President Profile: Sandullah Epsicokhan (Central Illinois)

Sandullah Epsicokhan, President
BDPA Central Illinois Chapter

Address: P.O. Box 1806
Bloomington, IL 61702-1806

Phone: (309) 766-8807
Website: http://www.bdpa-cil.org/
Newsletter: None

Sandullah Epsicokhan was recently elected president of BDPA Central Illinois chapter.  He took office in January 2010. He came into office with a desire to overcome the challenges experienced by the chapter in the past couple of years. His leadership team seeks new and creative solutions from current and future chapter members. BDPA Central Illinois Chapter has a vibrant and talented core of individuals willing to take on these challenges.

IT Background – Sandullah entered computing technology at the age of fourteen when his math teacher took a group of students to high school computer programming classes at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Sandullah is currently a Technical Business Analyst in the Systems Department at State Farm’s corporate headquarters in Bloomington, Illinois. He has been employed at State Farm in various computer related areas for thirty-six years. He has also taught computer networking as an adjunct instructor at Heartland Community College in Normal, Illinois, for over fifteen years. Additionally Sandullah has lectured at Illinois State University and Illinois Wesleyan University in the Bloomington/Normal area.

Professional Education – Sandullah earned a B.A. in Mathematics from Illinois Wesleyan in 1972. He earned an MBA from Illinois State in 1983. In 1988 Sandullah founded Epsico, a computer consulting and training company where he still serves as President. Sandullah is a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA), and was a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT).

Sandullah's vision for BDPA Central Illinois chapter – "We must remain highly motivated, dedicated and enthusiastic about our organization. As the Chapter goes through a time of change, our strategy must focus on membership growth, practical community engagement, and organizational professionalism".

Two favorite quotes

1. "There are some things in life that are best left unknown. Don’t be one of them!"
2. "To be! Not to be happens on its own."

Sandullah is a new leader in BDPA. Please take a moment to share some BDPA-Love with him in the COMMENTS section!

Grant Recipient: National BDPA ($2,500)

This blog made an offer (twice) to provide funding for 100 student memberships ($2,500 value) if one of the national officers reached out to us via one of our social networks.

National BDPA VP-Membership Management Mildred Allen took us up on the offer. She completed the paperwork necessary to successfully submit a grant request for $2,500 and her request has been approved in full.

Mildred wrote the following message to the 45 chapters around the nation:

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VP’s of Membership Management,

As some of you may know, Wayne Hicks and BETF challenged us to focus on ‘taking membership to the next level in 2010-2011’ and asked that I reach out to him to accept his offer to sponsor 100 students.

Well I did. And BETF has granted us 100 student memberships (2,500 value).

All active chapters who have participated in the SITES Program for 2010 have an opportunity to receive up to 5 student memberships ($125 value).

So VP’s of Membership Management, here’s what you need to do.

1. Identify 5 NEW students (never been members before) who has participated in your SITES program for 2010
2. Provide all contact information for each student to be covered by this grant opportunity.
3. Forward to Mildred Allen at vpmm@bdpa.org by June 25th.

NOTE: this sponsorship will not be used for renewals.

I will grant membership to the first 100 students I receive information for.

I will only accept the list of students from the VP of Membership Management.

This is the beginning of our membership drive that will continue through August.

Thanks,
Mildred D. Allen,
National BDPA VP Membership Management
Mobile: (803) 210-9152

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Have you seen some of the testimonials of our BDPA students members? Once you meet these young people it is easy to support any efforts necessary to get them involved with BDPA. I'm looking forward to seeing many of these young people at the 32nd annual BDPA Technology Conference in Philadelphia on July 28-31, 2010.

We could use additional support in funding these student members. Could you help OurCause?

9th Annual BDPA IT Golf Classic

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) encourages our blog readers to join BDPA on Wednesday July 28th for an day of golf, food, prizes and networking.  This is the kickoff event for the annual BDPA Technology Conference on July 28-31 at the Downtown Marriott in Philadelphia.

