Top 10 BDPA Chapters (Membership, July 2017)

The lifeblood of any nonprofit association is its membership. We have a chapter who leads the nation in BDPA members.... BDPA Cincinnati.   The chapter ... led by its president, Shawnda Peterson ... continues to amaze others by its consistent growth.  The chapter recently hosted the 39th BDPA Technology Conference in downtown Cincinnati and it was a remarkable event and everyone appeared to have a great time! 

Judaea Lane

The largest movement came from BDPA St. Louis chapter who moved up to 4th place as a result of the agreement they came to with Daugherty Business Solutions.   Malcom Mathis is the president of the chapter and they are doing well.  We continue to operate under the leadership of acting National BDPA VP-Membership Management Judaea Lane.   Her team now includes Chad White (Dallas).  Her efforts have allowed BDPA to continue to grow.   She realizes that we need to work hard to keep membership growth and retention higher.

BDPA believes in the management maxim -- you get what you measure.  Let us assess the numbers in order to honor those local BDPA chapters who are demonstrating success in their efforts to recruit and retain members.  Let's take a look at the ten largest chapters in BDPA-Nation:

1. Cincinnati - president, Shawnda Peterson
2. Detroit - president, Loraine Stewart-David
3. Chicago - president, Reggie Rush 
4. St. Louis - president, Malcom Mathis
5. Atlanta - president, Victor Montgomery
   
6. Indianapolis - president, Delano Robinson
7. Philadelphia - president, Cedric Edwards
8. Washington DC - president, Perry Carter
9. New Jersey - president, Goldie Bonney
   
10. Triangle - president, Carl Hill 

The number of chapters now belonging to the 'BDPA Century Club' currently stands at two.  The benefit of having powerful leadership is obvious when we see that Cincinnati and Detroit each have over 100 members. One of the common denominators for each of these chapters is that they place a high premium on the delivery of quality programs and services to their members. These chapters work hard to ensure that there is a strong return on the $100 investment that each member makes thru annual dues.

National president Mike Williams recently touted the value that organizational re-branding has made on BDPA.  What are your thoughts about the value of BDPA membership? What can your local chapter do to improve the value-proposition for you on a personal or professional level?

Judaea Lane Wins BDPA Epsilon Award for Community Service

Judaea Lane

National BDPA annually selects and awards the BDPA Epsilon Award to recognize and celebrate key contributions and accomplishments of its members. The 'Community Service' award is presented to individuals who have demonstrated, by meaningful results, strong partnership and collaboration with entities in the communities they reside. One of the 2015 Epsilon Award winners in this category is Judaea Lane.

Judaea Lane has been a member of BDPA New York Chapter for over 15 years. Judaea has held numerous roles within the chapter such as Student Chaperone, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer and Chapter President. Some of her key accomplishments as President were conducting Community Events such as Black Family Technology Awareness Week and Cybersecurity Awareness and distributing over $5,000 in Scholarships to BDPA’s HSCC students. Currently Judaea is the National Board Development Governance & Bylaw Chairperson.

In 2008, Judaea was recipient of the MetLife Foundation Volunteer Service Award for the BDPA New York chapter. The award honored MetLife associates who have made a difference in their communities through volunteer work. For over 8 years, Judaea has been a member of Central Nassau Club of National Association Negro Business & Professional Women Club (NANBPWC). She is a member of the National Technology Team where she provides help desk support to senior members. Recently Judaea participated on a panel at the United Nations, where she demonstrated how to use technology as part of disaster preparation. Other key accomplishments were planning, organizing and managing the club signature events such as the NANBPWC’s Annual Luncheon and Women’s History Month Program.

Judaea serves on the Executive Board of Nassau Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. In 2014 Judaea received the Outstanding Community Service Award from National Pan Hellenic Council of Nassau/Suffolk Counties. Last, Judaea’s biggest passion is conducting digital literacy awareness to seniors for her church. Inspired by God’s word, her favorite scripture is Proverbs 16:3 “Commit to the Lord whatever you do and he will establish your plans.”

Judaea receives Epsilon Award from BDPA founder and national president.

Due to Judaea’s strong leadership skills and compassion for volunteering in the in the community, she is worthy recipient of the BDPA Epsilon Award for Community Service.

You can follow Judaea on Twitter:  @jeytechconsult

Wordless Wednesday: BDPA Leaders Show Up for 2007 Awards Banquet in Philadelphia

SOURCE: BDPA Foundation Flickr Photostream

BDPA Seeks Nominations for 2014-2015 Leadership Positions

BDPA Needs You. BDPA is looking for technology professionals that want a chance to make their voice heard and to effect change for the betterment of the technology profession. Good news is that nominations have been received, but the organization needs MORE.

If you are one of those individuals or know someone who is passionate about driving BDPA to higher level, please consider joining the National BDPA Board of Directors.

National BDPA is now accepting nominations for positions at the regional and national level. In accordance with the National BDPA Bylaws (dated August 6, 2010) Article 5 Section 4, nominations for the following national offices must be submitted no later than midnight on Saturday, April 13, 2013.

In accordance with its by-laws, the National BDPA's Election and By-laws Committee (EBC) is seeking BDPA members to serve on its Board of Directors, with a term beginning on January 1, 2014 and ending in December 31, 2015. The Committee invites those seeking to serve on the association's Board of Directors to declare their candidacies no later than midnight on Saturday, April 13, 2013.

Judaea Lane

Also, in accordance with the National BDPA Bylaws Article 12 Section 1, proposals for amendments of the Bylaws must be submitted no later than midnight on Saturday, April 13, 2013.

If you have questions or wish to discuss further please contact Judaea Lane, EBC Chair via email (ebc@bdpa.org) or phone (301.584-3135) *or* you can visit the BDPA website on http://www.bdpa.org/?page=Election2013 for more information or to make a nomination.

