US Air Force Continues Long STEM and Diversity Support with BDPA

BDPA’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs continue to get full support from the U.S. Air Force at its 39th Annual BDPA Technology Conference and Career Fair, July 26-29, 2017 at the Duke Energy Convention Center, in Cincinnati, Ohio. The U.S. Air Force is the world’s preeminent force in air, space and cyberspace. They maintain that distinction by managing global vigilance, reach and power while remaining true to their vision statement, 'The World’s Greatest Air Force—Powered by Airmen, Fueled by Innovation.'  Through shared values, key capabilities, and upholding the Airman’s Creed, they continue to achieve their mission and aim high in all that they do.

Mike Williams

BDPA President Mike A. Williams stated, "It is an honor to partner with the servicemen and women of the U.S. Air Force. We are privileged to have such an organization fighting for our freedom and supporting initiatives and organizations that are catalysts for diversity in STEM."

BDPA is the largest African American Information Technology association in the U.S., and the largest national non-profit organization continually involved in training students underrepresented in STEM education across the country. For almost 40 years, BDPA has fulfilled its mission by bridging the digital divide and providing career growth opportunities for its members.

Perry Carter

Perry Carter, BDPA Washington, D.C., Chapter President said, “BDPA partnered with United States Air Force pilots during STEM workshops where Tuskegee Airmen Walter Robinson Sr. and William Fauntroy Jr., served as the host chapter’s special guests. BDPA student members are in awe of our rich history in aviation and remain excited about careers in aviation, space, cyber and new unmanned aerial systems.”

For more details about the annual National BDPA Technology Conference or the corporate sponsorship program, contact the corporate sales support team at (301) 584-3135 ext.108 or corpsales@bdpa.org. Additionally, please visit www.bdpa.org.

Newsletter: BDPA Washington DC (May 2017)

We are very proud that our monthly publication of bdpatoday has been issued for May 2017. There are a number of great articles and updates in this issue. Check it out!

Newsletter: BDPA Washington DC (May 2017) from BDPA Foundation

BDPA Members Honored on Veterans Day

Guest Blogger: Perry Carter, president
BDPA Washington DC

Here are some little known facts about veterans in BDPA:

Did you know?

... that Dr. Jesse Bemley founded both marquee programs for National BDPA (IT Showcase and High School Computer Competition) and served in Vietnam?

... that Dr. Will Bundy, co-founder of the BDPA IT Institute with Dr. Juan Gilbert,  was a submarine driver (both diesel and nuke) and is one of the Centennial Seven African American submarine skippers who served during the first 100 years of the Submarine Service?

... that Lt. Col. Joseph Carpenter was the Marine Corps' first African American Data Systems Officer and is a Montford Point Marine?

... that Terry Halvorsen and Mark Di Francisco were Army Intelligence and Special Operations officers, respectively?

... that Joseph McMahon was a Naval Flight Officer; co-founded two BDPA Chapters and was instrumental in securing Navy leadership and involvement with National BDPA to include the Secretary of the Navy, Chief of Naval Operations, and Department of the Navy's CIO?

... that Felicia Jones and Eileen Gadsden, two of BDPA's strongest leaders are Army veteran "Black Girls who Lead and Code?"

... that Army veteran José Márquez-Leon, President & Founder of Latinos in Information Sciences and Technology Association (LISTA) was a BDPA Member when he founded LISTA?

Perry Carter - Marine Corps
August 1985

The Digital Drummer: Perry Carter (BDPA Washington DC Chapter President)

Beating the drum is the riveting and engaging BDPA media mogul Perry Carter.  As President of BDPA Washington DC, Editor-In-Chief for BDPA Today, and Exec. Producer of Popular Technology Television,  Perry will share how he has built his chapter into a tech media power house and developed innovative lines of revenue.

Check Out Technology Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with MASTER GRIOT NBBTA RADIO on BlogTalkRadio

Popular Technology TV: 'Micosoft Store'

Popular Technology TV (PTTV) features the latest technology innovations and multimedia programming content produced for video streams and television. PTTV is hosted by Sharrarne Morton (Morton Media). Programming is powered by BDPA Washington DC and bdpatoday with support from our information and communications technology industry partners for general audiences.



