IT Pro Day award submissions open now

Nominations for the IT Pro Day 2022 Awards are now being accepted online at ITProDay.org.

The annual IT Pro Day holiday, created by SolarWinds, a provider of simple, powerful, and secure IT management software, honors and recognizes the critical but often unseen work that IT professionals do to keep our computer networks running.

Though computer systems are now required for every modern organization to function, the IT teams that ensure email, websites, and applications run smoothly are frequently overlooked (unless there is a problem!). As businesses adopt new cloud and artificial intelligence technologies as part of their digital transformation strategies, our reliance on IT teams and roles grows. Simultaneously, workplace trends such as remote work have become the norm.

“The job of an IT pro has gotten extremely difficult, but most of their colleagues in non-tech roles have no idea,” said Head Geek Chrystal Taylor. “IT Pro Day was created to honor the critical work IT teams do every day to ensure you can do your job. There are national days recognizing administrative professionals, zookeepers, thermal engineers, interns, and more—so it’s only natural to honor the people who make it possible for the rest of the organization to function.”  

IT Pro Day is observed on the third Tuesday of September each year and was established in 2015 to recognize the IT professionals who keep our computer networks running. The annual awards program honors technology professionals of all levels who have excelled in their fields. Nominations for the IT Pro Day Awards are open to IT professionals worldwide and in a variety of categories, including:

• Rookie of the Year: We all start somewhere—and we want to pay special attention to the rising stars of IT. This award recognizes an IT pro new to the profession making an immediate impact, whether by developing new skills (technical or otherwise), contributing to the success of a challenging project, or driving measurable results for the business.
• Rockstar of the Year: This award honors an IT pro or team who has gone above and beyond the typical IT call of duty. They may have managed/executed on a shoestring budget, took on a challenging request or led a project that generated tangible business results, picked up extra shifts in response to strained staffing resources during the height of the pandemic, or committed their free time to upskilling to have a transformational impact on their organization.
• IT Mentor of the Year: This award recognizes a seasoned IT pro who has supported and empowered others to be successful by sharing their experience with their team(s). This person regularly leads by example, helps foster growth and development, and has shown sustained commitment to the advancement of their organization through technology.
• Trailblazer: What makes IT so crucial to modern organizations is the transformative impact new, innovative strategies and technologies can deliver. This award recognizes an individual or team who has experimented with or implemented something new and out of their comfort zone. Did this person conceptualize the rollout of a DevOps approach, test automation, or begin exploring the role of data-driven operations in the data center? Highlight why their work qualifies as “unprecedented” and its potential measurable outcomes.

Between now and September 2, 2022, everyone is encouraged to nominate their peers, colleagues, and industry friends for the IT Pro Day Awards. The winners of the IT Pro Day Awards will be announced on September 20. For more information, please visit ITProDay.org.