Oracle Scholarship Winner in New York

BDPA New York High School Computer Competition (HSCC) team member Alan Rosales was awarded $2,778 in scholarship funding from Oracle Corporation to pursue his degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Rochester. The scholarship was presented to him in 2010.

BDPA New York chapter past president Judaea Lane wrote, "Alan is truly a humble and wonderful person."

In addition to being humble and wonderful it is obvious that the young squire has some skills! He was named 2010 Salutatorian upon his graduation from Medgar Evers College Preparatory School in New York.

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) recently acknowledged Alan as a recipient of the Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship that he earned for his performance at the 2009 National BDPA High School Computer Competition championship held in Raleigh, North Carolina.

You can learn more about BDPA New York chapter here.

Message from New York Chapter President

As I sat down to pen my last message as President of BDPA New York, I could not think of the last words or message to express. So I decided to review our photo album. Then the following words immediately came straight out of my heart - Thank You. A photo album has a beautiful way of reflecting memories. No matter what took place: good or bad, pictures tell a beautiful story.

Highlights of my administration are as follows:

1. SITES
   
   • Our SITES students participated in BDPA’s Regional and National Conferences via programs such as the High School Computer Competition, in which they placed in the top 10 for the past three years, as well as the Youth Technology Camp and IT Showcase. Special acknowledgment goes to National Grid and Sesame Flyers International, who always provided the resources to prepare our students for technical competitions.
   • A few of our SITES students were chosen for the unique opportunity to intern at Bank of New York and UBS.
   • Thanks to Dr. Jesse Bemley, our students received the chance of a lifetime -- the opportunity to attend the 2009 and 2010 Teragrid Computing Conference.
   
   
2. Communications
   
   • Our newsletter, HumanWARE, was revamped in Summer 2008 with a new look and feel.
   • Our website underwent a complete redesign in April 2008.
   • We expanded our communication reach by joining Crowdrise, Facebook and LinkedIn Network in 2009.
   
   
3. Community Outreach
   
   • We conducted workshops for the community during February for Black Family Technology Awareness Week and during October for National Cyber Security Awareness Month.
   • We partnered with nonprofit organizations to participate in events such as No Limits Career Day and Sisterhood: United We Inspire.
   • We developed or strengthened relationships with organizations and businesses such as the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, SmallbizTechnology.com, National Association of African Americans in Human Resources, The Web Academy, National Urban League, National Black MBA Association and B. Smith’s Restaurant.
   
   
4. Membership Events
   
   
   • Thanks to our members and supporters, we were able to conduct technical & professional presentations on such topics as Cloud Computing, Social Networking
     Strategies, The Role of IT in Voting, Turning a No into a Yes and Virtualization and Client Computing.
   • We provided social and networking opportunities to our membership with events such as our monthly Meet-n-Greet at B. Smith’s, Sing Harlem, Sing Theatre event, and Book Signing Party.
   
   
5. Sponsorship/Community Support
   
   • Thanks to our corporate sponsors and community supporters: UBS, JPMorgan Chase, DELBAC Inc and Yahoo! Employee Foundation, several BDPA members received employment opportunities and eighteen $500 scholarships were distributed to our SITES students.

Judaea is 'Lady in Red'

My success as President could not have happened without the support of my Executive Board, our members and our many supporters. Thank You and Thank You once again for allowing me to represent you as President of BDPA New York.

Best wishes, Good health, and Love,
Judaea Yarde Lane, President (2006-2010)
BDPA New York Chapter

Message from New York Chapter President

Greetings and Happy Summer!

I am truly excited about the vigorous work and dedication of the BDPA New York executive board. Thanks to the Communication & Membership Committees, you can check our calendar for upcoming activities via our website calendar or visit us on Facebook.

Thanks to our Education & Community Outreach Committee, we have selected SITES students who will represent New York at the 32nd Annual National BDPA Technology Conference, to be held in Philadelphia, PA from July 28-31. Four students will participate in the Annual High School Computer Competition and one student in the IT Showcase. We are extremely proud of our graduating seniors, who will all be attending college in the fall and of our students selected to intern at UBS this summer. You can read more about our students in the HSCC Corner on Humanware (page 7).

This month our chapter is celebrating Internet Week NY by networking with other IT Professionals at our monthly Meet-N-Greet at B Smith’s Restaurant and partnering with Smallbiztechnology.com to present 12 Hours Of Tech, hosted at Microsoft. Visit Humanware (page 5) for more information about our events during Internet Week NY.

Lastly, I urge members and nonmembers alike, to join us at the upcoming 32nd Annual BDPA Technology Conference in Philadelphia, PA. This year's conference will feature four executive panels and over 50 high impact workshops for the technical and business professional as well as entrepreneurial workshops, informative college events, and exceptional plenary sessions. If you have been too busy to keep up with the latest trends in the industry, there will be workshops led by industry-leaders from JPMorgan Chase, Vanguard, DeVry University, Allstate, Quest Diagnostics, Eli Lilly and more.

Technology Job Seekers, HR Recruiters and Hiring Managers are invited to attend the BDPA Career Center, Career Planning Workshop, and Career Fair and Technology Expo. If you are ready to look for a new job or you are unemployed, you can post your resume at www.bdpa.org/career-center.php.  For additional information, please visit BDPA’s Conference page.

Sincerely,
Judaea Yarde Lane, president
BDPA New York Chapter

Message from New York Chapter President

Dear BDPA Family and Friends,

One national mandate for BDPA chapters is to ensure that we participate in Black Family Technology Awareness Week (BFTAW). Thanks to our sponsors, National Grid, our chapter “showed up and showed out” to deliver to our community an outstanding 2010 BFTAW program.

Leading up to BFTAW, on February 4th, BDPA member and Yahoo! Engagement Manager, Eric Hamilton, joined us to deliver an outstanding presentation titled "Social Media Branding in the Age of Obama". The technology students of Winthrop Beacon and Bildersee Community Centers, located in Brooklyn, NY, loved his presentation. BDPA-NY thanked the students for participating by raffling his new book of the same name, “Social Media Branding in the Age of Obama”. Also a new member joined that evening - Welcome Aboard Ike Jurawan.

