Sherry Thompson Giordano Named Advisory Board Champion, National Academy Foundation
June 23, 2011
Contact: Dana Nachbar
646-896-3864
SAN FRANCISCO – June 23, 2011 – ITWomen Executive Director Sherry Thompson Giordano has been named an Advisory Board Champion by the National Academy Foundation (NAF) based on her outstanding contributions on behalf of the Academy of Information Technology (AOIT), Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Sherry will be honored at NAF’s annual awards banquet on July 15 in San Francisco, California.
“Sherry Thompson Giordano is a fine example of the extraordinary difference that committed volunteers can make in young people’s lives. The support, leadership and mentorship that business professionals like Sherry provide are critical to bringing to life career-related material our academy students study. She is an outstanding example to the 3,000 advisory board members serving NAF academies across the country,” says JD Hoye, President of the National Academy Foundation.
Representing ITWomen, Sherry has been involved with the Miami-Dade AOIT Advisory Board for 6 years. She is the immediate past Chair for the Miami-Dade Academy of Information Technology(AOIT) Advisory Board. She currently sits on the Miami-Dade and Broward County AOIT Advisory Boards and is the Vice Chair of the National Foundation Academy’s South Florida Tri-County Advisory Board. She is the driving force of the ITWomen Role Model Speakers program which brings technology business leaders into the classrooms – over 1,000 students are served each year.
Victoria Usherenko, President ITWomen, explains “ITWomen is proud to have been one of the first participants on the AOIT Board and Sherry’s work reflects our commitment not only to the Miami AOIT students but for the meaningful impact the NAF program brings through career-themed academies.”
Sherry was nominated by Cindy Thienard, Lead AOIT Teacher, and Pamela Bausher, Academy Teacher, both of Miami Central High School.
Cindy states, “Sherry Giordano’s character is of the highest quality I have ever seen. She is both humble and considerate of others. In my personal experiences with this genuine woman I enjoy her ability to share knowledge and assist the students and teachers in our academy program. Sherry demonstrates excellent leadership skills and ambition and should be commended and recognized for her dedication to the AOIT academy program.”
Pamela adds, “Just like the pebble in the pond, the ripples from Sherry Thompson Giordano’s guiding hand and heart has changed currents and opened doors for countless young men and women in Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Those who participate in the National Academy Foundation’s Academy of Information Technology have benefitted from this generous, caring woman.”
About NAF:
The National Academy Foundation (NAF) is an acclaimed network of career-themed academies that open doors for underserved high school students to viable careers. For nearly 30 years, NAF has refined a proven model that provides young people access to industry-specific curricula, work-based learning experiences, and relationships with business professionals. NAF academies focus on one of four career themes: finance, hospitality & tourism, information technology, and engineering. Employees of more than 2,500 companies volunteer in classrooms, act as mentors, engage NAF students in paid internships, and serve on local Advisory Boards. During the 2009-10 school year, 500 NAF academies served more than 53,000 students across 41 states and D.C. NAF’s national graduation rate of 90% testifies to the effectiveness this effort. Visit www.naf.org.
About ITWomen:
ITWomen is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to provide:
- Innovative programs for networking, mentoring and professional development
- Education and training informed by future trends in skill sets and employment
- Increased visibility and recognition for women’s contributions to technology
- Outreach to encourage young women in high school to enter technology and engineering fields.
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