SUMMERVILLE, SC, May 20, 2020 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Shirley Kenney-Tomasi Berardo has been inducted into Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Having earned distinction as a Senior program manager with IBM, Ms. Berardo initially launched her professional journey with IBM Manassas, Virginia. She entered management in three years and remained in various administrative and technical level management positions throughout her career. While progressing through her career, Ms. Berardo was invited by an IBM Fellow in Bethesda, Maryland to build the business case to bring his Finger/Stylus Touch Technology to market. Afterward, she found success as a senior program and process manager of software in Boca Raton, Florida and hardware in Japan. Her responsibilities ensured the Touch software was incorporated into the OS2 Operating System and hardware.
Ms. Berardo, fueled by a passion for the world of culture and art, is also a classical art graduate of the Corcoran School of Art. Additionally, she attended IBM management courses throughout the U.S. including at Georgetown University for technical education, George Mason University for behavior sciences, and site and division level seminars and conferences throughout her career. Ms. Berardo is certified as an instructor in program management from Princeton University and likewise bears certification in configuration management through George Washington University and library sciences through Texas Western University.
While with IBM in Manassas, Ms. Berardo founded and was executive director of the Prince William County Cultural Arts Federation and President of the Manassas Choral Society. After departing from her renowned career in the field of program management, Ms. Berardo pivoted and chose to dedicate her time and skills toward bettering her community. She retired to Washington State, where she founded was the Gig Harbor Key Peninsula Cultural Arts Commission Executive Director. She, and over 150 volunteers, produced hundreds of programs within the community, partnering with education, business, non-profit and civic organizations. As member of the Gig Harbor Rotary and Gig Harbor Lions clubs, she provided speakers and entertainment while serving on the Gig Harbor Peninsula Area Chamber of Commerce and the Gig Harbor Peninsula Historical Society Board of Directors. She and the volunteers produced an Open Studio Tour, Student Art Gallery in a professional gallery, Public Art Program's Fisherman's Memorial, Quilt Festival, Writers' Conferences, Arts in the Parks, brought into the harbor the Mosquito Fleet's Virginia Five and Endeavor replica with cannons firing, produced an annual four-season program which included Autumn Sounds, Winter Visuals, Spring Sing, Summer Dance and founded the Peninsula Youth Orchestra. In 1998 she also served as a program manager, producing the Livable Community Fair for King County Council at the Seattle Needle Conference Center. While in Gig Harbor she was asked to serve as the Homestead Park Executive Director, coordinating over 30 organizations, who raised $2.5 million for the land.
Named as the Citizen of the Year by the Gig Harbor Rotary Club in 2002, Ms. Berardo was likewise granted the National Award for Community Excellence from the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1999. In 2000 she was met with a great deal of recognition as the recipient of the Citizen of the Year award from Joe Hoots and the Gig Harbor Peninsula Area Chamber of Commerce, the Spark Plug Award and Rookie of the Year Award from the Gig Harbor Lions Club. She was also notably featured in the Women of the Century Exhibit at the Gig Harbor Peninsula Historical Society. Additionally. Ms. Berardo was bestowed with the Margaret K. Williams Award from the Piece County Arts Commission in 1999 and named as a Community Volunteer of the Year by the Gig Harbor Peninsula Area Chamber of Commerce in 1998, as well Woman of the Year in Prince William County, Virginia, in 1983.
In Clarksville, TN, she was invited to serve on the Dunbar Cave Board of Directors, Clarksville Mount Olive Committee and a member of the Rotary Club of Clarksville while serving as the Arts and Heritage Development Council Executive Director at the Customs House Museum 2003-2005. She founded the Clarksville Art Walk and Youth Orchestra in a partnership with Austin Peay University.
Summerville, SC brought new adventures as Ms. Berardo founding the Del Webb-Charleston Society of Singers, Writers' Circle and Fine Arts Club, and serves on Mayors 'Walk for All" Committee for those of differing abilities, member of the Summerville Noon Rotary Club and recipient of their Thomas A. Bryce, Memorial Award for Distinguished Leadership 2018-2019, while developing plans for Cultural Arts Center-Differing Abilities project.
Reflection upon her illustrious career, Ms. Berardo fondly recalls designing and instructing a course titled "Working With People." She offered advice on how to succeed in business. Looking toward the future, Ms. Berardo is hoping to complete her book of life experiences and aspires to be fully dedicated to the art world and the Summerville Noon Rotary Club.
Ms. Berardo strongly believes that everyone should be involved in their community as it is an opportunity to give back for the blessings in one's life.
About Marquis Who's Who®
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® now publishes many Who's Who titles, including Who's Who in America®, Who's Who in the World®, Who's Who in American Law®, Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare®, Who's Who in Science and Engineering®, and Who's Who in Asia®. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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