For our February 13th BFTAW Program, our Master of Ceremony was BDPA-NY’s Alain Leroy. He opened the program by sharing his experience of going from the classroom, as a former participant of HSCC in 1989, to the boardroom, as a current employee of WellPoint, a position he obtained through attending the 2009 National BDPA Conference Career Expo.

Highlights of the 2010 BFTAW program were:

• Presentation by our sponsor, National Grid, on their Products and Services, presented by National Grid employee and former BDPA National President Renee McClure.
• Presentation by BDPA member, Roxanne Clinton on "Netsmartz: Internet Safety for Our Youth". The purpose of this workshop was to increase children's safety awareness and self-confidence whenever they go online, enhance their ability to recognize dangers on the Internet and increase communication between adults and children about online safety.
• Panel Discussion on "Cost Effective Solutions for Business Owners", with panelists Eric Hamilton, Founder, The Web Academy, Maisha Walker, President, Message Medium, and Eula M. Young-Guest, COO, Griot's Roll Film Production & Services Inc. and expert in On-line Marketing, Video Consultant & Public Relations Social Media expert. The discussion allowed business owners the opportunity to share with National Grid and the community how they use technology to build and support their businesses.
• Lieutenant Commander Daniel Ortiz of the United States Navy shared with our audience more about US Naval ROTC scholarship programs as well as the discussed the exciting engineering and technology careers that the U.S. Navy offers.

Another highlight was the BDPA-NY Youth Technology Showcase. The goal of this presentation was to introduce to our community some of the exciting science, technology, engineering, math (STEM) projects that our youth participate in. We started this part of the program by introducing teams who are participating in the US FIRST 2010 Competition. The students of Eagle Foundation Academy are high school students who participate in the FIRST Robotics Competition by building a robot of their own design. The Girl Scouts of Westbury/New Cassel are middle school students, who participate in the FIRST Lego League, by designing, building and programming robots using LEGO MINDSTORMS® technology. Both teams are currently preparing for the upcoming FIRST competition and we were fortunate to have them for stop by and share their robot experiences.

BDPA SITES students presented their experience with BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) and IT Showcase. New York SITES students shared their experience of earning Bemley Scholarships with their 5th place performance at the 2009 National HSCC championships held in Raleigh NC. They also shared their experience attending the Teragrid Computing Conference. Also one student shared and described his experience being a student intern at UBS at their Stamford, CT location.

Finally, there was a technical presentation given by the 2009 BDPA IT Showcase winners from BDPA Northern Delaware. This dynamite team demonstrated their research and theories on advanced computing topics. Audiences were floored by presentations on topics such as Microprocessor meets Athletics Performance; Global Warming Impacts and Solutions (Saving the Polar Bear through Technology); and Buildings Wobble But They Don’t Fall Down (Skyscaper Swaying)

The day was phenomenal and I have to give a special acknowledgement and BDPA hug to:

• Community Leaders: - Ramon Ray, Technology Evangelist and author of "Technology Solutions for Growing Businesses”; William Diaz and Jim Harrison of Eagle Foundation Academy; and the Disney “Give a Day, Get a Day” Volunteers, who gave their time and talent to assist with the program
• BDPA Leaders: - National Grid Corporate Champion and former BDPA National President, Renee McClure Mills; Karen Smith, BDPA Northern Delaware President, who drove her SITES students after a snowstorm that crippled much of the East Coast; Eric Hamilton, who doesn’t hesitate to volunteer as a speaker and presenter; Roxanne Clinton - many, many thanks for stepping in to present on Netsmartz workshop; Councilman Coram Rimes, BDPA New Jersey President -- When I shared with him a story about one of our HSCC students, who couldn’t afford a computer at home and was saving his money to buy one for college in the fall, Councilman Rimes stopped by and delivered a brand new laptop for the student; BFTAW Chairpersons, Damon Holmes and Cheryl Nedwell, for organizing this year’s event; and the BDPA New York Executive Board for ensuring that the program was a success.

Thank you all once again. Please visit us on Facebook or Fotki to see pictures of our events. Also please come out to network with BDPA members and other IT Professionals at our upcoming Meet-N-Greet at B. Smith’s Restaurant on February 24.

If you are interested in learning about how you can volunteer or sponsor an event in the future, please send an email or call (212) 802-5341 or visit our website.

With BDPA Love,
Judaea Yarde Lane, President
BDPA New York
“Taking BDPA to the STEM Level”
phone: (212) 802-5341

Message from New York Chapter President

Seasons Greetings!

I want to personally and humbly thank everyone for a wonderful and exciting year. As President of the BDPA New York Chapter, I have the opportunity to meet and work with a diverse group of phenomenal volunteers from a variety of industries and who all have one thing in common: A passion for giving back and building our future global technologists and for promoting diversity within Information Technology.

Thanks to your wonderful support, our organization was able to stand by our 2009 theme, "Dare 2 Share" and come together to sharpen the technical minds of our key stakeholders. Thanks to our BDPA New York Executive Board Members, our many accomplishments for 2009 include:

• Our HSCC team came in 5th place at the 2009 NBDPA Conference
• Our HSCC team placed 2nd at the Regional HSCC Competition at Bowie State University
• Our SITES youth 2nd placed 2nd in the IT Showcase at the BDPA Regional Conference
• Our students also attended the Teragrid Computer Conference in Arlington, VA
• Two BDPA student members worked at UBS corporate offices in Stamford, CT
  as summer interns
• Our monthly program meetings featured excellent presentations on topics such as Web Analytics, Unix, A Very Long Love Affair, Social Networking, Trends in Web
  2.0 and Cloud Computing
• Membership drives, including events such as our BDPA New York chapter Meet-n-Greet, Sing, Harlem, Sing theatre outing, and Book Signing featuring two local authors
• Submission of our 2008 Chapter of the Year book to National BDPA headquarters
• Our newsletter, Humanware, was published four times this year.
• We partnered with other nonprofit organizations to participate in events such as No Limit Career Day and Sisterhood: United we Inspire
• A wonderful Scholarship & Recognition Awards Ceremony, in June, thanks to our corporate sponsor UBS

We are already planning for an exciting 2010! BDPA is a volunteer-based organization and we are always looking for members who want take an active role and have a desire to give back. In the words of Mary McLeod Bethune "Invest in the human soul. Who knows, it might be a diamond in the rough." If you want to be a part of something great ... Now is the Time, the Momentum is Here, BDPA is the Conduit.

