2009 IEEE Annual Election Candidates - Region 9

GUSTAVO A. GIANNATTASIO, MBA, PMP
(Nominated by IEEE Region 9)

Project Manager, Information Technology
CONATEL S.A.
Catholic University Professor
Montevideo, Uruguay
www.giannattasio.org

Gustavo Giannattasio, born in Montevideo, Uruguay, 1947, married, four children and two granddaughters.

He studied Telecommunications at Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay, and received his MBA with Honors from Universidad Catolica de Montevideo. He is certified by PMI institute as Project Management Professional, and received post degree diploma in Electronic Design Engineering at Philips Eindhoven, The Netherlands.

He is an information technology project manager at CONATEL S.A. Previously he was a project manager at cellular Movicom-Bellsouth, telecom engineer at ANTEL, communications and control project engineer at hydro-power plant for Main & Associates, and data error correction system design staff at Philips ISA Labs in The Netherlands.

Academic activities: assistant teacher of propagation and antennas at UDELAR,  data communication teacher at UCUDAL; teacher of new generation networks at ITU in Geneva, Switzerland, and career certification consultant for the Ministry of Education of Uruguay, masters in communications.

IEEE Activities – (M'02-SM'04) COMMITTEES/BOARDS: MGA Careers and Services Committee, Member, 2009.  RAB/TAB Section/Chapter Support Committee, 2007.  Admission and Advancement Committee, 2007-09.  TAB/RAB Visits Program, Chair, 2006.  REGION: Region 9: TISP Montevideo Organizing Committee, Chair, 2009; R9 JOB SITE, Chair, 2008-09; Standards, Chair, 2008-09;R9 RR2008 Organizing Committee, Chair,2008; On-line Seminars and Video Conferencing Committee, 2005-06; Professional Certifications Committee, 2005.  SECTION: Uruguay Section: Chair, 2004-05; Vice Chair, 2009, 2005-06.  CHAPTERS: Uruguay Communications Society Chapter, Chair, 2008-09, 2002-03.  Uruguay Engineering Management Society Chapter, Chair, 2008-09, 2005.  SOCIETY: Communications Society (ComSoc): Education Board, 2008-09; Wireless Engineering Body of Knowledge (WEBOK), Working Group, Editor-in-Chief, 2008; Wireless Certification Core Group, 2007-08.

IEEE Accomplishments – As an IEEE volunteer he:

• Worked as Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Communications Society Wireless Engineering Body of Knowledge, published by Wiley-IEEE Press (April 2009, ISBN 978-0-470-43366-9)
• Was member of the Core Team to build the Wireless WCET Certification
• Is working on IEEE Communications Society Education Board to generate contents, and webinars for Wireless Certification preparation
• Organized the R9 JOB SITE Contest to promote support among the Sections
• Founded the Engineering Management Society Chapter in Uruguay, promoted joint activities with ISACA and Project Management Institute
• Proposed actions during Sections Congress ’05, now providing visibility such as certifications and public awareness.  Some of those actions were approved by the Plenary, now being implemented
• Identified and tested many webinar online systems, carried out tests and reports and proposed these systems to R9 and according to Sections Congress 2008 initiative 4 promoted the use of this tool for online seminars
• Worked on IEEE Communication Society’s Task Force PATF about Wireless Certification
• Worked on RAB/TAB Committee Sections and Chapters Support (SCS) to promote support and benefits for Sections
• Proposed a new rebate system to promote active participation of IEEE with the industry sector and other professional organizations in order to activate Chapters and Sections activities 

Statement – As Region 9 Delegate-Elect/Director-Elect, I will:

1. Create IEEE certification programs focused on regional needs; build a virtual IEEE University to provide professional certification
2. Increase participation of members by lowering language barriers providing English courses to Portuguese and Spanish speaking members
3. Encourage innovation potential of IEEE leaders by providing workshops and on-line seminars about management, leadership, innovation and creativity
4. Promote industry support for IEEE members by signing agreements at positive conditions with professional organizations like PMI, ISACA, Government and Private companies
5. Promote cross country academic activities to identify and create clusters of universities that will build the technical expertise needed to develop professional clusters in the Region. Promote to increase the participation of Distinguished Lecturers from Region 9 to the rest of the world.
6. Monitor and optimize R9 strategic plan

