Steve Ballmer honored as a top 100 “STEM CEO”

By Karen Bergin, Director of Citizenship and Public Affairs

A new list of the top 100 “STEM CEOs” includes Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. The list was published by STEMconnector, which helps its members design, implement and measure STEM strategies, and presented today as part of the 2013 U.S. News STEM Solutions summit.

According to a Washington STEM news release: “Washington state ranks number one in the nation in the concentration of STEM jobs due to inspiring business leaders like Steve Ballmer,” said Patrick D’Amelio, CEO of Washington STEM. “The time is now to invest in STEM education and ensure our students have a strong foundation in these fields which are critical to our state’s economic prosperity.”

The news release also notes that the list profiles CEOs who actively advance science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education with this quote from Ballmer: “Inspiring a passion for STEM is one of the most important things we can do to help young people make an impact in the world.”

Microsoft is engaged in a variety of activities to promote STEM education, including last year’s launch of YouthSpark, an initiative to connect millions of youth with opportunities for education, employment and entrepreneurship in STEM fields and beyond. Click to learn more about Microsoft YouthSpark.