Sincerely,
Judaea Yarde Lane, President
BDPA New York Chapter

HSCC Testimonial: Alan Rosales (New York)

I have followed the journey of BDPA New York chapter for a number of years. The current chapter president, Judaea Lane, is a passionate leader who has given everything to support the progress of the Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program in New York. The chapter funds that ordinarily would have taken her to the annual conference in Raleigh NC were diverted to ensure that New York chapter students could participate in the IT Showcase.

One of the students that is helping to uplift the NY chapter SITES program is Alan Rosales. Alan and his teammates earned Jesse Bemley Scholarships from the BDPA Education & Technology Foundation (BETF). Here are his thoughts about the national competition held in Raleigh NC.

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The national conference was great, especially the high school computer competition [HSCC]. The New York Chapter team consisting of Frantzy Jean Philippe, Cazmeba Richards, Kevin Castillo and myself, Alan Rosales, first arrived at Raleigh, North Carolina early in the morning. We stayed at the hotel all day brushing up on our programming skills and quiz factory scores.

The next day we woke up early in the morning for the first two parts of the competition. We had to do the oral part [where we answer 5 questions as a team] and the written part [where we individually answer as many questions as we can correct in 15 minutes]. But, there was a complication that day. Since last year it was announced that it was going to be the last year that we were going to use the quiz factory software and the operating system Windows XP, we were provided with a new software, Adit Software and our computers were upgraded to Windows Vista.
When we arrived at the orals, we found out that there were some problems with the setup, so instead of starting at 8:00AM we were told to go back to the hotel and come back until 2:00PM. We were able to complete the oral portion, but then another issue came up for the written and it was delayed again. We had to come back and ended up starting around 7:00PM. We did find out that the National team had to switch to using XP due to hardware problems, focusing the whole competition on Friday, the programming part.

The next day it wasn't a surprise that we weren't going to start early as planned. We started around 10:00AM instead of at 8:00AM and only 7hrs were given to us instead of 8hrs, since we had to present our application to the judges when were done, so the pressure was on. That day it was very chaotic because time was of the essence and we had to finish the problem in order to rank high. We used PHP, MYSQL, HTML, JavaScript and CSS to complete the problem and as lead programmer it was my job to code and use the programming languages to complete the task.

This year's conference brought up many challenges living up to the 2009 national conference theme, "Challenges For Today, Strategies For Tomorrow". The winners were announced on Saturday evening during the banquet [the judges consider placing 1st through 5th] and the New York team came in 5th place. We weren't very happy with the outcome but we were satisfied. I had loads of help from my team members and without them we probably wouldn't have placed.

So for next year, being that it will be our last year in the HSCC team, we are working hard towards winning 1st place. I hope that every HSCC team is ready for next year because New York will definitely be ready; I can't wait to see everyone at Philadelphia for the 2010 national conference and if this year's conference was great, I can't even imagine how next year's conference will be.

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BETF will make a decision shortly on the amount to allocate for 2010 Bemley Scholarships. It appears we will need to cut back on those scholarships next year unless we get some support from donors over the coming weeks. Please consider making an online donation to the Bemley Scholarship fund today in support of Alan and the other students who are working so hard around the nation.

Message from New York Chapter President

BDPA New York is the 9th largest chapter in the nation. One reason for the growth and success of this chapter is the open communication style of its leader, Judaea Lane.

Here is the July 2009 message from Judaea to her chapter stakeholders:

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Dear BDPA Members and Supporters,

Recently our chapter's Executive Board went to Sylvia’s Restaurant in Harlem to have our monthly Board meeting. Listed below are highlights from each committee:

Community Outreach - Education

• Our SITES program had a wonderful time at Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference. The High School Computer Competition (HSCC) Team came in 3rd Place and the IT Showcase Team came in 2nd Place. Everyone is now gearing up for the National Conference which is taking place in Raleigh, North Carolina.
• Kudos to UBS Financial Services, for hiring two SITES students for summer internships at their Stamford, CT location.
• Lastly, this committee is asking members and supporters to stop by in Brooklyn on Saturday, July 25th from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon to visit with our SITES team. The location is 257 Macon Avenue (between Tompkins and Throop Avenues). The goal will be for members to not only show BDPA love to our SITES students, but to share business and technical knowledge with them. The skills will be utilized by SITES students at the National conference. SITES students interning at UBS will also share their experiences. If you are interested, please RSVP via email to hr@bdpa-ny.org.

Communication

• The summer edition of Humanware is available. At your leisure, download your copy and to read about the exciting activities going on in our chapter.
• Our website contains exciting information such as our next Program meeting and other upcoming events. Also please encourage our youth to check out the students page, where we post the latest scholarship and internship information.
• Lastly, check out the kudos on our webpage to our Sponsor of the Year, UBS Financial Services and our HSCC/SITES students.

Membership Management & Services

• This committee is working vigorously to recruit members. If your membership has expired then you should have received a postcard reminding you to renew your membership.
• Save the Date family as we will have our Annual Membership Drive & Summer IT Mixer on Saturday, August 22th. This event 'BBQ@BDPA' is our way to say thanks to our members and supporters for their phenomenal support. So put on your shorts, bring your cards or dominos and come out relax and have a good time. Yours truly is making “Jerk Burgers”. Additional information will be provided shortly.

