This Week in BDPA (February 2-8, 2014)

BDPA offers strong programs in 46 cities around the nation. Are you taking advantage of these programs? Here is a weekly preview of upcoming events gathered from the centralized BDPA calendar:

• Feb 2:  BDPA Orlando - Anniversary, '12th Anniversary of BDPA Orlando Chapter'
• Feb 4: BDPA South Region - Conference Call, 'What Does It Take to Produce a Winning Chapter-of-the-Year Document?'
• Feb 6: BDPA Washington DC - Networking, 'SiriusXM Black History Month Celebration'
• Feb 8: BDPA Indianapolis - Computer Camp, 'Student IT Education & Scholarship (SITES) Program'
• Feb 8: BDPA Dallas - Computer Camp, 'Student IT Education & Scholarship (SITES) Program'
• Feb 8: BDPA Northeast Region - Meeting, '1Q-2014 Regional Meeting'

Please let us know of other BDPA events 

that we may have missed! 

You can always find BDPA programs, services or networking activity online at places such as:

• BDPA Facebook Group
• BDPA Foundation Facebook Page
• BDPA Foundation Twitter Account
• BDPA LinkedIn Network Group

BDPA supports your efforts for career advancement in the IT industry. Our hope is that you find reasons to provide tax-deductible support to our Causes, our HSCC Scholarship Funds or Your Causes! We encourage all BDPA leaders to take advantage of the centralized BDPA Groupsite Calendar to post your upcoming events.

Related articles

• Newsletter: BDPA Washington DC (January 2014)
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma & Texas Renews BDPA Gold Level Sponsorship
• BDPA Welcomes State Farm as Gold Level Corporate Sponsor

This Week in BDPA (Nov 11-17)

BDPA offers strong programs in 45 cities around the nation. Are you taking advantage of these programs? Here is a weekly preview of upcoming events gathered from the centralized BDPA calendar :

• Nov 12: Middle Tennessee - Workshop, 'PMP Boot Camp'
• Nov 13: BETF - Communications, 'BDPA iRadio Show'
• Nov 14: Philadelphia - Networking, 'Worldwide Wine Tasting'
• Nov 14: New Jersey - Webinar, 'Career Search Best Practices'
• Nov 15: Detroit - Program Meeting, 'Entrepreneurs: Are We Being Left Out of the Detroit Rebirth?'
• Nov 15: Dallas - Webinar, 'Internet Marketing: How to be Found on the Internet'
• Nov 16-17: Orlando - Board Meeting, 'BDPA Leadership Summit'
• Nov 17: National BDPA - Webinar, 'Career Triage: Work/Life Balance'
• Nov 17: Northern Delaware - Fundraiser, 'Annual STEM Showcase & Awards Banquet'

Please let us know of other BDPA events 

that we may have missed! 

You can always find BDPA programs, services or networking activity online at places such as:

• BDPA Facebook Group
• BDPA Foundation Facebook Page
• BDPA LinkedIn Network Group.

BDPA supports your efforts for career advancement in the IT industry. Our hope is that you find reasons to provide tax-deductible support to our Causes, our HSCC Scholarship Funds or Your Causes! We encourage all BDPA leaders to take advantage of the centralized BDPA Groupsite Calendar to post your upcoming events

This Week in BDPA (Nov 4-10)

BDPA offers strong programs in 45 cities around the nation. Are you taking advantage of these programs? Here is a weekly preview of upcoming events gathered from the centralized BDPA calendar :

• Nov 5: Middle Tennessee - Workshop, 'PMP Bootcamp'
• Nov 7: Washington DC - Fundraiser, 'Annual Scholarship Awards Dinner & Fundraiser'
• Nov 7: Los Angeles - Program Meeting, 'Building and Monetizing Websites'
• Nov 8: New Jersey - Fundraiser, 'Annual Awards and Scholarship Banquet'
• Nov 8-10: Orlando - Board Meeting, 'ITSMF 4th Quarter Symposium'
• Nov 8-9: Columbus - Conference, 'DogFood Conference 2012'
• Nov 10: Cincinnati - Fundraiser, '17th Annual Education Banquet'
  

Please let us know of other BDPA events that we may have missed! You can always find BDPA programs, services or networking activity online at places such as:

• BDPA Facebook Group
• BDPA Foundation Facebook Page
• BDPA LinkedIn Network Group.

