Michelle Tortolani, senior director of Repeater Engineering and Operations at XM Satellite Radio Inc. -- a satellite radio broadcasting company headquartered in Washington, D.C. -- will serve as the Society of Women Engineer's (SWE) 45th president.
"This coming year, I see numerous opportunities for us to expand our influence with policy makers, and corporate and academic leaders to improve gender diversity -- and overall diversity --- in the engineering profession," says Tortolani. "Through our strategic initiatives of being a driving force in increasing the number of women choosing an engineering career; being a leader in positioning women engineers to excel and be recognized for their achievements; and being a catalyst for creating a professional climate to foster the excellence of women in engineering, SWE will ensure that the engineering profession fully reaps the benefits of diversity."
In her position at XM Satellite Radio Inc., Tortolani manages the operation, maintenance and expansion of a nationwide repeater network, which supplements satellite coverage in urban areas where tall buildings and other obstructions may interfere with satellite radio reception. She also manages the repeater engineering group, which is responsible for design and development of repeater hardware for the network.
The Society of Women Engineers, founded in 1950, is a not-for-profit educational and service organization. www.swe.org
