Healthcare Award: MedVirginiaMedVirginia has deployed cutting-edge health information exchange technology in a national manner and is garnering headlines across the U.S. for its ability to expedite the Social Security disability determination process. The award recognizes a company or organization whose use of new or existing technology in the healthcare vertical creates or significantly enhances new processes, methodologies and/or services for their or others benefit.

The CSC Leasing Technology Innovation: Manufacturing, Distribution and Retail Award: Owens & MinorOwens & Minor, Inc., is a leading distributor of national name-brand medical and surgical supplies. The company serves its 4,500 healthcare provider customers from 55 distribution centers located strategically throughout the U.S. Owens & Minor's customers include acute-care hospitals, group-purchasing organizations, integrated healthcare systems and the federal government. The award recognizes a company or organization whose use of new or existing technology in manufacturing, distribution and/or retail creates or significantly enhances new processes, methodologies and/or services for their or others benefit.

2010 RichTech Chairman’s Award sponsored by Altria: Scott McKay, CIO and Senior Vice President, Genworth FinancialThrough his steadfast involvement with not only RichTech but VirginiaFIRST, the Science Museum of Virginia, and the Virginia Technology Intern Program, McKay continues to leave a long-term positive impact throughout our community. By working on all of these programs, he engages young people at every stage—from their years in early education through to their years in a university, inspiring them to pursue high-tech careers. The Chairman’s Award is presented annually to an individual or organization that has made a significant impact on the growth of technology in this region, and/or the advancement of Greater Richmond as a center for technology innovation. The award recognizes results that are the product of great leadership, great execution, great process implementation, great innovative ideas, and great talent.

RichTech

McDonnell puts jobs commission to work

Virginia can't rest on its pro-business reputation and must be more aggressive in marketing its assets and competing for jobs, state leaders said Wednesday.

"This is a top priority for what faces our people right now," Gov. Bob McDonnell told members of his Economic Development and Jobs Creation Commission.

McDonnell called the state's 7.4 percent unemployment rate "absolutely unacceptable" and said: "It's nice that it's a couple of percentage points below the national average, but that doesn't make you feel good when you go to Martinsville and see 20 percent of the people unemployed."

McDonnell's 64-member commission is charged with making recommendations on improving the state's business climate, improving economic development programs and incentives, and considering additional legislative and policy changes.

The full commission will hold public meetings in July and September before delivering recommendations to McDonnell in October. The commission is co-chaired by Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling and Bob Sledd, the governor's unpaid senior economic adviser. The panel includes Cabinet members, legislators and business leaders.

McDonnell won legislative support for a package of economic development incentives that he said will give him "more tools than any other governor has had to tell the Virginia story."
Additional steps are needed to keep Virginia competitive with other states and other countries, administration officials said.

"The reality is, we became a little bit complacent," said Sledd, adding that Virginia lags behind other states in attracting jobs in growing industry sectors such as biotechnology and advanced manufacturing.

The Roanoke Times© May 6, 2010
By Michael Sluss