Please share this message to your friends and co-workers in support of our efforts to create an excellent networking and fundraising event.

Please register now. Player fees: $150.00 and Foursome fees: $500.00

BDPA is planning a great day of golf at the beautiful Seaview Golf Resort in Absecon, NJ. The event will include a 4-person scramble, continental breakfast, BBQ buffet lunch, golf contests, and awards reception following the outing.

Schedule of Events

• 7:00 AM - Registration/Practice Range
• 7:00 AM - Continental Breakfast
• 8:00 AM - Shot-Gun Start/Scramble Format: Golf-Bay Course
• 1:00 PM - Lunch Buffet, Award Reception

Registration:  Click here to learn more about this event.

Computer Science Scholarship at Jackson State University

Jackson State University is giving out a 4-year scholarship worth up to $10,000 per year for eligible student willing to major in computer science as part of their Students Promoting Interest in Computing Supported by Educational Scholarships (SPICES) program.

SPICES Scholarship contact person is Dr. Loretta Moore. She can be reached on (601) 979-2105.

The deadline for applications is June 30, 2010.

View more documents from Wayne Hicks.

Kudos to long-time BDPAer Wendy Wonsley for sharing this information with us!

Grant Proposal: Chicester duPont Foundation (BDPA Chicago)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) and BDPA Chicago chapter submitted a grant proposal to the Chicester duPont Foundation. We need funds for the Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program in Chicago.

I encourage all members and supporters of BDPA Chicago chapter to take a moment to create a Cause-page. BDPA Chicago member Gibran McDuffie has one. Why not you?

Sharon Murphy * Epsilon Award for Outstanding Technical Contribution

Sharon Murphy (Wells Fargo Bank) is one of the winners of the 2010 Epsilon Award for Outstanding Technical Contribution presented by National BDPA and WorkplaceDiversity.com.

BDPA Epsilon Awards recognize individual achievement by technologists who are nominated by BDPA chapters or corporate sponsors.

Nominees for the Epsilon Outstanding Technical Contribution Award are presented to individuals who perform technological functions and have designed, managed, developed, or assisted in the development of a product, service, system, or intellectual property that is a substantial achievement. The nominee’s work is the prime consideration, regardless of title or degrees earned.

Sharon Murphy champions innovation both as an active member of the Wells Fargo Technology and Operations Group’s Innovation Council and in her daily work as director of Team Member Enablement Technology. Sharon’s team provides technology solutions that allow Wells Fargo’s 281,000 team members to collaborate and communicate effectively and efficiently across multiple time zones, states and countries. Among Sharon’s accomplishments: she was awarded a patent in 2008 as co-inventor of a new technology and methodology for managing call reports via wireless devices. Sharon recognizes the importance of providing team members with the most advanced technology resources to enable them to satisfy our customers’ financial needs and help them succeed financially. Sharon manages an organization of over 250 employees and an annual budget of $53 million.

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) joins all of BDPA-Nation in congratulating Sharon Murphy on her 2010 Epsilon Award for Outstanding Technical Contribution. I hope that many BDPA members strongly consider careers at the Wells Fargo Bank!

I look forward to networking with Sharon Murphy at the 32nd annual BDPA Technology Conference. How about you?

Johnson Controls Foundation

The Johnson Controls Foundation makes charitable contributions to nonprofit organizations, primarily in communities where Johnson Controls has a presence. Extra consideration will be given to organizations or institutions in which Johnson Controls employees are involved and are contributing their time or funds.

There is no formal application procedure. The Foundation operates on a calendar year. Proposals, preferably in concise letter form, are accepted and reviewed throughout the year. In order to permit evaluation of proposals, notification of final action may take up to 120 days. Commitments for funds are not made verbally, and personal visits and phone calls to the Foundation are not encouraged.

