Society of Women Engineers Awards Jonna Gerken the 2006 Distinguished New Engineer Award.

Jonna Gerken recognized at SWE's annual conference for demonstrating outstanding technical performance in the first 10 years of her engineering career

CHICAGO -- The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) today announced Jonna Gerken a recipient of SWE's 2006 Distinguished New Engineer Award. Gerken is being recognized for contributions to the defense industry, leadership on the local and regional levels of the Society of Women Engineers, and promoting SWE and the engineering profession to young people.

Jonna Gerken is currently the Configuration & Affordability Manager for the Pratt & Whitney F135 Engine Exhaust Nozzle team in East Hartford, Conn. The F135 is the military fighter engine for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. This position requires her to oversee the cost, weight, and design configuration of the hardware used in the F135 Nozzle. Gerken is responsible for managing these items and reporting progress to the Pratt & Whitney JSF Program Office and the US Government Program Office. She was chosen for this high profile position because of her ability to present information clearly, concisely, and with confidence to the upper management of the company.

"In her position, Jonna Gerken was responsible for leading a high-profile team from conception to delivery," says Jude Garzolini, president of the Society of Women Engineers. "She has shown incredible leadership and focus throughout her career path.

Prior to her current position within the Pratt Whitney, Gerken has also held various engineering leadership positions within the company. She started in the company as senior manufacturing engineer and was responsible for engineering, tooling & process lines of the Tubes & Manifolds Business Unit. She then moved on to fill the position of cell leader, where she was responsible for allocation & supervision of department employees and resources to increase productivity, on-time deliveries, and reduce overdue orders. Following this position, Gerken took on a new direction when she served as a human resources representative, where she was charged with compliance with the company Performance Management Process (employee evaluations and development plans), and where she coordinated Co-op & Intern Program activities, evaluations, and exit interviews.

"Jonna faced significant constraints of schedule and budget, but deftly guided her team through one of the most difficult, technically complex, and visible product launches in the company," says Andrew Harris, former JSF Exhaust System CIPT member for Pratt Whitney. "She has led her team to overcome two major hurdles that have stumped other IPT leaders at Pratt Whitney individually."

In addition to her professional accomplishments, Gerken has contributed greatly to SWE through her active participation at the local level. Gerken, a life member, joined SWE as a student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and served as Outreach Coordinator. After graduating, she joined the SWE-Hartford section and since then has served as section Secretary for nearly 10 years, Ceremony Moderator of Certificate of Merit awards for more than four years, Region F membership coordinator for more than five years, and a Region F council member for five years. She is currently the SWE National Membership Committee Chair.

Gerken received both her B.S. degree in industrial and management engineering and her M.B.A. degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

The Distinguished New Engineer Award honors women engineers who have been actively engaged in engineering, demonstrated outstanding technical performance, and have had no more than 10 years of cumulative engineering experience. Each advanced engineering degree obtained on a full-time basis counts as one year of experience.

The 2006 Distinguished New Engineers Award will be formally presented Friday night, October 13 at the Society of Women Engineers' National Conference Achievement Award Banquet in Kansas City, Mo. The National Conference, "Women Blazing Technology Trails," is being held at the Kansas City Convention Center in Kansas City, Mo. October 12-14. The more than 4,000 attendees include professionals from every discipline of the engineering profession and a large number of engineering students and educators. The 2007 Conference is scheduled for October 25-27 in Nashville, Tenn.

About SWE

The Society of Women Engineers (SWE), founded in 1950, is a not-for-profit educational and service organization. SWE is the driving force that establishes engineering as a highly desirable career aspiration for women. SWE empowers women to succeed and advance in those aspirations and be recognized for their life-changing contributions and achievements as engineers and leaders. For more information about the Society please visit www.swe.org or call [phone].