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AWC NEWSLETTER Volume 2 Number 10 http://www.awchouston.org/
Editor: Priya KannAn Newsletter Volume 2 Number 10 april, 2008
Association for Women in Computing http://www.awchouston.org/
In this issue
Welcome Announcements
-AWC President’s Address -Editor’s Note
-2008 Gala
Meeting Special Notes
-Monthly Meeting -Meeting Calendar -Meeting Sponsorship
-Special Notes
Board Articles
-AWC Board Members -Does your heart belong in business?
Women in Computing
-Women in Computing
ABOUT THE AWC
AWC has been serving the professional needs of women in computing since its incep-
tion in 1978. Visit http://www.awc-hq.org/ for more information on AWC headquar-ters. The Houston chapter is one of the original chapters chartered by AWC. AWC-Houston is also a member of a local umbrella organization called the Federation of
Houston Professional Women (FHPW). Visit them on the web at http://www.fhpw.org/. For more on AWC visit us at http://awchouston.org/membership/.
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AWC NEWSLETTER Volume 2 Number 10 http://www.awchouston.org/
Meeting
AWC President’s Message
Hello AWC Members and Colleagues
This month’s Presidents message will focus on Chapter busi-ness. The board and I have a lot of exciting news to share with you, so let’s get started…
The first order of business is our annual Gala. This year we will be hosting our gala at the Hotel Zaza. This is our first time at the Zaza and we are really looking forward to an elegant event, that will only be enhanced by the inviting boutique style décor of the hotel. The Gala will be held on June 7
th, 2008 and individual tickets
will be available at a cost of $125, or an entire table for ten guests can be purchased for $1250. You can purchase tickets online at the AWC website www.awchouston.org. For those members interested in having their companies provide sponsorships, we have various levels available. Please contact Dawn Fitzgerald at [email protected] for sponsorship information.
The second order of business is memberships. We will be moving to a single renewal date of July 1
st so that we can manage our memberships more accurately and proac-
tively. For those of you who are due to renew your membership in the next few months this is a great opportunity to get a few months free as we will automatically extend your membership date to July 1
st 2009. For those of you who don’t renew until later in the
year, we will offer pro-rated memberships, so those who renew between October and December will get an ¾ year membership for $75, those renewing January through March will receive a ½ year membership for $50 and those renewing in April 2009 or later will renew until July 2010 at a membership price of $125.
The third and final order of business concerns our board and committee chairperson nominations and Chapter by-laws. The new board will meet in July so April and May are the months that we solicit nominations and hold our annual election. We are also looking for volunteers to participate in the board nomination committee. This committee will be responsible for managing nominations and the election for board members. Un-til the committee has been selected however, please send me an email at [email protected] with your nominations, or your interest in volunteering for the com-mittee or one of the board positions. A complete list will be posted on our web-site. This year we also decided to update our Chapter by-laws needed and had a very dedicated team spend many hours updating the documentation. I would like to person-ally thank Linda King, Brenda Williams and Carolyn Riley for their outstanding ef-fort. We will be posting the updated by-laws on the website and will be asking the gen-eral membership to vote on the updates at our next meeting. So please make every effort to attend.
If you have any questions about the information in this month’s newsletter, please do not hesitate to contact me or any of the board members.
Warm Regards, Geraldine Rossiter, [email protected] President Association of Women in Computing - Houston Chapter
Date: april 16, 2008
Place: Westchase Hilton
(Just inside the Beltway) Time: 5:30PM - 8:30PM
April
Meeting
“They're Here! - Four Generations in
the Workplace” Katie Tierney
RSVP Required!
Email: [email protected]
or;
Phone: (713)-222- 0955
$35 Guests,
$25 Members,
$20 Unemployed -
Members and Guests.
Sit down dinner included
Please RSVP and Cancel
by Monday, Apr 14th
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AWC NEWSLETTER Volume 2 Number 10 http://www.awchouston.org/
AWC
NEWS
This is your
newsletter and
an excellent
networking
forum. To Let
your fellow AWC
members know
who you are,
what you do &
what you are up
to.
