FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 11, 2005
FY06-05
ORAU Extends Mentor-Protégé Relationship to Woman-Owned, Small Business
Pictured above are (front row, L-R) Ron Townsend, ORAU president, and Cindy Zeng, Athens IT Solutions owner. Also pictured are (back row, L-R) Ernest Whitaker, ORAU small business manager; John Bennett, ORAU manager of procurement; Brian Cook, ORAU applications development team leader; Wayne Stevenson, ORAU science and engineering education program director; and Sharon Jacobs, ORAU procurement team leader.
OAK RIDGE, Tenn.—Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) and Cindy Zeng recently signed an agreement initiating a support relationship as provided under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Mentor-Protégé program. Zeng is a former ORAU employee who has since begun Athens IT Solutions—her own information technology consulting business. Through this business partnership, Zeng will provide her vast knowledge and experience with ORAU to science and education projects and other information systems programs.
She will provide support for both new and on-going business and programming opportunities, which will ensure growth for her business, while continuing achievements for ORAU.
ORAU is a university consortium leveraging the scientific strength of 91 major research institutions to advance science and education by partnering with national laboratories, government agencies, and private industry. ORAU manages the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education for the U.S. Department of Energy.