Women in the Channel Honors Award Winners, Names Advisory Board

Women in the Channel (WiC), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to accelerating the growth of female leaders in the technology channel, has named the winners of the inaugural WiC LEAD Award, a new initiative to recognize exceptional women in the channel.

It has also formed an inaugural Advisory Council of industry experts to provide guidance on the growth and strategic direction of the WiC organization.

Five winners were honored at a ceremony during the 14th Women in the Channel WiCConnect Networking Event in Austin this week.  

LEAD Award winners, in alphabetical order by last name, include:

  • Karin Fields, CEO/COO, MicroCorp
  • Tina Smith, Global Director of CenturyLink Alliances Marketing, CenturyLink
  • Angie Tocco, Co-founder, LanYap Networks
  • Meg Toups, CEO, BlueSky IT Partners
  • Dalyn Wertz, Executive Director – Indirect Channel Management, Comcast

The WiC LEAD Awards were designed to give the channel community and the WiC membership an opportunity to recognize their female peers, co-workers, bosses, employees, partners and suppliers who are leading the way,” said WiC president Hilary Gadda, director of national channel development for TPx. “They came through with flying colors, nominating and casting their votes for five women – vendors and partners – who are undeniably standout women in the channel. We are excited about the inaugural winners and look forward to continuing this tradition of elevating each other for many years to come.”

WiC members were asked to vote for up to three finalist who best represent the criteria for the WiC LEAD Award: Leadership; innovation, support for women, advocacy for women in the channel and mentorship.

The WiC LEAD Award will be presented annually to celebrate women who are courageous, creative, collaborative, connected and confident in advancing channel careers. It also seeks to inspire other channel women to follow their lead.

Meanwhile, members of the Advisory Council will serve one- or two-year terms, beginning October 1, 2017. They will provide WiC with their professional expertise; diverse knowledge of constituent perspectives; connections to local, national or international resources, colleagues or peers; and philanthropic support or other forms of needed assistance.

“Over the past seven years, WiC has grown incredibly – both in membership and in the educational initiatives and support programs we deliver. We have seen what’s possible through collaboration and are ready to take WiC to the next level with a strategic plan that will grow our impact and profile significantly over the next five years,” said Gadda.

The members of the inaugural WiC Advisory Council are:

  • Nancy Ridge, Senior Vice President,Telecom Brokers
  • Janet Schijns, Chief Merchant and Services Officer, Office Depot
  • Annette Taber, Vice President, Industry Outreach, CompTIA-
  • Deb Ward, CEO, Televergence Solutions Inc.
  • Tricia Wurts, President, Wurts Associates

“We are grateful and excited to have this esteemed group of industry leaders to help us deliver on our goals for Women in the Channel,” Gadda said.