BDPA Members on the Move

• BDPA Member Eric Hamilton has an exciting opportunity for our members. The Web Academy offers FREE web design courses and FREE web development services to the community. 100% of the course work is distance learning taught by live instructors in real time. In exchange for offering FREE web classes, members are required to take on at least 3 web development projects of their choosing. Working on these real life web projects with real web clients gives members actual work experience in the web industry. If you are interested, please send an email to hr@bdpa-ny.org or info@thewebacademy.org.
• Happy Birthday to all June and July BDPA Members.

Fundraiser/Finance - Please mark your calendar to join us Thursday, December 10 for our Annual Holiday Networking Event. Several venues in Manhattan have been identified and the fundraising committee has excellent ideas for what will be a memorable event.

National BDPA Election - BDPA Philadelphia chapter president Monique Berry is candidate for BDPA National President Elect. She wants to hear from you. Please join her on Facebook or send her an mailto:president@bdpaphilly.org to share your thoughts on the following:

1. What do you expect from our organization
2. What do you value most
3. How can BDPA meet your highest expectation
4. What action do you think will help us move toward our vision for 2010

Sincerely yours,
Judaea Yarde Lane, President
BDPA New York
(212) 802-5341

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NOTE: Our BETF-Blog is willing to provide this space for any of the 51 chapter presidents to share their message. What are your thoughts on Judaea's message this month?

Message from New York Chapter President

BDPA New York is the 7th largest chapter in the nation. One reason for their success is the inspired leadership of its president, Judaea Lane. Judaea has the remarkable ability to keep many different balls in the air at the same time.

Here is message she issued today for her chapter stakeholders:

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The Executive Team of BDPA New York Chapter wish everyone a happy and safe Memorial Day. We also say thanks to our country's backbone - our soldiers past and present for their dedicated commitment to serve.

You are cordially invited to join us at our Book Signing Party and our Scholarship & Recognition Awards Ceremony.

Book Signing Party features authors William Rolack and Julwel Kenney. William Rolack is president of NAAAHR (National Association of African Americans in Human Resources) Greater New York and author of the book 7 Secrets to a Job Winning Interview: An HR Executive Reveals why Some People Get an Offer--and Other's Don't.

Julwel Kenney is a performance improvement and leadership development consultant and is author of the book "How To Bring Out The Best In You: The Journey to Personal Transformation and Leadership". This event takes place Thursday, May 28th beginning at 6:00 PM at Done Up Salon located 1026 Sixth Avenue. Complimentary Food and Drinks will be served. You can find addition information here.

We are excited to invite you to our Chapter Scholarship & Education Awards Ceremony on Thursday, June, 11 2009 at 6:00pm. The ceremony will be held at UBS located at 299 Park Ave, New York, NY. During this celebration, we will announce our BDPA New York scholarship recipients, acknowledge our 2009 Student Information Technology Education and Scholarship (SITES) students and recognize our dedicated volunteers and community partners.

Also we will recognize our corporate sponsors, for which our work as a chapter will not be possible. Proceeds from both events will support our SITES academic scholarships and local community projects.

Kudos to our New York Team - Our SITES students are technically on the move. For approximately eight months, they have challenged each other to see who will be selected to represent BDPA New York at our upcoming Regional and National Conferences. We are happy to report that ten (10) students have been selected to compete in 2009 High School Computer Competition (HSCC) and IT Showcase at BDPA Northeast Regional Technical Conference. This event takes place at Bowie State University in Maryland during the weekend of June 19-21.

Also, thanks to Dr. Jesse Bemley, several of our SITES students have been selected to attend and participate in TeraGrid Computing Conference, which showcase the capabilities, achievements, and impact of the TeraGrid in research and education. The results of this experience will give our students the opportunity to increase their technological prowess.

Last thanks to UBS, one of the world's leading financial firm, two of our SITES students are going on an interview for an student internship position.

As you can see, we are extremely proud of our students, who will represent New York Chapter. Join me in showing BDPA-love and support at our upcoming June 11th event.

In summary, I look forward to having a great turnout at our upcoming events. For additional information about the above, please contact us via phone at (212) 802-5341 or our chapter website or our Facebook page.

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Use the COMMENTS section to share your thoughts about Judaea's message.

Message from New York Chapter President

One of my favorite people in BDPA is Judaea Lane. She is a powerful woman with a passion for advancing the careers of African Americans in the New York IT industry. BDPA New York is blessed to have her as their chapter president. Here is message that Judaea shared with BDPA New York chapter stakeholders:

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January 2009 has been an exciting month for BDPA-NY volunteers. We thank those members who participated and volunteered at the Wall Street Project, especially the Career Fair. Also a special thanks for those who were able to attend BDPA DC Chapter’s Inaugural Reception.

This year I want everyone to 'Dare 2 Share'. We continue to look for volunteers who are interested in volunteering at least 5 hours to share their technical expertise or be a mentor. If you need additional information, please send an email to Jasmine Miller and she will let you know how to get started.

Also for those who are looking for a job or a new career path, please submit your resume to Renetta English at vpmm@bdpa-ny.org. Companies such as Data Industries and UBS Investment Bank are looking for technical talent.

Please mark your calendar to join BDPA-NY at the following events:

February 3, Fourth Annual Small Business Summit – This event is produced by Prime Strategies and SmallBizTechnology.com . Come out, learn, share and connect with the Small Business Community. This year’s theme is “Business & Technology: How to Find and Keep Customers for Life .” BDPA-NY is proud to be this year’s Summit Partner.

