News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date:	Thursday, October 7, 1999
Contact:	City Councilwoman Redella S. Pepper, (703) 751-0770; City Council Member Lois L. Walker, (703) 549-6068; Mark McLindon, Chairman Alexandria Technology Achievement Award Committee, (703) 837-0250; Mark Jinks, Director Financial and Information Technology Services, (703) 838-6420

Nominations Open for 2000 Alexandria Technology Achievement Award

City to Showcase Best of High-Technology Businesses

During March 13-17 Alexandria Technology Achievement Week

Alexandria Mayor Kerry J. Donley has announced that the City will join again with the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce and the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership, Inc. to sponsor the 2000 Alexandria Technology Achievement Award. Nominations for the 2000 award are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, November 5.

Alexandria's expanding technology sector will be in the spotlight March 13-17, 2000, during Alexandria Technology Achievement Week, which will showcase local businesses that exemplify exceptional development of new technology or the innovative use of existing technology. The Alexandria Technology Achievement Award will be presented as part of the week's events.
Alexandria-based companies may nominate themselves for the 2000 Technology Achievement Award, or nominations may be submitted by clients, customers, or others on behalf of the firm. All businesses, including technology companies, associations, professional services, retailers and non-profits are eligible for nomination. For more information on nominating a business, visit the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce's web site at www.alexchamber.com/techawards2000.html. or visit the City's web site at ci.alexandria.va.us. E-mail should be sent to: techawards@alexchamber.com. Nominations should be received by November 5.

Please send to:

Kisha Smith
Alexandria Chamber of Commerce
801 North Fairfax Street, Suite 402
Alexandria, Virginia 22314

Nominations also may be sent via e-mail to: ksmith@alexchamber.com. A nomination form can be downloaded from the City's Internet web site --ci.alexandria.va.us. Additional information and nomination forms also are available by calling (703) 549-1000, ext. 212.

A blue ribbon panel of technology industry experts will review the nominations and select the finalists, which will be announced in February. The winner of the 2000 Alexandria Technology Achievement Award will be announced during an awards luncheon on Friday, March 17, 2000. Mayor Donley and the Chair of the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce will present the Technology Achievement Award to the winning company.

Alexandria Technology Achievement Week and the Alexandria Technology Achievement Award are sponsored by the City of Alexandria, the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce and the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership, Inc.

The award originated in 1997 with the Ad Hoc Task Force on Information and Communication Technologies, which was co-chaired by Councilwoman Redella S. Pepper and Council Member Lois L. Walker.

The winner of the 1999 Technology Achievement Award was Animators at Law, Inc., a firm that designs computer-animated presentations for use in court. Using computer animation similar to that seen in movies such as Toy Story and Titanic, the firm creates visual presentations used during litigation for a jury or a judge. By combining this visual demonstration with verbal presentation, an attorney is able to simplify a complex scene or scenario, such as a surgical procedure, traffic accident or crime scene, and present it in a manner that is both appealing and easier to understand than a traditional oral argument.

Other finalists for the 1999 award included: Commonwealth Scientific Corp., Cyveillance, Dimensions International, Inc. and the Alexandria YMCA.

Technology Week and the 2000 Alexandria Technology Achievement Award are part of the City's efforts to promote Alexandria as a technology center. Today, there are more than 200 technology companies employing more than 10,000 workers in the City of Alexandria.