ChaTech, the Chattanooga Technology Council, announces the first annual Technology Excellence Awards. The inaugural TechX Awards recognized regional companies for outstanding involvement, achievements and accomplishments in the Chattanooga technology community.
The awards were well received by the community. Across the 10 categories, there were 70 nominations among 33 companies.
The finalists and winners are:
CxO of the Year - Honors a senior technology executive, such as a VP or C-Suite, for their innovation and creativity in planning and deploying enterprise systems, future technology goals, management philosophies, and service to the industry and community.
- Winner: BCBST: Jennifer Butler, A strategic thinker who also gets things done
- City of Chattanooga: Brent Messer
- Kenco Group: Steve Hitchings
Technology Leader of the Year - Recognizes a key executive, manager level or above, whose knowledge and skill with technology has helped them grow and shape their companies.
- Groxio: Bruce Tate
- Rhinogram: Kathy Ford
- Winner: Text Request: Rob Reagan, Technology leader in addition to being a leader of a tech company
Security Leader of the Year - Recognizes a security leader, manager level or above, who demonstrates excellence, innovation, and leadership in information security.
- InfoSystems: Fred Cobb
- Ionado Group: Lemon Williams
- Winner: Kenco Logistics Services: Wes Floyd, Security is considered a revenue center, not a cost center
Data Analytics: Professional or Team of the Year - Celebrates the individual or team that has executed a data or analytics implementation to enhance organizational decision-making and operations. Includes Data Science, Analytics, Business Intelligence, Data Engineers, Database Developer, ETL, etc.
- Winner: FreightWaves Team, Aggregates data feeds from more than 200 sources. Team members: Brad Hill, Daniel Pickett, David Holt, Jason Baker, John Ellis, Kate Fisher, and Scott Worland.
- Kenco Logistics Services Team
- PlayCore: Jon Schier
Infrastructure Team of the Year - Recognizes the IT Infrastructure team who has led unparalleled business transformation through the use of infrastructure technologies. Includes Network Admin, Server Admin, Firewall Admin, etc.
- InfoSystems
- Kenco Logistics Services
- Winner: PlayCore, Team of 5 who integrated multiple acquisitions. Team members: Adam Dyer, Andy Takach, Craig Soborowicz, Doug Emmer, Jared Bartlett, Scott Sidwell, Travis Duncan.
Software Developer of the Year - Celebrates an individual who has made significant contributions to the advancement of software development.
- Chatt State: Bill Crum
- Winner: EirSystems: Kenston O’Neal, Uses a buzzword technology to accomplish something meaningful
- Kenco Logistics Services: Trever Ehrlich
Tech Company of the Year - Recognizes a service provider company that has demonstrated exceptional insight and innovation using technological strategies to improve productivity, enhance organizational performance, and/or develop new markets.
- FreightWaves
- Mike Collins & Associates
- Winner: Text Request, Solves communication barriers and named a Best Place to Work
Unsung Tech Hero of the Year - Distinguishes the unheralded technology superstar, in the trenches, paving the way for a successful implementation, a smooth business day, or a working desktop device. May be an individual or a team.
- Chattanooga State Community College: Savitha Pinnepalli
- Kenco Logistics Services: Jennifer Edwards
- Winner: STEM School of Chattanooga, Hamilton County Schools: Kristin Burrus, A driving educational and pedagogical force
Early Innovator Award - Honors an emerging or existing technology-based company with a prototype product, a new process, or early-stage software application with the potential for a significant competitive advantage or groundbreaking disruption in its field.
- Base Camp Health
- BCBST: Robotics Process Automation Journey
- Winner: Bite Force Amp Controller, Potential game changer for the industry
Project of the Year - Recognizes the most innovative, imaginative, and successful project in either the public or private sector. This winner will show how they responded to changing customer needs as well as growing business demands.
- Kenco Logistics Services: Comprehensive Cloud Strategic Initiative
- TVA: Hydro Wireless
- Winner: Unum: Global NOC Monitoring Project, Innovation while creating automation. Team members: Debbie Thornbury, Elya Kurktchi, Michael Smith, Phil Jones.
ChaTech Executive Director Carla Askonas said, “ChaTech is so proud to launch the Chattanooga Technology Excellence Awards, or TechX. We’re thrilled to honor those professionals whose leadership, creativity, innovation, and perseverance have made a difference for their colleagues, their companies, and our community.”
The call for nominations for the 2021 TechX awards will go out in early 2021.
For more information, visit the website at ChaTechCouncil.org
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