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By JEFFREY KELLEY
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

Richmond's technology stars honored
Virginia BioTechnology Research Park among region's top honorees

Thursday, May 10, 2007 - 12:08 AM Updated: 01:30 AM

Richmond may be a longtime tobacco town, but it's also raising its profile as a techno-town.

At its annual awards gala last night, the Greater Richmond Technology Council set out to show that the region has its share of technology stars: companies, organizations and executives.

About 600 people from the local tech community attended the council's 12th annual awards gala at the Richmond Marriott hotel.

The council singled out the Virginia BioTechnology Research Park for its impact on economic development in the region. The 1.2 million-square-foot downtown campus -- site of the $350 million, skyline-changing Philip Morris USA research center -- will have more than 2,000 engineers, technicians and researchers working when the tobacco giant finishes its nine-story building this year. Philip Morris will employ about a quarter of those workers.

Other honorees:

Cherry, Bekaert & Holland's Emerging Company Award: SnagAJob.com. Last year, the firm grew from 12 to 51 employees while increasing its revenue by roughly 53 percent, the council said. The job search site -- which has listings for hourly positions at everything from Home Depot to Chick-fil-A -- lists more than 100,000 careers.

Parsons Point IT Builders Award: Amentra Inc. The downtown company offers business and tech consulting and a unique client mentoring program, the council said. Amentra has earned several accolades, including having been named one of the fastest-growing technology firms in the country.

Computer Resource Team's Educator Award: Tim Couillard, a physics teacher at James River High. He has formed partnerships with local businesses and universities to help finance and provide mentors for after-school technology programs.

Qimonda's Technology Innovation Award: Agility Healthcare Solutions. The Henrico County firm's AgileTrac product uses radio-frequency identification to keep track of hospital equipment and other resources, which helps medical centers get more use out of mobile assets, such as blood-pressure monitors or intravenous pumps.

Strategic Staffing Solutions' Technology Skillbuilder Award: Timmons Group. The Chesterfield County-based company has developed a computer-aided design training and certification program that provides incentives for employees to seek higher skill levels in the use of the essential engineering technology.

Northrop Grumman Community Support Award: Tec- Access. The company helps businesses and government agencies make sure information-technology services are accessible to people with disabilities. The company employs more than 50 people with disabilities, from developmental to physical. The Goochland County-based firm has partnered with Virginia and the U.S. Department of Labor to train U.S. veterans who returned with disabilities after fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan to rejoin the work force.

IBM Leadership Award: Scott McKay, chief information officer and senior vice president, Genworth Financial Inc. The tech council said his contributions have been critical to Genworth's spinoff from General Electric Co. and its initial public offering in May 2004. McKay developed an internship program that provides incentives to Virginia students to pursue a tech-related education in college, the council said.

Contact staff writer Jeffrey Kelley at jkelley@timesdispatch.com or (804) 649-6348.



	FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE By JEFFREY KELLEY TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Richmond's technology stars honored Virginia BioTechnology Research Park among region's top honorees Thursday, May 10, 2007 - 12:08 AM Updated: 01:30 AM Richmond may be a longtime tobacco town, but it's also raising its profile as a techno-town. At its annual awards gala last night, the Greater Richmond Technology Council set out to show that the region has its share of technology stars: companies, organizations and executives. About 600 people from the local tech community attended the council's 12th annual awards gala at the Richmond Marriott hotel. The council singled out the Virginia BioTechnology Research Park for its impact on economic development in the region. The 1.2 million-square-foot downtown campus -- site of the $350 million, skyline-changing Philip Morris USA research center -- will have more than 2,000 engineers, technicians and researchers working when the tobacco giant finishes its nine-story building this year. Philip Morris will employ about a quarter of those workers. Other honorees: Cherry, Bekaert & Holland's Emerging Company Award: SnagAJob.com. Last year, the firm grew from 12 to 51 employees while increasing its revenue by roughly 53 percent, the council said. The job search site -- which has listings for hourly positions at everything from Home Depot to Chick-fil-A -- lists more than 100,000 careers. Parsons Point IT Builders Award: Amentra Inc. The downtown company offers business and tech consulting and a unique client mentoring program, the council said. Amentra has earned several accolades, including having been named one of the fastest-growing technology firms in the country. Computer Resource Team's Educator Award: Tim Couillard, a physics teacher at James River High. He has formed partnerships with local businesses and universities to help finance and provide mentors for after-school technology programs. Qimonda's Technology Innovation Award: Agility Healthcare Solutions. The Henrico County firm's AgileTrac product uses radio-frequency identification to keep track of hospital equipment and other resources, which helps medical centers get more use out of mobile assets, such as blood-pressure monitors or intravenous pumps. Strategic Staffing Solutions' Technology Skillbuilder Award: Timmons Group. The Chesterfield County-based company has developed a computer-aided design training and certification program that provides incentives for employees to seek higher skill levels in the use of the essential engineering technology. Northrop Grumman Community Support Award: Tec- Access. The company helps businesses and government agencies make sure information-technology services are accessible to people with disabilities. The company employs more than 50 people with disabilities, from developmental to physical. The Goochland County-based firm has partnered with Virginia and the U.S. Department of Labor to train U.S. veterans who returned with disabilities after fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan to rejoin the work force. IBM Leadership Award: Scott McKay, chief information officer and senior vice president, Genworth Financial Inc. The tech council said his contributions have been critical to Genworth's spinoff from General Electric Co. and its initial public offering in May 2004. McKay developed an internship program that provides incentives to Virginia students to pursue a tech-related education in college, the council said. Contact staff writer Jeffrey Kelley at jkelley@timesdispatch.com or (804) 649-6348.