By chance and by intent, West Bloomfield’s Dagnija Lacis has been in the thick of sweeping changes to society.

As an infant, she escaped Latvia with her family, just ahead of menacing Communist forces that seized control of her native land.

As a fresh graduate of an Indiana university, she took her math skills to Detroit where she broke glass ceilings to become the first female programmer and first female vice president of tech company Burroughs.

And as a savvy “techie,” she created her own international company — returning to Latvia to help bring the technology revolution to the Baltic nation.

“It’s been a very remarkable time,” said Lacis, who tells her remarkable story in her first book, “The Wall Falls, A Woman Rises, A Memoir: How a U.S. Tech Entrepreneur Broke the Glass Ceiling and Helped Modernize Latvia.”

Known to friends and colleagues as “Daggie,” Lacis, now 81, came to America as a 7-year-old. After escaping Latvia and living in Germany for more than five years, her family made their home in Indianapolis, where they were sponsored by a local church.

The Midwest upbringing helped shape her views on America, Lacis said, noting that her mother nixed living on the East Coast and rejected California.

“She said California was going to fall into the ocean,” Lacis chuckles. “She liked Indiana — nice and safe in the middle of the country.”

After graduating as a scholarship student from Butler University with degrees in chemistry and math, Lacis put her resume in front of a variety of employers. Landing an entry position with Burroughs put her in the orbit of W. Michael Blumenthal, a company chairman with global interests and experience.

Like Lacis, Blumenthal had escaped oppression in Europe. At 13, his Jewish family fled Nazi Germany for China, then on to America. Ultimately, Blumenthal earned degrees from the University of California and Princeton before entering government service.

He served in various positions during the Kennedy, Johnson and Carter administrations, helping to shape economic policies and extending trade relations with China. During the Carter administration, Blumenthal spent more than two years as Treasury secretary.

At Burroughs (now Unisys), Lacis rose through the ranks, holding an array of positions in technology, marketing, sales and senior leadership.

Lacis said her career was accelerated by Blumenthal’s request that she attend a luncheon for U.S. and Latvian officials. Once there, Lacis was welcomed by leaders of the Latvian government who spotted her nametag and recognized her as a Latvian.

Over time, that meeting and subsequent initiatives put Lacis in touch with leaders of Latvian government and businesses who wanted to propel the nation from the typewriter age by embracing the potential for computers.

Her new memoir offers stories and more than 150 photos describing how Lacis and her team dispatched strategy, expertise and passion to modernize Latvia’s technology.

In 1991, Lacis founded BTG (Baltic Technology Group) as one of the first IT service companies in Latvia. She continues as president and chief executive officer. Her husband, Andris, serves as executive vice president, drawing upon his own experience in operations, engineering, marketing and sales in the automotive and auto supplier industries. Andris also has been honorary consul for Latvia for the state of Michigan.

Lacis points to America as a land of opportunity and expresses concerns about some current, divisive exchanges in the U.S.

“We have experienced the American Dream,” said Lacis, who became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1960. “People should love their country.”

America, she said, offers opportunity and rewards to those willing to pursue education and work hard and work smart.

“I see too many people today who give up. There is always a way to succeed,” she said.

Among her concerns, Lacis said, is the discord surrounding immigration enforcement and an influx of dangerous elements.

“I hate to see criminals come in,” she said. “It saddens me.”