Congratulations to the 2026 Excellence in Technology Award Winners
Congratulations to the winners of the 2026 Excellence in Tech Awards, held on September 26. Watch for more event photos, including photo booth shots, soon!
Springfield Tech Council hosted the Excellence in Technology Awards on Friday, September 25, at the White River Conference Center, attended by a lively crowd of 300 with Sarah Jenkins and Nate Black serving as hosts. The evening recognized both finalists and winners in 17 categories, plus a special STC award for Volunteer of the Year. Recognizing our peers at the Excellence in Technology Awards is essential to STC’s mission to unify and amplify the professional tech community in the Ozarks.
“We do this event to elevate the tech community, and that only happens because so many take the time to recognize the accomplishments, leadership, and contributions of others. The finalists and award recipients reflect the depth of talent, dedication, and innovation found throughout our region,” said Emily Reed, STC’s executive director. “Our sponsors from outside Springfield often share that they rarely see this kind of celebration in other tech communities. We're fortunate to have a region that values recognizing and supporting one another, and STC is proud to be part of making that possible.”
STC is grateful for the continued support of returning sponsors in 2026, including Premier Sponsor Arista, and HBS as our Photo Booth Sponsor. We would also like to thank award introduction sponsors CapstoneIT and Ankh Innovations, as well as our 15 Table Sponsors taking part in this event to support the teams, individuals, and organizations honored: Losh Network Services, MCCoE, Pitt Technology Group, O’Reilly Auto Parts, CNH Reman, Jack Henry, SRC Holdings, Bluebird Fiber, CoxHealth, Next Level Solutions, WON Communications, Network Advisors, SpringNet, Arista, and HBS.
Congratulations to the 2026 Excellence in Technology Award winners:
Rising Star:
Payton Zartman – O’Reilly Auto Parts
Educator of the Year Traditional:
Xiang Guo – Missouri State University
Educator of the Year Non-Traditional:
Garrett Duncan – Codefi
Technology Executive of the Year (Small Business):
Ben Petersen – Resolve IT
Technology Executive of the Year (Large Business):
Kelly Robertson – CNH Reman
Technology Team of the Year:
Data Strategy Team – O’Reilly Auto Parts
Solution Designer of the Year:
Will Stone – Classy Llama
Programmer, Analyst, or Developer of the Year:
Matt Murray – Next Level Solutions
Tech Professional of the Year (Small Team):
Lauren Goodin – City Utilities
Tech Professional of the Year (Large Team):
Hemant Kumar – O’Reilly Auto Parts
Salesperson of the Year:
Greg Gold – Pearson-Kelly Technology
Project Manager or Coordinator of the Year:
Aaron Miller – Jack Henry
Top Speaker STC Squared:
Caleb Boston & Bridger Falkenstien – Beyond Healing
Top Exhibitor Booth STC Squared:
WON Communications
Technology Transformation Award:
Scott Blevins - Taffy Tree
Technology Services Provider of the Year:
Stronghold Data
Community Impact Award:
Springfield-Greene County Library - Republic Branch
STC Volunteer of the Year:
Tim Goree - Baton Pass Leadership/College of the Ozarks
Learn more about the Excellence in Technology Awards, and view all of the 2026 finalists.