Requests must be in writing, and should include the following information:

1. Copy of letter regarding tax exempt status
2. Description of the structure, purpose, history and programs of the organization with a list of its current officers and governing board members
3. Summary of the need for support and how it will be used.
4. Geographic areas served by the organization.
5. Current income and expense budget information for the organization and a copy of the most recently audited financial statements.
6. Statement regarding other sources of income from corporations and foundations, community support and involvement.

Send your proposal to:




5757 North Green Bay Avenue
P.O. Box 591
Milwaukee, WI 53201
(414) 524-2296

Is your chapter co-located with Johnson Controls office? If so, this might be a funding opportunity that you should consider in support of your chapter's SITES program. What say u?

Message from National BDPA President

BDPA Wants You!

I’m pleased to announce our new single-payment lifetime membership program. As we move toward the organization’s 35th year, you can help to ensure that BDPA sustains itself as the “Premier Organization for African Americans in IT” by making a lifetime commitment to the organization that has given us all so much.

As the President of the National BDPA organization, I am asking you to seriously consider becoming a BDPA lifetime member. Additionally, I’m asking you to reach out to others in your various networks and other affiliate organizations to invite them to become a BDPA lifetime members too.

This is your chance to join BDPA to discover skills you may not know you have, make new friends and interact with professionals who respect you and are ready to help you make good choices. Technology is where the action is, and BDPA is where technology comes to life solving real world business problems each and every day.

In addition to the standard benefits of BDPA membership, BDPA will recognize lifetime members at an exclusive reception at the 32nd annual BDPA Technology Conference in Philadelphia, PA on July 28-31, 2010. Lifetime members will be inducted as Charter Members of the “Founders Club” by BDPA Co-Founder, Earl Pace, and receive a special memento as a token of our appreciation.

Please remember the strength of BDPA lies with its members. The more active and involved the membership, the more influence we can have in raising the educational levels and technical skills of the community and our membership.

The benefits received through membership are directly related to the type and level of your involvement. With our STRONG membership contributing to the BDPA goals and objectives, BDPA is positioned as a viable force within the Information Technology industry and educational system.

To sign up for your lifetime BDPA membership, please contact Mildred Allen, Vice President of Membership Management, at vpmm@bdpa.org, or contact our National BDPA Office at (800)727-BDPA.

Respectfully yours,
Yvette Graham, President
National BDPA

AT&T Foundation

Does your chapter have AT&T employees as members? AT&T is accepting 'volunteer grants' if any chapter has AT&T employees in their membership. BDPA Chicago and BDPA Los Angeles chapters are both taking advantage of employee-giving programs within AT&T.

For more than 60 years, AT&T and the AT&T Foundation have committed $1.8 billion to philanthropic programs supporting education, community development, the arts, health and human services, and technology access in communities across the country. With its strong giving record, the foundation was ranked by Forbes magazine as being among the most generous corporate foundations.

With the creation of the new AT&T, the predecessor charitable organizations of the former BellSouth and Cingular are being combined. The new company will maintain historical commitments of charitable contributions and community activities. One example includes continued support for the 20/20 Vision for Education, designed to integrate technology into education in order to improve learning throughout the Southeast - particularly among low-income and minority students - to address the growing achievement gap and increase graduation rates.

The AT&T Foundation provides grants to organizations and programs that address quality-of-life issues, with an emphasis on improving education, advancing community development, addressing vital community needs and enhancing unique cultural assets. Implicit within the foundation focus are efforts that advance opportunities for diverse populations.

The AT&T Foundation funds programs designed to:

• Enhance education by integrating new technologies and increasing learning opportunities.
• Improve economic development through technology and local initiatives.
• Provide vital assistance to key community-based organizations.
• Support cultural institutions that make a community unique.
• Advance the goals and meet the needs of diverse populations.

BETF operates on a first-come; first-served basis ... so don't procrastinate.

Cheryl Terry * Epsilon Award for Outstanding Technical Contribution

Cheryl Terry (Wells Fargo Bank) is one of the winners of the 2010 Epsilon Award for Outstanding Technical Contribution presented by National BDPA and WorkplaceDiversity.com.