You can…..
give Thank You’s,
place Personal
and Business News,
Business Card Ads
and more.
Deadline for
Submission is the
2nd Wednesday
of each month.
You may call, mail,
or email your input.
E-mails would be
greatly appreciated,
if at all possible.
Priya Kannan,
Editor
SEND Newsletter
Information TO:
Mailing Address
AWC-Houston P. O. Box 421316
Houston, TX 77242 Voice: 713-222-0955
Editor’s note
Hello Readers,
Welcome to our 10th issue for the year!
This time of year is always special for us here at the AWC because of our upcoming Gala in June. It is always exciting to select our Top Houston Women in Technology. And identifying our scholarship recipi-ents. Please check out our Gala section in this issue and reserve your spot to attend this extraordinary event.
Our featured article is by Laura Lopez. She speaks about leadership and how our natural feminine attributes are essential to succeed as well. She insists that effective leadership requires our heart to be in it.
We are also highlighting two exciting events in Houston. The Zonta Zelebration benefiting the Zonta Club of Houston’s Educational and Charitable Foundation and the FHPW quarterly meeting.
So enjoy this issue and don’t forget to let me or any other board mem-ber know about any comments or ideas you might have about our newsletter.
Best Regards
Priya Kannan
Newsletter Editor
Copyright InformationCopyright Information
AWC Houston Newsletter is a monthly publication from the Association for
Women in Computing Houston Chapter. Copyright © 2008 AWC Houston. All
rights reserved.
Copyrights on articles used in the Newsletter belong to their respective authors.
Articles reflect the views and opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect
those of AWC. Trademarks and logos used belong to their respective owners.
Copies may be distributed provided the entire contents of the Newsletter are not
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AWC NEWSLETTER Volume 2 Number 10 http://www.awchouston.org/
MEETING SPEAKER
“They’re Here! Four Generations in the Workforce”
Presented by Katie Carty Tierney NGN Communications Manager
BSG Alliance Corporation
Katie Carty Tierney, is the Next Generation Network (NGN) Communications Manager for BSG Alliance. She has an extensive background in software architecture, design, development, and implementation, as well as recruiting, marketing, and messaging. In her role as NGN Communications Manager, and her pre-vious role as a Corporate Recruiter, Ms. Tierney has been at the forefront of the battle for talent and has a deep understanding of what it takes to build a successful team with people of all generations. Her blog, Confessions of a Recruiting Newbie (txaggie94.wordpress.com), is ranked among the Top 50 Recruiting Blogs, and offers insight into managing talent in a changing workforce. Ms. Tierney has a special interest in Enterprise 2.0 technologies and using them to recruit, retain, and engage employees and customers.
"With the arrival of Generation Y, the American workforce finds itself facing one of the greatest challenges of the Industrial Age - how do you incorporate four generations of workers into a unified, effective, and profitable workforce? In "They're Here! Four Generations in the Workforce," you'll learn about the char-acteristics of each generation, and how to effectively recruit and engage workers of all ages. The presen-tation has a specific focus on Generation Y, since this new breed of employee requires a much different management style than earlier generations. This is a must-see primer for technology managers who find themselves faced with a changing workforce, and need some solid strategies for finding the right talent in an evolving labor market."
