AeA Selects Vektrex CEO As San Diego Chair  

San Diego –  Melissa Ford, CEO of Vektrex Electronic Systems, was named Chairperson of the San Diego Chapter of AeA, the American Electronics Association. 

The announcement was made during their annual High Tech Awards ceremony in San Diego.

Amid signs of a local technology resurgence, the San Diego chapter of the AeA named eight winners of its 12th annual High Tech Awards yesterday.

Local judges chose this year's honorees from a field of 35 finalists that reflected more competitive zeal than in past years, said Kevin Carroll, executive director of the San Diego AeA. The industry group was previously known as the American Electronics Association.

"A lot of companies are doing these awards to get exposure, which helps them recruit new employees," Carroll said. "The energy of the number of finalists we had is really symbolic of how healthy the tech economy is in San Diego."

ID Analytics chairman and chief executive Bruce Hansen, who accepted the AeA's award for technology and IT services, agreed that such recognition will help the 4-year-old company add to its 65-employee roster.

"It's not just that we brag about it when job candidates come in for an interview," Hansen said. "It's good for general visibility and credibility for a young company like ours. We hope that they've heard of us as an exciting place to work."

About 500 people attended the awards event at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines. The AeA's San Diego chapter named Melissa Ford, president and owner of privately held Vektrex Electronic Systems, as the first female board chairman – a role she compared to that of actress Geena Davis in the new TV drama "Commander in Chief."

The local AeA also issued an honorary award of special recognition to Walt Foley, an executive committee member, for sponsoring an annual lobbying trip for the group in Sacramento and other assistance.

Award winners, by industry, were:

Software – Claritas. Other finalists were Captiva Software, Document Sciences Corp. and ImageWare Systems.

Internet/Web commerce – Websense. Other finalists were Entriq, MIR3 and WebSideStory.

Computers – Verari Systems. Other finalists were DotHill Systems, RSI ID Technologies and Wintriss Engineering.

Communications – ViaSat. Other finalists were Continuous Computing, iTech, Tachyon Networks and WFI.

Technology/IT services – ID Analytics. Other finalists were Enviance, ProfitLine and TechFlow.

Semiconductors – Entropic Communications. Other finalists were CommAsic, Elgar Electronics and Palomar Technologies.

Medical devices – CardioDynamics. Other finalists were MedVantx, Ophthonix and Triage Wireless.

Emerging growth – Akonix Systems. Other finalists were Alignent Software, Infommersion, Staccato Communications, Streamload and Xifin.

Vektrex has key expertise with test instruments, instrument drivers and software-based measurements, and provides enabling products and services that help clients migrate to software-based measurements.