NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., April 4 /PRNewswire/ -- AeA, the largest technology trade association in the United States, today announced the finalists in its 14th Annual High-Tech Innovation Awards, presented by AeA's Orange County & Inland Empire Council. City of Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle will act as the master of ceremonies for the evening celebrating innovators from Orange County and the Inland Empire.

"The Race to Innovate in Orange County is evident in the record number of nominations AeA received for this year's awards," said Tim Jemal, AeA executive director for Orange County and the Inland Empire. "Companies must work harder than ever to differentiate themselves from the competition. The High-Tech Awards recognize innovative products, people and business processes that stand out. We're thrilled that Curt Pringle has agreed to be our master of ceremonies."

The 14th Annual High-Tech Innovation Awards will be presented at the Fairmont Hotel in Newport Beach on May 10, 2007. The awards recognize local companies, individuals and products in the technology field that drive innovation in Orange County. In addition, AeA Orange County will recognize educators and students for their innovative use of science, math and technology in the classroom and the community in conjunction with Project Tomorrow (http://www.tomorrow.org/), the nation's leading education nonprofit group focused on preparing today's students to be tomorrow's innovators.

"AeA's High-Tech Innovation Awards encourage companies in Orange County and the Inland Empire to invent new ways of doing business and products to facilitate innovation in everyday life," said Curt Pringle, mayor of Anaheim. "I am excited to be a part of the program and congratulate each of the companies and people recognized as finalists."

The finalists in all categories are listed below: Greg Ross Community Service Stephen LaCount, principal, LaCount Law High-Impact Person of the Year Doug Patton, chief executive officer, Patton Design Gary Augusta, president and chief executive officer, OCTANe Frank Peters, chairman, Tech Coast Angels Joey Benadretti, president and director of operations for the Americas, SYSPRO Michael Henson, entrepreneur & venture investor Outstanding Medical Device Company Alsius Corporation Ambryx Biotechnology Inc. Biolase I-Flow ICU Medical SenoRx Outstanding Private Company DATAllegro HireRight, Inc. Sage Software SiliconSystems, Inc. SYSPRO Teridian Semiconductor Corporation Vision Solutions, Inc. Outstanding Private Company CEO Brett Butler, chief executive officer, Axiom Microdevices Inc. Jeffrey Hilbert, chief executive officer, WiSpry, Inc. Michael Hajeck, chief executive officer, SiliconSystems Inc. Outstanding Public Company Epicor Software Jazz Semiconductor Netlist, Inc. Skyworks Solutions Telelogic North America Inc. The TriZetto Group Outstanding Public Company CEO George Klaus, chief executive officer, Epicor Software Heath Clarke, chief executive officer, Local.com Jeff Margolis, chief executive officer, The TriZetto Group Jim McCluney, chief executive officer, Emulex Corporation Michael A. Mussallem, chief executive officer, Edwards Lifesciences Outstanding Women in Technology Helen Chen, vice president of business development, Ambryx Biotechnology Inc. Jennifer Black, vice president of marketing, Local.com Karen Evensen, vice president of engineering, EADS North America Defense Test & Services Kirsten Mangers, chief executive officer and co-founder, WebVisible Project Tomorrow: District Leadership in Science, Math and Technology Dr. Theresa Daem, superintendent, Laguna Beach Unified School District Project Tomorrow: Emerging Student Innovator Jason Youdeem, Foothill High School, Tustin Unified School District Katherine L. Bower, Brea Olinda High School, Brea Olinda Unified School District Marshall Thomas, Laguna Beach High School, Laguna Beach Unified School District Project Tomorrow: High Impact Teacher in Science, Math and Technology Amanda Donnell, Andersen Elementary School, Newport-Mesa Unified School District Holly Steele, Beechwood School, Fullerton School District Janice Hopper, Century High School, Santa Ana Unified School District Jeffrey Lee, Arthur F. Covey Elementary School, Buena Park Unified School District

Project Tomorrow: Innovative School Program in Science, Math and Technology

Ginny Trapani, principal, Yorba Linda Middle School, Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District Jacqueline Pearce, principal, Robert C. Fisler School, Fullerton School District Jerry Halpin, principal, Brea Olinda High School Global IT Academy, Brea Olinda Unified School District Lucinda Nares Pueblos, principal, Lathrop Technology Magnet School, Santa Ana Unified School District Computer Peripherals Comarco Eclypse International Corporation Hectrix Inc. Kofax Printronix Inc. Computer Storage CMS Products DATAllegro (two products finalists) Emulex iStor Kingston Technology SiliconSystems, Inc. STEC, Inc. Consumer Hardware CMS Products D-Link Systems Inc. (two product finalists) Gateway (two product finalists) Consumer Software CMS Products SpeechPhone LLC SRS Labs (two product finalists) Industrial Design Jayco Interface Technology, Inc. Patton Design (nominated three products) Instructional Technology MIND Institute Internet Accurate Background, Inc. Epicor Software Hectrix Inc. Mavent Inc. Memeo Omnifuse Inc. Primal Solutions The Return Exchange WebVisible Medical Devices CalHealth, Inc. Edwards Lifesciences I-Flow Orqis Medical Patton Design Semiconductors Aktino, Inc. Axiom Microdevices Inc. Conexant Systems, Inc. DDi Corporation Lantronix WiSpry, Inc. Software Bitfone Corporation, HP acquisition eEye Digital Security Enclarity Epicor Software Integrien Corporation MSC Software SYSPRO Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc.

"This year's categories are more competitive than ever, proving that Orange County and the Inland Empire are hotbeds for innovation," said Jemal.

The awards recipients will be revealed on May 10, 2007 at the Fairmont Hotel in Newport Beach. Individual tickets prices are $125 for AeA members and $150 for non-members. Tables of 12 are still available for $1,200 for AeA members and $1,500 for non-members. To register for the event, please contact Leah Van Zee at Leah_VanZee@aeanet.org or call (949) 477-5300.

About AeA

AeA is the largest high-tech trade association in the U.S. and represents all segments of the technology industry. Our mission is to help our member companies grow and improve their business. Internationally, AeA represents 2,500 companies with 1.8 million employees. In Orange County & the Inland Empire, AeA represents 140 member companies with worldwide revenue of more than $8 billion and more than 160,000 employees in the United States and globally. Information on the Orange County & Inland Empire Council can be found at http://www.aeanet.org/orangecounty.

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Web site: http://www.aeanet.org/
http://www.tomorrow.org/