BDPA supports your efforts for career advancement in the IT industry. Our hope is that you find reasons to provide tax-deductible support to our Causes, our HSCC Scholarship Funds or Your Causes! We encourage all BDPA leaders to take advantage of the centralized BDPA Groupsite Calendar to post your upcoming events

This Week in BDPA (Oct 14-20)

BDPA offers strong programs in 45 cities around the nation. Are you taking advantage of these programs? Here is a weekly preview of upcoming events gathered from the centralized BDPA calendar :

• Oct 17: Philadelphia - Program Meeting, 'Annual Recruiters Roundtable'
  
• Oct 17: Detroit - Program Meeting, 'Technology in Healthcare'
  
• Oct 17: New Jersey - Webinar, 'Effective Use of Your iPad and iPhone for Business'
• Oct 18: Cincinnati - Program Meeting, 'Roadmap to Success: An Entrepreneur's Story'
• Oct 18: New York - Program Meeting, 'Every IT Professional is a Soldier in the War Against Cyber Threats'
• Oct 20: Orlando - Workshop, 'Big Data, Business Intelligence & Predictive Analysis'
• Oct 20: New York - Workshop, 'Cyber Security'
• Oct 20: National BDPA - Webinar, 'Career Triage: Managing Multiple Priorities'

Please let us know of other BDPA events that we may have missed!

You can always find BDPA programs, services or networking activity online at places such as:

• BDPA Facebook Group
• BDPA Foundation Facebook Page
• BDPA LinkedIn Network Group.

BDPA supports your efforts for career advancement in the IT industry. Our hope is that you find reasons to provide tax-deductible support to our Causes, our HSCC Scholarship Funds or Your Causes!

We encourage all BDPA leaders to take advantage of the centralized BDPA Groupsite Calendar to post your upcoming events!

BDPA Leaders: George Brooks & Jimm Middleton

George Brooks (l) and Jimm Middleton (r) posed for this photo at the National BDPA Board of Directors meeting held in Cleveland on May 2005.

George is a long-time BDPA member with ties to our chapters in Chicago, Detroit and Columbus. He served as president of the BDPA Columbus chapter from 2004-2005.

Jimm is a long-time BDPA member with ties to our chapter in Washington DC and Orlando. He served as a chapter president in both chapters ... and in fact, is the founder of the BDPA Orlando chapter. Jimm met his soul-mate in BDPA. They are now married and living the good life in Orlando!

Take Five: Pablo More (Orlando)

Originally Posted: 1/24/2010

Pablo More, president of BDPA Orlando chapter, is part of the new generation of leadership on the National BDPA Board of Directors. BDPA Orlando is the 21st largest chapter in the nation.

Pablo is one of those rare leaders who walks the walk. He has many ideas about ways that BDPA can improve ... and he volunteers his time, talent and energy to see those ideas implemented on both a local and national stage.

I'm pleased that Pablo agreed to participate in our Take Five interview series:

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1. How did you get involved in working with BDPA? - I first came into contact with BDPA through the BDPA Boston Metrowest chapter where I met Edwin Sapp (Aflac) and Tim Wilson (T.A. Wilson & Associates) at a Harvard University function in 1997. I was not very active in the chapter due to my full-time work and school schedule.
   
   I searched out BDPA when I moved to down to Orlando, Florida in July 2006. I found Bessie Peoples (Disney) and attended program meetings hosted by BDPA Orlando chapter. BDPA Orlando Chapter had about 3-4 program meetings a year at that time, typically one per quarter. Also to the general public the chapter was stagnant since there was not a whole lot of activities taking place.
   
