Beverly Mapes, President of Top Of The List, served as mistress of ceremonies (MC) at the Great Lakes Software Excellence Conference, also known as GLSEC. This year marked the fourth annual conference with presentations by more than twenty experts in software development, management, and testing. “GLSEC is the premier software development conference in West Michigan and is known throughout the industry for its timely, relevant content,” Mapes said. “It was an honor to MC the conference this year and promote the vibrant software community we have in Grand Rapids.”
Driven by the theme Compete Globally, Act Locally, this year’s conference highlighted the latest developments in the software industry, including tutorials from industry professionals. Keynote speakers included Dorothy (Dot) Graham, recognized for her expertise in software testing, as well as Dr. Paul Jorgensen, GVSU professor and David Crosby, Atomic Object software craftsman, who engaged in a friendly debate surrounding agile software development methods.
On top of MC’ing a conference with over 20 tutorials and 25 general sessions, Mapes also coordinated and staffed a Top Of The List raffle booth. Proceeds from the booth benefited ellohay.org, a West Michigan charity that that improves the computer and technical literacy of impoverished high school students. Participants who complete community service and technical training requirements receive a refurbished laptop. In the process, students gain confidence, technical skills, and a lifelong interest in community volunteerism.
“Ellohay.org does fantastic work to bridge the ‘digital divide’ in West Michigan,” Mapes said. “Students in the program gain personal and technical skills that will serve them throughout their lives.”
Conference Chair Patrick Bailey commended Mapes’s efforts. “Beverly provided outstanding volunteer support for the 2009 conference,” he said. “Her planning ability was a foundational piece to ensuring the smooth flow of activities as MC of the conference. Further, she demonstrated her commitment to our community by organizing the charity raffle and through her regular contributions to the planning committee.”
Mapes looks forward to supporting future GLSEC conferences, which are already in the works. “The talent in West Michigan is just amazing,” she said. “I’m proud to be a part of these efforts to promote local businesses as we work to compete on the global stage.”
About the Author
Nicole Vesota
Vice President & Project ManagerNicole has been working in online marketing since 2007 when she joined Top Of The List. She loves creative endeavors and spending time with her daughter.