Message from BDPA Cincinnati Chapter President

Dalric Webb

Happy New Year wishes to all our BDPA Cincinnati chapter members, their families and friends. Fresh off the successes of an OUTSTANDING year in 2014 serving the needs of our members and our communities, the team of volunteers that comprise the BDPA Cincinnati Chapter Board of Directors is EXCITED at the potential greatness we plan to accomplish in 2015!

Kicking this year off we first welcome NaShawnda Peterson (GE Aviation) to the BDPA Board as our incoming President-Elect! NaShawnda brings a wealth of expertise and experience to the board and will help steer the organization toward even greater success in the years ahead. Be sure to say hello and welcome her at our next program meeting. Speaking of which, have you registered to attend the next DYNAMIC program meeting on January 21st? The topic is 'Electronic Publishing'!

We kicked off our annual Computer Camp program on Saturday, January 10th at Cincinnati State. Please stop by and say hello to the eager students we will train in our weekly Computer Camp ... these young people will impact the world of tomorrow! Share with them some of your personal and professional experiences as we prepare them with instructions on coding, web development, professional development and improving their confidence levels on the journey BDPA takes them 'from the classroom to the boardroom'!

Steve Gutter

Steve Gutter (The Kroger Co.) stepped down after over a decade of service in a variety of leadership positions including both VP-Strategy & Planning and VP-Finance. Steve contributed his time and expertise as a speaker on Mobile Applications Development at program meetings and chapter camp sessions. Steve was an exceptional example of the professional volunteers that have joined the BDPA team over the years to further the organizational mission and make a positive difference in the lives of our youth, our members and within our communities. Steve will certainly be missed on the board of directors!

The incoming VP-Finance is Jessica Waddell (GE Aviation).  Jessica is a financial planning analyst by trade. She is eager and energized at the opportunity to volunteer in support of the BDPA Cincinnati Chapter. Please join me in welcoming Jessica to the team!

There are still several opportunities to join the BDPA Cincinnati Board of Directors and volunteer your time and energy towards making a positive difference in the lives of others. Won’t you step forward to join the team? Please take a look at the currently vacant positions listed on our chapter landing page. Also, we have several volunteering opportunities within each of the board committees that might be more of a match for your particular interest in giving back. Send me an email and lets chat about it.

2015 is going to be a FANTASTIC year! We have several social events planned including the upcoming 'Meet & Greet at Nada Restaurant' on January 22nd. Please take a look at our GroupSite calendar for more information and to register to attend.

Take a moment to complete the online Membership Satisfaction Survey. We plan to use your feedback to improve on the ways that we engage with you in the future. Please show your support by participating AND providing feedback on what is or is not working for you in the chapter operations. We value your input and participation.

Looking forward to seeing you at one of our upcoming events!

Sincerely,
Dalric Webb, President
BDPA Cincinnati Chapter

Election Results: BDPA Cincinnati (2014-2015)

BDPA Cincinnati chapter has a powerful legacy that has grown since its founding in December 1989. The chapter recently concluded elections that put in place those IT professionals who will take BDPA Cincinnati chapter to the next level in 2014-2015. The following officers were elected in accordance with chapter bylaws:

President - Dalric Webb (GE) 

Vice President, Finance - Steve Gutter (The Kroger Company)

Please join all of BDPA in welcoming these new leaders as they strive to advance the careers of African Americans in the information technology industry from the classroom to the boardroom in the greater Cincinnati region. They have some large shoes to fill ... however, the chapter also has some powerful corporate support and it currently stands as the 5th-largest BDPA chapter in the nation.

Election Results: BDPA Cincinnati (2012-2013)

BDPA Cincinnati recently concluded its election for leadership in the next two years. Prince Ellis (Information Technology Department Chair, Brown Mackie College) was re-elected to a second 2-year term as the chapter's vice president of finance.