   BDPA Orlando had a good team of committed folks, like Bessie and Jimm Middleton (Disney), who wanted to revive the chapter. Other leaders in the community who wanted to rejuvenate the chapter included Tonya Farquharson (Lockheed Martin), Glenn Brown (Lockheed Martin), JC Walker (Valencia Community College) and Haki Nkrumah (Umoja Consulting Group). I was a general member for my first two years in Orlando. I became chapter president in December of 2008 took over leadership and attended my first NBOD quarterly board meeting in November 2008.
2. What is the most rewarding aspect of working with BDPA? - The most rewarding aspect for me is the opportunity to give back and see the results of those efforts. One of the best jobs that I had was that as a volunteer instructor for a neighborhood community center in Roxbury, MA where I taught a class of 25-30 students ranging in age from 25-75 on computer literacy. This was a night class held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from January thru May after work for two (2) hours.
   
   I felt more excited and got more nourishment from teaching that class after work than anything I did during the day at work. The reason being is that at work all your efforts and productivity goes to projects having to maintain or improve systems, reduce costs and increase profits. There is no human element factored in, you do not get to see how your work improves the quality of life or gives back to humanity.
   
   BDPA helps to fill the void that exists when you ask yourself, what good have I done? Whom have I helped? How can I give back to my community?
   
   A carpenter can see the fruits of his/her labor in that which he/she builds. A teacher can see the impact he/she has in the progress of their students. I am an IT professional. I need to see the fruits of my labor and know that it's had an impact beyond a company's bottom line.
   
   I believe the BDPA motto taking people from "classroom to the boardroom" provides us with a means to educate and give back to our communities, work with like-minded peers, grow professionally and stay connected and rooted in a cause that is bigger than just one of us and will have an impact beyond one's single life since we exists to establish and leave a legacy.
3. Tell us about a defining moment in your life? - There are many defining moments in my life but one that had a big impact was the death of my father and grandmother in 1996 ... less than three months apart. I loved them both but did not really appreciate them as much until they were both gone. I did not get to learn about my father's history from my father or my grandmother's history from my grandmother. There were opportunities before their deaths but there was always a "next time" in my mind.
   
   I learned more about my father at this wake then I did when he was alive. There were many people that came from all over to testify at his wake and pay their respects and say thank you. He helped so many and I did not know. I found that my sense of activism comes from him. He came from Havana, Cuba in the 1960's and worked to establish a life here in the states.
   
   My grandmother was born in southern Chile and was such a blessed soul, very religious and so very helpful and kind.
   
   I learned to appreciate the here and now, recognize that tomorrow is not guarantee to no one. Capture the history of your family do not wait, show love, understanding and appreciation always. Roots and culture is so very important!
4. Who is your hero and why? - My mother is my hero since she has grounded me and kept me focus on what is important in life. I came to this country from Chile with my mother back in 1978. We were welcomed by a huge blizzard with record snowfall that was hitting the Northeast at the time. My mother who only had a high school education is one of the wisest persons you will ever meet. She stressed education, discipline and hard work. She would always say remember where you come from an appreciate the opportunity that exists here in the U.S., take advantage and do the best that you can. We recognized that as immigrants nothing can compare to where we came from where running water, electricity, even a phone was a luxury that few had in the small town in Southern Chile. My mother took night classes to learn English and lead by example and she enrolled me in school. I can never thank my mother enough for all that she has done. I love her and appreciate her and recognize because of her actions and the lessons that she has taught that I need to do better and give back.
5. Any advice for people considering donation to BETF? - We are not alone in this world. We each have someone whom has helped us along the way. There is always someone whom is having a more difficult time, that can be helped by giving whether it be your time to a local BDPA Chapter as a volunteering or mentor, or to help with a program OR giving a donation to BETF. No donation is too small.
   
   We must recognize that there are many people whom are trying to achieve what you have ... an education, a job, a career ... and just need help. Please pay it forward today, do not wait. Do the following: (a) Donate to BETF; (b) get active in your local BDPA chapter; and (c) thank someone who has helped you. It is never too late to show appreciation.
   
   We are not alone in this world. Let us each work to make a difference and leave a legacy that makes us proud.

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This blog encourages its readers to use the COMMENTS option to share their thoughts on these interviews. Pablo shared some personal insights ... I hope that you share some BDPA-love in return.

This Week in BDPA (Jan 15-21, 2012)

BDPA has 45 chapters around the nation. You can always find programs, services or networking activity here or here or here. BDPA supports your efforts for career advancement in the IT industry.

Our hope is that you find reasons to provide tax-deductible support to us here, here or here!