Katie Carty Tierney,
NGN Communications Manager BSG Alliance Corporation
email: [email protected] Phone: (952) 261-9689
blog: txaggie94.wordpress.com
AWC Members
ADVERTISE HERE…
WITH YOUR BUSINESS CARD OR AN AD
Complete the newsletter submission form,
attach to your payment
and return to the REGISTRATION Table AT
THE NEXT MEETING OR
SEND TO THE AWC P.O. Box
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AWC NEWSLETTER Volume 2 Number 10 http://www.awchouston.org/
AWC Meeting calendar
AWC - Monthly Meetings:
3rd Wednesday of the Month, 5:30 - 8:00PM
Where: Westchase Hilton
9999 Westheimer at Briar Park, Houston, Texas
RSVP Required! Email: [email protected],
or Phone: (713)-222-0955
$35 Guests, $25 Members (PAY ONLINE) $20 unemployed Members and Guests
Sit-down dinner included
Upcoming
AWC Meetings
May 21, 2008 Taking Your Career to the Next Level
with
Project Management Certifications Anita Henson / Paulette Gadison / Brenda
Williams APB Project Management
June 7, 2008
2008 Top Women in Technology Gala,
Hotel Zaza
July 16, 2008 1. SOA & Governance
2. Business-IT Alignment –
Beyond buzzwords…
3. Service Oriented
Project Management
Ram Seetepalli Sogeti
August 20, 2008
(Non) Accidental Leadership:
Turning Technical Employees Into
Successful Leaders Brooks Gaul
Capital H Group
Did You Know……….
March 8 is recognized as International
Women’s Day. The first International
Women's Day was launched on 8 March
1911 in Copenhagen by Clara Zetkin,
Leader of the 'Women's Office' for the So-
cial Democratic Party in Germany. On 19
September 1893 New Zealand became the
first self-governing nation in the world to
give women the right to vote.
Annemieke Craig, ACM-W Ambassador
Program Co-Leader blogged on this day
about representation of women in the IT
industry. You can read more at:
http://acmwnews.blogspot.com/2008/03/
international-womens-day.html
AWC Volunteers —Why Volunteer?
As a volunteer … you can have lots of fun!
As a volunteer … you can network and meet new friends!
As a volunteer … you build your resume with leadership accomplishments!
If you are interested in volunteering please contact Geraldine Rossiter at [email protected]
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AWC NEWSLETTER Volume 2 Number 10 http://www.awchouston.org/
Meeting sponsor
Sponsorship for Unemployed Members
A generous AWC member is offering
Free meeting sponsorship
For three unemployed members
Please contact the registration desk to avail this opportunity
AWC Meeting Sponsorship Opportunity
AWC is now accepting monthly meeting sponsorships.
If you are interested please contact:
Brenda Williams ([email protected]) or Anita Henson ([email protected]).
$500 Donation
Reserved table for your organizations promotional materials.
Recognition in the AWC Newsletter.
Citation on AWC-Houston's website.
Two complimentary dinners at the AWC monthly meeting.
Ten minute promotional opportunity before meeting commences.
Opportunity to provide door prizes.
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AWC NEWSLETTER Volume 2 Number 10 http://www.awchouston.org/
BECOME
AN AWC
MEMBER
Top 5 Reasons to
join the AWC
Career growth
Networking
Mentoring
Volunteering
education
How to Join
Visit
http://awchouston.org/join
Membership Dues
Professionals $100
Students $25
Find out More at
http://
awchouston.org/
membership/
Mailing address:
AWC-Houston P. O. Box 421316
Houston, TX 77242 Voice: 713-222-0955
2007 AWC Board Members
President - Geraldine Rossiter
Vice President - Michelle Reynaud
Arrangements - Valerie Stille
AWC National Rep - Jill Sweeney
Community Affairs - Marilyn Sander, Kathleen Quillens
Email/ List Serv - Linda King
FHPW - Linda King, Elizabeth Martin
Gala - Dawn Fitzgerald
Marketing - open
Membership - Linda Ranostaj, Mary Platt
Newsletter - Priya Kannan
Programs - Brenda Williams, PMP; Anita Henson, PMP
Scholarship - Jan Whitehead, PMP
Secretary - Carolyn Riley
Treasurer - Karen Brown
It’s Your Turn for the SPOTLIGHTIt’s Your Turn for the SPOTLIGHT
In an effort to help each of our members to know more about you, there is a new
section added to the newsletter called “Meet our Members Spotlight” that will be
added to each edition.
If you are interested contact Priya Kannan ([email protected]) for a list of
questions that you can choose from to answer. Then, return the questions to her
with your picture and the name of your present company and position for the ti-
tle. If you do not have a picture, just let Priya know and she will take it at an
upcoming meeting. The questions and answers will be chosen as space permits.
