Recognizing the Pioneers of IT and the Channel

“Who are the individuals that have made the most significant impact on the technology industry, or the IT channel?” I’ve asked this question of many of my IT channel friends over last several years, starting back in my days as an industry magazine editor and carrying through my current consultant role. While my reason was to highlight these individuals in blogs and articles, CompTIA intends to immortalize these “game changing individuals” permanently in their newly announced IT Hall of Fame.

Off the top of my head, I can name at least a dozen people who would be strong candidates for the 2011 IT Hall of Fame class, but the committee will only select two to six individuals each year to keep it an exclusive group. In other words, no one will be a shoo-in for this accolade and the competition could be fierce. Those that receive this honor will likely have put their peers and industry above personal gain, making extraordinary efforts in their quest to build something that didn’t exist before.  

Nominations for the IT Hall of Fame Class of 2011 are now open and the induction will take place April 7th at the CompTIA Annual Member Meeting. The Hall consists of two branches: the IT Channel Wing for individuals who have made outstanding contributions or provided exceptional service to the IT channel; and the IT Innovators Wing, recognizing those responsible for extraordinary advancements in technology.

Any individual, living or deceased, who fits either of those descriptions, is eligible for induction. An independent selection committee will review all nominations and select the final honorees each year. A new class will be announced and inducted each April at the CompTIA Annual Member Meeting.  

The IT Hall of Fame may not seem like a new idea to channel veterans, and they would be correct. The program is actually the next phase in the entity originally established by CRN magazine (an Everything Channel publication). As the leading non-profit industry association, CompTIA will build on the already stringent standards set by the previous caretakers and enhance the program to ensure it remains strong for many years to come.   

The new IT Industry Hall of Fame committee includes Steven Burke, editor/news, Everything Channel; Timothy Curran, chief executive officer, Global Technology Distribution Council; Kelley Damore, vice president, editorial director, Everything Channel: Gary Gillam, vice president, North American channel operations, Xerox Corp.; Arlin Sorensen, chief executive officer, Heartland Technology Solutions; and Todd Thibodeaux, president and chief executive officer, CompTIA.

Know someone who is deserving of this accolade? Just submit a nomination here before February 1^st, 2011. Additional details on Hall of Fame criteria are available at www.comptia.org/IT-HoF.