MIAMI – Sherry Thompson Giordano, co-founder of Miami business management consulting firm S.F.T.G. Associates Int’l, and Executive Director of ITWomen, has been named an “Advisory Board Champion” by the National Academy Foundation (NAF). Sherry was honored recently at the NAF’s annual Leadership Summit in San Francisco, California.

Only four advisory board members in the U.S. were selected for the 2011 NAF leadership awards. Sherry was the only one from Florida and the only one of the four recipients serving an Academy Advisory Board focused on Information Technology.

“The support, leadership and mentorship that business professionals like Sherry provide are critical to bringing to life career-related material our academy students study. She is an outstanding example to the 3,000 advisory board members serving NAF academies across the country,” says JD Hoye, President of the National Academy Foundation.

Representing ITWomen, Ms. Giordano has been involved with the Miami-Dade AOIT Advisory Board for six years. She is the driving force of the ITWomen Role Model Speakers program, which brings technology business leaders into the classrooms, serving over 1,000 students each year.

The AOIT prepares students for career opportunities in programming, database administration, web design and administration, digital networks, and other areas in the expanding digital workplace. Ms. Giordano also attended the NAF’s three-day Institute for Staff Development, which includes in-depth workshops and site visits to increase the learning and professional development of career academy educators.

Miami Central High School teachers Cindy Thienard, Lead AOIT Teacher, and Pamela Bausher, Academy Teacher, nominated Sherry for the NAF award.

“Sherry Giordano’s character is of the highest quality I have ever seen. She is both humble and considerate of others. I enjoy her ability to share knowledge and assist the students and teachers in our academy program. She demonstrates excellent leadership skills and ambition and should be commended and recognized for her dedication to the AOIT academy program,” said Cindy.

Pamela adds, “Just like the pebble in the pond, the ripples from Sherry Thompson Giordano’s guiding hand and heart has changed currents and opened doors for countless young men and women in Miami-Dade County Public Schools.”

ITWomen president Victoria Usherenko said, “ITWomen is proud to have been one of the first participants on the AOIT Board and Sherry’s work reflects our commitment not only to the Miami AOIT students but for the meaningful impact the NAF program brings through career-themed academies.”

Ms. Giordano is the immediate past Chair for the Miami-Dade AOIT Advisory Board. She currently sits on the Miami-Dade and Broward County AOIT Advisory Boards and is the Vice Chair of the National Foundation Academy’s South Florida Tri-County Advisory Board.

The NAF Summit brings together educators, policymakers, political leaders, corporate partners and foundation representatives to improve educational outcomes through the NAF Academies.

About NAF:
The National Academy Foundation (NAF) is an acclaimed network of career-themed academies that open doors for underserved high school students to viable careers. For nearly 30 years, NAF has refined a proven model that provides young people access to industry-specific curricula, work-based learning experiences, and relationships with business professionals. NAF academies focus on one of four career themes: finance, hospitality & tourism, information technology, and engineering. NAF’s national graduation rate of 90% testifies to the effectiveness this effort. Visit www.naf.org. Click here for more information on the Academy of Information Technology (AOIT).

About ITWomen:
ITWomen is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to provide:
• Innovative programs for networking, mentoring and professional development
• Education and training informed by future trends in skill sets and employment
• Increased visibility and recognition for women’s contributions to technology
• Outreach to encourage young women in high school to enter technology and engineering fields.
Visit www.itwomen.org

About S.F.T.G. Associates Int’l.:
S.F.T.G. Associates Int’l is a 12-year-old business management consulting firm based in Miami, Florida, that offers a proven approach to creating tangible and sustainable value. S.F.T.G. Associates has extensive experience in working with non-profit and for-profit start-ups and on-going organizations to effectively develop and plan long term strategies, and provide leadership in the implementation and execution of the provided plans.