February 18 & 19, Black Family Technology Week - On February 18 and 19, BDPA-NY Entrepreneur will share with members and the community how they use technology to drive their business. If you are an Entrepreneur who wishes to share with the community, please send an email to bftaw@bdpa-ny.org. Please check our website for additional information about the event.

BDPA-NY Community Update Community Outreach Education - This past Saturday, January 24, was the Kick-off for our 2009 SITES Program. We are happy to report that approximately 15 youths registered for the program. Training will begin next week at Medgar Evers Preparatory High School in Brooklyn. This was an awesome experience as BDPA members got an opportunity to network with those students who may represent New York at our upcoming 2009 Regional Conference. If you are interested in sharing your technical expertise with our youth, please send an email to Denise Hamilton at educ@bdpa-ny.org .

Membership Management – Human Resources In addition to participating in the Career Fair at the Wall Street Project, this committee wants to know what you think. Please take a moment to share your thoughts by clicking on the link, 2009 Membership Survey to take our survey.

Also have you published anything? Have you spoken at a seminar? Are you interested in sharing your technical expertise? Please remember that we network every third Thursday of the month. If you are interested or would like additional information, please send an email to Renetta English at vpmm@bdpa-ny.org. You can see a list of topics for 2009 on our website calendar.

Communication - Thanks to our webmaster we can share the most up-to-date information on our website and in our newsletter, Humanware. If you have experience with web design or writing, please send an email to Danielle Cauthen at comm@bdpa-ny.org.

Finally, if you are not yet a member, please join or renew your membership today.

Judaea Y. Lane, president
BDPA New York Chapter

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BDPA New York is currently the 6th largest chapter in the nation. It won't be long before this chapter is challenging for the #1 slot!

Message from New York Chapter President

BDPA New York is the sixth largest chapter in the nation. They are led by one of the most enthusiastic presidents in BDPA history ... Judaea Lane. Judaea shared the following message with her members and sponsors:

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Heading into the Holiday Season provides us an opportunity to reflect on the positive things we have experienced during the past year and prepare for the New Year with even bigger goals and aspirations. It is time to feel grateful for our health and family and to be thankful for the many things we take for granted. The Holidays also give us a chance to recharge and assess the true meaning and purpose of our lives.

I am very proud of the BDPA New York Chapter and our members. I am thankful for the achievements of our Executive Board and dedicated members who worked hard to serve our chapter.

BDPA New York continues to close the Digital Divide by helping the community maintain an awareness of the value of computer technology. This year we delivered programs such as Network Management, Data Centers: Challenges & Overview, Cybercrime: How to Protect against it, Building Leadership Skills as a BDPA Volunteer, and The Role of IT in Voting Machines.

In addition, thanks to the UBS Executive Team and Randall Mosby of MOMA (Museum of Modern Art). Our students had an enriching tour of each facility's technical data center. Our students also had the opportunity to network with the Executive Team of Wachovia and Urban Financial. You can read about our students' experiences in our past newsletters (view essays). With our continued support of the SITES program- Student Information Technology Education and Scholarship Programs, our students will receive $2,500 in scholarships in 2009.

We also have built collaborative partnerships with NSBE, NAAAHR, Harlem Business Alliance and SmallBizTechnology.com. These partnerships have resulted in workshops such as Project Management of IT Professionals, Where do I Go from Here: Tools for Career Transition, the Harlem Business Economic Summit and SmallBiztechnology.com's Taste of Technology Series.

This year our chapter was the fourth largest chapter in BDPA. This is remarkable growth and proof that interest in our organization continues to grow. This also means that our collective wealth of BDPA member experiences has grown phenomenally and our professional networking opportunities are more abundant than ever.

I feel indebted to each and every officer, board member, committee member and sponsor, as well as all those who actively engage themselves in our chapter, for their remarkable efforts and achievements this past year. Whether it was organizing a program meeting, planning a social or networking event, or introducing an IT profession to high school students, our volunteers do it all. Thank you everyone.

As you look back on 2008, take pride in what you have accomplished personally and professionally, and take a moment to acknowledge what others have done to help you along the way.

As you set your New Year's resolutions, consider putting your involvement in BDPA high on that list. The benefits you will reap include professional development, networking and social opportunities, and simply making our profession better, which in my mind is priceless!

On behalf of the New York chapter's Executive Board and all of our key volunteers, I wish you and yours a joyous and a very safe holiday season.

Best Regards,
Judaea Yarde Lane, President
BDPA New York Chapter
Vision: Providing Tools to Globally Compete

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I encourage you to reply back to Judaea using the COMMENTS feature below!

Message from New York Chapter President

BDPA New York is the 3rd largest chapter in the nation. The chapter continues to provide programs and services that advance the careers of African Americans in the IT industry from 'classroom to boardroom'.

Here is how BDPA New York chapter president Judaea Lane put it:

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"This has been an exciting year for the New York Chapter of BDPA. If you will allow me to boast for a moment.

Thanks to our sponsors, the New York SITES (Student IT Education & Scholarship) students have had the wonderful experience to network with BDPA Leaders in the IT field and the opportunity to visit Corporate Headquarters and Technical data centers. Additionally, they had the opportunity to attend and compete in BDPA's Eastern (New Jersey) and Mid-Atlantic Regional Conferences (Maryland). They placed 2nd in the Eastern Conference and 3rd in the Mid-Atlantic Region Conference. Now they are heading on to compete at the National BDPA Technology Conference (Atlanta). After their strong showing in the two regional conferences, we have high hopes that they will place in the top five at the national competition.

We've built collaborative partnerships with our sister organizations, Urban Financial, NSBE and NAAAHR. Also we've had exciting and informative Program Meetings with each of the organizations and some with our sponsors.

Thanks to our Communication Team, we have an informative website and an exciting newsletter. (HUMANWARE is back!! - To get your copy, please download from our website).

The excitement doesn't stop there as there is more to come. You are cordially invited to network with us on July 24th with the Executive Leadership Team of Wachovia.

