Message from National BDPA President

Pamela Mathews

Hello everyone!

I pray that each of you experienced a wonderful and safe holiday season. As we come to the close of 2015, I am excited and reflective about what WE were able to accomplish through strong teamwork, communication and collaboration. Here are my top three for the year:

1. BDPA celebrated 40 years of taking our members from the classroom to the boardroom.  We are the oldest and largest minority technology organization in the world and we are well-positioned for the next 40 years based on the momentum we have generated this year.  Please enjoy the 40th anniversary memories from one of our BDPA pioneers, Dr. Jesse Bemley.
2. Established a critical, mutually beneficial partnership with CompTIA. One of our key goals for this year was to increase our member value proposition. This partnership provides greater accessibility to resources that will strengthen and enhance our members current and future career opportunities; and
3. Elected a very strong team of leaders for 2016-2017. The incoming leadership team possesses the drive, experience, vision and tenacity required to build on our current momentum. I encourage everyone to read/listen intently, act expediently, share the good news about BDPA and support this team moving forward.

Mike Williams (2016-17 president), Pamela, Donna & Earl Pace

We have incredible momentum as we move into 2016. In January, your leadership team will meet to review and agree upon the tactics that will be employed to live out our strategy and fortify relationships that will be critical to our overall success.

Another imperative in 2016, will be furtherance of the regional organizational structure. While the national organization is here to support the chapters, the regional teams are the ears, eyes and legs that ensure the national strategy is understood and carried out locally and that our chapters are healthy, growing and sustainable. We have much work to do here and I am confident that our incoming Regional leaders are up for and will succeed with this challenge.

A few reminders:

• Please remember to renew your membership as soon as possible to ensure you do not miss out on existing and new member services. Please log in to your account, via www.bdpa.org, to check your status.
• Register for the 2016 Conference (Atlanta, GA) as soon as possible. Visit the Conference site via www.bdpa.org for more information. The early bird registration will be extended until the end of January to ensure that everyone can take advantage of this incredible discount.

I would also like to recognize our outgoing National Executive Committee, Board of Directors and Chapter Leaders for another successful year. Finally, THANK YOU again for the privilege to serve our great organization as President. Please feel free to contact me at pamela.mathews@bdpa.org if you have any questions or comments.

Sincerely,
Pamela Mathews, president
National BDPA