Award Recipients Named in Fifth Annual Women Tech Awards

SALT LAKE CITY, Sept. 27 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Women Tech Council (WTC) recognized seven technology-focused women who are driving innovation, leading technology companies and contributing to the community and presented an Impact Award to an outstanding executive in the Fifth Annual Women Tech Awards held today at the Grand America Hotel.

The event, presented by EnergySolutions, Ernst & Young, Stoel Rives, USTAR, Zions Bank Women's Financial Group and MountainWest Capital Network, was keynoted by Whitney Johnson, founding partner of Rose Park Advisors and Clayton Christensen's partner.

Over the past five years WTC has recognized 80 women and hosted 200 STEM students at the event. This past year the WTC launched a program that presented scholarships to four high school students pursuing STEM degrees. This year's awards also included the Academic Excellence Award for university-level students and the Impact Award.

Award recipients are as follows: 

Academic Excellence – Dolly Holt, University of Utah

-       Leadership Excellence – Joy De Lisser, ATK Alliant Techsystems Inc.
-       Technology Excellence – Sheh Bertram, Zions Bancorporation
-       Trailblazer – Alison Wistner, Mercato Partners
-       Professional Excellence – Heather Deason Zynczak, Domo
-       Outstanding Entrepreneur – Jeanette Haren, Truenorthlogic
-       Educational Excellence – Susan L. Thackeray, Utah Valley University

The Impact Award went to Josh James of Domo.

"Today's award recipients represent the tremendous women technology leaders who lead the way in the tech community," said Cydni Tetro, Executive Director of the WTC. "We are honored to recognize these inspirational leaders."

The 2012 finalists, listed alphabetically, are as follows:

• Sheh Bertram, Zions Bancorporation
• Jennifer Beyer, Allegiance, Inc.
• Lyda S. Bigelow, University of Utah
• Jill Canales, 3form, Inc.
• Joy De Lisser, ATK Alliant Techsystems Inc.
• Jeanette Haren, Truenorthlogic
• Janna J. Lewis, Holland & Hart LLP
• Gina Sanzenbacher, Jordan Applied Technology Center
• Cory Schaeffer, Listen Technologies
• Sabrina Stover, BidSync
• Susan L. Thackeray, Utah Valley University
• Shauna Leavitt Theobald, Utah Valley University
• Christy Whitehouse, The Summit Group Communications
• Alison Wistner, Mercato Partners
• Heather Deason Zynczak, Domo

The five Academic Excellence Finalists are:

• Amberly Evans, Utah State University, Physics
• Dolly Holt, University of Utah, Bioengineering
• Heather Wark, University of Utah, M.D./Ph.D. in Bioengineering
• Stacey Janel Smith, Brigham Young University, Ph.D. Physical Chemistry and Xray
• Malgorzata Rycewicz-Borecki, Utah State University, Environmental Engineering

About Women Tech Council
Founded in 2007, the Women Tech Council was designed to be an advocate for women who are currently working for technology companies and for those that may work for businesses in other market sectors working with technology in their job roles.

We provide leadership, resources and mentoring for women while maintaining a strong bond with the business community supporting avenues for top technology talent and visible sponsorship opportunities. We support women-owned and women-operated technology companies. We pride ourselves on recognizing women leaders and entrepreneurs in the technology business and supporting them.

For more information on Women Tech Council, visit: www.womentechcouncil.org. 

FOR INFORMATION: Kristin Wright, Women Tech Council, e-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE Women Tech Council