Following is a high-level look into the latest spring news and benefits from the Michigan Council of Women in Technology (MCWT). Click on the included links for more information where available.
Please join us in meeting and congratulating MCWT’s 2007 scholarship and laptop recipients at MCWT’s second biggest event of the year! The annual event also recognizes the generosity of our dedicated 2006-2007 corporate sponsors who make the scholarship program possible and support MCWT events, seminars and skill shops throughout the year. The evening event will feature strolling hors d’oeuvres and relaxed networking in a beautiful setting. Register here or contact Beth Messacar for more information at bmcar@ameritech.net.
Time: 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Place: Birmingham Country Club, Main Ballroom
1750 Saxon Drive
Birmingham, MI 48009
Cost: Member, Non-Members, and Students – $50
Join us May 9 for an unrivaled networking opportunity. Meet, greet and exchange knowledge with the region’s leading technology executives while supporting the kick off of the exclusive Midwest Technology Leaders 2007 conference. In this beautiful setting, we will be connecting those who are chartering the future of the Midwest region today and creating the roadmap with the visionaries of tomorrow. Fifty percent of all proceeds from the reception will go to Michigan Council for Women in Technology Foundation (MCWTF). MCWTF is dedicated to inspiring and assisting girls and women in Michigan to pursue technology education and careers by providing educational programs and scholarships.
The cocktail reception will be in conjunction with the announcement of the 2007 Michigan Corporate Commitment and the 2007 Midwest Collaboration Awards.
Date: Wednesday, May 9
Time: 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Place: Royal Park Hotel
600 East University Drive
Rochester, MI 48307
Cost: $ 30 Pre-Registered / $35 Door — Open to the Public
Includes beer, wine, and hors d'oeuvres
Event Agenda:
Two leading Michigan technology organizations, MCWT and the Society of Information Management, are collaborating to host a fundraising event to strengthen the direction of Michigan’s IT industry and support professionals pursuing IT careers.
As globalization and changing business demands affect the local economy, the advancement of the IT profession through educational programs, research projects, student interest groups, robotics teams, and other forms of charitable outreach is more important than ever. Proceeds from ticket sales will propel those initiatives, and more.
Please join the Foundation arms of both organizations for a networking golf outing at Devil's Ridge Golf Club in Oxford. Rated by Golf Digest as one of the top three best golf courses and most “woman-friendly” courses in Southern Michigan, Devil’s Ridge is an ideal venue for this enjoyable and worthwhile event. The day will feature a golf demonstration followed by a scramble format shotgun start. After the game, guests will enjoy an evening of cocktails, dinner and keynote address from a prominent Michigan “mover and shaker.”
Pre-event registration is required. There is no registration the day of the events. Sorry – free event passes are not accepted for this event. If you would like to attend, register here, or contact Michelle Calandre for more information at michelle.calandre@eds.com. Stay tuned for more details.
Time: 11:45 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Check-in begins at 11 a.m.
Cocktails, Dinner and Keynote Speaker from 6-8 p.m.
Place: Devil's Ridge Golf Club
3700 Metamora Road
Oxford, MI 48371
Map link
Cost: Full day for Members/Students: $100; evening-only (6-8 p.m.): $35
Full day for Non-Members: $150; evening-only (6-8 p.m.): $50
No free passes redeemed for this event.
Full day includes 18 holes with cart, driving range access, boxed lunch, four golf beverage tickets, filet mignon and chicken dinner, two dinner drink tickets, and keynote address. Evening-only program includes filet mignon and chicken dinner, two dinner drink tickets, and keynote address. Check-in for evening-only program begins at 5:30 p.m.
“GEEK MYTHOLOGY” (Lessons from The Goddesses of IT!)MCWT held its second annual Symposium, titled “Geek Mythology: Career Lessons from the Goddesses of IT,” on Tuesday, April 3, at Lawrence Technological University (LTU.) Attended by over 200 people, the event was a rousing success! It provided vital, non-technical business skills and inspiration for university students and corporate professionals, while offering a chance to meet with high-profile keynote speakers, panelists and workshop leaders. We wish to thank the speakers, presenters, volunteers and LTU for your unselfish gift of hosting and taking time out of your busy schedules to share your knowledge, experiences and life lessons.
