ITWomen - South Florida's premier organization for advancement of women across technology

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Career and Family: Can You Have It All?? 06/20/2013 OPEN TO PUBLIC!
You've Been Breached - Now What 09/19/2013 OPEN TO PUBLIC!

Welcome to ITWomen

Our mission is to increase the number of girls and women in the fields of technology and engineering and to provide professional development, student education and scholarships through a supportive network. ITWomen is a not-for-profit organization based in South Florida, from Miami-Dade to Broward and Palm Beach counties.

REGISTRATION HAS BEEN CLOSED. Thank you for your support! ITWomen Presents CAREER AND FAMILY CAN YOU HAVE IT ALL? Join Us June 20! Host Sponsor: Royal Caribbean

Moderator Pat Smith Our Kids Miami-Dade /Monroe Bio	Bert Hucks ABB Concise Optical Group Bio	Susan Crabtree Mission Critical Systems Bio	Cassie Hoffman Cumberland Consulting Bio
DATE: Thursday, June 20 5:30 - 8:30 pm LOCATION: Royal Caribbean Call Center ADDRESS: 2901 SW 145th Ave, Miramar, FL 33027 ADMISSION: Members $15 \| Nonmembers $30 REGISTRATION/NETWORKING: 5:30 - 6:30

Several ITWomen members gather at the May 5, 2013
CIO Executive Council's, Executive Women in IT Retreat, held in Boca Raton.

Council's Donation Jump Starts 2013 Scholarship Fundraiser

The CIO Executive Council jump started our scholarship fundraiser with a $665 donation. This was from the Council's Executive Women in IT Retreat. The Council donated 50% proceeds from all ITWomen registrations. Thank you, Pam Stenson, SVP of the CIO Executive Council and ITWomen Advisory Board Member. Thank you ITWomen members and friends who attended the Executive Women in IT Retreat!

Save the Date: Nov. 21 - ITWomen CIO Celebrity Poker Tournament & Casino Night

FIU BIz News Features Role Model Speaker on Health Information Technology

FIU's BizNews has published an article on ITWomen's Role Model program and FIU's College of Business faculty member Neera Bhansali, executive director, biomedical informatics, at FIU's Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. She presented an ITWomen Role Model session on health information technology to 79 students at Piper High School in Sunrise, FL. Her community outreach opened students' eyes to the opportunities in healthcare and the role of IT. Read more

ITWomen Scholarship Program Seeks "Virtual Role Model Mentors"

ITWomen is excited to announce the launch of the ITWomen Virtual Role Model Mentoring program. The virtual Role model Mentoring program was created for ITWomen scholarship awardees who are currently enrolled and attending colleges throughout the USA would be paired, one-to-one with a professional female in either the field they are pursuing or one closely related.

We are looking for women working in information technology or engineering with a minimum of 5 years work experience. To get started, please download the Virtual Mentor profile form and send to Victoria Usherenko, President, ITWomen. Once your application profile is received, ITWomen will match you to a student.

DID YOU MISS THE BIG DATA PROGRAM?

Host Sponsor: JM Family Enterprises


Alicia Blain Gartner	Sapana Patel Spirit Airlines	Rebecca Toben IBM Big Data	Jose Curtis JM Family	Debra Davis, Ph.D. FIU

Our professional development program at JM Family April 18, was like a one-night "mini conference" that inspired rave feedback. Attendees took away a wealth of actionable information and insights from our expert panel representing key aspects of Big Data. A substantial Q & A session kicked off afterwards and members and new guests forged valuable new connections during the networking. Many thanks to event sponsor JM Family for its wonderful hospitality.

Testimonial
"As a new member of ITWomen, I am highly impressed by the extraordinary level of professionalism and commitment to current and future women leaders in information technology. The event panelists provided detailed and profound research and knowledge which I have been able to take back to my job."
- Kate Hertzler

ITWomen thanks JM Family and Our Outstanding Panelists

Alicia Blain, Moderator, Exec. Partner, Gartner Executive Program.
Sapana Patel, Senior Director,
Business Intelligence, Spirit Airlines
Rebecca Toben
IBM Big Data Solutions
Jose Curtis, Director
JM Family Enterprises
Debra Lee Davis, M.S., M.A., Ph.D. Faculty Associate
National Science Foundation Industry-University Cooperative Research Center at FIU and FAU School of Computer and Information Sciences Florida International University.

Role Model Speaker Lucy Tamez Leads Girls in Robotics Project

Lucy Tamez, CEO and Founder of Bright and Smart Robotics engaged a group of girls ages 14-17 from the very start of her session on robotics. They quickly adopted the roles required in team-building, and took ownership for their role in the success of the finished product – a pair of chirping, dancing birds.

The girls at PACE Center created and wired robots from Lego pieces following written instructions then programmed the finished robot for audio and movement. Afterwards, their faces beamed with pride and a really great sense of personal accomplishment as they left the workshop feeling like rock star robotics experts.

-- Arlene Willis

ITWomen Role Models Recognition & 2013 NCWIT Aspiration Awards, at CITRIX, Fort Lauderdale, FL.

More than 100 people celebrated at ITWomen's high-energy awards ceremony honoring "Rock Star" volunteers and outstanding high school girls aspiring to careers in computer technology and engineering. The ceremony was held March 7, 2013, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at the corporate headquarters of the host sponsor, CITRIX.

ITWomen honored 42 Role Model Speakers (RMS) as "Rock Star" volunteers for ITWomen's RMS program. The 2012 volunteers spent hundreds of hours speaking to thousands of boys and girls throughout South Florida about the rewards of careers in technology and engineering. Showcased at the event was an animated video produced by middle school girls during four Role Model sessions presented by volunteers Victor Herrera and Morexi Morejon.

