BDPA Corporate Epsilon Award Winners: Top 11 Companies for Blacks In Technology

BDPA will recognize several of America’s corporate giants and accomplished individuals at this year’s 35th Annual BDPA Technology Conference and Career Fair, August 14-17, 2013, at the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington DC. BDPA created the Epsilon Award to recognize and celebrate key contributions and accomplishments of its members and supporters.

National BDPA Corporate Epsilon Awards recognizing corporate achievement are awarded to corporations who have demonstrated a commitment to people and an understanding that fostering a culture of diversity has a bottom line business case value. Each year, National BDPA surveys Fortune 1000 companies to make an assessment of their internal workplace and career development climate using the following rating categories:

• Tenure, Promotions and Terminations
• Leadership Development and Advancement programs
• Supplier Diversity programs
• Community Outreach programs

This year, National BDPA is pleased and honored to recognize eleven (11) corporations with the Corporate Epsilon Award. These corporations are finalists for 'The Top Company For Blacks in Technology' award that will be announced on Saturday, August 17th during the Awards Gala:

1. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
2. Health Care Service Corporation
3. HP
4. Intel
5. Johnson & Johnson (2012 Winner!)
6. Merck
7. Monsanto
8. State Farm Insurance
9. Wal-Mart
10. WellPoint
11. Wells Fargo

BDPA is recognized nationally as a global member-focused technology organization with over 45 active chapters in the United States. BDPA continues to stand as a leader in delivering 21st century technological programs, college scholarships, mentoring, support and services for youth and adult information technology professionals. Contact Wayne Hicks, Director, BDPA Corporate Sales Department by phone (301.584-3135) or email (corpsales@bdpa.org) if you need more information on BDPA sponsorship program.

Merck Renews BDPA Corporate Sponsorship

Merck has been a BDPA corporate sponsor for over a decade. The company renewed its sponsorship again in 2013. Merck is a global health care leader providing a diversified portfolio of prescription medicines, vaccines, consumer health products, and animal health products and services. Merck recognizes and rewards the integrity, knowledge, imagination, skill, and diversity of it's 94,000 dedicated professionals.

The company focused its sponsorship in 2013 in a couple of areas. First, Merck purchased access to the BDPA Job Board. ITDiversityCareers is a job resource that connects IT professionals and employers. BDPA encourages its diverse representation of information technology professionals to visit the BDPA Job Board in order to see career opportunities from Merck.

Second, the company made a generous donation in support of the Dr Jesse Bemley Scholarship. Our hope is that other corporations and individuals will consider doing the same!

Merck Company Foundation

BETF seeks to partner with any BDPA chapter that has Merck employees working and living in their chapter city. It would help if those Merck employees were members of your chapter, however, that is not mandatory.

The Merck Company Foundation appears to have two programs for BDPA chapters to target:

1. Partnership for Giving (P4G) - Merck provides U.S.-based employees and retirees the opportunity to donate to the health and human services organizations of their choice through its Partnership for Giving program.


2. Neighbor of Choice - Merck's "Neighbor of Choice" program aims to build trustworthy and sustainable relationships with neighbors and key individuals and groups in locations where Merck research and production facilities are located.

The Merck Company Foundation also seeks to develop and initiate programs and partnerships that will help to improve the health and well-being of people around the world. The Foundation works with existing and new partners that we identify for collaboration in achieving the mission and goals of their programs and partnerships. Because the majority of their funding support is directed to specific initiatives or programs that we initiate and that support our giving priorities, they do not accept or respond to unsolicited proposals.

Is your chapter qualified for this funding opportunity? If so, are you interested in submitting a joint grant proposal to the Merck Company Foundation?

Philadelphia is BDPA Chapter of the Year

A number of chapter awards were presented at the 29th annual BDPA Technology Conference held last week in Washington DC. The highest honor that can be given to a BDPA chapter is the prestigious 'Chapter of the Year' award. BDPA Philadelphia chapter took home the 'Chapter of the Year' award this year for their outstanding achievements and contributions to the BDPA mission and objectives over the previous year. BDPA Philadelphia beat out the 2006 winner, BDPA Cincinnati chapter, who managed to win first runner-up honors in 2007.

BDPA Philadelphia chapter also won the 'Chapter Membership Award' for their outstanding achievements in increasing BDPA's mission of being "a member-focused organization" and ensuring that each member of BDPA feels valued as a member of the association. Philadelphia's successes are a direct result of their programs and services initiatives led by current chapter president Curtis Jenkins and current president-elect Monique Berry. The chapter serves the community by providing weekly computer training for Philadelphia metropolitan-area high school students. The chapter's monthly program meetings sponsored by CIGNA serve to keep their membership informed of current trends in the IT industry. Finally, their overall member services initiatives help to bring in new members as well as retain the existing members.

Merck is a BDPA Gold-level sponsor and major contributor to the Philadelphia Chapter. Merck's Gina Gerhard won the 'Corporate Champion of the Year' award for her efforts to evolve the corporate relationship between BDPA and Merck at all levels. Other Philadelphia chapter sponsors that participated in the annual conference included Wyeth and Rohm and Haas.

Please leave a comment for the brothers and sisters of BDPA Philadelphia chapter if you have time or inclination!