George Washington University's Bonig, Vangent's George, and the District's Kundra are Honored as IT's Best
(ROCKVILLE, MD) – November 7, 2008 – The Tech Council of Maryland, representing the nation's second largest technology hub, announced the winners of the 2008 CIO&CTOLive! Awards, before a sell-out crowd at the association's annual dinner Thursday night.
In its third year, the CIO&CTOLive! Awards Ceremony has tripled its attendance to become the fastest growing awards program in the region. More than 410 IT professionals attended this year and award nominations increased by 46 percent over the previous year. Congressman Chris Van Hollen was one of more than one dozen political dignitaries in attendance and Jess Reed, Group Vice President and Chief Information Officer of GEICO Insurance gave the keynote speech and helped celebrate the booming IT market in the mid-Atlantic region.
"The awards honor the accomplishments of the most influential chief technology officers, chief information officers and senior IT leaders in the mid-Atlantic region," said Rick Harris, executive director of the MdTech division of the Tech Council of Maryland. "Their achievements and vision have not only significantly benefited their own organizations, but have raised the bar on quality and innovation throughout the IT industry throughout the mid-Atlantic Region."
TCM awarded the honor of Association/Non Profit IT Executive of the Year to Ronald Bonig, vice president and chief information officer of The George Washington University. Mr. Bonig created an information technology organization that sets the standard for higher education institutions. TCM singled out his implementation of a university-wide wireless network and overhaul of the university's student and alumni e-mail system.
John George, chief information officer of Vangent was named as Commercial IT Executive of the Year. Following an organizational restructuring that left Vangent as a stand-alone company after 25 years of history, Mr. George spearheaded the comprehensive implementation of new IT infrastructure and an enterprise wide ERP system. TCM noted that Mr. George and his team did it all in a record-breaking six months.
The District of Columbia's chief technology officer, Vivek Kundra, won honors as Government Sector IT Executive of the Year. Under Mr. Kundra's leadership, thousands of District residents now have access to city government information and services. TCM observed that Mr. Kundra has made the District the model for interactive citizen engagement through live data feeds and datasets.
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ABOUT THE TECH COUNCIL OF MARYLAND, INC.
The Tech Council of Maryland (TCM) is the largest technology trade group serving the advanced technology and biotechnology communities of Maryland. TCM's mission is to advocate for the interests of the technology community, further the role of technology in the Maryland economy, and nurture an environment where technology companies can collaborate, grow and succeed. For more information, visit www.techcouncilmd.com.