“Geek Mythology” featured an interactive session on how to network during lunch, facilitated by Tamme Quinn Grzebyk, followed by a keynote from Fara Warner, author of “The Power of the Purse”. Guests attended breakout sessions that were facilitated by accomplished female executives and entrepreneurs:
Sessions Included:
Following the breakout sessions, there was a panel discussion moderated by Michelle Pallas, Lighthouse Consulting Partners, on Life Transitions and Choices. Panelists included:
After dinner, the evening concluded with a keynote by Lynne Ellyn, CIO of DTE Energy, on Creating A Vision for Your Life.
A huge thank you to ArvinMeritor and Jeanne Booth for hosting the very successful Café Conversations networking event. Nearly 100 MCWT members and associates gathered at ArvinMeritor in Troy for an evening of networking that met with rave reviews.
The evening kicked off with remarks from ArvinMeritor senior vice president, Lin Cummings. She shared insights with the group from her own career. Topping the list of necessary skills, Lin acknowledged the importance of building and maintaining a strong network for professional advancement and success.
The participants then broke into small discussion groups to talk about a range of topics from intuition and change led by the brave sole male facilitator, Jim Hebler of Sungard, to the benefits of thinking outside the box, led by Kathleen Norton-Schock of Onset Marketing.
Participants enthusiastically shared knowledge and insights on a variety of topics. Each had the opportunity to rotate and engage in three conversations, giving everyone an opportunity to interact and learn from an expanding network. Most expressed an interest in participating in future events like this one. The events committee is hopeful that this will become a signature annual event. A heartfelt thanks to all whose efforts made this event a success!
Tammé Quinn GrzebykDeveloping strong relationships and building upon her network in the technology industry were the primary motivators for Tammé when she joined MCWT in November of 2006. Since joining, Tammé has been actively involved with both the membership and events committee.
“I’ve met a number of really great people since joining MCWT. They have been helpful in providing feedback on my business and been instrumental in introducing me to other interesting and supportive MCWT members,” explained Tammé when talking about her experience with MCWT.
Tammé’s company, VerbalWise, LLC., was founded to help dissimilar teams work in harmony, uniting people to process. Who among us hasn’t experienced the pain of rolling out a new system or process only to have it create chaos? Tammé is a certified trainer/speaker on Tongue Fu!®, martial arts for the mouth.
She brings an eclectic set of experiences to her engagements, having worked in industries including manufacturing, logistics, information technology, higher education and health care. Putting her belief in the power of communication and technology to work, Tammé will be hosting a radio talk show beginning this spring. The one-hour program focusing on business communications, networking and corporate collaboration will air on the leading Internet radio network, VoiceAmerica. Details are available on her web site, www.verbalwise.com.
In addition to running her business, Tammé is married, the mother of an energetic, two year old daughter, and lives in Plymouth. If you are interested in speaking to Tammé, or learning how Tongue Fu!® works, contact her at Tamme@verbalwise.com.
This is a new feature that we hope to share with you in each newsletter. There are so many interesting and talented people who are part of the organization it is almost impossible to meet them all in person. We thought the member profile was a way to introduce you to the diversity and wisdom of other members. If you think the person can help you or that you might have something to offer pick up the phone or send an email and network.
If you would like to be the member profiled or know another member we should highlight please send an email to Becky Killarney from the membership committee at beckyvitalforce@aol.com.
We honor our volunteers who give of their time, not for acknowledgement, but for their commitment to community. All MCWT volunteers are essential to supporting the Council and the Foundation. Without them we could not sustain. It is because of the volunteers that MCWT contributes 93 percent of its revenues to the Foundation. (The average non-profit goal is 75 percent.) We will continue to feature our volunteers in upcoming newsletters. Thank you to all those who serve… you truly make a difference to society!