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AWC NEWSLETTER Volume 2 Number 10 http://www.awchouston.org/
AWC’S 2008 TOP HOUSTON
WOMEN IN TECHNOLOGY
GALA June 7, 2008
Hotel ZaZa Be a part of a Gala that serves to provide Scholarships to Young Women and to
recognize Women in the Houston Area with the Top Houston Women in Technology
Award. To purchase tickets and sponsorship go to: Reserve my Spot
Tickets $125, sponsorship $500 and up. Proceeds go to the Scholarship Fund.
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AWC NEWSLETTER Volume 2 Number 10 http://www.awchouston.org/
Women IN computing
AWC Members in Lamar University’s INSPIRE Career Forum
LaTasha Gary, Senior Director of Global Channel Partner IT, participated in Lamar University's INSPIRE
Career Forum on February 22. To recruit more students into the Computer Science field, LaTasha enlight-
ened students about careers in Computer Science, shared her professional career path, highlighted pos-
sible careers at HP, and answered student questions as part of the Q&A forum.
Brenda K. Williams, Program Manager from SYSCO Corp., participated in Lamar University's INSPIRE Ca-
reer Forum on February 22nd. Her presentation entitled “Careers in Technology” chronicled her profes-
sional career path in the technology field highlighting stumbling blocks and opportunities encountered
along the way. Brenda is a member of the Computer Science Industrial Advisory Board for Lamar Univer-
sity.
For event highlights visit:
http://awchouston.org/wp-content/032008AWCNewsletterV2N9Extras.pdf
Zonta Zelebration April 19
Everyone is invited! See details on our website at www.zontahouston.org
Saturday, Apr 19, 2008, 6:30 PM until 11:30 PM Edwin Hornberger Conference Center (Texas Medical Center)
Gala Individual Ticket $ 85.00 Gala Preferred Table Patron $ 1,000.00
Indulge in a Spectacular Array of Signature Hors D'oeuveres and Desserts from 20 of the Best of Houston Chefs. Host Committee: Tim Thomas & Johanna Bot; Dr. Lisa & Artie Hitchins Music: Nite Beat - The Band Please join us for a spectacular evening of outstanding food, fabulous music and unparalleled commit-ment to supporting women and children in need. We can help women and their families achieve success through education and support. Proceeds to benefit local Zonta Scholarships, Bay Area Turning Point, Casa de Esperanza de los Ninos, Ten Thousand Villages and Zonta International Service Projects. This is an annual fundraising event for the Zonta Club of Houston’s Educational and Charitable Founda-
tion (ZCHECF). The ZCHECF is a 501c3 organization.
Founded in Buffalo, New York in 1919, Zonta is an international service organization comprised of professionals and executives
working to improve the legal, political, economic and social status of women. Zonta's diverse membership includes 33,000
members worldwide in more than 68 countries. The Zonta Club of Houston was established in 1988 and currently has 42
members and is a FHPW member organization.
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AWC NEWSLETTER Volume 2 Number 10 http://www.awchouston.org/
Special notes
To find out more and register visit: http://www.fhpw.org/events.html
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AWC NEWSLETTER Volume 2 Number 10 http://www.awchouston.org/
articles
Does your heart belong in business?
Yes, effective leadership requires heart!
It seems that in the 80's and 90's, many of the leadership books directed at women spoke about women having a "natural" tendency towards leadership. In fact, I was interviewed in a book published in 1991, "Star Teams Key Players" by Michelle Jackman, which states that women
are natural leaders because of their innate ability to work in teams. Even though I had been identi-fied as a "key player" in the book, I have never fully bought in to the idea that these "natural" tal-
ents are what get us ahead.
To the contrary, I found that women who succeeded in corporate life had completely put aside
their "natural" feminine attributes in order to succeed, especially their hearts. Even more than their male counterparts.