The presenter for the evening is Director Jason Sydney, who will discuss the cutting edge in trading and how algorithms allow firms like Wachovia to get ahead with the advent of the NYSE hybrid market and continuing consolidation and expansion of electronic exchanges. These algorithms allow traders to use their expertise in the field to build computerize trading models that allow them to react quickly and methodically to changes in the market and alleviates potential of trading outside the company model and targets.

Event Logistics
Wachovia HQ
375 Park Avenue
between East 52nd & East 53rd
July 24, 2008 * 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Refreshments will be served!
Our SITES students, who are competing in the High School Computer Competition or attending the Youth Technology Camp (YTC) will also be in attendance . Not only is this an opportunity for them to meet Wachovia's Executive Team, it also gives them a chance to thank you for giving them the opportunity to come this far. Furthermore, they want New York members to see what they have submitted for the T-Shirt competition.

So members please come out and show some BDPA love and let them know that you are cheering for them. Remember RSVP is extremely important for all our events therefore to confirm your attendance you can respond by e-mail or leave a message on the BDPA Voicemail at (212) 802-5341.

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Do we have any New York chapter members out there?

Message from New York Chapter President

BDPA New York is the 3rd largest chapter in the nation. One reason for their success is the focus placed on providing programs and services for their members and community. BDPA New York chapter president Judaea Lane reflects on this and more in her message to NY-area members, sponsors and supporters:

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BDPA Washington DC chapter and Bowie State University hosted this year's Northeast Regional BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) and IT Showcase on Saturday June 21, 2008. It featured two (2) marquee events for area youth, chapter program development, and STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics] participation.
Our BDPA chapters in Washington DC and Northern Virginia fielded four teams. Additional HSCC teams arrived from Hartford, CT; New York, NY; and Philadelphia, PA. Congratulations to our New York HSCC team for bringing home the 3rd Place prize.

Of course the excitement doesn't stop there! We are now getting ready to compete at the 30th annual national BDPA technology conference in Atlanta, GA. Yes, the competition among our sister chapters are phenomental but New York will be ready.

If you are excited as we are, please consider devoting a Saturday to mentor or coach our students. For more information, please contact Denise Hamilton on (212) 802-5341. Remember our goal is to ensure New York students have the technical and business tools to compete. So if you can, come out and show some love for our New York chapter students.

Remember, BDPA has a wealth of resources that will put your career on the fast track to advancement and satisfaction. Our goal is to bring you more services to connect you to a wide network of professionals in order to move your career forward and upward. Please give us an opportunity to show you how.

Sincerely,
Judaea Yarde Lane, President
BDPA New York Chapter
'Advancing Careers from Classroom to Boardroom'
(212) 802-5341

Judaea Lane: MetLife Volunteer Service Award Winner

BDPA Education & Technology Foundation (BETF) is pleased to announce that Judaea Lane (president, BDPA New York) is a recipient of a $2,500 MetLife Volunteer Service Award. Established in 1994, the award honors MetLife associates who have made a difference in their communities through volunteer work. To recognize their efforts, MetLife Foundation awards a grant to each winner's volunteer organization.

The announcement of the award winners coincides with National Volunteer Week (April 27-May 3, 2008), an event to recognize and celebrate volunteers at the local, state and national levels. The funds from this volunteer grant will be used to support programs and services of the BDPA New York chapter. Share some 'BDPA Love' with Judaea in the COMMENTS area below!

Judaea Lane: MetLife Volunteer Service Award Nominee

BETF nominated Judaea Lane, BDPA New York chapter president, for the MetLife Volunteer Service Award. Our hope is to earn up to $5,000 volunteer grant as a result of Judaea's efforts with BDPA. Many corporations have volunteer grant programs. Our foundation would love to work with you if such is the case at your company. Please check it out and let us know.

In the meantime, we thought we would share our nomination narrative for Judaea. The question that MetLife Volunteer Service Award Committee wanted us to answer was a simple one: What impact as your nominee had on your organization's work and the community?. Our answer was as follows:

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Judaea Lane served as president of the BDPA New York chapter in 2007. Her chapter is one of 50 BDPA chapters that my organization serves as fiscal agent. As such, I observed the impact that Ms. Lane had on BDPA and her community.

One measurement of her impact on BDPA New York chapter is membership growth. Her chapter grew by over 50% in a single year, ending the year as the second largest BDPA chapter in the nation. Judaea and her leadership team achieved this success because of dedication and focus placed into delivery of the organization’s mission – providing programs and services that advance the careers for people of color in the information technology industry.

The time commitment and overall value to her chapter is impossible to ignore. She hosts the monthly board meeting at her office. She chaired the board meetings and issued meeting notes on a timely basis. She serves as an ad hoc member of each department. She supports the newsletter with articles. Her contacts were critical in obtaining large corporate sponsorship commitments from Merck & Company, MetLife, UBS Investment Bank and others. On a national level, she represented her chapter at each of the quarterly board meetings. She was a registered attendee at the 2007 Nat'l BDPA Conference. Locally, she provides consistent support to the VP-Finance on chapter books & records. Judaea helps in the membership database reconciliation. She has been a presenter at a number of our monthly program meetings. It is impossible to overstate the importance that Judaea had in the success of BDPA New York chapter over the past year.

Judaea epitomizes the philosophy, “Each One Reach One, Each One Teach One”. She led her chapter to implement a comprehensive Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program. The SITES program allowed the chapter to reach their goal to “Bridge the Digital Divide” by reaching out to minority youths and offering workplace exposure via monthly workshops, advanced technology training opportunities and team-building skills. As a result, the New York community had creative and innovative students in the educational system with opportunities exhibit skill sets with caring BDPA New York chapter volunteers who are experienced IT professionals.

