SANTA ANA, Calif., September 25, 2017 – Women in the Channel (WiC), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to accelerating the growth of female leaders in the technology channel, congratulates the winners of the inaugural WiC LEAD Award, a new initiative to recognize exceptional women in the channel.

Five winners were honored at a ceremony during the 14th Women in the Channel WiCConnect Networking Event, from 5-8 p.m., September 25, in Austin during Channel Partners Evolution.

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.”

The 2017 WiC LEAD Award winners were chosen from among 12 finalists, who were selected by the WIC Board of Directors from nominees submitted via online application between August 15-31, 2017. Winners were selected based on the results of an online ballot of the official WIC Membership between September 13-15, 2017.

WiC members were asked to vote for up to three finalist who best represent the criteria for the WiC LEAD Award:

• Leadership in the channel
• Innovation in the channel
• Support for women in the channel
• Advocacy for women in the channel
• Mentorship of women in the channel

Winners of the prestigious LEAD award will receive

• Recognition at the WiCConnect Austin event
• A commemorative crystal trophy
• A commemorative photo of the award presentation
• A winner logo for use in their signatures or social media profiles
• A press release template for use in their own media programs
• Mention in a joint announcement on the WiC website and newsletter
• A winner profile on the WiC Web blog and newsletter
• Promotion via WiC social media channels

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.

About Women in the Channel (WiC) 
Established in 2010, Women in the Channel is a not-for-profit organization of women who are in leadership, ownership and revenue-generating roles in the indirect sales channel of the telecom and IT industry. WiC brings us together to empower and advance women’s careers and leadership roles in the technology channel. To learn more and to become a member, please visit www.womeninthechannel.org