NORBERTO M. LERENDEGUI
(Nominated by IEEE Region 9)

Professor and Mechatronics Laboratory Head
Buenos Aires Institute of Technology (ITBA)
Buenos Aires, Argentina
www.nlerendegui.com

Norberto Lerendegui is Professor and Mechatronics Laboratory Head at Buenos Aires Institute of Technology (ITBA). He is also chair of the Biomedical Engineering Committee of the Argentine Federation of Cardiology, and industry advisor in biomedical/mechatronics engineering and FDA/EC biomedical product regulations. His professional interests are in medical devices and mechatronics systems.

Lerendegui has 22 years of continuous professional activity in the industry. He was R&D Manager at GBI International Corporation (USA and Argentina), where he developed 20 medical devices (external pacemakers, holter recorders, among others).

Lerendegui also has 26 years of academic activity at university level, holding different positions including undergraduate and graduate programs director. He has been a visiting professor at the School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Entre Rios, since 1991.

Lerendegui holds an electromechanical engineering degree from Buenos Aires University, Argentina, and a Master of Electronic Engineering degree (with honors) from the Netherlands Universities Foundation (NUFFIC), Eindhoven.

IEEE Activities – (S’80-M’85-SM’01) COMMITTEE/BOARD: MGA Awards & Recognition Committee, 2007-09. REGION: Region 9: Educational Activities Committee Chair, 2008-09; Videoconference and Webinar AdHoc Committee Chair, 2006-07.  SECTION: Argentina Section: Chair, 2005-06; Vice Chair, 2004,1994-95; Treasurer, 1996; Membership Development Committee, Chair, 2007-09, 1994-95; Awards and Recognition Committee Chair, 2005-06.  CHAPTERS: Argentina Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society Chapter, Founder and Chair, 1992-93; Vice Chair, 2003. Argentina Computer Society Chapter: Chair, 1992; Secretary, 1991. REPRESENTATIVE: CORAL (Regional Council of Biomedical Engineering for Latin America), EMBS Argentina Chapter Representative, 1992-93.

IEEE Accomplishments – I organized and founded the Argentina Section Chapter of the Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society in 1992, with the collaboration of society members. The challenge was important since the chapter formation signatories lived in different cities and there was no email service. I chaired the chapter during the first two years.

In IEEE I learned to recognize the work of my colleagues. For that reason I am very proud of being instrumental in the “2006 RAB Discretionary Award” received by Oscar Fernandez, an IEEE volunteer for 70 years and co-founder of the Argentina Section in 1939.

I was co-organizer of the first AR JEI-2008 (2008 Argentina Section Seminar of Training and Information). The goal of this full-day session meeting was to join representatives from student branches with section and chapter officers, and train them on different IEEE issues.

I contributed to the establishment of new Student Branches and the rejuvenation of others, addressing technical conferences across the country.

In Region 9 I chaired a committee to propose an operating procedure to organize and conduct videoconferences and virtual meetings. As R9 Educational Activities Committee Chair, I am currently leading a project to provide technical means for that purpose.

Statement – I am honored to be nominated for Delegate-Elect/Director-Elect for Region 9. I am confident I can meet the needs of the members of Region 9 based on my industry, academic and IEEE experience. My goals for Region 9 are the following:

Better Service to Members and Higher Membership Value:

• Increase industry-oriented seminars/workshops and improve links with the industry
• Stimulate more activities based on a larger network of lecturers
• Encourage and provide the means to conduct Videoconferences and Webinars for technical/educational activities and virtual meetings
• Increase institutional advertising using available tools

Regional Integration:

• Establish work teams with very active volunteers
• Listen to local demands and figure out general solutions
• Stimulate joint activities and encourage stronger relationships between sections, chapters and student branches
• Support more student activities through national and regional meetings, contests and seminars

Interaction with Society:

• Establish a regional strategy to increase IEEE visibility working on issues such as social benefits of technology and environment protection
• Promote better education on Science and Technology