Technology Executive of The Year

Presented to the Technology Executive whose leadership has made the biggest, positive impact in their industry and on the greater Oregon and SW Washington community.

This executive should have seen significant success in the most recently completed calendar year, be one that has a positive impact on the local technology industry and represents the technology community in a positive light for the foreseeable future.

Lifetime Achievement Recipient

The Technology Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes an individual whose impact, influence and work within the Oregon Technology community has resulted in significant success of the organization(s) to which the nominee has been associated and to the region’s technology community as a whole.

Technology Executive of The Year 2012

Dr. Don Kania

Don Kania has been FEI’s President and Chief Executive Officer since 2006. He has expanded FEI solutions in traditional markets of materials science and semiconductors and into new industries worldwide, such as natural resources (including oil and mining operations) and life sciences. Previously, he held several senior positions at Veeco Instruments, Inc., a provider of metrology and process equipment solutions. Positions included President and Chief Operating Officer, Vice President and General Manager of Veeco’s Metrology Group, and Chief Technology Officer. Dr. Kania’s other previous experience includes serving as the Research Director of Crystallume, a thin film diamond company, and thirteen years of research experience at the Department of Energy’s Los Alamos and Livermore Laboratories.

Dr. Kania is on the Advisory and Oversight Board of the California NanoSystems Institute; on the North American Board of Directors of SEMI, a global industry association serving the manufacturing supply chains for the microelectronic, display and photovoltaic industries; and is a Director of American Science & Engineering, Inc., which designs state-of-the-art X-ray imaging tools for security screening; and on the board of Leupold and Stevens, Inc., an Oregon based sporting optics company. Dr. Kania is on the Board of Trustees at Pacific University, and he was Honorary Chair of Saturday Academy’s Discovery Luncheon 2011. He holds B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Physics and Engineering from the University of Michigan.

“I am proud to represent all of FEI’s employees around the globe in receiving this important recognition from TechAmerica,” said Dr. Kania.

Congratulations Don!

Lifetime Achievement Recipient 2012

Kirby Dyess

Kirby Dyess is the first woman awarded the TechAmerica Lifetime Achievement Award. When informed of her selection she noted “ I am truly honored and humbled by the selection. “I have been blessed to have worked for and with some of the greatest leaders who always pushed me beyond what I thought I could do and taught me so very much and a family who always encouraged me to take some risks. I thank Tech America for the award and the selection committee for their consideration and support”.

In 2003, Ms. Dyess formed, and is currently the Principal of Austin Capital Management LLC, where she evaluates, invests in, and assists early stage companies primarily in Oregon. Previously, Ms. Dyess worked for Intel Corporation for 23 years, where she held a variety of positions, including Corporate Vice President and Director of Human Resources worldwide, Corporate Vice President and Director of New Business Development and Corporate Vice President and Director of Operations for Intel Capital. While at Intel Capital, she managed a portfolio of over 400 companies and 50 of Intel’s acquisitions through successful integration. Prior to joining Intel Corporation, Ms. Dyess spent over ten years at ICN Medical Laboratories, Inc in various marketing and sales management, research and entrepreneurial positions.

Ms. Dyess currently serves on the board of directors three public companies: Viasystems Group Inc (which merged with Merix in 2010), Itron Inc. and Portland General Electric (PGE). She chairs the board of Prolifiq SW Inc. and serves as a director for Compli, both privately owned companies. Ms. Dyess served as Vice President and then President of the Oregon State Board of Higher Education for five years and was a member of the OHSU Board; she currently serves on the Oregon Community Foundation Board. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from the University of Idaho and pursued post-graduate work in Biochemistry and Management at Portland State University and Stanford, respectively during her career.

Congratulations Kirby!

Previous Honorees