Illinois Technology Association Announces CityLIGHTS Awards Judges for 13th Annual CityLIGHTS Awards Gala

CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwire - Mar 27, 2012) - ITA is proud to announce the 2012 CityLIGHTS Awards judges, representing thought leaders from business, civic, educational, and government organizations.

"ITA is thrilled to announce the judging panel for 2012," said Fred Hoch, President, ITA. "The strength of the technology industry continues to lead the recovery of the local economy, and CityLIGHTS is the annual celebration to recognize some of these great companies. This panel of judges has unique insight and experience and we thank them for their invaluable insights."

Judges will review all nominations and determine finalists, to be announced April 11, 2012. Public voting runs from April 11 - 25, 2012. Winners will be determined by composite score (50 percent judges; 50 percent community voting) in all categories and will be announced at the gala May 10, 2012.

The 2012 judges include:

• Matt Summy, Illinois Science and Technology Coalition
• Mike Evans, GrubHub
• Dan Lyne, World Business Chicago
• Howard Tullman, Tribeca Flashpoint Media Arts Academy
• Dennis Roberson, Illinois Institute of Technology
• Don DeLoach, Infobright
• Linda Darragh, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
• Lance Pressl, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce
• Troy Henikoff, Excelerate
• Adam Hecktman, Microsoft
• Ari Kaplan, Chicago Cubs
• Jason DeHaan, City of Chicago
• Leslie Vickery, ClearEdge Marketing

See the full list of 2012 ITA CityLIGHTS Judges.

ITA CityLIGHTS will be held on May 10, 2012 in the Great Hall at Chicago Union Station. The event is attended by more than 700 executives, entrepreneurs, investors, and technology champions from the breadth and depth of Illinois business. To purchase a table or tickets to the event, visit www.itacitylights.org. The Awards Gala is an opportunity for the industry to connect, socialize, and celebrate the continued success of the technology industry in Illinois and the growing importance of this economic sector.

About the Illinois Technology Association
The Illinois Technology Association (ITA) is a driving force behind the growth of Illinois' vibrant technology industry. We are relentless in championing the development and application of technology, from start-up companies to industry leaders, leveraging the transformative nature of technology to revolutionize industries. ITA uniquely capitalizes peer-to-peer collaboration, networking, and access to experts across the breadth of business to cultivate the Illinois technology industry. The unique and powerful integration of these valuable and experienced resources differentiates the ITA as a source of accelerated growth for the technology industry of Illinois. For more information about ITA, please visit www.illinoistech.org.

Contact the ITA at headquarters@illinoistech.org, follow the discussion on Twitter at @itabuzz, and visit www.illinoistech.org to find out more about how ITA supports the growth of the local industry.