Rebecca Johnson of The Quell Group, is a hard working member of the Communications Team. As a tireless volunteer, she prepares and provides the press and media releases to support MCWT events. She has been instrumental in developing a comprehensive communications plan for MCWT. Becky always makes time, on the shortest of notice, to work with both the Council and Foundation.
Becky was recently promoted to account executive with The Quell Group. She is responsible for implementing strategic communications initiatives, public and media relations, and special events for The Quell Group’s automotive, logistics and civil engineering clientele. You can send a congratulatory email to Becky at rjohnson@quell.com.
Tonya Thomas, president of Kappa Beta Computer Solutions, and currently serving St. Mary Mercy Hospital as webmaster and production specialist, has been an unselfish volunteer to MCWT for over 2 years. She contributes, supports, and prepares this e-Newsletter.
With over 15 years of professional experience, Tonya is dedicated to the philosophy of sharing knowledge and expertise in a friendly and effective manner. She serves as an ambassador of the ‘Information Age,’ which she believes is boundless. Her goal is to give those around her the resources and the knowledge to make technology work for them – not against them – and is always looking for new opportunities to further this cause. You can acknowledge Tonya at tonya@kappabeta.com.
The membership committee is pleased to announce that MCWT added 96 new members in 2006, bringing total membership to over 450 members. The trend continues in 2007, with 22 new members already this year. This greatly outpaces results from the same time last year. We largely attribute this growth to the ability of MCWT to meet the expectations of our members.
Opportunity to Get Involved: Bring a FriendHave you invited a friend or co-worker to get involved with MCWT? We all know the value of a personal referral or invitation in connecting people. Do you know someone who should be involved and isn’t? Bring them on board – send them the MCWT web site link; forward them the quarterly member newsletter; commit to invite someone you know to attend the next event with you. Remember that you may invite a guest to participate in an event at the member rate. Bring them along to the next networking event!
The strength of the organization comes from our ability to meet members’ needs and expectations. With this in mind, we have been contacting new members to determine their satisfaction level and generate input on what we’re doing right and what we could be doing differently. We are then taking the feedback and looking for action steps to improve the organization.
The overwhelming majority of members join the organization for networking opportunities with other IT professionals. There is a high level of satisfaction with the events that we are offering and there is a strong feeling that we should be offering even more opportunities to get together and network. As with any group, there is a varied opinion about timing and type of event. The message here is to look for MCWT to offer even more quality opportunities.
There was a definite desire to hear from more speakers who are opinion leaders and trendsetters. Tales from the trenches offer an opportunity for learning and connecting. The events committee is working to offer quality programming that makes a difference. Let them hear from you and consider becoming involved.
Opportunity to Get Involved: Recommend someone as an outstanding speaker.If you know of someone we should be asking to speak for the group, please be sure to contact Susan Andrews from the events committee at susan.andrews@ca.com.
New members found the MCWT web site informative and helpful in getting information. As a result the membership committee is currently working to add a ‘members only’ feature to the MCWT web site. This section will provide information on how to contact other members, connect those who are seeking mentoring opportunities and much more. As with any organization we are working to maximize our need for new functionality with the available volunteers and financial resources. We anticipate the new members only section will be launched within the next several months.
But! — there is more to be done!!!
Opportunity To Get Involved: Volunteer to help keep our web site content updated.We all have busy schedules and over-commit our time, yet we always seem to find time for the things that matter. If you believe MCWT matters and communication with members is critical, and you have the ability and skill to contribute to keeping our web site content lively and up-to-date, please contact Deb Swink from the membership committee at deb.swink@csileasing.com to volunteer. We could make a big impact if you would commit 30 minutes per month to assist in updating web site information. Better yet, find a friend and share the responsibility.
A surprising fact was that only 50 percent of our new members were aware that a portion of their membership dues are supporting the MCWT Foundation that provides scholarships for girls pursuing careers in IT.
Your participation in MCWT supports the activities of the MCWT Foundation, a 501c(3) organization, dedicated to reducing the growing gender disparity in the information technology field. The Foundation accomplishes this by attacking the problem at several levels – education of parents and teachers; the education and support of girls and young women in school; and through support of women in technology at all stages of their professional lives.