Nothing builds business like exposure in the marketplace. Let the PTTV television show help to raise your company profile and build excitement around your products. Cable and broadcast networks that air the show will be announced in February 2014. PTTV will start airing on those cable and broadcast networks in the Washington DC metropolitan area in March 2014.

Message from BDPA Washington DC Chapter President

Perry Carter

This week, students from Prince George's Community College (PGCC) attended a workshop at the Microsoft Store in Pentagon City with BDPA Washington DC chapter members.

Hosted by Professor, Sharrarne Morton, students from PGCC English and Journalism classes discussed their major courses of study and their passions ranging from Theater, Nursing, Psychology, Languages, and Music.

Microsoft presenters and BDPA members were able to map industry trends with the latest advances in applications for music, entertainment, health care, and language translation apps, within each of their respective industries. The workshop included a hands-on introduction to Windows 8.1, Surface2, and an Xbox One preview for gaming enthusiasts.

3D printing also was introduced. Each of the small jack-o-lanterns on display were "printed" using the MakerBot Replicator 2. For next-generation 3-D manufacturing, students were asked to imagine downloading one's favorite production in "3D" with music catalogs, props, and backdrops to "print" and assemble for their next show.

Door prize winners from this month's mixer at the Microsoft Store in Pentagon City were Monica Ellis-Goram (BDPA Baltimore) and Kenika Bynum (College Tribe, Washington, D.C.) Each won new Surface2 tablets from BDPA Washington DC.

Sincerely,
Perry Carter, president
BDPA Washington DC

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

SOURCE: BDPA Foundation Flickr Photostream

Message From BDPA Washington DC Chapter President

Happy Holidays from BDPA Washington DC Chapter

Greetings!

Our Chapter wishes you every happiness this Holiday Season and good health in the New Year.

Perry Carter

Thank you very much for supporting our cause within your community. We look forward to growing our relationships in 2013 as the chapter celebrates its 35th Anniversary.

All the best to you and your family,

Perry Carter, president
BDPA Washington, D.C. | BDPA-DC

President Profile: Perry Carter (BDPA Washington DC)

Perry Carter is a one-person dynamo! He is a true super-hero in BDPA history. He began his BDPA career as an organizational activist during his college years at Temple University. Later he was an icon at the national level as both the editor of the first-ever BDPA Magazine, 'I+Plus' and later as the 2007 National BDPA Conference director. He maintained his zeal for documenting BDPA programs, scholarships and services in writing as the founding pulbisher of the monthly newsletter, 'bdpatoday' which has been published for a number of years. Finally, It is worthy to note that Perry is the longest-serving president in the history of our BDPA Washington DC chapter.

We figured it was time to share a presidential profile of Perry Carter on our blog!

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Perry Carter is director of Technical Alliances and Outreach with Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC). He leads the Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Group in Hanover, Maryland where he supports small business strategic thrusts and ISR capture planning with small business partners, colleges, universities, and labs for CSC's mission partners.

Perry has been the president of the BDPA Washington DC Chapter, a 501(c)(3) integrated project team charged with developing stronger IT/Cyber workforce pipelines across all vertical markets and industry sectors since 2008. His focus within BDPA is public relations and government relations programs for community-based STEM-IC (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics--Intelligence and Cyber) programs, advanced computing competitions (Cyber Challenge, IT Showcase, and High School Computer Competition), corporate communications, and cyber security outreach initiatives with industry partners.

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Favorite Quote: "The best way to predict your future is to create it!" ~ Abraham Lincoln

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Prior to CSC, Perry was regional vice president and chief information officer for Tec-Masters, Inc. (TMI), in the Mid-Atlantic region. In this leadership role he captured Navy and Marine Corps contracts and successfully funded multiple Department of Defense (DoD) Mentor–Protégé Program agreements and subcontracts with other government agencies. He also supported TMI's engagements that brought together small and mid-sized businesses and Historically Black College and University/Minority Serving Institution to service DoD DoD and other government agencies.

After graduating from Temple University, Perry served as a Data Systems officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was an application developer, software quality assurance analyst, and VP/IT Director for SBA 8(a) small businesses. In other career roles, Perry served as an instructor at Marine Corps Computer Sciences School; director of Small Business Programs for Perot Systems Government Services; National Public Affairs Officer for NNOA; and a tutor with Joint Educational Facilities.