The election turned on Prince's past BDPA achievements. He helped organize the annual awards banquet, served as an instructor during the chapter's computer camp and worked closely with the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) to generate a record-breaking amount of revenue for the Cincinnati chapter. He attended most of the chapter events and successfully managed the chapter's funding.

Prince said, "I will continue to ensure zero-based budgeting and ensure that the chapter has funding for our events and programs."

The BDPA Cincinnati chapter leadership for 2012-2013 is:

• President - Clarence Larcarte (Procter & Gamble)
• President-Elect - Vacant
• Immediate Past President - Wanda Gray (Nielsen)
• VP-Finance - Prince Ellis (Brown Mackie College)
• VP-Member Services - Joseph Parker (Procter & Gamble)
• VP-Membership Management - Dalric Webb (General Electric)
• VP-Strategy & Planning - Steve Gutter (The Kroger Company
• Chair, Corporate Advisory Council - Patrick Nelson (Procter & Gamble)

Dalric Webb, Wanda Gray, Prince Ellis and Clarence Larcarte

BDPA Cincinnati has been around since 1989. It is a 4-time winner of the 'Chapter of the Year' honors on a national level and remains a powerhouse on both a regional and national level. The eyes of the nation will be watching Clarence as he takes the chapter to higher levels in the coming months and years.

Take Five: Steve Gutter (Cincinnati)

We are reaching out to various volunteers to get their thoughts on BDPA. One of those volunteers is Steve Gutter. Steve is a developer for The Kroger Company. He joined BDPA Cincinnati chapter in 2002 as a volunteer for weekend technology training provided to local high school students. He took the leadership role in the annual BDPA Midwest Regional conferences held in Cincinnati, OH from 2003-2007. He was elected by the membership to serve as the chapter’s VP-Finance from 2006-2010. Steve has won a number of awards with BDPA, including Member of the Year, Executive Officer of the Year and a Community Service Award.

Steve was recently appointed to serve as BDPA Cincinnati chapter's VP-Strategy & Planning. He shared his thoughts as part of our Take Five interview series.

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Steve Gutter

1. How did you get involved with BDPA? - I became involved with BDPA in 2002 when one of the senior IT people at my company asked for volunteers from the IT sector to help with the Saturday High School Computer Camp. I am a big believer in helping other people to learn, so I volunteered to help. At the first week a class, there was a very stirring presentation given to the parents and to the students by Wayne Hicks. Wayne outlined very specifically what was expected from the students and their parents, and what the students and their parents could expect to receive the program in return: a mini-memorandum of understanding (MOU). The excitement and devotion I could sense in the classroom that day from speaking with the other volunteers made me realize that this was definitely an organization I wanted to be part of.
2. What do you see as the biggest benefit of your BDPA membership? - I’m going to have to go with a tie for two on this one.
   • First, the satisfaction of helping other people learn. I still remember to this day the wonderful feeling I received from a young student when I was teaching how to use radio buttons on forms. She was having trouble with forms in general, and had to work at it a lot more than the other students. She student called me over for what I thought was another of a long line of questions I’d already (patiently) answered. Instead, it was to show me how the form she had made had radio buttons working exactly as per the class instructions: the smile on her face and the feeling of achievement in her voice: priceless!
   • Second, the chances to learn from various leadership roles. I’ve had two leadership roles so far (in charge of the Midwest Regional and VP-Finance), and I’m now embarking on VP-Strategy & Planning. My career has mainly been a programmer, with some stints in Management positions. These opportunities in BDPA have shown me how I can do things I thought I couldn’t do, how to work with people to get things done, and the inter-personal skills needed to work as a team to accomplish goals.
3. What future evolution or change would you like to see in BDPA? - I would like to see the National competition run like a true business: one project leader and four developers, with each having a work station instead of sharing one work station. The current approach is probably meant to teach team development, but it is so unnatural that it defeats the purpose from the start. To truly teach team development, you need all five people having the ability to do the same thing at the same time: the challenge is to organize those skills so that you are accomplishing five work-hours per hour, not just one.
4. What would you like Corporate America to know about BDPA? - Corporate America needs to know that BDPA works with students at all skill levels: as long as the student has the desire to learn, that is the key ingredient to being successful. When we selected the individuals for the National competition team, it was not necessarily always the five with the best skills: the first choice was often who showed the most dedication and perseverance. Of course, skills are important, but what is most needed are students willing to go the extra mile to get things done.
5. Any advice for people considering a donation to BETF? - The BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) has a truly noble objective: helping minority students advance in the IT industry. There is no lack of volunteers: the problem is a lack of money to help achieve this goal. The IT industry is once again booming, more than in the ‘DOT COM’ boom years, and this is the time for minority students to make their mark. As with most endeavors, the plain physical reality is that it will take donations to achieve this goal in order for the proper training tools and competitions to be made possible.

