Charlottesville, VA, June 15, 2005—The Virginia Piedmont Technology Council (VPTC), the most vibrant tech-focused business alliance in Central Virginia, elected its officers and board of directors for 2005-2006 at the Council’s annual membership lunch held on Wednesday, June 15. Outgoing Chair, Suzanne Jackson, President of Four Leaf Public Relations, handed the gavel to incoming Chair, Jeff Cornejo Vice President of Blue Ridge Internetworks. Jackson also presented the findings of VPTC’s first Industry Future Summit.

“VPTC has built a strong foundation for the future,” said Ms. Jackson. “VPTC created a 5 year strategic plan, increased its membership by 40%, and had record-breaking participation in its programs. The tremendous success of VPTC’s 2 newest events, The Annual Symposium and Tech Tour, illustrates the influential role VPTC plays in helping the Piedmont region become the home to new technology pioneers,” said Jackson.

“In our Industry Future Summit (IFS), our technology leaders reported that we are one-third to one-half the way to ‘critical mass’ in the tech sector,” she added. “One participant in the IFS likened Charlottesville to Austin, Texas in the 1970s and early 1980s.” The Industry Future Summit meeting was held last month, bringing 11 industry leaders together for a full-day discussion on the technology environment in the Virginia Piedmont region. They took a look at industry influencing forces and trends that will change the market, and identified anticipated actions and reactions among industry players. The IFS concluded that the Piedmont region’s potential is vast and the technology industry has the opportunity to grow and prosper.

Jeff Cornejo praised immediate Past Chair Jackson, and further articulated the vision for VPTC and the region. “The future VPTC will build upon the efforts of our past leaders and volunteers. We recognize all of the dedication and hard work over the past seven years that has enabled us to evolve and grow the organization. We look forward to carrying this momentum forward,” said Cornejo.

The VPTC Officers and Directors for 2005-2006 include:

Officers:
Chairman: Jeff Cornejo, Blue Ridge InternetWorks
Vice Chair: Gary Henry, G.F. Henry & Associates
Administrative Officer: Mike Culp, County of Albemarle
Treasurer: Phil Kirby, Barton Malow
Communications Chair: Tracey Linkous, Diffusion Pharmaceuticals
Membership Chair: Mike Cherniawski, Privaris Inc.

Board Members: Bob Burnett, Burger Center for Biological Chemistry, University of Virginia; Trienet Coggeshall, The Batten Institute At the Darden School; Dave Dallas, Williams Mullen; Robin Felder, University of Virginia Medical Automation Center; Gretchen Gehrett, G2 Marketing; Edwin Jackson, LexisNexis; Dave Keller, nTelos; Michael Latsko, ExploreLearning; Walt Levering, Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology; Pace Lochte, University of Virginia Gateway; Tim Macdonald, University of Virginia; Linda Zecher, Microsoft Corp; Dr. Frank Friedman, Piedmont Virginia Community College; Mark Herzog, Virginia Biotechnology Association; Aubrey Watts, City of Charlottesville; David Matt, Orange County Schools

About the VPTC
The Virginia Piedmont Technology Council is a membership organization for anyone with an interest in technology. The Council helps businesses succeed by providing visibility opportunities, connections to shared interest groups and decision-makers, and access to the latest technology trends. Eleven volunteer committees help produce 30 programs, attracting more than 1600 participants annually. Founded in 1997, VPTC is headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia. Call 434.817.6300 for more information or visit www.vptc.org.