[Archived] Technology Achievement Award Finalists Announced

City Press Release


	For Immediate Release	For More Information, Contact
	February 23, 2006 PIO# 056-06/rdo	Steven J. Mason, Public Information Officer, or Raynard Owens, Communications Officer, at 703.838.4300 Raynard Owens, Communications Officer, at 703.838.4300

Technology Achievement Award Finalists Announced

Alexandria’s Mayor William D. Euille and Technology Achievement Award Committee Chairman R. Mark McLindon announced the names of the five Alexandria businesses that have been selected as finalists for the 10th Annual Alexandria Technology Achievement Award.

The 2006 Technology Award finalists are: Cambridge Communication Systems, Inc.; Commonwealth Academy; G2Tactics, Inc.; H2Gen Innovations, Inc.; and TranTech, Inc. The finalists were selected by a panel of three judges representing the business community.

The winner of the Technology Achievement Award will be announced during Technology Achievement Week in Alexandria, March 20 - 24. The award will be presented at a luncheon on Friday, March 24, at the Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites, 625 First St., in Alexandria. The luncheon honoring the award winner and the finalists will highlight Alexandria Technology Achievement Week, showcasing advancements in the development and application of technology by Alexandria-based businesses.

The judges evaluated each nomination on the basis of technological achievement and its impact on the business, its industry, and/or the City of Alexandria. The judging panel consisted of Heather Planey, a member of the City’s Commission on Information Technology; William Cole, former Information Technology Services Director for the City of Alexandria; and Pete Howton, former CEO of Man Tech Gray Hawk Systems, Inc., and the winner of the 2005 Alexandria Technology Achievement Award.

Alexandria Technology Achievement Week and the Alexandria Technology Achievement Award are sponsored cooperatively by the City of Alexandria, the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, and the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership, Inc. The award originated in 1997 with the Ad Hoc Task Force on Information and Communication Technologies, which was succeeded by the Commission on Information Technology. The Commission is comprised of members of the Alexandria City School Board, the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, the Library Board, City telecommunications providers, residents, Vice Mayor Del Pepper, and Councilman Rob Krupicka. Alexandria is at the center of Northern Virginia’s fast growing technology industry. Currently, nearly 350 technology firms employ more than 12,000 workers in the City.

The events of the 2006 Alexandria Technology Achievement Week include:

C Tuesday, March 14, at 7 pm – City Council will honor the finalists with an official proclamation in City Council Chambers at City Hall, 301 King St.

C Thursday, March 23, at 8 am – The Alexandria Chamber of Commerce will host a breakfast at the Belle Haven Country Club, 6023 Fort Hunt Road. The Chief Executive Officer of each finalist company will speak briefly about his or her company’s technological achievements.

C Friday, March 24, at noon – The Alexandria Technology Achievement Award luncheon will be held at the Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites, 625 First St., and the winner will be announced. In addition to the award presentation, a video produced by T. C. Williams High School students will be shown, highlighting the technological achievements of the honored firms and the advantages offered by Alexandria as a location for technology companies.

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Finalist Firms

Commonwealth Academy Susan J. Johnson, PhD, Head of School
Press Contact: Susan Johnson, 703.548.6912 CommonwealthAcademy.org

Commonwealth Academy uses advanced technology tools throughout a challenging college preparatory curriculum to facility learning at or above grade level for average to bright students with ADHD, ADD, LD and other specific learning differences in grades 8 -12. Interactive software, such as Microsoft XP, Text Help, Inspiration and Kurzweil, are utilized in the curriculum to enable students to learn and demonstrate their mastery using tools most appropriate for their particular learning styles.

Cambridge Communication Systems, Inc Christopher Sentimore, President
Press Contact: Kim Harokopus, 703.535.6860 cbridge.org

Cambridge Communication Systems provides transmission and telecommunications support in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Under the Puerto Rico Area Wideband System II contract, or Praws II, the company will support operations and provide maintenance support for microwave and terrestrial communications networks that connect various government locations within the Caribbean Basin region.

G2Tactics, Inc. Andy Bucholz, President
Press Contact: Andrew Bucholz, 703.608.7393 g2tactics.com

G2Tactics built the first mobile license plate detector that operates on the move, reads license plates in real time, is portable, and can be tied to the FBI stolen vehicle, stolen license plate, and felony vehicle databases. Law enforcement agencies using the detector can identify vehicles of interest, including stolen and AMBER alert vehicles, as well as terrorist watch-list vehicles.

H2Gen Innovations, Inc. Barney Rush, CEO
Press Contact: Dr. Franklin D. Lomax, 703.778.3121 h2gen.com

H2Gen Innovations develops, manufactures, and markets low-cost, on-site hydrogen generators for industrial applications and for the emerging fuel cell vehicle and distributed power generation markets. The proprietary packaged hydrogen generator modules produce pure hydrogen from natural gas. The system operates automatically and is fitted with a remote monitoring system.

TranTech, Inc. George F. Kolesar, Senior Vice President
Press Contact: John Guenther, 703.671.9873 TranTech-inc.com

TranTech has developed and implemented a digital asset management system for law enforcement agencies that captures interrogation video and audio from a variety of sources and stores these assets in a manner providing collar-to-conviction security, multiple uses, and significant cost savings.