TROY – After a phenomenally successful year of matching up-and-coming technology professionals with mentors such as Phil Bertolini, CIO, Oakland County, Ruthanne Largent, Director IT MGM Grand, Detroit and Paul Peabody, VP, CIO, William Beaumont Hospital, Midwest Technology Leaders and ConnecTech have launched the next group of mentors and mentees.

The Mentoring Program pairs today’s top IT leaders with the Midwest’s best CIOs. The mentor and mentoree pairs meet one hour per month for a year, supplemented by quarterly best practices meetings (for mentors) and biannual workshops (for mentees).

In an initial kickoff meeting, mentees choose their own mentors, are guided through the process of creating value for themselves throughout the program, and identify their own goals before the first meeting. Halfway through the program, they have an opportunity to evaluate their experience and give feedback to mentors.

Mentors have quarterly best practices webinars with Barry Demp – Business and Executive Coach, where they explore topics such as the various distinctions of mentoring, how to incorporate coaching in the experience and how to become a mentor for life.

Applications were accepted through December 15, 2008. The first meetings began in January.<.p>

This years mentors include:

Joe Sawasky, CIO, Wayne State University

David Behen, CIO, Washtenaw County

Ruthanne Largent, CIO, MGM Grand Detroit

Sue McGuire, CIO, Thetford

Roger Rehm, CIO Central Michigan University

Jim House, CIO, GKN

Paul Peabody, CIO, Beaumont Health Systems

Ken Theis, CIO, State of Michigan

Michael Thibideau, CIO, Webasto Roof Systems Inc

Becoming a mentor entails:

Meeting once per quarter for four quarters with your mentee*

Participate in first quarter kickoff meeting

Responding to monthly touch points initiated by your mentee

Engaging in quarterly best-practices webinars with other mentors

Formally evaluating the program upon completion

In return, a mentor will:

Be featured on the Mentoring Page of MTL and ConnecTech websites’ Monthly Spotlight section

Have his/her company logo featured on the Mentoring Page

Be featured in Career Path sections of each website

Be interviewed for monthly podcast section of organization e-newsletters

Have his/her company logo featured in organization e-newseletters

Be asked to speak about his/her experiences during quarterly workshops with other mentors

To become a mentor please, click on ConnecTech.Org

For more information about the Midwest Technology Leaders 2009 Symposium and to register to attend, click on MidwestTechnologyLeaders.Com

Midwest Technology Leaders 2009 is an exclusive gathering of the Great Lakes Region’s top Information Executives who are committed to innovation, excellence and results. Unrivaled in its quality content and strategic focus, MTL 2009 will provide all delegates the opportunity to challenge conventional wisdom through engaging in highly-interactive executive sessions with their senior peers. Through a compilation of keynote presentations, panel discussions, roundtables and executive networking assemblages, the delegation will address the critical issues impacting the local/regional IT industry, including economic policies and business developments, in addition to an in-depth analysis of the future outlook of the national/international IT industry.

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