BDPA Names Top 2015 Honorary Co-Chairs

National BDPA recently announced Marc Di Francisco, President of Premier Event Management; Terry Halvorsen, Principal Advisor to the Secretary of Defense for Information Management/ Information Technology and Information Assurance; Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, congressional representative of the District of Columbia; David L. Steward, President and Chief Executive Officer of World Wide Technology; Dr. E. Faye Williams, National President/CEO of the National Congress of Black Women; and Harry Wingo, President and Chief Executive Officer of the D.C. Chamber of Commerce as their top Honorary Chairs at this year’s 37th Annual National BDPA Technology Conference and Career Fair, "Evolution of IT--Embracing the Digital Future," August 18-22, 2015 at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C.

Founded in 1975, BDPA is the premier organization for African American professionals in the information technology industry. BDPA has 40 chapters across the United States and is the largest African American Information Technology Association in the country. BDPA continues to fulfill its mission and work to bridge the digital divide by providing career growth opportunities for its members.

Marc Di Francisco

• Marc Di Francisco is the President of Premier Event Management (PEM), producers of the regional CIO Forum for the Society of Information Management (SIM). These executive CIO conferences provide the nation’s top senior IT executives and CIOs in each region with solutions to run their IT organizations efficiently. Premier Event Management produces knowledge driven Executive IT conferences in response to the ongoing needs of CIOs and Senior IT Practitioners. Premier is committed to producing these high-end executive conferences with honor and integrity, with an emphasis on peer-to-peer networking and the sharing of information and knowledge.

Terry Halvorsen

• Terry Halvorsen is the Principal Advisor to the Secretary of Defense for Information Management/Information Technology and Information Assurance, as well as non-intelligence space systems, critical satellite communications, navigation, and timing programs, spectrum and telecommunications. Serving previously as the Acting Department of Defense Chief Information Officer, his long career includes being appointed as the Navy Chief Information Officer. Before serving as the Department of the Navy CIO, Mr. Halvorsen was the Deputy Commander of Navy Cyber Forces. He was responsible for providing leadership for over 16,000 military and civilian personnel and supporting over 300 ships and approximately 800,000 globally dispersed computer network users.

Eleanor H. Norton

• Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, now in her thirteenth term as the Congresswoman for the District of Columbia, is the Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transits. She also serves on two committees: the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. She came to Congress as a national figure who had been a civil rights and feminist leader, tenured professor of law, and board member of at least three Fortune 500 companies. Congresswoman Norton has been named one of the 100 most important American women in one survey and one of the most powerful women in Washington in another. She simultaneously earned her law degree and a master’s degree in American Studies from Yale University. Yale Law School has awarded her the Citation of Merit for outstanding alumni. Additionally, the Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences has awarded her the Wilbur Cross Medal for outstanding alumni, the highest award conferred on alumni. She is the recipient of more than 50 honorary degrees.

David Steward

• David L. Steward, Co-founder/President and Chief Executive Officer of World Wide Technology (WWT), a systems integration company, has been at the helm since July 1990. WWT provides technology and supply chain solutions with a focus on the commercial, government and telecom sectors. The company aids its customer base in the planning, procurement and deployment of IT products and solutions. Based in St. Louis, Missouri, WWT is the largest Cisco reseller to the U.S. federal government and holds several major purchasing contracts. WWT employs over 1,700 people and operates more than 2,000,000 square feet of warehousing, distribution and integration space in 21 facilities throughout the world. In 2011, WWT's total revenue was $4.1 billion, making it one of the largest African-American owned companies in the United States.

E. Faye Williams

• Dr. E. Faye Williams is National President/CEO of the National Congress of Black Women and former Counsel to the U.S. Congress’ District of Columbia Sub-Committee on the Judiciary and Education. She is a former Professor of International Law at Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, LA. Dr. Williams was the first African American to run a viable political campaign for the U.S. Congress in Louisiana – narrowly missing victory after a mysterious “computer breakdown”. She received nearly 100,000 votes and came within 6/10ths of 1% of being credited with winning a Congressional seat. Supporters often refer to her as “Louisiana’s Congresswoman in Exile”. Dr. Williams later worked briefly as White House Liaison to the U.S. Department of Energy during the Clinton Administration. She is an appointee by President Barack Obama to the Presidential Scholars Commission. She has authored three books and contributes weekly to Trice-Edney Wire Service.

Harry Wingo

• Harry Wingo, President and Chief Executive Officer of the D.C. Chamber of Commerce, hails from the District of Columbia and has experience in technology and internet law policy, cybersecurity, telecom and cloud computing, and smart grid technology. Wingo is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and Yale Law School and founded the District-based cybersecurity West River Solutions consulting firm. Wingo spent over six years as a Navy SEAL officer and worked in Google’s Washington office. He headed a program to hire veterans and also served as counsel to the U.S. Senate. Known for his outstanding organizational, political and leadership skills, Wingo strongly supports veteran hiring.

To learn more about the BDPA Annual National Technology Conference and Career Fair in Washington, D.C. as well as sponsorship opportunities, please contact BDPA Corporate Sales Team by email at corpsales@bdpa.org or 301-584-3135 x108.