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Judges Announced for Illinois Technology Competition "50 For The Future"

Top Regional Companies and Institutions Partner to Find Industry's Best and Brightest Students

The Illinois Technology Foundation (ITF), the philanthropic arm of the Illinois Technology Association (ITA), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to fueling the technology workforce or employment pipeline, announced today the list of esteemed judges who will be selecting the top 50 Illinois technology students this year.

The judges represent a cross-section of corporate, non-profit and academic leaders. They include CEOs and CIOs, public sector executives and heads of organizations supporting and cultivating technology talent in Illinois.

"We have assembled a strong panel of judges to ensure that nominees are reviewed by a range of employers and organizations in Illinois," said Ray Oral, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at CNA and 50 For The Future co-chair. "Our universities educate some of this country's finest technology talent; and we want to expose that talent among our employers. Doing so will enable Illinois to be recognized for its technology talent pool which can be leveraged to drive economic growth."

The judges will select the top 50 award recipients and attend the winners' celebration on April 13 hosted by CNA. The event will give student winners an opportunity to meet and network with the judges before they receive their awards in the presence of their families and professors.

"50 For The Future is a unique, collaborative community effort," said Karen Gordon, President at Karen Gordon & Associates and 50 For The Future co-chair. "Asking technology leaders who serve as judges to identify talent in our post-secondary institutions connects nominees with future mentors and employers. Students are recognized by leading companies and linked to resources to help them reach their career goals."

2010 judges include:



Industry Judges
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Frank B. Modruson, CIO                            Accenture
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John Golden, EVP                                  Athlete's Performance
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Catherine Brune, CIO                              Allstate Insurance Company
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Karenann Terrell, CVP, CIO                        Baxter
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John Hinshaw, CIO                                 The Boeing Company
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Steven Elliott, SVP of Global Technology & Ops    Bank of America
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Raymond R. Oral, EVP, CIO                         CNA
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Chris Gladwin, CEO                                Cleversafe
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Glenn Schneider, CIO                              Discover
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Daniel Hill, SVP, CIO                             Exelon
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Dieter Marlovics, CIO                             Gelber Group
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Ken Pelletier                                     Groupon
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Catherine Kozik, CVP, IT                          Motorola
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Daniel Fallon, VP & CTO                           Navistar
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Aaron Crane, VP Technology                        NAVTEQ
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Lac Tran, SVP & CIO                               Rush University Medical
                                                  Center
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Leslie Weber, SVP, CIO                            TrueValue
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Christian Anschuetz, SVP, CIO                     Underwriters Laboratories
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Keith Halbert, SVP/CIO                            United Airlines
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Tawfik Sharkasi, Chief Science & Tech Officer     Wm Wrigley Jr. Company
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Education Judges
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Howard Tullman, CEO                               Flashpoint Academy
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Sandee Kastrul, CEO                               i.c.stars
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Susan Malish, CIO                                 Loyola University
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Pat Todus, Deputy CIO                             Northwestern University
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Public Sector Judges
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Hardik Bhatt, CIO                                 City of Chicago
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Ellen Barry, CIO                                  MPEA
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Greg Wass, CIO - Office of Governor Pat Quinn     State of Illinois
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Association and Foundation Judges
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Paul Dittman, Chicago President                   AITP
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John Rico, Chair Tech2020                         Chicagoland Chamber of
                                                  Commerce
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Thomas Kuczmarski, Founder                        Chicago Innovation Awards
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Jen Brady, President, Fred & Associates           Chicago Interactive Media
                                                  Assoc.
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Fred Hoch, President                              Illinois Technology
                                                  Association
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Terry Howerton, Chairman                          Illinois Technology
                                                  Association
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Orlando Saez, President                           Latino Technology Alliance
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Sharon Burns, CIO                                 MacArthur Foundation
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Michael Kraus, Co-Chair                           Mayor's Council of Tech
                                                  Advisors
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Mark Griesbaum, President                         SIM-Chicago
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Pat Moroney, President                            Technology Leaders
                                                  Association
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Marion Cook, Chicago Director                     Women in Technology Int'l
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About the Illinois Technology Foundation

The Illinois Technology Foundation's mission is to support the development of a technology talent pipeline that begins in elementary school, is refined in high school, and is fully developed in our region's higher education graduates. The Foundation facilitates relationships and efforts across industry, academia, students, and government, developing and managing targeted programs within the talent pipeline. Through action, leadership, and collaboration, the Foundation supports and nurtures the technology talent to ensure a viable and a regional wealth creating economy. The Foundation is the philanthropy arm of the Illinois Technology Association (ITA), a membership organization of more than 500 Illinois technology companies who support the development of a stronger technology talent pipeline in the region. Additional information is available at www.illinoistechfoundation.org.

About the Illinois Technology Association

The Illinois Technology Association (ITA) is passionately committed to the successful growth of our member-companies and the regional technology industry. ITA champions the interests of start-ups and industry leaders, innovation agents and students as independent and collaborative thought leaders who leverage the power of technology to transform business. Through fostering strategic development, peer-to-peer leadership, networking, and access to experts across the breadth of business, membership in ITA accelerates the realization of success. For more information about ITA, please visit www.illinoistech.org.