mindSHIFT Vice President Rob DiRocco Joins NVTC Foundation Board

HERNDON, Va., September 17, 2003 - The Northern Virginia Technology Council Foundation has named Rob DiRocco, Vice President of Fairfax based mindSHIFT Technologies, as a member of its Board of Trustees.

"We are delighted to have Rob join our board and bring his broad experience in the local technology community to the NVTC Foundation," said Tim Nurvala, President of the NVTC Foundation. "He has built his career marketing complex technology services, and those same skills will be instrumental in helping us promote the NVTC Foundation and its mission, and help us develop exciting new programs to support the community."

Mr. DiRocco has led mindSHIFT's marketing and sales efforts for the past 3 years, building the company client base to span 17 states and 3 countries outside the U.S. Previously, he was responsible for North American Sales at Hughes Network Systems data switching division, and for civilian and intelligence federal agency sales at Bell Atlantic Federal Systems (now Verizon).

In addition to the NVTC Foundation, Mr. DiRocco serves as a Wish Granter for the Make-A-Wish FoundationÆ of the Mid-Atlantic. He is also on the Technology Advisory Council of the Greater Washington Society of Association Executives (GWSAE).

"I am thrilled to become part of the NVTC Foundation board and help build upon the great tradition of service they have been delivering to the community," Mr. DiRocco said. "The technology companies and organizations of our area have continued to be strong supporters of the Foundation and its programs to help the community, even in a difficult economic climate. We need to continue building upon existing programs and develop creative new initiatives to further the development of Northern Virginia being the premier technology corridor in the U.S."

The Northern Virginia Technology Council launched the Foundation over two years ago to finance community projects that bridge the digital divide and improve lives through technology. So far, the NVTC Foundation has helped fund three computer clubhouses in Fairfax County.

It also supports the annual "Botball" robotics tournament for area middle and high school students, the Bannister Scholarship at the George Mason University School of Information Technology and Engineering, and has established a special partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, an organization that grants wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses.

-----

About the NVTC Foundation
The NVTC Foundation was founded to encourage and facilitate corporate efforts to give something back to the community and specifically looks for community initiatives based in Northern Virginia that include technology as an important component in their mission. It is a charitable 501(c)(3) organization and contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. The NVTC Foundation is affiliated with the Northern Virginia Technology Council, a membership organization of more than 1,300 companies representing nearly 170,000 people involved in the technology industry in the Northern Virginia region. More information about the programs that it supports can be found on its Web site at www.nvtc.org/foundation.