BDPA Epsilon Awards recognize individual achievement by technologists who are nominated by BDPA chapters or corporate sponsors.

Nominees for the Epsilon Outstanding Technical Contribution Award are presented to individuals who perform technological functions and have designed, managed, developed, or assisted in the development of a product, service, system, or intellectual property that is a substantial achievement. The nominee’s work is the prime consideration, regardless of title or degrees earned.

Cheryl Terry is a systems architect who ensures availability and security of several of Wells Fargo’s most business-critical systems in the mainframe and midrange environments. For the past two years, she has served as Chief Systems Architect for the Mainframe Resiliency Program and achieved many successes around enhancing Wells Fargo’s mainframe environments, helping to ensure that her customers can transact business with the bank when and how they choose. Additional standout accomplishments: Cheryl authored a Living Target Architecture document for Wells Fargo’s mainframe groups and implemented an online wiki that has fostered collaboration across these groups and serves as a fully searchable online reference book complete with cross-links and diagrams.

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) joins all of BDPA-Nation in congratulating Cheryl Terry on her 2010 Epsilon Award for Outstanding Technical Contribution. I hope that many BDPA members strongly consider careers at the Wells Fargo Bank!

I look forward to networking with Cheryl Terry at the 32nd annual BDPA Technology Conference. How about you?

Grant Declination: American Express Foundation

BDPA Los Angeles and BDPA Education and Technology Foundation submitted a letter of inquiry to the American Express Foundation in mid-April. We learned today that our proposal was declined.   Their declination letter read as follows:

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Dear Grant Applicant,

Thank you for your recent correspondence requesting financial support from American Express. We regret that the large volume of proposals that we receive each week prevents us from responding to your request personally.

Although we recognize the value of the activities for which you are seeking funds, our limited resources make it impossible to assist all the worthwhile requests for funding that we receive.

We do, however, extend our best wishes for the success of your program.

Sincerely,
Timothy J. McClimon, President
American Express Foundation

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We will continue to reach out for funding necessary to deliver our programs in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) arena.

5 Tips to Help the African American Job Seeker in the Information Technology Industry

I recently gave a cautiously optimistic view of the upcoming job market to a reporter. I think that these are times for talented, creative and motivated people of African descent in the IT industry to be fully prepared for upward mobility opportunity and new career opportunity. We need to take full advantage of all employment resources.

I understand that unemployment is high ... especially in the Black community. However, I also sense that the IT industry is uniquely poised to have great opportunities in the coming weeks for those BDPA members and supporters with good IT skill-sets.

There are many people looking for jobs in the IT industry. College students getting ready to graduate in the next year and those who graduated in the past year are highly motivated to find a job NOW so they can pay back all the bills they accumulated in college. Also, there are experienced IT professionals obtaining certifications and picking up continuing professional education credits so that they can re-enter or advance in the IT industry -- they need access to hot jobs NOW.

BDPA provides simple advice to IT job seekers of African descent -- look for online communities where IT Job Seekers or Corporate Recruiters go. Connect with career counselors at colleges who have a vested interested in getting their students placed. Make sure that you network with student unions, fraternities, sororities and alumni groups too.

Here are three (3) easy steps for BDPA members to take in their quest for a job in the IT industry:

