Orange, Calif.– AFCOM, the leading association supporting the data center industry, has appointed Maureen Versen, head of commercial real estate and data center initiatives, Siemens Building Technologies, Inc.; and Tim Hazzard, president and general manager, Connectivity Technologies, to the board of its Data Center Institute.

Formed in 2001, AFCOM's Data Center Institute is a think tank composed of forward-thinking data center managers, solution providers and industry leaders, whose charter is to identify and examine issues and trends affecting the data center and provide thought leadership to the industry and media.

Versen, a 12-year veteran of the real estate industry, joined Siemens Building Technologies in 2007.  In her current role, she is responsible for marketing, product planning, sales training and long-term strategic development for the company’s real estate and data center market initiatives. She is active with several industry trade associations including the United States Green Building Council, BOMA, Building Owners and Management Association and Corenet Global.

“The data center industry has a demanding road ahead,” said Versen. “Energy costs and the threat of regulation are challenging companies such as Siemens to look for new ways to cool data centers in an efficient manner without sacrificing uptime.  I’m honored to be on the Data Center Institute board among other industry leaders collaborating to address these challenges for the benefit of all.”

Based in Dallas, Tex., Hazzard assumed his post at Connectivity Technologies in December 2007 after an auspicious 20-year career with Electronic Data Systems.  He is considered an authority in the areas of IT outsourcing, data center management and software development.

Hazzard echoed Versen’s sentiments.  “It’s an exciting time in the data center industry,” he asserted. “There are many challenges that data center managers are facing including power consumption, controlling heat, reducing costs and IT management automation. I am honored to be part of the Data Center Institute board where I can utilize my 20 years of experience to contribute to the thought leadership in addressing these challenges.”

“Collectively, Maureen and Tim embody more than 30 years of data center expertise,” added Jill Eckhaus, AFCOM CEO and Data Center Institute board chair.  “Their professional acumen is beyond reproach, and the Data Center Institute stands to benefit invaluably from their insight.”

About AFCOM®
AFCOM (www.afcom.com) is a leading association for data center professionals, offering services to help support the management of data centers around the world.  Established in 1980, AFCOM currently boasts more than 4,000 members and 30 chapters worldwide, and provides data center professionals with unique networking opportunities and educational forums and resources through its annual Data Center World® conferences, publications, regional chapters, research and hotline services, and industry alliances.