Recognizing Young Technical Talent and Leadership

FAIRFAX, Va., April 2, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The need for qualified IT professionals with leadership qualities continues to grow despite constrained government budgets and limited corporate growth. A BSI Global Research Incorporated survey of 208 chief executive officers of privately held U.S. businesses revealed that people with technology/engineering skills to create the innovative capabilities that companies depend on so they can do more with less are particularly in high demand. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of jobs in computer and information systems management and support among other IT specialties will increase between 15 percent and 37 percent during the next eight years.

To encourage young adults worldwide who are developing leadership abilities while improving their IT skills, AFCEA International (www.afcea.org) acknowledges Young AFCEANs (www.afcea.org/membership/chapters/YoungAFCEANs.asp) with annual awards presented at the WEST Conference, San Diego.

The Distinguished Young AFCEAN Awards (www.afcea.org/awards/dya.html) are given for exceptional performance in leadership and guidance for the Young AFCEAN program; superior technical achievement in the professional arena; going above and beyond at the local AFCEA chapter or regional levels; and mentoring other Young AFCEANs. AFCEA is pleased to announce the 2013 DYA awardees:

Distinguished Young AFCEAN of the Year
Andrea Loper, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles

Regional Distinguished Young AFCEANs
Master Sgt. Nicole Alley, USAF, 10th Intelligence Squadron, Langley AFB, VA
Matthew Carroll, Wyle, Woburn, MA
Zachariah Conover, UrsaNav Inc., Summerville, SC
Anthony Day, Booz Allen Hamilton, Radcliff, KY
Amanda Dugger, World Wide Technology, St. Petersburg, FL
John Foster, Fearless Solutions, Annapolis, MD
Taylor Gardiner, Telos, Prattville, AL
Samantha Goggans, Silver Springs Networks, Schertz, TX
Kelsey Kellas, Red River, Claremont, NH
Dr. Oldrich Krulik, Police Academy Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
Lon Lane, K2, Washington, D.C.
Capt. Sebastian Leinhos, DEUAF, Air Force Operational Forces Command, German Air Force, Bonn, Germany
Capt. Eduardo Malvacio, EA, Argentine Army, Buenos Aires, Argentina
James Muller, HP Enterprise Services, Honolulu, HI
Gerasimos Papandrikopoulos, The American College of Greece, Drosia Attikis, Greece
Dr. Krzysztof Parobczak, Military Technical University, Warsaw, Poland
Staff Sgt. Cameron Smith, USAF, 55th Strategic Communications Squadron, Bellevue, NE
Capt. Stacie Voorhees, USAF, 12th Air Force, Air Forces Southern, Tucson, AZ

Distinguished Young AFCEANs
Kendra Andrew, Tensley Consulting, Ellicott City, MD
Sharon Cassidy, HC Integrated Solutions, Yona, Guam
Brandon Gressett, ProSOL Associates, New Braunfels, TX
Keegan Hill, JJR Solutions LLC, Dayton, OH
Christian Hoehner, Van Scoyoc Associates, Washington, D.C.
2nd Lt. Timothy Hoffmann, USAF, 608 Air Communications Squadron, Shreveport, LA
Luke Howe, Sagent Partners, Vienna, VA
John Karabias, Hi-Tec Systems, Baltimore, MD
Leslie McIndoe, HP, Herndon, VA
Brittany Paulshock, EOIR Technologies, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD
Master Sgt. Wendee Roberson, USAF, 355th Communications Squadron, Tucson, AZ
1st Lt. William R. Sinkey, USAF, 690 NSS, Det 1, Kaiserslautern, Germany
Eva Spacilova, Hewlett Packard, Prague, Czech Republic
Romeo Spino, IntellecTechs Inc., Virginia Beach, VA
Timothy St. Jean, C4 Planning Solutions, Doral, FL
Veronika Stranska, Servodata s.r.o., Prague, Czech Republic
Master Sgt. Paul Vinson, USAF, USAFE-AFRICA/A6, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
Capt. Robert Walker, USAF, AFLCMC/HBAG, Hanscom AFB, MA

The Emerging Leadership Award (www.afcea.org/awards/emergingleadership.html) is presented to individuals who have demonstrated continuous leadership in Young AFCEAN activities since winning the Distinguished Young AFCEAN award.

Emerging Leadership Award Winners
Master Sgt. Kelly Bales, USAF, AFISRA, San Antonio
Ryan Cox, Oracle, Leesburg, VA
Sarah Dabney, Kimmich Software Systems Inc., Severna Park, MD
Evan R. Helmy, TEKsystems, El Segundo, CA
Christopher Molis, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hampton, NH
Lt. Col. Janel Nelson, USAFR, U.S. STRATCOM Joint Cyber Center, Fort Calhoun, NE
Anne Wagner Smith, Wavestrike LLC, Annapolis, MD

AFCEA International, established in 1946, is a non-profit organization serving its members by providing a forum for the ethical exchange of information, and dedicated to increasing knowledge through the exploration of issues relevant to its members in information technology, communications and electronics for the defense, homeland security and intelligence communities. Membership information is available online (www.afcea.org/membership/).

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SOURCE AFCEA International