The signature program completed by Judaea’s chapter last year was local community outreach program for youths known as the High School Computer Competition (HSCC). HSCC provides outlet for corporations, students, educators and parents to come together in a valuable community efforts. Volunteer IT Professionals introduce high school students to various aspects of IT which include web application development and programming logic. The program also emphasizes the development of life-long learning skills such as team building, logical thinking and presentation.

Judaea tirelessly worked in 2007 to obtain funding necessary to pay for an all-expenses-paid trip for five students from the New York chapter program to compete in the 21st annual National BDPA High School Computer Competition held in Washington DC. These high school students attended workshops on Personal Development, Academic Development, Youth Entrepreneurship and Information Technology. The young people networked at corporate-sponsored luncheons and receptions, visited educational places in Washington DC; and networked with other talented high school students from around the nation. The five NY-area students did well in the 2007 National Competition, which consisted of a timed computerized written exam, oral questions and the development of a web application per specifications.

If it for these reasons that, I am proud to nominate Judaea Lane for the MetLife Volunteer Service Awards.

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Anyone want to second our nomination?

Message from New York Chapter President

Judaea Lane is my colleague on the National BDPA Board of Directors. She brought a sense of optimism and positive energy to the BDPA New York chapter that hadn't been seen for many years. The results have been staggering. Under Judaea's leadership the chapter is now the 2nd largest chapter in the nation!

Take a moment to read a message shared by Judaea with her chapter members, supporters and sponsors.

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Dear BDPA Family,

Happy New Year! On behalf of the Executive Team of BDPA New York, I want to thank you for your continued support for our chapter. It is a great opportunity to serve the New York community as there are far too few organizations like BDPA who were pathfinders paving the way for African Americans in the job market. Over 30 years of advancing careers, BDPA is still a major force supporting African Americans in the information technology industry. BDPA New York, incorporated in 1982, remains committed to excellence and a willingness to give more to our community. Our mission will be to ensure that our community is given tools to compete so that they will be given the opportunity to learn and become skilled in the areas of Information Technology and Business.

Professional Development - Our professional development forum is an opportunity for guest speakers to address our members on their professional knowledge, experiences and important trends in information technology.

These program meetings are held every 3rd Thursday of each month. Networking begins at 6PM and refreshments will be served. Please don’t forget to bring your business cards. The events are free, however we ask that you RSVP. You can RSVP for this event by phone (212.802-5342) or email. Please join us as we welcome the following guest speakers:

• Thursday, February 21st, Randall Mosby, MOMA’s Manager of Network Services - He will share with members his key role in implementing the museum internal network and technology upgrade. Also he will address the major issues one must consider to ensure smooth network operations. This event will take place at Con Edison, 4 Irving Place between E. 14 & E. 15th Streets, Union Square Area, New York City.
• Thursday, March 20th, IT Professionals have been invited to spend the evening with the Executive Team of UBS, one of the world’s leading financial firm. The guest speaker is Maxim Samo, Director of Information Technology Infrastructure. The topic for the evening is Data Centers – Overview and Challenges. Maxim will address the major issues corporations consider to ensure smooth data center operations. This event will take place at 1285 Avenue of Americas at 51st Street, New York, NY. Also for those members who are interested in career opportunities, please reference UBSjob postings on our site.

Collaborative Partnerships -

• Please join UBS and Women in Technology International (WITI) for an evening of networking to benefit Dress for Success, an organization that empowers low income women to succeed in the workplace. The date is Tuesday, February 12, 2008, 6pm - 8pm and the logistics is 1285 Avenue of the Americas. Space is limited.
• Join our sister chapter, BDPA New Jersey, as they celebrate its past and sharing its vision for the future by hosting its Annual Awards Banquet. The purpose of the celebration is to recognize sponsors and individuals who have dedicated their time and resources to BDPA programs and services. The theme of this event is "Celebrating Our Past and Soaring into Our Future". Visit BDPA New Jersey’s website for additional information.
• BDPA students are invited to participate at the Career Day 2008 at Riverside Church. This free event takes place on Saturday, February 2nd from 9AM to 3PM at 91 Claremont Avenue. To register and learn more call 212-870-6828.
• National BDPA seeks experts and dynamic presenters to share their knowledge and expertise in technology through interactive sessions. NOTE: In order to submit an abstract, you will have to access our membership database system. Please either use your existing member account or create a non-member account in order to submit your presentation abstract. They are accepting abstracts in two forums: Student Forums and Professional Forums. For additional information visit National BDPA website.

Volunteer Opportunities - The biggest joy in belonging to BDPA comes from being able to give back to the organization and the community. BDPA’s success rests squarely on the shoulders of member volunteers. If you have 5 hours a month to give back and make a difference, please sign up for the following committees:

• Education and Community Outreach - We have approximately 25 students in our SITES program. Trainers are needed to share technical and business expertise. Kudos to Denworth Billy, CEO of Bolt Solutions and our VP of Membership Management. Denworth will present to students in the month of February on the topic of Biometric Engineering. If you are interested in joining this community please contact Denise Hamilton, Director of Education & Community Outreach.
• Professional Development Committee - This committee coordinates forums of focused discussions where guest speakers are invited to address our members on their professional knowledge, experiences and important trends in information technology. In addition these forums also provide an opportunity to develop business relationships, make new acquaintances and network with other professionals of New York in a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere. The forums are held every 3rd Thursday of each month. If you are interested in joining this community please contact Evelyn Poole, VP of Membership Services.

Thank you BDPA Member John Brathwaite for taking photos at our last holiday event.

In closing I want to share a quote by Dr. Benjamin Mays "It must be borne in mind that the tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in not having a goal to reach for." If you have a goal to reach for, consider joining our chapter so that we can help you make it happen.

With BDPA love,
Judaea Yarde Lane, President
BDPA New York Chapter
Motto: 'Advancing Careers from Classroom to Boardroom'
(212) 802-5341

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Please take a moment to leave a COMMENT with some BDPA-Love for Judaea and the others in our BDPA New York chapter.