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1. Attend the 2010 BDPA Technology Career Fair - You will meet face-to-face with recruiters and hiring managers. There is no cost to attend this 2-day career fair. You need to be there! It is important that you lose national or regional events to increase your visibility to others.
2. It's Best to Get Your Next Job While You Are Employed - It's important to start networking when you are still happily in your current position!
3. Join the online communities where recruiters are looking for you - You can find them on Facebook, Groupsite, LinkedIn Network or Twitter. Are you networking in these places?
4. Load your resume into the BDPA Talent Management System -- Last time I looked there were 75 job openings advertised in the BDPA Talent Management System. These job openings are all across the nation - Arizona, Connecticut, DC, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington and Wisconsin. These jobs are in various IT categories - accounting, administrative support, advertising, aerospace, airlines, architectural services, banking, biotechnology, computer hardware, computer services, computer software, construction, consulting, consumer products, customer service, education, electronics, engineering, environmental services, executive management, finance, government, healthcare, hospitality, human resources, insurance, law enforcement, legal, manufacturing, military, nonprofit, operations management, product management, project management, publishing, purchasing, real estate, research & development, restaurant, retail, sales, sports, science, supply chain, telecommunications, textiles, transportation, quality assuance and waste management. What are you waiting for?
5. Update Your Resume - A recruiter for a large corporation suggested that job seekers list membership in associations on their resume, including BDPA - because recruiters want to hire people from well-known, credible associations, and will search for an association name + technical skill (i.e. "BDPA" and "business analyst").

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I may have been optimistic when talking with that reporter ... but, we make our own luck and good fortune when we take proactive steps in our preparation. I hope you find these 3 easy steps useful. In fact, I hope you will let me know your thoughts on the employment prospects for people of African descent who want to grow a career in the IT industry.

What say u?

Captain Joycelin Robinson * Career Achievement Epsilon Award Winner

Captain Joycelin Robinson (US Navy) is one of the winners of the 2010 Epsilon Career Achievement Award presented by National BDPA and WorkplaceDiversity.com.

BDPA Epsilon Awards recognize individual achievement by technologists who are nominated by BDPA chapters or corporate sponsors.

Nominees for the Epsilon Career Achievement Award are individuals at or near the midpoint of their careers or beyond, but not close to retirement age, who have made significant achievements in technology or information technology in industry or government. The body of work of the nominee; its broad social and economic value and impact, and the nominee’s performance as a role model and mentor for people of color in technology are paramount in gaining career recognition.

US Navy Captain Joycelin (“Joyce”) Robinson is the first African American Female Commanding Officer of a Fleet and Industrial Supply Center. One of the Navy’s most challenging positions and part of a global logistics support enterprise, she was selected for this position out of an extremely competitive group of her peers. Her established and documented record of extraordinary and outstanding performance throughout her career of 23 years made her the ideal person to lead Fleet and Industrial Supply Center (FISC), Jacksonville.

An "Army Brat," Captain Robinson was born overseas in Orleans, France, but calls Wichita Falls, Texas home. After many moves around the country and overseas, she graduated from Matoaca High School in Chesterfield Virginia from where she received her appointment to the United States Naval Academy. Captain Robinson received her commission upon graduation from USNA in May 1987.

In her assignment as Commanding Officer, she guides and coordinates an ever-increasing range of supply and support services to 49 ships, over 400 aircraft, two industrial facilities and 19 shore installations throughout Navy Region Southeast and the Caribbean. Exercising over $54 Million in annual budget authorities, she maintains the public trust while directing the logistics efforts of over 700 employees to provide first class support during extraordinarily demanding events such as the devastations of the Haitian Earthquake and multiple region wide product and service functional realignments.

Captain Robinson holds a Master of Science in Acquisition and Contract Management from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey California. Her personal decorations include three Meritorious Service Medals and three Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals.

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) joins all of BDPA-Nation in congratulating Captain Robinson on her 2010 Career Achievement Epsilon Award. I hope that many BDPA members strongly consider careers in the US Navy!

I look forward to networking with Captain Robinson at the 32nd annual BDPA Technology Conference. How about you?

Grant Proposal: Office Depot Foundation (Chicago)

BETF and BDPA Chicago submitted and online grant application requesting $2,000 funding support from the Office Depot Foundation.

Grant applications are retrieved on a monthly basis and are reviewed by the Office Depot Foundation Contributions Committee and final decisions on proposals are made by the Foundation's Board of Directors. They indicate that we should allow at least eight weeks after we submit our completed application before we receive a response.