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BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) seeks to increase the number of people that are making donations to support BDPA programs and services. We figure that it helps to hear about BDPA from some of our leaders around the nation.

Steve shared some insights. Please feel free to reply to this blog post if you have any reaction to what's been said in this Take Five interview. Or you can follow Steve's suggestion and make an online donation to support college scholarships for students trained by BDPA Cincinnati chapter.

Kroger's Steve Gutter Rejoins BDPA Cincinnati Board of Directors

BDPA Cincinnati chapter (BDPA), a nonprofit organization made up of racially diverse information technology professionals who advance the careers of African Americans from the classroom to the boardroom, today announced the newest members of its board of directors. Steve Gutter, a developer in the Software Engineering Department at The Kroger Company has been appointed to serve as BDPA’s Vice President (VP) of Strategy and Planning.

Steve Gutter

Steve has an undergraduate degree in Systems Analysis from Miami University and a Masters in Informatics from Northern Kentucky University. Steve has expertise in a variety of programming languages and operating systems. He started out programming in COBOL and has kept improving his programming skills to developing dynamic web sites using Java and is now developing applications at Kroger for devices which use the Android operating system.

Steve joined BDPA in 2002 as a volunteer for weekend technology training provided to local high school students. He took the leadership role in the annual BDPA Midwest Regional conferences held in Cincinnati, OH from 2003-2007. He was elected by the membership to serve as the chapter’s VP-Finance from 2006-2010. Steve has won a number of awards with BDPA, including Member of the Year, Executive Officer of the Year and a Community Service Award.

“I am greatly looking forward to my new position on the BDPA Cincinnati board of directors," said Mr. Gutter. "I have been very involved with the chapter in many roles over the years. BDPA has given me excellent opportunities to develop leadership skills that I can use to help plan how we can best strengthen the chapter’s presence in the community and the local IT industry."

Steve (far right) plans strategy for Cincinnati chapter

The new board will set the direction for BDPA Cincinnati as it provides programs, scholarships and services necessary to advance the careers of African Americans and others in the information technology industry from the classroom to the boardroom. The chapter meets on the 3rd Thursday of each month. The next meeting is scheduled for May 19, 2011 at the P&G Winton Hill Business Center.

Steve takes on this new leadership position at a time when the number of African Americans receiving undergraduate and advanced degrees in computer science is disproportionately low and relatively few African American high school students receive the kind of institutional encouragement, educational opportunities, and preparation needed for them to choose computer science as a field of study and profession. BDPA Cincinnati uses its programs, scholarships and other services to impact on these dismal industry statistics.

“We're excited to have Steve re-join our leadership as the VP-Strategy and Planning. Steve did a wonderful job in past as our VP-Finance with his ability to implement comprehensive standards and processes to keep BDPA in compliance with general accounting standards,” said BDPA Cincinnati chapter president Wanda Gray. “Steve is dedicated to BDPA and its members. We welcome him back to the board and look forward to working with him in his new role.”

Please REPLY or COMMENT on this post with some words of encouragement for Steve as he embarks on this new leadership journey!