The First Annual Softec Impact Awards were the first order of business at SOFTEC's December 7, 2005 dinner meeting with Board Member Bob Dumouchel providing an overview of the nomination process and final decision making. The Softec Board had an exceptional list of candidates and the final decision was not an easy one.
Board Member Kim Mistretta presented the Impact Community Award to the Honorable Andrea Seastrand, former State Assemblywoman and U.S. Congresswoman and current Executive Director of the California Space Authority (CSA), a statewide non-profit corporation serving California companies that provide equipment and services to the global space industry. Mrs. Seastrand was a leader in the inception of The California Space and Technology Alliance (CSTA), serving as its first and only Executive Director from February 1997 until April 2001 when it evolved into the CSA. In mid-summer 2005, Governor Schwarzenegger created an "A Team" devoted to attraction of the shuttle follow-on program, called the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), to the State of California. CSA, under the leadership of Seastrand, was selected to serve as the lead partner of the "A Team" and is now engaged with the CEV industry teams. Through her commitment as an elected official and her leadership of a non-profit organization, Mrs. Seastrand has had an exemplary Impact on the local community. http://www.softec.org