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Perry is a remarkable role model for IT professionals both in Washington DC and around the nation! Please take a moment to REPLY to this blog post with your insights and observations about Perry Carter!

Overview - BDPA Washington DC (2012)

BDPA Washington DC chapter president Perry Carter is understandably proud of the community outreach initiatives put in place this year. He shared a 20-page deck that I thought would be of interest to many of our blog-readers.

Overview - BDPA Washington DC (2012) from Wayne Hicks

This is the type of publication we would love to see created to document successes and progress for BDPA all around the nation. What did you think about this BDPA Washington DC community outreach overview?

BDPA iRadio Show: October 23, 2012

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is very proud to be the creator of the BDPA iRadio Show. The show on October 23rd is the 37th episode of the our Internet Radio Show that began last summer. You can listen to the archive version of the show using the widget shown in the right-hand sidebar of this blog. FREE download from the iTunes Store is also available for our listeners!

Listen to internet radio with BDPA on Blog Talk Radio

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The guests on the October 23rd show:

Dr. Craig Brown - Vice President, National BDPA - Dr. Craig Brown was elected to be National BDPA Vice President (2012-2013). He works in tandem with our national president Monique Berry and the various regional officers to take BDPA to the next level. Dr. Brown has a 24 year career serving as an expert systems and database architect within leading technologies like Oracle, Oracle-PeopleSoft, SAP, IBM and Microsoft. His experiences are more particular to the Enterprise Resource Planning, Decision Support and Relational Database Management Systems technologies. He earned over 20 certifications within these technological areas and currently provides implementation and integration expertise along with a variety of other technological disciplines. He holds a BS in Computer Science as well as a Master's in Business and a Doctorate in Management Information Systems. Dr. Brown should be able to share with our iRadio Show audience his vision for the future of BDPA. His twitter handle is @CraigBrownPHD

Perry Carter - Chapter President, BDPA Washington DC - Perry Carter is one of the longest-tenured BDPA members in the country. He was a co-founder of a BDPA college chapter on the Temple campus many years ago. Perry came back to be a leader in our Washington DC area after serving in the military and building his career in Corporate America. For many years he was a publisher of BDPA magazines and newsletters. Over the past 3 years he served as BDPA Washington DC chapter. His chapter is working with National BDPA to host the 35th annual BDPA Technology Conference on August 14-17, 2013. We look forward to hearing his story on the BDPA iRadio Show. His twitter handle is @BDPADC  

Jackie Johnson - Information Security Director, Procter & Gamble - Jackie is one of the highest ranking Black women in the information security field. She is responsible for global information security at Procter & Gamble – reporting directly to the company’s chief information officer. Jackie is a past member of the BDPA Cincinnati chapter and currently is active within the Information Technology Senior Management Forum. She is an inspiration and role model for many in our organization and our industry. We look forward to hearing her story on the BDPA iRadio Show. Her company's twitter handle is @ProcterGamble

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We hope you enjoy the insights and commentary on the show from each of these guests. Please take a moment to post a comment to let us know that you care!

Where Are They Now? BDPA Washington DC Chapter Presidents

BDPA Washington DC chapter was founded in May 1978 by Norman Mays. This was a significant event in BDPA history as it moved the organization from a local phenomenon in Philadelphia to a 'national' movement.

Our Washington DC chapter hosted national BDPA technology conferences in 1979 ('The Role of the Black Technical Organization), 1980 ('A New Era of Minority Involvement in Data Processing'), 1990 ('Education and Technology Bonding for Excellence'), 2000 ('Taking IT to the Net: From High-Tops to High-Tech') and 2007 ('Global Strategy for the IT Professional').

BDPA Washington DC won the national high school computer competition (HSCC) championship in 1986 and 1990. Sadly, our historical archives are not complete, so we do not know the names of the young people that won those two championships.

Here are some HSCC alumni from our Washington DC chapter who shared their testimonials with us: Stephanie Lampkin (2000), Janeen Thomas (2003) and Tarik Massac (2006-2008).

We would love to make a connection with other HSCC alumni from our Washington DC chapter. Where are they now?

It surprised me to learn that BDPA Washington DC chapter has never won 'Chapter of the Year' honors. Perhaps current chapter president Perry Carter can bring that honor to our nation's capital this year?

