Message from BDPA Charlotte Chapter President

Hello BDPA Charlotte chapter family and friends! I want to update you on a few events and programs that we gearing up for at the start of the new year.

High School Computer Competition - We are getting our 2013 HSCC program ready for kick off in February.

• Our HSCC program teaches high school students how to build web sites and web applications in .Net
• HSCC open house will be on 02/09/2013, registration is not required to visit the open house
• For more information on what the HSCC program is please visit our chapter web site. You will find a flyer that can be used to share this information with others.
• If you are interested in registering a student please use our registration process through EventBrite - http://www.eventbrite.com/event/5180683564
• I am happy to announce that this year students that are enrolled in our HSCC program will receive Charlotte-Mecklenburg School District internship credits which will be recorded with their transcripts and report cards.
• Thanks to a few key folks that made this happen: Kevin Robinson, John Hoffler, Jean Beachem, and Melvin Rogers

IT Showcase - We are also looking for a few students to join the BDPA IT Showcase.

• The IT Showcase is a program which teaches students how to research and present IT topics. They work with a PhD-level instructor and present their papers and research at the 35th annual National BDPA Technology Conference in Washington, DC on August 14-17, 2013.
• This program runs from February to August.
• More information about this program can be found on our national web site
• If you are interested, or have a student that is interested in this program please use our registration process - http://www.eventbrite.com/event/5180789882#

February Workshop - In February we will also be holding a Seminar and hands-on Workshop.

• The workshop will walk you through how to setup a website using Go-Daddy and Wordpress.
• This workshop will be geared to the non-programming professional
• We will meet at the Urban League on 5th Street
• Meeting will start at 6:30
• Food and Beverages will be available

Member Benefits - If you are a BDPA member, we have also renewed our relationship with HF Mutual

• They are offering a free review and advice on your financial plans
• They offer up to 15% off on financial services and products exclusively for BDPA Charlotte chapter members.
• HF Mutual presented two (2) financial management seminars last year for BDPA Charlotte chapter
• If you are interested in what they have to offer please reach out to Steven Block (sblock@financialguide.com)

It is an election year, so if you are interested in joining our Board and making a difference in your community please let me know. My email address is president@bdpacharlotte.org.

If you are interested in presenting a topic to our membership at one of our future seminars or hands-on workshops, please reach out to us at info@bdpacharlotte.org. Prior presenting experience is not needed.

If you are interested in assisting with any of our training programs, we are always in desperate need for volunteers, again please call or reach out to us at info@bdpacharlotte.org.

Sincerely,
Markus Beamer, president
BDPA Charlotte Chapter

Blacks At Microsoft: Minority Student Day (Charlotte)

Over 130 High School & College Students throughout the North Carolina region attended the 20th annual Minority Student Day hosted in Charlotte, NC by Blacks @ Microsoft (BAM). A number of BDPA Charlotte chapter members were in attendance, including the chapter president Julius Clark and chapter president-elect Markus Beamer.

BDPA & BAM Leaders

BDPA Charlotte member John Hoffler conducted a workshop introducing the BDPA High School Computer Competition for the young people in attendance. Also, BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) executive director Wayne Hicks was honored for the leadership and excellence of his professional organization in the field of education.

Here is media coverage of Minority Student Day from local TV News Carolina 14 & Fox Charlotte News.








Minority Student Day was fully supported by the Microsoft executives in North Carolina. I encourage BDPA leaders from around the nation to find ways to connect with BAM to participate in this event next year! Minority Student Day is a wonderful way to create awareness about BDPA programs and impact on influencers in the field of education and technology.


BETF would like to thank BAM North Carolina co-chairs Kevin Robinson and Iona Wilson for their hospitality and vision. They are truly examples of why Microsoft is an Industry Leader in Technology, Diversity, Innovation and Corporate Citizenship.

Message from Charlotte Chapter President-Elect

Markus Beamer

Hello BDPA Members and Friends,

As the Holiday times rapidly approach, I wanted to take the time and thank all of you. The Charlotte BDPA Chapter has had a great year and it could not have been a success without you!

As we move into 2011, BDPA will continue and improve on delivering you time sensitive, up to date technological topics and training. Please join us during our January meeting, Jan 20th, where we will discuss and announce the meetings, trainings and events coming up in Charlotte in 2011.

Finally as the Holidays arrive, take time out to be with your family, enjoy them and create great memories. As a child, I loved the holidays ... all the family, friends, gifts and great food. As an adult, it is one of the few times during the year that I feel like a kid again. You too live life young and enjoy yourself!

I’m looking forward to 2011! Let’s end 2010 on a party and start the New Year!

Have a great time!
Markus Beamer, President-Elect
BDPA Charlotte Chapter

President Profile: BDPA Charlotte (Markus Beamer)

BDPA Charlotte chapter recently elected Markus Beamer (Bank of America) to serve as its president in 2012-2013. Markus shared the following profile on his chapter's website:

---

My name is Markus Beamer. I was born in Tacoma Washington but was raised in Columbia South Carolina. I come from a family of 4 boys and 2 girls and thus am used to a very hectic environment. “Never a dull moment” is certainly the motto for our home growing up. That’s probably why 11 years ago I turned to technology for a career, “Never a dull moment” sums up its progress quite nicely.

