David L. Steward, the founding chairman of World Wide Technology, is the namesake for the BEYA David L. Steward Legacy Award.

This award was established in 2015 to recognize successful innovators and collaborative leaders in the tech sector. World Wide Technology is a top US reseller with over 40 Fortune 100 customers.

In 2018, David Steward presented the eponymous award to Ramon Richards, then chief information officer at Fannie Mae, at the BEYA STEM Conference.

Richards is an executive member of the Information Technology Senior Management Forum (ITSMF) and has been instrumental in creating opportunities to strengthen the talent pipeline for African Americans in technology working at the senior leadership level.

He is also known for his passionate support for the STEM disciplines and his commitment to diversity, inclusion, and mentorship.

The 2022 David L. Steward Legacy Award recipient was Demetrias “Mitch” Jones, an information technology manager at Textron Aviation IT. Jones has worked for Textron Aviation for six years and has held multiple positions of increasing responsibility, including his current role as IT manager.

He has been instrumental in enhancing the technology experience for all 11,000 Textron Aviation employees.

Tracy Barnes, the Chief Information Officer of the Indiana Office of Technology, is the 2024 David L. Steward Legacy Award winner.

Barnes oversees the State’s technology portfolio and provides strategic oversight of technology and cybersecurity policy. His background includes being the president and CEO of ENTAP, Inc., an IT consulting services firm that delivered effective enterprise-focused information technology solutions to organizations across the globe.

Barnes also sits on the board of directors for the Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation, NXG Youth Motorsports, and the Force Indy race team.

The Legacy Awards are presented annually at the BEYA STEM Conference to honor individuals who have volunteered in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) community and have shown excellence in the STEM workforce.

These awards celebrate the contributions of men and women who have won the Black Engineer of the Year Award (BEYA) since 1987. The Engineering Deans Breakfast at BEYA has been the place for special recognition honorees to receive Legacy Awards for over five years.