A number of past BDPA Washington DC chapter presidents have served important roles at the national level. Norman Mays was our second national president. Dr. Jesse Bemley invented both the High School Computer Competition and the BDPA IT Showcase. Margaret 'Midge' Jennings was our first-ever BDPA executive director. It would be great if we could hear from each of the past BDPA Washington DC chapter presidents:

• Norman Mays (1978-1980)
• Wilbur MacReynolds (1981-1982)
• Shirley Ginwright (1983-1984)
• Jessie Bemley (1985-1986)
• Linnie Frank Bailey (1987-1988) [shown in photo]
• Margaret Jennings (1989-1990)
• Michael Harvey (1991-1992)
• William Johnson (1993-1994)
• Debbie Hodnett (1995-1996)
• Rudy Duke (1997-1998)
• Jimm Middleton (1999-2000)
• Reginald Crawley (2001-2002)
• Gerald Peppers (2003-2004)
• Gwen Hunnicutt (2005-2006) [shown in photo]
• Marcella Black-Caro (2007) [shown in photo]
• Perry Carter (2008-2012)

Where Are They Now?

Reflections on 2012 BDPA Technology Conference

National BDPA president Monique Berry adjourned the 34th annual BDPA Technology Conference last night. It was a truly remarkable 4-day gathering of information technology thought leaders from all over the nation. Here are some comments for those who were there in person.

1. Monique Berry (National BDPA president) -

   "Congratulations to all of our winners as well as every child that participated in the Youth Technology Camp and the High School Computer Competition. I'm very proud of each and every one of you."

2. Goldie Bonney (BDPA New Jersey chapter president) -

   "Had a GREAT time with my BDPA family at the conference. Shout out to all other chapter presidents who continue to do big things in their respective chapters. Congratulations to Renetta English on her Chapter of the Year win again for NY! See you all next year in DC!"

3. Perry Carter (BDPA Washington DC chapter president) -

   

   Congratulations BDPA Atlanta (2012 HSCC World Champions) and BDPA New York (2012 Chapter of the Year) for this year's accomplishments and for upholding the highest standards in community involvement and philanthropy in direct support of America's STEM initiatives! We hope to see greater achievements in Washington DC next year.

4. Dr. Curtis Charles (Fayetteville State University senior associate vice chancellor) -

   "I will like to express my sincere thanks to Perry Carter and the BDPA Leadership for allowing me the opportunity to participate in the BDPA HBCU STEM panel. Fayetteville State University and the Center for Defense and Homeland Security look forward to a long and lasting relationship with all BDPA Chapters. Please feel free to call upon me at anytime."

5. Yvette Graham (National BDPA past president) -

   "Just arrived back home in Chicago (Oak Park) from Baltimore Maryland where I attended one of the best conferences for NBDPA. Congrats to all winners (Sponsors, Members, and Students). A special shout out to the HSCC Team from the BDPA Atlanta Chapter for being the first team ever to receive a perfect score!!! Thanks to the NBDPA Leadership Team and the National Conference Team for a JOB WELL DONE!!!"

6. Wayne Hicks (BETF executive director) -

   

   "I just had a great time introducing over 100 young people who are the future face of technology at the Opening Ceremony of the 34th BDPA Technology Conference in Baltimore, MD. I can't begin to tell you how remarkable it was to see these bright young faces as they were being recognized by BDPA sponsors, leaders, volunteers and members. BDPA is such a truly remarkable organization. Another highlight of the event was the fact that we raised over $6,000 in about 10 minutes to increase the amount of college scholarships that we will give out to high-performing HSCC students. BDPA is truly 'Making Moves' and I'm grateful to be part of it."

7. Cedrick Moore (National BDPA career development director) -

   "I just returned from the 2012 BDPA Technology Conference in Baltimore, MD. I just want to let you know that the jobs recovery is REAL. Not since the early 2000's have I seen employers so anxious in seeking jobs candidates. Here are a few that truly demonstrated to me they are ready to hire today: GE, JP Morgan Chase, State Farm, Microsoft, MillerCoors, Johnson & Johnson, WellPoint, Wells Fargo, etc. Not minor players here.
   
   The funny thing is, I was consistently being told that YOU (minority I.T. professionals) DO NOT EXIST or in other words, you are hard to find and hire. They were certainly looking for YOU so....
   