During my college years, at the College of Charleston, my first exploration into technology was as a web developer for a software licensing firm. I started out typing HTML and Javascript into a simple notepad window. Through the years I touched upon CSS, Java, Visual Basic, PHP, mySQL, Photoshop, Access, Oracle and MS SQL Server in that exact order. However, I find it quite amusing that to this day when I want to write a bit of code I reach for my notepad application first ... no matter the language. Needless to say, I found a love in technology. No matter how much I knew, I never was bored, as something new was but a day away. Change was always going to come.

Of course change can come when you grow the family. Currently my family is in Charlotte North Carolina. I am the lucky husband to one fine lady and the proud father of two rambunctious boys. I am happy to say that my household carries on the tradition of “Never a dull moment”. My oldest son is crazy for electronics and all things technical. My youngest son is definitely the outdoor, rough and tumble kinda fella. They both attract their fair share of friends and our house has become the “neighborhood” house. (much to my wife’s dismay!)

I currently work at Bank of America as a Business Process Consultant. When asked, I tell friends and family that my role is to help “leadership” make the best use of technology and in truth this is what I do. However the role affords me much more than that, I am at a crucial nexus where the needs, desires and ambitions of the business meet the calculations, formulas and algorithms of technology. It’s a great place to be and I don’t think I’ll change it for some time to come.

But…

At times one gets bored with the day to day. It is in those times that I turn to my hobby of game building. Like most hobbies it is silly yet fulfilling. I build small games that can be played in a browser; my specialty is to build them with JavaScript so they do not require any plug-ins or downloads to play. Sometimes the games are role based, sometimes they are card based, other times they are ... different. I have been doing this since 1999. I laugh when I think of the number of games I have written and thrown by the wayside (at last count 24). But that is what a hobby is ... a wasted time that allows the mind, body and soul to reset.

I hope that having learned a little more about me, you will reach out and shake my hand. I am always happy to meet new folks.

Thanks for reading.
Markus Beamer, president-elect
BDPA Charlotte Chapter
Blog: http://mobeamer.blogspot.com/

---

Share some love with Markus using the COMMENT option below!

Election Results: BDPA Charlotte (2010-2011)

BDPA Charlotte chapter was created in September 1988. The chapter has a rich history of leadership in the BDPA community. The legacy of the chapter will continue into 2010-2011 based on recent election results.

• Chapter President, Julius Clark (Wells Fargo)
• Chapter President-Elect, Markus Beamer (Bank of America)

Julius Clark wrote,

"I am happy to announce that Markus Beamer, current VP of Strategy & Planning, was elected as the 2010-2011 President-Elect for BDPA Charlotte. Markus has been a dedicated member of the BDPA Charlotte family, most notably as trainer for the High School Computer Competition (HSCC) program. Markus has demonstrated a strong passion of educating the next generation of students and walks the talk of our creed; “Advancing Careers From the Classroom to the Boardroom”. Markus is a rising leader in the IT industry who also has a tremendous passion for developing online video/strategy games in his spare time. Markus is a very talented individual and will serve the Charlotte community well."

Markus Beamer wrote,

"My name is Markus Beamer. I was born in Tacoma Washington but was raised in Columbia South Carolina. I come from a family of 4 boys and 2 girls and thus am used to a very hectic environment. “Never a dull moment” is certainly the motto for our home growing up. That’s probably why 11 years ago I turned to technology for a career, “Never a dull moment” sums up its progress quite nicely.

During my college years, at the College of Charleston, my first exploration into technology was as a web developer for a software licensing firm. I started out typing HTML and Javascript into a simple notepad window. Through the years I touched upon CSS, Java, Visual Basic, PHP, mySQL, Photoshop, Access, Oracle and MS SQL Server in that exact order. However, I find it quite amusing that to this day when I want to write a bit of code I reach for my notepad application first ... no matter the language. Needless to say, I found a love in technology. No matter how much I knew, I never was bored, as something new was but a day away. Change was always going to come.

Of course change can come when you grow the family. Currently my family is in Charlotte North Carolina. I am the lucky husband to one fine lady and the proud father of two rambunctious boys. I am happy to say that my household carries on the tradition of “Never a dull moment”. My oldest son is crazy for electronics and all things technical. My youngest son is definitely the outdoor, rough and tumble kinda fella. They both attract their fair share of friends and our house has become the “neighborhood” house. (much to my wife’s dismay!)

I currently work at Bank of America as a Business Process Consultant. When asked, I tell friends and family that my role is to help “leadership” make the best use of technology and in truth this is what I do. However the role affords me much more than that, I am at a crucial nexus where the needs, desires and ambitions of the business meet the calculations, formulas and algorithms of technology. It’s a great place to be and I don’t think I’ll change it for some time to come.

But…

At times one gets bored with the day to day. It is in those times that I turn to my hobby of game building. Like most hobbies it is silly yet fulfilling. I build small games that can be played in a browser; my specialty is to build them with JavaScript so they do not require any plug-ins or downloads to play. Sometimes the games are role based, sometimes they are card based, other times they are …different. I have been doing this since 1999. I laugh when I think of the number of games I have written and thrown by the wayside (at last count 24). But that is what a hobby is…a wasted time that allows the mind, body and soul to reset.

I hope that having learned a little more about me, you will reach out and shake my hand. I am always happy to meet new folks."

I hope that you will take a moment and share some BDPA-Love with Markus and Julius as they embark on this remarkable journey!