2005 Heroines in Technology Awards Presented by Women in Technology and March of Dimes; Annual Event Celebrating Community Service Raises More Than $103K for March of Dimes.

ARLINGTON, Va. -- The March of Dimes and Women in Technology announced on Friday, November 4, the recipients of the 2005 Heroines in Technology Awards. Master of Ceremonies I.J. Hudson of NBC4's "Digital Edge" program joined Women in Technology President Gayle Sweeney, Director, Web Presence of Sprint Nextel Corporation, and Heroines in Technology Chair Jen Norman, in presenting the awards at the fifth annual gala held at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner.

The Heroines in Technology Awards honor women and businesses who balance demanding roles in the fast-paced technology sector with significant philanthropic commitments in the Greater Washington community. All proceeds from the event will benefit March of Dimes programs of research, community services, education and advocacy to save babies.

2005 Heroines in Technology Award winners include:

Lifetime Achievement Award -- Lynda Alicudo, managing director, Alicudo & Associates, LLC, was recognized for her dedication and service to a number of well-respected community organizations over the years, including: Planned Parenthood, Big Sisters of America, and the Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital. In addition she has served on the Fairfax County Community Board, and the boards of The Angels Network and the Fairfax Area Christian Emergency Transition Services. At the Spirit of Faith Christian Center, Ms. Alicudo recently led a fundraising effort that netted $50,000 for the Gulf Coast Relief Effort in response to Hurricane Katrina.

The 2005 Individual Heroines in Technology winners are:

--Linda Berdine, president and founder, G&B Solutions, Inc.

--Eleanor Sullivan Friday, deputy associate deputy assistant secretary of policy, Portfolio Oversight and Execution, Department of Veterans Affairs

--Lisa Jaworski, principal security engineer, SAIC 

Additional awards presented Friday night included the following:

The Corporate Award -- Eva Neumann, president of ENC Marketing & Communications, accepted the award recognizing an organization that as a whole has shown extraordinary commitment to community service.

Other 2005 finalists that joined in the celebration included: Laura Neuman Volkman, entrepreneur in residence, Springboard Enterprises; Kathy Rigo, assistant vice president/division program manager, SAIC; and Dr. Supriya Banerjee, vice president, technology, SAIC. In the Corporate Category the finalists celebrated on Friday were Vivian Kelly, president and founder, InterProse Public Relations and Cindy Troutman, CEO and president, CGH Technologies, Inc.

"The 2005 Heroines in Technology award recipients and finalists have extraordinary stories, and we are so pleased to have this opportunity to celebrate their accomplishments," said Jen Norman, chair of Friday's Heroines in Technology event. "Their dedication and unwavering commitment to community service, while balancing demanding careers, offer inspiration to us all. We can't imagine a more worthy organization than the March of Dimes as the beneficiary of this wonderful celebration."

"At 950 members and growing, Women in Technology is a not-for-profit networking and professional development powerhouse in the Washington technology community. We are a volunteer-run organization, driven by accomplished, dedicated, professionals for whom service and giving are second nature," said WIT President Gayle Sweeney of Sprint Nextel Corporation. "It is this very passion for making a difference, this very personal commitment to community that we honor with these awards."

Nominations were considered in the areas of Biotechnology, IT Service Providers, Hardware, Software, Telecommunications, Government, Medical Technology and the Internet. For more information about the event, visit http://www.marchofdimes.com/metrodc or call Karoline Hurd at the March of Dimes at [phone], ext. 21.

The March of Dimes and Women in Technology were supported in this event by sponsors including Sprint Nextel, Freddie Mac, American Airlines, CLMS, WTOP, EFX Media, Sapient, Signal Marketing Group, SiloSmashers, and many other generous organizations including: Business Wire, ExecutiveBiz, Government Computer News, Government Executive, Potomac Tech Wire, and Washington Technology.

About WIT

Women in Technology (WIT) is a not for profit organization dedicated to offering women involved in all levels of the technology industry a wide range of professional development and networking opportunities. One of the organization's main goals is to create a forum where women in technology can be recognized and promoted as role models. WIT was founded in 1994 and has more than 950 members. For more information, please visit WIT's web site, www.womenintechnology.org.

About the March of Dimes

The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education, and advocacy to save babies and in 2003 launched a campaign to address the increasing rate of premature birth. For more information, visit the March of Dimes Web site at marchofdimes.com or its Spanish Web site at nacersano.org.