Working Mother recognizes Nesha Lopez and Melissa Sheilds, two finalists in the NVTC Rising Heroines category for the March of Dimes Annual Heroines in Technology Awards. These professional women selflessly and energetically serve their communities and inspire others to volunteer.

Nesha Lopez
Systems Analyst, Femme Comp Inc.

Nesha Lopez, a systems analyst at FCI, volunteered to accept full legal guardianship of the 11-year-old daughter of two married Army soldiers who were simultaneously deployed to Iraq and Kuwait.  This young, single woman altered her normal routines to accommodate the physical, emotional and stressful demands of caring for a pre-teen girl.  Nesha gave our soldiers the assurance that their daughter would be protected during their absence, and she became the confidante and care provider for an impressionable young person.  In addition to serving as a role model and volunteer parent, she continues to pursue advanced certifications and degrees to better support the Department of the Army.  She has Security+ certification and is completing her MBA and obtaining her CISSP certification.  Amazingly, she is also a volunteer at Kindness House in Maryland and helped them develop a 101 Financial Literacy Training program to teach children and young adults about financial responsibility.  For her selfless act and endless energy, Nesha was nominated as a Rising Star Heroine.

Melissa Shields
Project Manager, Fannie Mae

Melissa Shields has been nominated as a Rising Heroine for being the voice of volunteerism in our region.  When starting her career at Grant Thornton in McLean, Melissa saw an enormous need to identify volunteering opportunities that were open to the flexible nature of professionals in demanding jobs.  She partnered with Greater DC Cares to organize Grant Thornton’s involvement in Servathon, the largest single day of volunteering in the DC Metro region.  She helped the office log over 300 volunteer hours and impact many important organizations.  Melissa helped Grant Thornton’s walk team raise almost $15,000 for the March of Dimes’ March for Babies in the last three years.  Now at Fannie Mae, Melissa continues her hard work by participating in Fannie Mae’s SERVE network.  She participated in the recent Help the Homeless walk and assists her fellow co-workers in finding volunteering outlets.  She was recognized a Volunteer of the Month by Greater DC Cares. 

The March of Dimes will celebrate its 10th Anniversary Heroines in Technology Gala on November 12, 2010 in Reston, VA.


--Katie Tedrow is a marketing and corporate communications professional experienced in the professional services, technology and regulatory industries. She is an active member of the Legal Marketing Association Capital Chapter and involved in her community. Katie is Mid-Atlantic Marketing Manager at Womble Carlyle, an innovative business law firm. Follow her on Twitter: @KTedrow.