DETROIT – Phil Bertolini, CIO for Oakland County, Peter Karmanos Jr., Chairman of the Board, Compuware Corporation, and Richard Sheridan, CEO of Menlo Innovations each received awards for outstanding community contributions Wednesday night at the Midwest Technology Leaders’ awards ceremony.

The three technology leaders won the Corporate Commitment to Michigan Award given to corporate leaders who have shown innovation by contributing imaginative, cutting-edge solutions and strategies that transform and empower the Michigan community; excellence by demonstrating an unwavering and passionate promotion of all that is good about Detroit and the State of Michigan; and their actions in leading by example and mobilizing extraordinary effort to realize a vision and make a positive impact in the community.

Winning the Midwest Collaboration Award was The State of Michigan IT Department, the State’s Department of Management & Budget, Office of Retirement Services in Lansing, and Systems Technology Group (STG), in Troy, for their innovative MiAccount development. MiAccount, a web-based system that provides online access to the state of Michigan retirement system.

The Midwest Collaboration Award honors a Michigan-based partnership engaged in mutual cooperation and responsibility for achievement of a specific technology-focused goal that involves and benefits companies, organizations, individuals, local governments, academic institutions (elementary to university) and non-profit organizations.

�??The MiAccount project is really a capstone, for us, of a much larger effort to re-engineer all of our legacy processes and systems to better serve our citizenry and our employees,� said Doug Couto, Information Officer for Michigan�’s DIT. It required a very high degree of cooperation among all the parties, and the collaboration was outstanding, in my opinion.�

Corporate Commitment Award winner Bertolini was cited by MTL event Chairperson, John Crary (CIO for Lear Corporation), as an outstanding public servant and community leader.For Oakland County, Phil has led a series of amazing and innovative projects with only the latest of those being Wireless Oakland for all 62 Oakland County cities, villages, and townships and the Business Continuity Recovery Project, which will touch every department in Oakland County government,� says Crary. And he has been instrumental in leading the growth of the ConnecTech Network into over 8 chapters statewide, serving most IT professionals and vendors in the state, in some way.

Tracy-Ann Palmer, MTL’s Executive Director, noted that Karmanos has been an incredible force in the Michigan IT community for several decades. Not only is Pete legendary for philanthropy on all levels, but his singular focus on giving back to the state by headquartering the largest Michigan-based computer company right in downtown Detroit has been a tremendous boost for the renaissance of our vibrant city,� said Palmer. Additionally, he is instrumental both out in front, and behind the scenes, in countless charities and community causes. He is truly one of our best, tireless ambassadors.�

Sheridan was nominated by a variety of MTL’s executive faculty, and won the award for several things, according to Palmer. �??In addition to founding, leading and inspiring one of the most innovative companies in Southeast Michigan (Menlo Innovations), Rich has found time to meaningfully contribute to a wide variety of community projects and initiatives including Washtenaw United Way , the Ann Arbor Chamber, Ann Arbor SPARK, Washtenaw Wireless Steering Committee, Ann Arbor Chamber IMPACT 2008 Planning Committee , Milan High School Business-as-Education Partner and he is a Massachusetts Institute of Technology Mentor. He is the ultimate role model for entrepreneurs, in all walks of life. Rich�??s daily life represents the best marriage of business leadership and positive community activism.

Additionally, Rosemary Bayer, President, MCWT Foundation, and Global Client Executive and General Manager, GM Region, for Sun Microsystems, was singled out for a special achievement award in recognition of her outstanding work as leader of the MCWT Foundation. That Foundation is a 501 (c ) 3 outgrowth of the Michigan Council of Women In Technology. Under her leadership, the Foundation has raised over $365,000 to support the technical education and inspire the aspirations of girls and women, pursuing career paths in information technology. Rosemary Bayer has devoted much of her free time to encouraging the next generation of women to contribute to the field about which we are all passionate,said Crary. In doing that, she is helping to address a dramatically growing problem about which all IT leaders worry: the talent drain that we anticipate in the next few years. She gives back to the corporate community, the overall community and the individual women, themselves, in an amazing way.

On hand to congratulate the winners was Dan Mulhern, Michigan’s First Gentleman, and 320 corporate and community leaders.

The June 4th cocktail reception and award ceremony kicked off June 5th Midwest Technology Leaders Conference, a gathering of IT leaders and partners in its 4th year.

For more information, click on MidwestTechnologyLeaders.com

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