   What do you think? Comments?"

8. Sharrarne Morton (Morton Media president) -

   "Just witnessed a room full of remarkable young scientists, engineers, mathematicians and technologists win thousands of dollars in scholarships at the BDPA National Conference in Baltimore, Md. Where were the TV cameras? There are brilliant young people doing spectacular things to ensure a brighter future for all of us. Congratulations to them all! We will see you at next year's conference in DC!!"

9. Stacy Stewart (BDPA Dallas chapter president) -

   

   "Hello BDPA family, I'm currently in the air returning from the 34th annual National BDPA Technology Conference that was held in Baltimore and I must say this was an exhilarating experience, from the opening ceremony to the formal gala held on the last day of the conference. The professional sessions, dignitaries reception and networking with other BDPA members across the nation was exceptional. Teams from seventeen chapters competed in the High School Computer Competition in which the Atlanta chapter won thousands of dollars in scholarship monies and received high-end HP laptop computers. The Youth Technology Camp produced and edited videos this year with one of our Dallas students on a winning team.
   
   Next year our National BDPA Conference will be held in Washington DC on August 14-17. I encourage all of our members to attend! If you have not experienced a National BDPA Conference you don't want to miss this one ... if you have experienced a National BDPA Conference before, then I know you will be there."

BDPA iRadio Show - January 10, 2012

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is very proud to be the creator of the BDPA iRadio Show. Our Internet Radio Show has been up and running for six months with over 60 guests. You can listen to the archive version of the show using the widget shown in the right-hand sidebar of this blog.

Episodes of the BDPA iRadio Show are now available for immediate and FREE download from the iTunes Store.

If you missed the live show, then we encourage you to listen to the archived audio-clip of the show that aired on Tuesday, January 10, 2012.

Listen to internet radio with BDPA on Blog Talk Radio

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The guests on the show:

1. Mike Williams - director, BDPA South Region - Mike is a BDPA Atlanta chapter member who recently was elected by the national body to serve as our first-ever director of the BDPA South Region. He will share his vision for the future of BDPA as it enters into this new regional governance model. Mike currently serves as the head of global infrastructure and delivery for FIS. You can follow Mike on Twitter - @ITMikeWilliams
2. Perry Carter - chapter president, BDPA Washington DC - Perry has been a member of BDPA for about 25 years. He began as an officer for a BDPA student chapter on the Temple University campus. He was publisher of the first glossy BDPA magazine (I-Plus). He was the conference director for the 2000 BDPA Technology Conference held in Washington DC. Today he serves as the publisher of bdpatoday (a monthly newsletter) as well as president of one of the most active chapters in the nation - BDPA Washington DC. Finally, it is important to note that Perry served our nation as a member of the military - he is a Marine! You can follow Perry on Twitter - @BDPADC
3. Jaymes Hines - founder, ByParents4Kids Entertainment - Jaymes is on a mission to streamline the development and commercialization of ideas that empower young minds to be inspired and excited about learning and their 21st century education. To achieve this he helps first-time technology entrepreneurs in education publishing sector gain experiences, skills and networking to take advantage of funding from Angel investors and Venture Capitalists. Jaymes is on Twitter - @JHines

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What questions would you like to see answered by these guests?

Comcast Newsmakers: Perry Carter (BDPA Washington DC)

Perry Carter shares insights about BDPA with Comcast's Kellye Lynn.





This is an example of how we increase the 'BDPA' brand! Well done Perry!

BDPA iRadio Show - October 11, 2011

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is very proud to be the creator of the BDPA iRadio Show. Our Internet Radio Show has been up and running for almost four months with over 60 guests. You can listen to the archive version of the show using the widget shown in the right-hand sidebar of this blog. In any case, here is the archive version of the show from Tuesday, October 11, 2011.

