[SatNews] A Tek Award, not to be confused with Trekkie (à la Star Trek), for a special woman...

Kay Sears, President of Intelsat General, has been given the GOVTek Women in Technology award of the Government Technology Research Alliance (GTRA).

The award is one of more than a dozen given by the organization each year honoring government and industry leaders in a variety of categories for their contributions to the IT community and the ever-evolving government technology world.

“Kay is not only a business leader who has helped drive the growth of Intelsat, but a passionate and dedicated member of her community who makes philanthropy and ‘giving-back’ an integral part of her life,” said Parham Eftekhari, Co-Founder and Director of Research, GTRA. “This balance of professional and social achievements truly make her a role model for the community and GTRA is proud to recognize someone of her caliber.”

Sears has worked in the satellite communications industry for more than 22 years and has extensive experience in rapid-response solutions for both military and civilian agencies of the U.S. government. She has been president of Intelsat General since 2008.

Her leadership has been recognized previously with a number of awards and accolades, including her appointment to the judges’ panel for the Space Foundation's 2010 Space Technology Hall of Fame and her appointment to the President’s National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC).

Intelsat General Corp. provides leading-edge communications solutions to commercial, government, and military customers through fixed and mobile satellite systems and associated terrestrial communications services. Intelsat General incorporates flexible and robust ground and space infrastructure and technical expertise to deliver reliable, quickly-deployable and secure network solutions anywhere around the globe. Intelsat General is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Intelsat, S.A.