Twenty South Florida high school girls who ranked at the top of regional competition for the Aspirations in Computing Awards from NCWIT (National Center for Women & Information Technology) were also recognized. ITWomen is the South Florida Affiliate for the NCWIT Aspiration Awards.

Sabrina Cromartie, of North Miami Beach Senior High School, was honored as the 2013 NCWIT South Florida "Educator of the Year."

Keynote speaker was Michelle L. Nason, Director, Back Office Portfolio, World Wide Operations of Citrix Systems, Inc.

Gail Farnsley, NCWIT's Program Manager of Affinity Group Alliance, located in Boulder, Co., spoke on behalf of NCWIT.

Victoria Usherenko, ITWomen Founder & President, welcomed attendees. She was followed by Sylvia Henderson, Group Director Rewards, Human Resources, Citrix Systems.

ITWomen board member Sherry Giordano and Role Models Program Coordinator Arlene Willis presented the Role Model volunteer awards.

As host sponsor, CITRIX provided the venue as well as the dinner buffet and dessert bar for the event. Sponsors enabling the ITWomen awards ceremony and Aspiration Awards also include Google, Microsoft, the Motorola Solutions Foundation, and The Talent Source from South Florida.

ITWomen holds its awards ceremony in March each year in honor of International Women's Day, March 8.

SOUTH FLORIDA NCWIT ASPIRATION AWARD WINNERS:

Alyssa Berman AMERICAN HERITAGE SCHOOL
Brittney Falcon MONSIGNOR EDWARD PACE HIGH SCHOOL
Julieta MAST ACADEMY
Achliann Gallardo BOOKER T. WASHINGTON SENIOR HIGH
Alexandria La Cara WILLIAM T. MCFATTER TECHNICAL CENTER
Carey MacDonald JOHN I. LEONARD HIGH SCHOOL
Dorielis Padron MIAMI LAKES EDUCATIONAL CENTER
Veronica Padron MIAMI SPRINGS SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Morgan Pritchett NOVA HIGH SCHOOL
Laura Salinas DR MICHAEL M KROP SENIOR HIGH
Talia Statsky-Frank AMERICAN HERITAGE SCHOOL
Rena Stern WILLIAM T. MCFATTER TECHNICAL CENTER

SOUTH FLORIDA NCWIT ASPIRATION AWARD RUNNER-UPS:

Alicia Ashmeade NORTH MIAMI BEACH SENIOR HIGH
Tanzila Auni SOUTH BROWARD HIGH SCHOOL
Wisline Fenelus NORTH MIAMI BEACH SENIOR HIGH
Isabel Heyninck SOUTHWEST MIAMI SENIOR HIGH
Emily Morinelli SOUTH PLANTATION HIGH SCHOOL
Briana Ortega MIAMI LAKES EDUCATIONAL CENTER
Jessica Rodier ATLANTIC TECHNICAL CENTER MAGNET HIGH SCHOOL
Juliana Toyloy-Stanton DUNBAR HIGH SCHOOL

- CZ.

Jan. 24 Program, 600 Brickell, in downtown Miami.

ITWomen presented a unique guided session with Michelle Alva, a licensed physical therapist, Yoga therapist, healer, speaker and writer, on Jan. 24 at 600 Brickell in downtown Miami. Michelle has created methods to help people who sit too long to de-stress, relax, and energize. Increasingly, research is showing that sitting for long stretches is hazardous to your health, even for people who exercise regularly. Michelle's passion is educating and empowering individuals on how to use very effective and integrative approaches merging the science of physical therapy with ancient wisdom. 600 Brickell is a monument to the future of workplace technology. The integration of technology, sustainability and world-class amenities sets a new standard, forever changing the way buildings will be imagined and designed in Miami and around the world.

ITWomen Events

June 20: Career Advancement, Topic: “Beyond the Glass Ceiling: A Cookbook”

September 19: Industry Trends, Topic: “You have been Breached - NOW WHAT”?

November 21: ITWomen 11th Anniversary Gala and Fundraiser, ITWomen CIO Celebrity Poker Tournament & Casino Night, 8thAnnual Scholarship Drive.

December 5: Planning retreat for 2014

"Thank You" from an ITWomen Scholarship Winner

As a student in high school, Diana Alacron participated in ITWomen's Role Models program and went on to receive a scholarship from the ITWomen Charitable Foundation. Diana is a 2010 graduate from John A. Ferguson Sr. High School in Miami. She is majoring in Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Florida.

December 20, 2012
Dear Ms. Usherenko:

I hope this thank you note finds you doing well and that you have happy holidays! I've had a very productive fall semester and I cannot wait to go back to the University of Florida to tackle Spring 2013. This past fall I furthered my involvement with Engineering Ambassadors by taking on one of four Committee Chair positions. I organized events for the organization and really developed my leadership skills. Just this past November, I was nominated for President and achieved my first executive position in college! It's been very exciting so far and I get to work closely with the Dean of the college. I also was inducted into the nationally recognized Industrial and Systems Engineering Honors Society, Alpha Pi Mu, and began networking with fellow ISE classmates. I will continue with my engineering curriculum and strive for excellence as I maintain my GPA at an A average. Exciting things are to come this summer as I was offered the opportunity to intern with Procter and Gamble! I continue to have big goals for this upcoming year and couldn't be doing any of it without the help of IT Women. Thank you for all of your continued support.

Sincerely,
Diana Alarcon