Congratulations are in order to the winners of our annual technology awards. At our awards banquet on May 19, the following individuals and companies were honored for their achievements: Mr. Jason Clark, Computer Systems Technology teacher at Heritage High School - Educator of the Year, Blue Ridge Test - Entrepreneur of the Year, Dramco, Inc. - Innovator of the Year, Catalyst Communications Technologies, Inc. - Technology Company of the Year, and Mr. Dave Burtis, Regional Director with VA's Center for Innovative Technology- Technology Champion of the Year.

As we move into our new fiscal year on July 1, I am very exicited about our work plan for 2005-2006. New board members and officers will be elected in June and already there is great interest in doing more to promote the region's growing technology sector. I invite you to join the council if you are not already a member and join us at our annual membership breakfast later this month. At this meeting, I will be sharing our annual report and our new Chairman will be unveiling the expanded 2005-2006 work plan. There will also be time for networking with other members.

I also wish to thank all of you who are corporate sponsors and members of the Council. We have accomplished a lot together over the past three years but there is much more to be done. June and July are the Council's fund raising months and as I and other Council representatives call on you to renew your contributions please consider that together we are succesfully building the region's technology sector. Your contribution does make a difference.

Jonathan Whitt, Executive Director

Registration Deadline is this Friday - There's Still Room!

Join us at the first annual Virginia's Region 2000 Partnership Golf Tournament at Poplar Grove in Amherst on June 8th. Proceeds will benefit the Young Adult Council. The format is Captain's Choice with a 10 a.m. shotgun start. Lunch will be provided from noon to 1 p.m. and the awards reception will begin at 3:30 p.m. So, put a foursome together and join other Region 2000 business leaders, new and old(er) at our first golf tournament. Sponsorship opportunities still exist. Download the flyer for more details.

Individuals are welcome to play as well; to be paired up with other golfers, please contact Kevin Warman, event coordinator at kwarman@youngadultlinks.org or call him at 525-9690.

What to do about Human Resources?

Join us for lunch on June 15th as Becky Pollard, President of Business Solutions and partner in Human Resources Consulting to Comprehensive Benefits, Inc. will be our guest speaker. Mrs. Pollard will speak on getting the most out of your Human Resources Department and what to do if you don't have an H.R. person in place. She will also talk about how to tap into resources available to smaller companies who are putting together a H.R. plan. There will be time for questions and answers.

Annual Report and 2005-2006 Work Plan

Technology Council Members are invited to our annual membership breakfast on June 28th. The meeting will begin at 7:45 a.m. at Jonathan's Restaurant on the 8th floor of the Bank of the James building on Main St. At this meeting, members will be presented with our annual report and work plan for the upcoming year and meet our board members and council officers. There will be time for questions, answers, and networking with other members. The meeting will adjourn at 9 a.m. The cost for the meal is approximately six dollars.

First Regional Meeting for IT Professionals

After much feedback from local IT Professionals, the Tech Council has responded to create the IT Professionals Forum. This is the first of four quarterly events planned for IT Professionals in the region. The IT Pro's Forum is designed to offer hard-hitting, relevant, cutting-edge information to today's busy IT Professional. Who should attend? CEO's, IT Administrators, IT Professors, IT Students, and anyone else making their living in the IT field.

Last Month to Join for $100

Welcome L&R Precision Tooling, we are pleased to have you as a new member of the Tech Council! Not a member yet? Join the Region 2000 Technology Council in June and only pay $100 for your first year's membership, regardless of the size of your company. The R2KTC is a 501c6 non-profit business organization. Click here to download our membership application. Benefits to Membership include:

Region 2000 Tech Prep Academies
August, Lynchburg
The Region 2000 Tech Prep Consortium, in partnership with Central Virginia Community College, The Advanced Manufacturing Technology Education Center and the Region 2000 business community will once again offer High Technology Academies for middle school students. These academies are high-quality career exploration events and a growth experience for all participants.

Blue KIWI Summer Camps
This Summer, Various Locations
It's a week of fun days, and you'll learn how to start your own business! We'll show you how to become an entrepreneur; we'll even teach you how to pronounce the word! As a blue KIWI you'll get to experience economics and practice citizenship concepts, vital to running a successful business. You'll be introduced to local business owners and government leaders who will share how they've approached their careers. You'll even have an opportunity to start your own business thanks to Mini-Society"! Introduced to Region 2000 last year, Mini-Society has been taught for years throughout the United States. It's designed for children ages 8 to 12, coinciding with Virginia's Standard of Learning objectives for that age group. Join us for one of our six summer camp experiences!

COVITS 2005
September 18-20
The Greater Richmond Convention Center is the site for the 7th annual Commonwealth of Virginia Information Technology Symposium (COVITS 2005). Virginia's signature business and technology event is hosted by Secretary of Technology, Eugene Huang for the Governor of Virginia, Mark Warner. The COVITS 2005 theme is: "The Promise of the Digital Government." COVITS 2005 is nationally recognized as a key event where industry solutions meet government requirements. Issues and challenges facing governments and the solutions offered by the private sector will be examined. For more information and to register, please visit www.covits.org