Women in Technology Announces Finalists for 24th Annual Leadership Awards

Recognizing the Vision, Talent and Mentorship of Professional Women in the Washington, D.C. Technology Community

Falls Church, VA – January 25, 2023 – Women in Technology (WIT), the premier organization contributing to the success of professional women in the Washington, D.C. area technology community today announced the finalists for the 24th Annual Leadership Awards. This awards program identifies, recognizes and celebrates female professionals who are leaders in the technology field and bring a unique vision and commitment to mentorship within their organization and community.

The finalists for the 24th  Annual Women in Technology Leadership Awards are as follows:

Corporate Large-Market Sector

  • Nirali Chawla, KPMG
  • Candice Ling, Microsoft
  • Nisha Paliwal, Capital One
  • Juliana Vida, Splunk
  • Tahera Zamanzada, ICF

Corporate Mid-Market Sector

  • Jennifer Bonner, RIVA Solutions, Inc.
  • Megan Hanik, Groundswell
  • Zhenia Klevitsky, Sev1Tech
  • Nancy Novak, Compass Datacenters
  • Sovany Van, IntelliDyne, LLC

Corporate Small-Market Sector

  • Becky Aquino, Tenace, LLC
  • Deborah Hunt, iPower LLC
  • Donna Person, Taylor Instant Teams
  • Asiya Sarbasova, Tuva, an Akima Company

Government and Defense

  • Amanda Cournoyer, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
  • Mangala Kuppa, Department of Labor’s Office of the Chief Information Officer
  • Kendra Miller, Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division
  • Emily Nugent, Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division
  • Kenyatta Powers-Rucker, Maryland Department of Human Services

Non-Profit and Academia

  • Nadine Alameh, Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC)
  • Greta Kauffman, Urban Institute
  • Sherry McCarthy, NRECA (National Rural Electric Cooperative Association)

Rising Star

  • Samantha Brandt, Health MVHS, Leidos
  • Christine Cook, GEICO
  • Georgia Corey, SWIFT
  • Rachel Presley, MSM Technology LLC
  • Angela Robinson, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Small Business/Entrepreneur

  • Christine Dunbar, ROC Implementation & Management Group (ROCIMG), Inc.
  • Lola Han, Kamsa
  • Olivia Trivisani Bowker, Amivero

STEM Leadership

  • Shaundra Eberhardt, CACI International
  • Samantha Fletcher, AWS (Nominated for CACI International)
  • Sweta Sinha, GEICO
  • Audra Upchurch, LMI
  • Hanna Witzgall, Leidos

Unsung Hero

  • Janelle Desborough, CACI International
  • Karen Emery, iDirect Government
  • Mallika Gunturu, SWIFT
  • Amanda Williams, IonQ
  • Alison Woelfle, Fannie Mae

Judges for this year’s event include:

  • Sheila Blackwell, ManTech
  • John Klebonis, AT&T
  • Tanuja Madan, SWIFT
  • Jessica Maloney, Sev1Tech LLC
  • Nisa Moore, GDIT
  • Julie Murphy, Sage Communications
  • Nanci Schimizzi, Fair Oaks Strategies, LLC
  • Becky Schneider, INCATech
  • Hector Velez, Vector Talent Resources

“These women truly represent the impact women are making on the development and application of technology from the classroom to the boardroom,” said Amber Hart, President of WIT. “This awards program is an inspiring highlight of the WIT year, showing how the innovations introduced by these finalists and their teams have transformed the way people interact with technology, organizations and one another.”

WIT will announce the winners at the Leadership Awards Gala on Thursday May 18, 2023 at the Hyatt Regency Reston. For information about sponsorship packages and to purchase tables or individual tickets, please visit https://www.womenintechnology.org/leadership-awards  and follow us on Twitter: @WITWomen, #WITLA2023.

About Women in Technology
Women in Technology (WIT) is a not-for-profit organization with the mission of advancing women in technology — from the classroom to the boardroom.  With more than 1,000 members in the Washington, D.C. area, WIT fulfills its vision by providing leadership development, technology education, networking, and mentoring opportunities for women at all levels of their careers and for girls interested in STEM. For more information, please visit: womenintechnology.org or connect with us via Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter(@WITWomen).

Media Contact
Women in Technology (WIT)
Reggie Kouba, 703-349-1044
[email protected]