Wheeler Coleman * Career Achievement Epsilon Award

Wheeler Coleman (Health Care Services Corporation, HCSC) is one of the winners of the 2010 Epsilon Career Achievement Award presented by National BDPA and WorkplaceDiversity.com.

BDPA Epsilon Awards recognize individual achievement by technologists who are nominated by BDPA chapters or corporate sponsors.

Nominees for the Epsilon Career Achievement Award are individuals at or near the midpoint of their careers or beyond, but not close to retirement age, who have made significant achievements in technology or information technology in industry or government. The body of work of the nominee; its broad social and economic value and impact, and the nominee’s performance as a role model and mentor for minorities in technology are paramount in gaining career recognition.

Wheeler Coleman gained over 25 years experience and leadership in information technology after graduating from Northern Illinois University in 1983 with a BS in applied data processing. Currently, he is HCSC vice president and chief technology officer (CTO), managing over 100 employees in Illinois, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. As CTO, Mr. Coleman deals with HCSC technology strategies and future state architecture.

Coleman grew up in Chicago with one brother and four sisters. His father operated a successful barber shop for over forty-five years.

"When I was in high school in the late 70s everyone was talking about computers. So when I got to college, knowing computers were hot, I took a class in computer science, enjoyed it and decided it was what I wanted to do," says Coleman.

Wheeler is as active in the community as he is in his professional career. In addition to being an executive sponsor for BDPA activity within HCSC, he is very active in many organizations in the community. He sits on the board and participates in many charities in Chicago including Catholic Charities Adoption Guild, Black Ensemble Theater, Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund, and the Inner-City Baseball Academy.

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) salutes Wheeler Coleman for winning the 2010 Epsilon Career Achievement Award!

I plan to network with Wheeler at the 32nd annual BDPA Technology Conference. How about you?

Message from Brian Stempin, Philadelphia HSCC Coordinator

BDPA Philadelphia chapter has won every award at the national level except one ... they have yet to win the National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championships. The chapter would love to end that drought next month at the 2010 HSCC championships in being held in Philadelphia as part of the 32nd annual BDPA Technology Conference.

One man who shares this dream is Brian Stempin (shown in the above photo with his 2009 HSCC team). He shares his thoughts in the following message:

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I’ve never written a post about it, but if you read the “About Me” section, you’ll see that I teach a few different technologies to high school students (I know: who’d trust me with kids?! :p). I wanted to write about two things: Our recent trip to our regional competition at Bowie State University and our search for volunteers.

First thing’s first: Regionals - On Saturday, I took 3 kids from my class down to Bowie State to compete in the regional HSCC competition. For those of you who don’t know anything about our competition, here’s a rundown:

There’s 3 sections

1. Written - For this section, the students are put in a room with a 200 question multiple choice test. They have 15 minutes to get as many correct answer as possible. The questions range in topic from general computer knowledge to BDPA history to programming specifics. Each student completes their own test.
2. Oral - In this section, each team competes as a unit. They are put into a room with other students and play a Jeopardy (for lack of a better analogy) styled game. They must, as a team, answer one question in each of 5 different categories. There are some special rules about stealing questions, etc.
3. Programming - This is the big enchilada. The students will be handed a spec that details an on-line application. They are free to program it in whichever platform they please (JSP, ASP.NET, classic ASP, or PHP). The web application always needs access to a MySQL database. Along with knowing how to program the front end, back end, and database, they must also be able to start and stop their own services. They are given one computer (with no internet connection), some paper, and 6 or 7 hours to complete the problem.

This year, we have an all-rookie team. To date, they’ve only received training for the Programming section of the competition. Fortunately for me, these kids are resilient and motivated. Despite their rookie-like score, they are more dedicated than ever to conquer this challenge. For those of you who are interested, we’ll be competing at the National BDPA Conference at the end of July.

