Message from National BDPA President

Monique Berry

Dear members and friends,

Have you caught 'BDPA FEVER' this year? If so, it's the type of thing you DO want to share! If not, you are missing out...and missing all of the fantastic OPPORTUNITIES, NETWORKING and EDUCATION, that your local BDPA chapter has to offer. This year, our chapters have offered more than 200 programs meetings, and over 600 HSCC hours, reaching more than half of our members with email communications, radio programs, fund raisers and more!

If you haven't caught the BDPA FEVER going around, visit our website for all of the upcoming chapter programs and networking events coming your way. As always, we thrive from the hard work of our members and we need your continued support. Join a Committee! Be INvolved!

The 35th Annual BDPA Technology Conference was a great success! With attendance just under 900, attendees took in four days of well received education sessions along with many opportunities to network and exchange ideas and best practices.

During the conference members also elected the 2014-2015 Board of Directors and I would like to take this opportunity to pledge my support to the team:

• Craig Brown - National President
• Pamela Sexton - National Vice President
• Loraine Stewart-David - National Vice President of Finance
• Teresa Williams - South Region Vice President
• Felicia Jones - South Region Director
• Fred Smith - Northeast Region Vice President
• Lilla Hunter-Taylor - Northeast Region Director
• Michael Wulf - Midwest Region Vice President

A big THANK YOU to our partners and sponsors. Our partners continue to post employment opportunities on the BDPA Job Board and I encourage those who are unemployed or under-employed to check us out.

September 2014 brought us 187 new members, as we see continued growth under the leadership of Vice President of Membership Management Curtis Jenkins, with the assistance of Chad White (membership database administer). I encourage all reading this letter to invest $100 in membership today. Take a look at September's top ten chapters.

1. Chicago - president, Pamela Sexton
2. Philadelphia - president, Eileen Gadsden
3. Washington DC - president, Perry Carter
4. Atlanta - president, Derrick Brown
5. Cincinnati - president, Clarence Larcarte
   
6. Dallas - president, Stacy Stewart
7. Los Angeles - president, John Malonson
   
8. New Jersey - president, Goldie Bonney
9. New York - president, Renetta English
10. Middle Nashville - president, Kendall Norris

I plan to take BDPA FEVER to Indianapolis when members of our Conference Leadership Team visits the JW Marriott Hotel, the venue for next year’s conference. While in the city, we'll meet with representatives from Eli Lilly and Company, Johnson & Johnson and other major sponsors. We will also have meetings with the Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Bureau and several area organizations in an effort to determine how BDPA can make the best community impact during our 36th annual BDPA Technology Conference on August 6-9, 2014.

Registration for the 2014 Conference opens on December 1st with Early Bird discounts available until January 1, 2014. New for next year is a conference and hotel package which includes:

• Access to educational sessions, receptions, plenary luncheons, executive panels and career fair
• Three- or four-night hotel stay (you choose your package)

Pamela Sexton, National Vice President of Strategy and Planning is calling all regional and local chapter leaders to participate in the final two strategy review sessions scheduled for October 17th and November 7th.

The National BDPA Board of Directors quarterly meeting and annual High School Computer Competition (HSCC) Coordinators will meet in Reno, Nevada on November 13-15. During this weekend the National Executive Committee will transition roles and responsibilities to the incoming national officers. Moreover, we will continue the transformation of the HSCC program with the introduction of new leadership and a new team. All chapter leaders are invited to join us!

The HSCC planning meeting will include discussion of the following topics:

• Changes to the competition format
• Changes to the oral exam format
• Curriculum 
• Introducing a Mobile App competition
• Judging criteria & Scoring
• Operations Manual
• Retiring the written exam

There is a lot happening over the next few months as we plan programs and service offerings for you, our members. This BDPA FEVER is contagious, so help us help you infect your community with BDPA FEVER by running for office or joining a committee in your local chapter.

Think you’ve done enough locally and ready to step up to the national level? You can do it, just drop me an email expressing your interest. We're fulfilling our resolution to make technology careers even more accessible to our members and the community at large!

On behalf of the Board of Directors, please catch BDPA FEVER and experience all that BDPA has to offer.

Monique Berry, president
National BDPA