When you are in the minority, it doesn't help to be considered different. It takes a lot more courage and
effort to stick out, especially when there is no proven track record that "different" will be rewarded. Busi-
ness has been a place where the heart and its many expressions were discouraged. Therefore, many
women became "little" men, or as I like to call it "she-men".
A "she-man"is a woman who has completely disconnected herself from her feminine attributes in
the workplace, because she believes it has no purpose or value in business. While I do believe this is
particularly relevant for women, I have seem men suffer from this...leaving their heart-driven creativity,
compassion and sensitivity at the door.
Unfortunately, I believe that as women, we are often guilty of negatively judging these natural,
feminine skills and as a result, we check them at the corporate door. I know that I, and many other
women I worked with had these judgments. The truth is that we need to embrace both feminine and mas-
culine aspects in ourselves and in business in order to be fully successful. You can't just engage the
head and forget the heart!
I came from a generation that believed the heart had no place in business. This was true for both men
and women. I now understand how flawed this belief is. Today, companies and businesses are looking for
long-term sustainable results and innovative solutions. They can't achieve this without engaged people.
Engagement is an emotional issue, not an intellectual one. You can go to work with your head, but
it isn't until your heart is engaged, that you can bring about superior and sustainable results. You can't get
passion, creativity and innovation without your heart being engaged. Effective leadership requires an
engaged heart.
(continued)
By Laura Lopez
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AWC NEWSLETTER Volume 2 Number 10 http://www.awchouston.org/
articles
Does your heart belong...
I often say that business is personal, but don't take it personally. While we do need to bring a hu-
mane aspect to work by bringing our hearts, we also need to keep our heads engaged and understand the
business aspects are not personal. This is the magical dance we must do between the management de-
mands of the business and the leadership demands of the people around us. The problem is that business
has been overly skewed to the management side of the equation and in order to accomplish sustainable re-
sults, businesses need some heart! And it starts with everyone of us, women and men alike!
While women have made great strides in leadership and in business, we still have a long way to go. In
fact, according to Catalyst, the leading nonprofit corporate membership research and advisory or-
ganization that tracks the advancement of women in business, indicate we may have lost some trac-
tion vs. last year. Their 2007 study reports the following:
In 2007, women held 15.4 percent of corporate officer positions at Fortune 500 companies. This num-
ber was 15.6 percent in 2006. Women held 6.7 percent of top earner positions. This number was the same in 2006. The number of companies with no women corporate officers increased from 64 in 2006 to 74 in
2007. The number of companies with three or more women board directors also decreased from 234 in
2006 to 203 in 2007. The number of women in line positions decreased from 29.0 percent to 27.2 percent The number of women in staff positions increased from 71.0 percent to 72.8 percent.
I believe that if we embraced ourselves more fully and started to unapologetically bringing our full
selves to work, that these numbers would naturally move in a more positive direction. I think that Lisa
Heidle summarizes it nicely in a recent review of my book, "The Connected and Committed Leader.":
"Ms. Lopez's unique concept, using skills learned through parenting in the workplace, proposes a new per-
spective to an old argument: Do emotions and personal connections belong in the world of business? The
author addresses both sides of the debate. "I came from a generation of both men and women who learned
that hearts did not have a place in business. Showing any emotion was a sign of weakness; there was no
place for it in the board room." The counterpoint, "Business is extremely up front and personal. People do
business with people they like. People relate to and want to help other people they enjoy. People build
trust with others who don't let them down. Business is very personal," offers a more modern and timely
view on the discussion. With global competition at levels never before seen, offering more of yourself in a
business relationship might be the very thing that sets you apart from others in your field."
Laura Lopez is a leadership specialist and branding expert with more than 20 years of corporate leadership experience. Most
recently Laura Lopez was a VP with The Coca-Cola Comapny. As the owner of her own business, Laura helps companies and
business associations achieve more sustainable business results through the power of effective leadership and branding. She is
available for speeches, workshops and customized programs. Laura can be contacted via her website at www.laura-lopez.com
By Laura Lopez