Opportunity To Get Involved: Support the CauseAre you interested in supporting young women in developing an interest in IT as career contact Rosemary Bayer at rosemary.bayer@sun.com to find out how you can participate in or support the Summer Technology Camp. Know someone we should contact about making a donation to support the cause? Contact Jane Sydlowski at janes@amistrategies.com with the information.
MCWT continues to grow and be valuable in the lives of our members. We are pleased to receive your feedback on what we can do to continue being the kind of organization in which you feel your valuable time is best invested. Remember – as with most things, the true value you receive depends directly on what you put into it.
Volunteer Recognition Week is April 15 – 21, 2007 Operations needs volunteers with web site design and build. We are also seeking volunteers to support the events. These positions require flexibility and a generous commitment of approximately 10-15 hours per month. The web site is our interface to members, partners, contacts and the press so attention to detail is very important. If you are interested in joining the Operations team send an email to Gail Bernard at bernard@home.msen.com.
MCWT has an immediate need for a volunteer to help with accounting tasks. Familiarity with QuickBooks accounting software, credit card processing, financial reporting and budgeting helps, but if you are organized and willing to learn we want to hear from you. Now is the time to get involved as we close out 2006 and launch a new year! Contact Michelle Pallas at 248-526-9752 or mpallas@lcpservices.com.
Event teams are now forming to manage and work on the 2007 events. Please contact Sue Andrews (susan.andrews@ca.com) or Beth Vance (bethvance@suntel.com) to participate. We are looking for event directors, registration helpers and general volunteers.
Change the world one young person at a time - become a Partner and make a significant contribution to the community and to your company’s bottom line. If you are interested in becoming a partner, please contact Jane Sydlowski or Tracy-Ann Palmer. We look forward to hearing from you!
MCWT and MCWT Foundation would like to extend a sincere thank you to our following new Partners:
Founded in 1919 as a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors Corporation, GMAC was established to provide GM dealers with the automotive financing necessary to acquire and maintain vehicle inventories and to provide customers the means by which to finance vehicle purchases through GM dealers. Our products and services have expanded beyond automotive financing as we currently operate in three primary lines of business which include Financing, Mortgage and Insurance.
On Nov. 30, 2006, General Motors sold a 51 percent controlling interest in GMAC to a consortium of investors led by Cerberus FIM Investors, LLC, and including Citigroup Inc., Aozora Bank Ltd. and a subsidiary of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. Strengthened by the company's new ownership structure, GMAC hopes to improve its access to lower-cost funding and pursue new business opportunities going forward.
Cisco Systems is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. Today, networks are essential to the successful operation of businesses of every size, and to service providers, governments, and homes around the world.
Cisco hardware, software, and service offerings are used to create the Internet solutions that make these networks possible - giving individuals, companies, and countries easy access to information anywhere, at any time. The Cisco name has become synonymous with the Internet, as well as with the productivity improvements that networked business solutions provide.
Vertabase was founded in 1997. First launched in 1999, Vertabase's flagship product Vertabase Pro provides advanced resource planning, easy-to-use project management, project tracking and comprehensive document management.
Award-winning Vertabase Pro project management software organizes people and projects by simplifying, centralizing and accelerating access to critical up-to-date information. Vertabase Pro project management software facilitates management by providing a framework for increased productivity. It is used by industry leading companies to help manage projects in marketing, communications, web-development, IT and general operations or production.
In business since 1965, Keane, Inc. (NYSE: KEA) is a leading business process and IT services firm. Keane delivers Application and Business Process Services to help clients transform their business and IT operations to achieve demonstrable, measurable, and sustainable business benefit.