Are you taking advantage of these programs? Here is a weekly preview of upcoming events gathered from the centralized BDPA calendar :

• Jan 17: Dallas - Leadership, 'Executive Board Meeting'
• Jan 19: Cincinnati - Program Meeting, 'State of the Chapter: Strategies for Success'
  
• Jan 19: New York - Program Meeting, 'Retuning, Retooling and Revitalizing Your IT Career'
• Jan 20: Chicago -  Program Meeting, 'Positioned for Success in 2012 & Beyond'
• Jan 21: Cincinnati - SITES, 'Computer Camp - Week #3'
  
• Jan 21: Orlando - Program Meeting, '2012 Chapter Kick-Off  Meeting'
• Jan 21: Washington DC - SITES, '2012 HSCC Kick-Off & Breakfast Reception'
• Jan 21: Chicago - Fundraiser, '2012 Awards Banquet: Recognizing Excellence'

We encourage all BDPA leaders to take advantage of the centralized BDPA Groupsite Calendar to post your upcoming events! Please let us know of other BDPA events that we may have missed. Most importantly, let us know if you plan to attend any BDPA events this week.

Message from Orlando Chapter President

Greetings, 2011 is a very exciting year! There is much to do and we look forward to seeing you! We are going to kick off the year with our first program meeting taking place on Saturday January 22nd at Valencia Community College West Campus Library. We are moving our program meetings to Saturdays. The first meeting will focus on:

"I.T. Workforce 2011 & Beyond: Skills in Demand"

This program meeting will focus not only on the skills that are in demand in today's IT workforce but what also trends within the industry. Also how to keep your skills current as well as position yourself to move ahead. Recently, at a recent CIO conference held here in Orlando, Florida, two common phrases that were often repeated were "Convergence" and "Collaboration". We are seeing convergence take place with consumer devices, in automobiles, household appliances and in health care. We are working smarter and being more productive via the use of new technologies that are allowing us to collaborate with partners in India, Brazil, China, and Ireland and Mexico.

We will over the course of the year, focus on "Convergence" and "Collaboration".  Share best practices; explore solutions and software packages that empower you to get more work done, be more efficient, cut back on time and reduce costs.

Please join me at our next meeting on Saturday January 22th at 10:00 a.m. and let us continue this conversation.

Thank you,
Pablo More, president
BDPA Orlando
Phone: (407) 286-9681
E-Mail: info@bdpaorlando.org

This Week in BDPA (Jan 16-22)

BDPA has 45 chapters around the nation. You can always find programs, services or networking activity here or here. BDPA supports your efforts for career advancement in the IT industry. Our hope is that you will continue to support Our Cause!

Are you taking advantage of these programs? Here is a weekly preview of upcoming events gathered from the centralized BDPA calendar :

• Jan 18: Cleveland - Program Meeting, '2011 Chapter Plans and a Membership Guarantee'
• Jan 1: New York - Networking, 'BDPA Meet and Greet'
• Jan 20: Cincinnati - Program Meeting, 'Information Technology in the New Economy'
• Jan 22: Orlando - Program Meeting, 'IT Workforce Skills in Demand, 2011 and Beyond'
• Jan 22: Chicago - Fundraiser, 'Annual Awards Banquet'
• Jan 22: New Jersey - Networking, 'Professional Networking Mixer'

We encourage all BDPA leaders to take advantage of the centralized BDPA Groupsite Calendar to post your upcoming events! Please let us know of other BDPA events that we may have missed. Most importantly, let us know if you plan to attend any BDPA events this week.

Message from Orlando Chapter President

Greetings!

It's Spring time. The weather is nice and now is the time to lay your seeds to grow that bountiful garden of veggies and fruits in time for the the summer. This month on April 22nd we celebrate Earth Day. We are going to use that day to discuss "Green Technology" and hear from representatives from Orlando Utilities as well as Lockheed Martin on their Green Initiatives. We are also going to discuss "Cap & Trade", which is legislation that is being considered to help reduce our carbon footprint.

Please come to the April 22nd meeting and Celebrate Earth Day, learn from some industry experts and go Green!

