LIVONIA, Mich., Nov. 7 -- Valassis Vice President of Information Technology (IT), Amy Courter, will receive a Top Michigan Woman in Computing award from the Ann Arbor chapter of The Association for Women in Computing (AWC). Courter is one of 20 honorees selected based on their career progression, size and scope of their organizations, number of years in management and involvement in their communities. Courter, a Kalamazoo College alumna, has been with Valassis for 18 years. She led the company's transition from an information system mainframe to a server-based mainframe, helping the company to become known in the industry for its extensive personal computer training programs. Courter remains on top of the industry through memberships in business and trade organizations including the Management Information Systems Advisory Board at Central Michigan University, the University of Michigan Dearborn's IT Advisory Board, the Business and Professional Women's Organization and the Michigan Council of Women in Technology. After achieving the grade of Colonel and completing her tenure as the first female Wing Commander in the Michigan Civil Air Patrol, Courter was selected to serve as the Senior Advisor for the National Cadet Advisory Council, providing guidance to improve the program for their 25,000 cadet members nationwide. Courter will be honored at the first Top Michigan Women in Computing Gala on Nov. 8, 2003, at the Sheraton Detroit-Novi hotel. Among those speaking at the event will be Michigan's first female Governor Jennifer Granholm. The AWC is active in awarding scholarships to women pursuing careers in technology. For more information about Ann Arbor chapter of the AWC or the gala visit http://www.awc-aa.org .