WASHINGTON, July 25, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TechAmerica, the leading U.S. technology trade association, is delighted to announce today that Lowell McAdam, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Verizon, will be the 55th recipient of the David Packard Medal of Achievement award. The Medal of Achievement recognizes significant contributions to the advancement of the high-tech industry and for distinguished service to the community, the industry and humankind.
"Lowell McAdam has been a transformational force in erasing the line between telecommunications and technology. His career has been dedicated to revolutionizing the global wireless industry while leading Verizon's foray into emerging technologies like M2M, telematics and smart sensors, all of which continue to transform our daily lives," said Shawn Osborne, President & CEO of TechAmerica. "We couldn't be more thrilled to honor Lowell with TechAmerica's highest honor."
The Medal of Achievement award has a history of honoring those that have shaped the U.S. technology industry and greatly contributed to the global leadership position enjoyed by the industry. Mr. McAdam joins a distinguished group of technology groundbreakers. Previous winners include William Hewlett and David Packard of Hewlett Packard; Ross Perot of Electronic Data Systems; Thomas J. Watson, Jr. of IBM; Gordon Moore, Paul S. Otellini and Andrew Grove of Intel; John W. Thompson of Symantec; Ray Lane of Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield and Byers; and the 2012 recipient Reid Hoffman, Greylock Partners and LinkedIn co-founder.
Mr. McAdam said: "Verizon's focus is to grow our business while using our world-class technology to improve the lives of our customers across the globe. Our 4G LTE, fiber and global backbone networks are an unmatched platform for bringing innovators across the technology industry together to address some of the world's biggest challenges in health care, sustainability and education. David Packard understood better than anyone the corporate responsibility of sharing success with the communities you serve, so it is a tremendous honor to be recognized in his name."
Mr. McAdam assumed the CEO position at Verizon in August 2011 and the Chairmanship on January 1, 2012. Previously he served as Verizon's President and Chief Operating Officer as well as CEO of Verizon Wireless. Prior to joining Verizon in 2000, Mr. McAdam served in leadership positions with a number of global telecommunications firms.
Mr. McAdam is a director of the National Academy Foundation, a partnership between business leaders and educators that helps high schools across the country establish and run technical and service academies to prepare students for college and careers. He earned a bachelor's degree in engineering from Cornell and a master's degree in business administration from the University of San Diego. He also spent six years in the U.S. Navy Civil Engineer Corps and became a licensed professional engineer in 1979.
The Medal of Achievement will be presented November 7, 2013 in Menlo Park, CA.
For additional information on the awards, please click here.
About TechAmerica
TechAmerica is the leading association for the U.S. technology industry – the driving force behind productivity growth and job creation in the United States and the foundation of the global innovation economy. Representing premiere technology companies of all sizes, we are the industry's only trade association dedicated to advocating for the ICT sector before decision makers at the state, federal and international levels of government. With offices in Washington, D.C., Silicon Valley, Brussels and Beijing, as well as regional offices around the U.S., we deliver our members top-tier business intelligence and networking opportunities on a global scale. We are committed to expanding market opportunities and driving the competitiveness of the U.S. technology industry around the world. Learn more about TechAmerica at www.techamerica.org.