Thank you,
Pablo More, President
BDPA Orlando Chapter
Phone: (407) 286-9681
info@bdpaorlando.org

EDITOR'S NOTE:  Click here for a copy of BDPA Orlando's current newsletter.

Find BDPA Volunteers in HandsOn Network

Krystal Cooper was on the 1991-1992 high school computer competition (HSCC) teams trained by BDPA Los Angeles. It turns out that she graduated from the same college (University of California, Riverside) as the BETF executive director. Cooper is currently an arts patron and visual effects professional who enjoys pop culture, advocacy and community service.

Anyhow, she contacted BDPA about Disney for a Day program created to inspire one million people to volunteer and celebrate volunteerism with a free ticket to a Disney theme park.

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) ended up participating in this program through the HandsOn Network. HandsOn Network provides a remarkable process for any BDPA chapter to identify volunteers.

BDPA Orlando was the first chapter to take advantage of this program. Chapter president Pablo More wrote,

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BDPA Orlando signed up thru the BDPA Foundation to participate in the Hands on Network Give-A-Day-Get-A-Disney-Day program. This program has been very successful for us in getting volunteers for various program meetings as well as for next month's Black Family Tech Awareness Week activities. We have received more than a dozen responses from potential volunteers in the first 2 weeks of the year. I would like to thank John Malonson, BDPA Los Angeles chapter President, for making us aware of this program, as well as Wayne Hicks (BDPA Foundation) for coordinating this fantastic program!

I encourage other chapters whom are in need of volunteers to take a look at this program and also search out other similar programs in your area that can be utilize like this for volunteers. I believe that we will see this model replay itself with other non-profit organizations and private enterprise giving the economic climate and the call for more community action and volunteering to help our neighbors and those less fortunate.

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So far we have three chapters -- Los Angeles, New York and Orlando -- participating in this program. Who's next?

This Week In BDPA (Jan 24-30)

BDPA has 45 chapters around the nation. You can always find programs, services or networking activity here or here. BDPA supports your efforts for career advancement in the IT industry.

Are you taking advantage of these programs? Here is a weekly preview of upcoming events gathered from the centralized BDPA calendar

• Jan 26: Dallas - Program Meeting, 'Finding Your Niche in BDPA'
• Jan 27: Atlanta - Program Meeting, 'Information Technology Evolution'
• Jan 28: Columbus - Program Meeting, 'Virtualization'
• Jan 28: Orlando - Program Meeting, 'A Road Map for Your Career'
• Jan 30: Los Angeles - Meeting, 'HSCC Student/Parent Orientation'

We encourage all BDPA leaders to take advantage of the centralized BDPA Groupsite Calendar to post your upcoming events! Please let us know of other BDPA events that we may have missed. Most importantly, let us know if you plan to attend any BDPA events this week.

Message from Orlando Chapter President

Greetings and Happy New Year! I hope that everyone had a wonderful break over the holiday season and feels rejuvenated and excited about 2010 and the great opportunities that lie before us in our great sunshine state of Florida!

Enterprise Florida has released their 2010-2015 economic development plan which we have provided a link to in our newsletter along with other useful information and resources.

We are going to kick of the year with our first monthly program meeting of the new year. It takes place on Thursday, January 28th @ 6:00PM Eastern at SunTrust Bank. The first meeting will focus on Career Development and using a Professional Development Framework.

I would like to recommend a great book to check out that is fitting to read as we start the new year. The book is "Start Where You Are, Life Lessons in Getting From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be" by Chris Gardner, author of "The Pursuit of Happyness". I believe the many of the principles within the book we can apply to not only ourselves but our jobs, our project teams, departments, our small businesses etc..

We can start where we are at, regardless of where we are at, no matter what has taken place this past year, those are struggles, they are experiences that make us stronger, challenges which shape but not hinder us, passion and determination will help focus us not on the past but on the future and achieving success because that is what we all want. Let us look forward to 2010 and begin the work to make this a successful year.

Please join me at our next meeting on January 28th and let us continue this conversation, and allow BDPA Orlando to help be the go-to value resource for your professional development or partner in business.

