TechGirlz Founder Named to Creating IT Futures Board

June 17, 2015 – The Creating IT Futures Foundation, the philanthropic arm of CompTIA, announced the new officers and directors for its board. Jim Afdahl, vice president and chief financial officer of GED Testing Service in Minnesota, is the foundation’s new chairman of the board.

Guy Fruda, director, East Region Technology, Deloitte, ascends to the foundation’s vice chair. New directors added to the board include:

  • Angela Allen, vice president of global sales technical enablement, IBM
  • John Malonson, senior IT program engagement lead, Raytheon
  • Tracey Welson-Rossman, chief marketing officer, Chariot Solutions, and founder, TechGirlz

Four members rotated off the board:

  • Creating IT Futures Chairwoman Diana Ermini of IBM
  • Vice Chair Angel Pineiro of ASI System Integration
  • Directors Julius Clark of Wells Fargo and Hayward West of Deloitte Consulting.

“It’s amazing how our board members have helped us revitalize the Foundation these past five years. I’m truly thankful for the leadership, expertise and time given especially by our outgoing board members Diana, Angel, Julius and Hayward. And, Jim, our new chair, has been an inspirational and generous leader for us in Minnesota over the past three years as we’ve built our IT-Ready training program,” said Charles Eaton, CEO, Creating IT Futures. “Our new board has great diversity and experience. I look forward to our discussions and debates about the on-ramps to IT careers that we will create next.”

The full slate of Creating IT Futures’ board includes:

  • Chairman Jim Afdahl of GED Testing Service
  • Vice Chairman Guy Fruda of Deloitte Services
  • Secretary Dan Liutikas of CompTIA
  • Treasurer David Sommer of CompTIA
  • CEO Charles Eaton of Creating IT Futures Foundation
  • Director Angela Allen of IBM
  • Director Paul Cronin of Atrion
  • Director Rebekah Harvey of HP
  • Director John Malonson of Raytheon
  • Director Darci Niszczak of Samsung
  • Director & CompTIA Board Liaison Joe Squeri of Citadel
  • Director Todd Thibodeaux of CompTIA
  • Director Tracey Welson-Rossman of Chariot Solutions & TechGirlz

Bios of the board members are posted here.


About the Creating IT Futures Foundation

As the philanthropic arm of CompTIA, the Creating IT Futures Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charity with the mission of helping populations under-represented in the information technology industry and individuals who are lacking in opportunity to prepare for, secure and be successful in IT careers. Learn more at CreatingITFutures.org.