Listen to internet radio with BDPA on Blog Talk Radio

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The guests on the show included:

1. Jeff Stovall - Chief Information Officer, City of Charlotte - Mr. Stovall was recently named one of the 'Top 50 African Americans in Technology'. He is one of the highest ranking African American CIOs working in government. We look forward to learning about his journey toward the CIO position. He will share his advice on what IT professionals that are serious about their career advancement need to know in they want to reach the C-level corporate suite.
2. Lee Reed - 2006 National HSCC Champion, BDPA Chicago - Lee is one of the most remarkable young men in BDPA history. Lee Reed is a remarkable young man. He was a 5-time participant in the national HSCC championship … his team won the championship in 2006. He earned the Bank of America Scholarship for BDPA Students, Jesse Bemley Scholarship and the Eli Lilly Scholarship for BDPA Students ... each administered by BETF. He used his scholarships to attend the University of Michigan. It will be great to listen to his thoughts on how his experiences with BDPA influenced his college and career choices.
3. Craig Brown - Incoming Vice President, National BDPA - Dr. Craig Brown was elected to be National BDPA Vice President for the next two years. He will work with incoming national president Monique Berry and the incoming regional officers to take BDPA to the next level. Dr. Brown has a 24 year career serving as an expert systems and database architect within leading technologies like Oracle, Oracle-PeopleSoft, SAP, IBM and Microsoft. His experiences are more particular to the Enterprise Resource Planning, Decision Support and Relational Database Management Systems technologies. He earned over 20 certifications within these technological areas and currently provides implementation and integration expertise along with a variety of other technological disciplines. He holds a BS in Computer Science as well as a Master's in Business and a Doctorate in Management Information Systems. Dr. Brown should be able to share with our iRadio Show audience his vision for the future of BDPA.

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There were some great discussions between our guests and Franne McNeal on the show tonight.   What aspect of the show did you enjoy the most?

BDPA | Decade in Review (2001-2010)

Perry Carter and the folks at bdpatoday are to be commended for taking time to create this slideshow commemorating the efforts of BDPA over the past decade. The slideshow features photos taken at local, regional and national events over the past decade. It pays tribute to BDPA corporate sponsors and shows the impact that the organization is having in a wide range of information technology industry niches.





Did you see yourself in the video? Did the video remind you of some of the good works being done by BDPA in your local chapter city? Please share your thoughts as you watched this video montage of the past decade!

Message from Washington DC Chapter President

BDPA's Washington, D.C. Chapter (BDPA-DC) congratulates National BDPA's 2010 High School Computer Competition (HSCC) team from Southern Minnesota (BDPA SMN) for successfully defended their National HSCC Title for the fourth year in a row!

BDPA 's Washington, D.C. 2010 Regional Champions (in above photo) finished second place during the 2010 National HSCC. Students from the top five teams in the United States will receive scholarships toward their college education in STEM related fields of study from the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF). This year's top five teams are: BDPA Southern Minnesota, BDPA Washington, D.C., BDPA Chicago, BDPA Detroit, and BDPA St. Louis.

Pictured (L-R) Dr. Anthony Junior, Office of Naval Research (ONR); Victor Holt, CEO V-Tech Solutions, 2010 Sponsor; Hassan Moustafa, BDPA-DC HSCC Alumni; Theresa Thomas, BDPA-DC HSCC Alumni and Chaperone; Airrick Woolen, BDPA-DC HSCC Alumni and Chaperone; Mira Cruz, 2010 BDPA-DC HSCC Team; TurKenya Herring, 2010 BDPA-DC HSCC Co-Captain: Titus Thomas, 2010 BDPA-DC HSCC Team; Admiral Gary Roughead, United States Navy, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO); Francisco Nunez, 2010 BDPA-DC HSCC Co-Captain; Naomi Mathews, 2010 BDPA-DC Team; Roderick Edwards, CONCUR, 2010 Sponsor and HSCC Instructor; Edward Yeldell, QinetiQ North America, 2010 Sponsor and HSCC Instructor; Perry Carter, Regional VP/CIO Tec-Masters, Inc., 2010 Sponsor and BDPA-DC Chapter President; and Louis Shack, DC Courts System, 2010 Chapter Sponsor of the Year and Chapter HSCC Program Director. All three of the D.C. chapter's high school seniors, Herring, Nunez, and Thomas, will be attending HBCUs this fall.

photo credit: Bryan Bemley

Oracle Scholarships Winners in BDPA Northern Delaware Chapter

[L-R: national executive director Donald French, Fred Smith III, Whitney Wilson, national president Denise Holland,

BDPA Washington DC chapter president Perry Carter and BDPA Northern Delaware chapter president Karen Smith]

BDPA Northern Delaware student members Fred Smith III and Whitney Wilson were each awarded $1,389 in scholarship funding from Oracle Corporation to pursue degrees in the fields of science and technology.  The scholarships were presented to each of the students at 2009 annual BDPA Northern Delaware awards banquet.  There were a number of national officers in attendance for the banquet.

