COSTA MESA, Calif., Nov. 12, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- The Association for Women in Technology, Southern California (AWT), a local non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of women and girls in all areas of technology, today announced that its next Mentorship Meeting on Tuesday, November 18, 2003 will feature guest speaker Stacy Nelson, a software quality consultant for NASA specializing in software verification and validation. Nelson was recently selected out of 125,000 executives by the National Association of Female Executives (NAFE) to be featured in the fall issue of Executive Female magazine for her excellence in technical consulting at NASA and other organizations.
Previously through her company, Nelson Consulting, she has provided innovative technology for PG&E, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Rush St. Lukes' Presbyterian Medical Center, Hitachi, Chevron, Microsoft, Bellagio and others. She has also received commendations for technical excellence from NASA for verification and validation of space vehicle diagnostic systems and of the Intelligent Flight Control System for the F-15. She is currently working on the Mars Science Laboratory and the Autonomous Rotorcraft Project.
"We are thrilled to welcome such an accomplished woman to participate in our Mentorship Program," said Cynthia Cotteta, president of AWT. "Drawing from the experience of working for one of the premiere technology organizations in the world, Stacy will offer our mentors and proteges some great insight and advice on professional development. Role models such as Stacy are especially important to the young women of our community."
The AWT Mentorship Program is a six-month commitment between interested AWT members and seasoned professionals who wish to share their expertise. The AWT Mentorship Committee will match the skills of the mentor to the goals of the protege. Participants must agree to meet a minimum of two hours per month for six months in order to achieve mutually agreed upon objectives. The relationship is designed to promote the professional advancement of the proteges in one of two areas: career advancement or business development.
This month's meeting will take place from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 18, 2003 at the Sun Microsystems office at 2020 Main Street, Suite 1200 in Irvine. Registration begins at 5:30 p.m. Attendance is free for members, but please register in advance by sending an email to annette@awtsocal.org. Guests pay $10.00 online at http://www.awtsocal.org/mentormtg-111803.shtml or pay $15.00 at the door. Anyone can be a mentor, but in order to participate as a mentee, you must be an AWT member. To register for AWT membership, or for more information about AWT and its Mentorship Program, please visit the AWT website at http://www.awtsocal.org.
About the Association for Women in Technology
The Association for Women in Technology, Southern California is a local non-profit organization dedicated to serving the advancement of women and girls in all fields of technology. As a dynamic organization for learning, entrepreneurship and mentorship opportunities, AWT bridges the gap between industry, education and community institutions and continues to strengthen the fabric of the Southern California technology region. The organization holds meetings and events on a regular basis, attracting women in every area of technology, from those just entering the field to senior level management and technology innovators. To learn more about AWT, please visit the group's website at www.awtsocal.org.