Finalists Announced for Women Tech Leaders Flywheel Awards 

April 12, 2024  

Fairfax, Va. – GovCIO Media & Research, a leading federal technology media company, announced the finalists for the Women Tech Leaders Flywheel Awards – an awards program established to recognize leading women across federal technology. The winners will be announced May 15 at the Women Tech Leaders Summit in Washington, D.C.    

“The finalists nominated for the Flywheel Awards embody what it means to be a transformer in federal IT,” said Michael Hoffman, President, GovCIO Media & Research. “The awards at the Women Tech Leaders Summit will recognize their innovative and impactful IT accomplishments and leadership.”  

The CyberScape Flywheel Award Finalists include:  

Rising Star: A trailblazer in federal technology who is considered a leading subject matter expert on technology challenges facing the government.  

• April Harding, Director of User Experience Services, IRS  
• Meghan Ferriter, Technical Investment Manager, Technology Modernization Fund, GSA  
• Chizobam Nwagwu, Product Manager, U.S. Digital Corps  

Workforce Champion: A leader in the federal technology sector who advocates for women and minorities, invests in mentoring relationships to empower the next generation of women tech leaders, and is known as a “people’s champion” for their commitment to improving access to opportunity. 

• Caitlin Gandhi, Director and Co-Founder, U.S. Digital Corps  
• Jess Berrellez, Executive Officer, Office of Digital Transformation, FDA  
• Sarah C. Moffat, Chief Business Operations Officer, Department of Housing and Urban Development  

Digital Transformer: A leader dedicated to improving government services and expanding equity through new initiatives and fearlessly challenging norms while prioritizing the government mission. 

• Kathleen Noyes, Section Chief, Next Generation Technology and Lawful Access, FBI  
• Judy Cecchetti, Chief, Enablement and Methodology, VA Office of Information, Compliance, Risk and Remediation, Agile Center of Excellence, VA  
• Drew Zachary, Deputy CIO, Census Bureau  

Woman Tech Leader of the Year: This individual exceeds expectations by driving significant progress in big-picture initiatives, whether through launching new government programs or services, enhancing existing ones, or cultivating a more efficient work culture to empower emerging leaders, earning widespread recognition as a role model and carrying this honor with unsurprising acclaim. 

• Dr. Lynne Graves, Director of Artificial Intelligence, Department of the Air Force  
• Suzi Connor, CIO, CDC  
• Sharon Woods , Director, J9 Hosting and Compute, DISA  

Lifetime Achievement: This award honors a seasoned federal technology leader who embodies transformation, driving essential change and modernization while empowering their workforce and leaving lasting footprints. 

• Pritha Mehra, CIO and Executive Vice President, USPS  
• Lori Sakalos, Acquisition Executive, National Institute of Standards and Technology  
• Jane Rathbun, CIO, Navy  

Visit GovCIO Media & Research’s Women Tech Leaders Summit event page to view the full event agenda, speaker lineup and register for this must-attend annual event.    

About GovCIO Media & Research   

GovCIO Media & Research, an independent media company owned by GovCIO, provides insights and analysis on federal IT innovation and is the leading industry solutions resource. Our team utilizes a multi-platform approach to today’s most pressing issues through video, podcasts, events, articles and special reports that keep federal IT decision-makers informed on technology’s impact on government.   

Visit https://govciomedia.com/ for more information.   

 Media Contact    

Emyly Hall    

Sr. Communications & Marketing Specialist   

[email protected]