Fred Smith III attends California University in Pennsylania.  Whitney Wilson is finishing up her high school career at the Charter School of Wilmington.  Fred and Whitney also won awards for their efforts in the 2009 BDPA IT Showcase held in Raleigh NC.

You can learn more about the Northern Delaware here.

Top 10 BDPA Twitter Users

Twitter received a spike in attention as a result of he recent election protests in Iran. BDPA chapters in Columbus, New York, Northern Delaware and Orlando have brought social networks, like Twitter into the discussion. It seems clear that this microblogging service is gaining popularity as a real-time communication platform.

As such, I thought it would be interesting to share with you our pick of the top 10 BDPA-nation Twitter users (in alpha order) that you should be following:

1. Perry Carter - Carter is president of BDPA Washington DC chapter. His focus on Twitter is to promote online communication via BDPAtoday newsletter. He is a marketing genius that should be followed by any BDPAer interested in learning more about the organization on national level.
   
   Most recent tweet: bdpatoday (Online) Washington Teams retain Regional HSCC Title! Click to view -- http://bit.ly/2kWYK



2. Milt Haynes - Haynes is past national BDPA president and a long-time BDPA leader. His focus on Twitter is to promote social networking to help African Americans in IT stay connected.
   
   Most recent tweet: Reading: Hot Time in the Old Town: Blogging While Brown -- http://twitthis.com/cjkwyr



3. Callie Herd - Callie is a member of BDPA Memphis chapter. She wants to be part of the future growth and expansion of the BDPA vision in Tennessee. Her passion is getting scholarship information to young African Americans.
   
   Most recent tweet: How To Prepare for College Correctly visit http://bit.ly/s7ldH to get valuable info



4. Wayne Hicks - Hicks is executive director of BDPA Education & Technology Foundation (BETF) and a long-time BDPA leader. He uses Twitter to share information about fundraising, nonprofit finances, BETF grants and such.
   
   Most recent tweet: #BDPA and ITSMF invite your online executive auction bid for Dr. Robin Richmond (Allstate Insurance) -- http://is.gd/1aiUw



5. Michael Holman, Sr. - Holman is a long-time member of BDPA New York chapter. Michael was one of the SysOps that created BDPANet back in the early 1990s. He was a visionary when it came to taking BDPA into cyberspace.
   
   Most recent tweet: Check out the SlideShare Presentation on Facebook : Remembering Coretta http://tinyurl.com/nokk4v



6. Eric Logan - Logan is a member of our BDPA Atlanta chapter. He is an IT guy and tech enthusiast, geek, gamer, Atlanta Falcons fan, and comic book buff who loves and enjoys life.
   
   Most recent tweet: Proper training can help in determining how the new technology adds value to the organization and how is the value realized.



7. John Malonson - John was one of the first BDPA leaders that I saw on Twitter. He is president of BDPA Los Angeles chapter.
   
   Most recent tweet: Seriously, that was some Mr. Miyagi, Daniel-San type ish



8. Byron Mayes - Mayes is vice-president of our BDPA Philadelphia chapter. He handles the monthly program meetings and blog updates for the chapter.
   
   Most recent tweet: Petula Clark on the 'Pod can be a remarkably upbeat start to the day.



9. Pablo More - Pablo is the president of BDPA Orlando chapter. He is a business analyst for major bank with an interest in politics, technology, economic development, law, green technology, Black studies and Latin America.
   
   Most recent tweet: NY Times article: iPhone 3G S Activations Could Take a Couple of Days. http://tinyurl.com/nswn5b



10. Deena Pierott - Pierott is a new BDPA leader. She has an entrepreneurial spirit and works with any professional seeking a career in the IT industry. She is committed to increasing the BDPA presence in the northwest portion of our country.
    
    Most recent tweet: Our first Meet & Greet for EEN is scheduled for tomorrow - I'm excited http://www.eensw.com/

Are you on Twitter? What BDPA Twitterer did we miss in your view?