Thank you,
Pablo More, president
BDPA Orlando Chapter
Phone: (407) 286-9681

Message from Orlando Chapter President

Greetings, as we enter this final month of 2009 we want to thank you for coming out to the program meetings or joining us via the Live Meeting webinars. BDPA Orlando chapter exists to be a value added resource for YOU and to deliver services and programs which YOU desire and want. We need YOU to TELL US what YOU WANT for 2010 so that we can work to provide that to YOU.

Review of 2009 BDPA Orlando Chapter Program Meetings.

• January: Career Development & Successful Job Hunting Strategies


• February: Smith Center Black History Event


• March: Change and Release Management Process Based on ITIL Methodology


• April: How to use Social Media to Promote Your Business


• June: Joomla Website Development Presentation


• August: National BDPA Conference Highlights


• October: Information Security for Small Business


• December: Inside Windows 7 with Microsoft

Please tell us what you want for 2010. What topics interests you? What member services do you want us to provide? What can we do to help you be successful in your career or in your business? We are in need of volunteers for Saturday workshops and training. Do you have 2 hours to spare on Saturday mornings? Do you want to offer your time to mentor? Do you need a mentor?

Please give us your input as well as any questions.

Send them to: info@bdpaorlando.org

We want to introduce to you the new National BDPA leadership that will be taking over the reins on January 1, 2010. This new National Executive Committee (NEC) is looking to provide great services to our members. You will come to see an increase in the number of membership services and benefits. You will see more mentoring, internship, scholarships, job opportunities, small business technology workshops, regional and National conferences and much more.

I encourage you to JOIN BDPA TODAY!

The annual membership dues for Full Members is $75 thru December 31, it will increase to $100 on January 1, 2010. Student Membership rate is $15.

2010-2012 National BDPA Leadership Team

• Yvette Graham, National President
  
• Monique Berry, President-Elect
  
• Charles Moore, Vice President (Finance)
  
• Paulette Johnson-Davis, Vice President (Members Services)
  
• Curtis Jenkins, Vice President (Strategy & Planning)
  
• Donald Brown, Chief Information Officer
  
• Monica Bowe, Outside Director
  
• William Flowers, Outside Director
  
• Milt Haynes, Outside Director
  
• Donald French, Executive Director
  
• Earl Pace, BDPA Founder

As always, this is your newsletter so if there is something that you would like to share like an article or know of any job opportunities for BDPA Orlando members please forward them to: info@bdpaorlando.org

Thank you,
Pablo More
BDPA Orlando President
Mobile (617) 283-2051

Information Security for Small Business (Orlando)

BDPA Charlotte chapter president-elect Julius Clark was guest presenter for the October 2009 program meeting hosted by BDPA Orlando chapter. The topic of the presentation was Information Security for Small Business. Here is the presentation slideshow from that program meeting:

Information Security For Small Business

View more presentations from Pablo More.

Is this a topic being covered over the next few months by your chapter? What learnings did you get from reviewing this slideshow?

Message from Orlando Chapter President

Hello, this month we had a great program on Information Security. Things that you can do to protect yourself as well as your small business. A copy of the presentation as well as some additional resources are included in this newsletter. The Dept of Homeland Security considers October, National Cyber Security Awareness Month.

The next BDPA program meeting scheduled for Tuesday November 10th is going to be on Windows 7. We are working on having Microsoft do the presentation. We are also going to be providing workshops and assisting folks with upgrading their existing computers to Windows 7. This will be done at the Smith Center.

We are beginning to work on programming for 2010 and we need your input. Please send us an e-mail or give us a call and let us know what topics, workshops, forums you would like to see. We want to be your go-to resource and add value. The BDPA Orlando website is being overhauled and the new one will be unveiled next month.

The 2010 early bird conference registration ends on October 31st. Please register to take adavantage of the $200 special. The conference is going to be in Philadelphia, PA next year.

Please renew your membership today! Membership is the lifeblood of this organization. We need both your input and support. If you are not a member register with BDPA today.

As always, this is your newsletter so if there is something that you would like to share like an article or know of any job opportunities for BDPA Orlando members please forward them to: info@bdpaorlando.org

Thank you,
Pablo More, President
BDPA Orlando
Phone: (617) 283-2051

Grant Recipient: BDPA Orlando ($850)

BDPA Orlando needed financial assistance for their 2009 Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program. BETF approved $850 grant funding to BDPA Orlando chapter.

