John Venator Passes the Torch to Create IT Futures

After 21 years in the IT industry, first as president and CEO of CompTIA and then as president and CEO of the CompTIA Educational Foundation, John Venator retires today. Instrumental in founding the CompTIA Educational Foundation in 1998, Venator led the program to help more than 1,500 military veterans, individuals with disabilities, youth at-risk, women, minorities and dislocated workers launch their careers in IT.

Venator passes the leadership torch for the CompTIA Educational Foundation to Charles Eaton, former senior vice president of business development for the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). 

Under Venator’s leadership, the Foundation set a record in training 854 individuals in need for an IT career in 2009.  This year already another 286 individuals are in training.  

Earlier this month, Venator was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from CompTIA for his service to the industry, CompTIA and the Foundation.  During the awards ceremony, Bob O’Malley, president and CEO of InFocus, and chairman of both CompTIA and the Foundation, noted, “John’s passion and advocacy on behalf of the Foundation is a fitting capstone to his career. His enthusiasm for helping others and vision for the future make him an example for all association executives.”

The Foundation’s staff has counseled more than 1,300 applicants in the first quarter of this year to help them evaluate if an IT career fits with their talents and interests.  The Foundation then gives free online training toward CompTIA and other IT certifications — certifications are known throughout the IT industry as reliable predictors of employee success and are therefore one of the best ways to break into the IT field. The Foundation staff works with participants to help them identify which certifications are best suited for them and leads them through the training process.

“John’s inspiration for the Foundation has set an example on how to give back and refuel our industry. Hundreds of disabled and disadvantaged individuals have been able to join our industry due to the Foundation’s assistance,” said Todd Thibodeaux, president and CEO, CompTIA.  “I look forward to Charles continuing the great work of the Foundation and growing it to enable even more people to launch an IT career.”

As Executive Director of the Foundation, Eaton will carry on its fundraising and program development as it strives to fundraise more than $1 million and train 1,000 individuals in need this year. He brings 17 years of business and membership development experience to the Foundation, most previously at APIC, but also at the Consumer Electronics Association and at the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals.

Individuals and companies can make a donation and prospective participants can apply for training by visiting the CompTIA Educational Foundation website, http://www.CompTIA-EF.org.