CIBER® (NYSE: CBR) is a leading international system integration consultancy with superior value-priced services for both private and government sector clients. CIBER’s services are offered on a project or strategic staffing basis, in both custom and enterprise resource planning (ERP) package environments, and across all technology platforms, operating systems and infrastructures.
 www.accretivesolutions.com, A Dickson-Allan Company |
 www.analysts.com |
Educate, Inspire, Succeed…
With the generous support of AT&T, this year’s MCWT Foundation Summer Camp for technology-oriented girls in grades 4 – 8 is scheduled for July 16 – 20 at Lawrence Technological University. The camp will serve 40 girls, interested in various technology topics (including web design, robotics etc.). As in previous years, a number of our corporate sponsors are also invited to speak to the girls in inspirational morning kickoff sessions, or participate by sharing lunch with our lucky camp attendees. Please visit the Foundation web site at www.mcwtf.org for a copy of the camp application. Also, please contact Rosemary Bayer at rosemary.bayer@sun.com or Gloria Schneider at gloria.schneider@bcbsm.org if you would like to offer your services as a camp volunteer or speaker.
Rosemary Bayer, president of the MCWT Foundation, and Marietta Davis, general manager for Microsoft’s Heartland District (representing one of the Foundation’s strong corporate sponsors) spent 23 minutes on Saturday, March 24 on The Internet Advisor Show on WJR Radio (760 AM) discussing a variety of MCWT Foundation-related topics including:
The show’s “special guests” also included Kalena Porter, an enthusiastic member of our GET-IT program, and Julie Patterson, the faculty advisor for GET-IT. This is the second time that WJR and the show’s hosts have welcomed us, this year. The first interview (Jan, 2007) )is on the Foundation web site; and this second (March) interview is at www.wjr.com/Sectional.asp?id=6528.
Scholarship Winners Selected!Over 60 worthy applications (a 600 percent increase in the number of applications from the inception of the MCWT Foundation Scholarship Program!) were received this year for the MCWT Foundation University scholarship and laptop program. Our 6 lucky recipients (3 for scholarships and 3 for laptops and software) will be announced at the May 3rd Partner Recognition and Scholarship event at the Birmingham Country Club. Please visit www.mcwt.org for more information about that event; and please stay tuned for the names and backgrounds of our winners (who will be featured on the Foundation web site after they are formally announced on 5/3/2007.)
The first active MCWT Foundation University SIG met twice recently; and the group has a strong interest in short-term internships and “job shadowing” programs. All MCWT members, whose organizations or corporations sponsor such programs, are urged to contact Pam Lowry, Foundation Director for University Programs, at lowry@ltu.edu. Pam is also looking for individual volunteers to meet with SIG group students, and to speak at upcoming meetings.
With the strong support of ArvinMeritor (Jeanne Booth and Roxanne Hayes), production of a video aimed at the high school audience, with a theme of highlighting successful women role models in the IT field and encouraging girls’ technology aspirations, is underway. Julie Patterson, who heads our GET-IT Program, has been instrumental in recruiting select high school girls to provide input on the content. We are soliciting volunteers and resources for video production and assistance. If you have interest in participating in this project, please contact Kathleen Norton-Schock at katensch@aol.com or Angela Wang at angela.wang@polk.com.
Gloria Schneider, our former MCWT and MCWT Foundation Treasurer, has moved to a new leadership role. She is now heading up the very active MCWT Foundation K – 12 Programs. In that capacity, Gloria will be responsible for new direction for all initiatives aimed at encouraging girls and high school young women in their information technology interests. Included are our upcoming “girls’ video” project (described above), the GET-IT program (already underway at Ferndale University High School), the annual summer camp for girls and other projects on the drawing board. Supporting Gloria will be Julie Patterson (who will, again, run this year’s camp, and leads GET-IT) and other volunteers. Thank you, Gloria, for your continuous dedication to MCWT and our mission!
Additionally, the high profile Foundation Scholarship Program has a new leader! Leah Carpenter, from Ford Motor Company, who has been instrumental for over two years on the committee, has graciously accepted a new role as Scholarship Committee Chairperson. Leah can be reached at lcarpe13@ford.com. Welcome, Leah!
The MCWT Foundation continues to need active, impassioned volunteers. We currently have 3 kinds of volunteer openings:
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