The funds helped Orlando-based students participate in the Youth Technology Camp. Sadly, BDPA Orlando chapter has not had a national team in the high school computer competition (HSCC) since 2004. Our hope is that students who benefit from this grant will become participants in the chapter's 2010 HSCC.

BETF-Blog readers can do their part to help us with larger grants in the future by making a secure online donation or taking advantage of the annual United Way process at your corporate workplace.

HSCC Testimonial: Justin Bagley (Orlando)

We often talk about our youth being the key to the nation's future. I am proud to be part of an organization that turns talk into reality with a national high school computer competition (HSCC). These youngsters deserve scholarships that will help them get into college.

For example, Justin Bagley was a member of the 2004 HSCC team trained by BDPA Orlando chapter. Justin shared his remembrances about his experience:

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My experience at the BDPA Conference in Dallas, Texas was remarkable. It opened my eyes to the world around me. By that, I mean having the opportunity to interact with other minorities from across the United States who shared the same interest in technology as I did. What I got from that exchange with other students was valuable information on how to further myself in my career as well as a network of friends that I could turn to later in life.

In addition to that, the speakers that were present at the conference were impeccable and served as true role models of what hard work and dedication can lead to in ones profession. With that said, I would recommend BDPA to anyone of any ages because the values showcased in the organization transcend age.

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Wouldn't it be great if we could offer scholarships to more students like Justin? If you agree ... then perhaps you should turn talk into action also!

Grant Award: Walt Disney World

We have had a strong relationship with Walt Disney World over the years. The 2002 National BDPA Technology Conference was held on Disney property. A number of Disney cast members served as officers of our BDPA Orlando chapter. One such member is Bessie Peoples who is a co-founder and past president of the chapter. Bessie submitted a volunteer Ears to You grant request through the Disney VoluntEARS program.

Walt Disney World informed us that Bessie selected the BDPA Education & Technology Foundation (BETF) as recipient for this grant. The funds will be placed in BETF chapter fund restricted for use in Orlando-area programs and services.

Our friends at Disney wrote,

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Dear Charity Recipient,
We are happy to inform you that Bessie Peoples has chosen BETF to be the recipient of a $1,000 EARS To You grant in recognition of volunteer service accomplished in 2008.

Volunteerism and commitment to community service are on important part of the Disney culture. Both through the Disney VoluntEARS program and on our own, our cast members selflessly give of their time to make our communities and the world is a better place.

Thank you, and continued good luck to you on your mission of community outreach and making the world a better, more compassionate place.

From your friends at Disney

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I encourage all BDPA members ... especially those of you that serve on your chapter's board of directors ... to contact BETF about possible volunteer grant opportunities with your corporate employer.

Asante sana to Bessie Peoples for leveraging her volunteer commitment into financial support!

This Week in BDPA (Apr 12-18)

BDPA has 51 chapters around the nation. You can always find programs, services or networking activity here or here. BDPA supports your efforts for career advancement in the IT industry.

Are you taking advantage of these programs? Here is a weekly preview of upcoming events gathered from the centralized BDPA calendar :

• Apr 14: Orlando - Program Meeting, 'How to Use Social Media to Promote Your Business'
• Apr 15: Philadelphia - Workshop, '60 Minute Mentors'
• Apr 15: Philadelphia - Program Meeting, 'Multi-Generational Workforce'
• Apr 16: Cincinnati - Program Meeting, 'Unix: "The 'Oracle' Of Operating Systems'
• Apr 16: New York - Program Meeting, 'An Introduction to Web Analytics'
• Apr 18: Philadelphia - Workshop, 'Code Camp'
• Apr 18: Los Angeles - Program Meeting, 'What It Means to be a PMP'

We encourage all BDPA leaders to take advantage of the centralized BDPA CollectiveX Groupsite Calendar to post your upcoming events! Please let us know of other BDPA events that we may have missed. Most importantly, let us know if you plan to attend any BDPA events this week.

Finally, I hope you will consider making a tax-deductible online donation to the BDPA Foundation in honor of Brandon Berry (HSCC Alumni 1999-2000). Do it now!