My call for volunteers:
I was fortunate this year. I had a class full of rookies and a few dedicated BDPA members (Byron Mayes and Norman Williams) who were there to help students complete their assignments. This year, I won’t be so lucky. I still have great volunteers, but I’ll have a different challenge: multiple classes. I’ll have incoming rookies that will need a rookie instructor and returning kids that need a more advanced curriculum. As we take on more kids, we also need help doing administrative duties, such as organizing end-of-the-year events, sending home report cards, and keeping in touch with parents.

I’m asking for help.

If you like working with high school kids, teaching, and technology, then you might be able to help out. I’ve posted a couple of volunteer listings on idealist.org. If you think you might be interested, follow the link and see if it sounds right for you. If so, follow the instructions for applying. Even if it doesn’t sound like its for you but you still want to help in some way, please contact me. We can use all of the help we can get.

Either way, wish us luck at nationals!

Shared by Brian Stempin, HSCC Coordinator
BDPA Philadelphia Chapter

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I didn't realize until today that Brian has his own blog. I do hope that our readers will reach out to Brian in support of his request for volunteers. Frankly, even if you can't volunteer ... reach out to him anyhow to share some BDPA-Love for this young man who is so dedicated to helping these young 'uns develop skills that make them relevant for the 21st century!

BDPA Washington DC Lifetime Achievement Award * Dr. Jesse Bemley

Dr. Jesse Bemley, Joint Educational Facilities (JEF) founder, is this year's recipient of the BDPA Washington DC Chapter Lifetime Achievement Award for his selfless contributions to National BDPA and BDPA Washington DC. In addition, Dr. Bemley mentored hundreds of minority youth from traditionally underserved communities by enrolling them in advanced science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs within the national capital region and throughout the country.

On a national level, Dr. Bemley is the creative genius behind the national high school computer competition (HSCC) and the BDPA IT Showcase. These are programs that encourage high school and college students in their pursuit of STEM-based educational opportunities. Many of the students mentored by Dr. Bemley participated in a variety of TeraGrid and Super Computing events. Dr. Bemley has been a member of BDPA for over 30 years and will retire from the U.S. government this fall.

William Marcus King * Professional Achievement Epsilon Award

William Marcus King (State Farm Insurance) is the winner of the 2010 Epsilon Award for Professional Achievement presented by National BDPA and WorkplaceDiversity.com.

BDPA Epsilon Awards recognize individual achievement by technologists who are nominated by BDPA chapters or corporate sponsors.

Nominees for the Epsilon Professional Achievement Award Nominees are highly experienced professionals well who have made significant achievements in technology or information technology in industry or government. Their specific degree earned is less relevant than the significance of the work and the nominee’s achievements as a role model and leader for other minorities in the field.

William Marcus King was the Director sponsor of Innovative Challenge/Breaking Form Initiative at State Farm Insurance.  The Innovation Challenge/Breaking Form initiative encourages IT employees to develop and present ideas that can be quickly assessed for viability. Each IT employee has the opportunity to choose his own work schedule, benefits package and work environment from a series of options that range from the traditional to the innovative, with an emphasis on mobile and collaborative work environments

Mr. King also improved the effectiveness and efficiency of the solution delivery business within the Systems Department.  His leadership was a contributing factor to the increase in productivity of the Systems Department and reduced the solution delivery expenses of the department. William’s responsibilities included establishing the vision, strategy, and approach of this Initiative. Breaking Form facilitated improvements within the department, creating a strong foundation for the years ahead. During this assignment, William reported to the CIO of State Farm’s Systems Department.

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) joins all of BDPA-Nation in congratulating William Marcus King on his 2010 Epsilon Award for Professional Achievement.  State Farm Insurance is one of the best places for IT professionals to work because of the innovation and character of people like William!

I look forward to meeting Bro. King at the 32nd annual National BDPA Technology Conference. How about you?

Barack Obama Speaks to High Schoolers in Michigan

President Obama spoke about the importance of personal responsibility and giving back to the community as he delivered the commencement address at Kalamazoo Central High School in Kalamazoo, MI. The school was the winner of the 2010 Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge.



How cool would it be for BDPA to be engaged with high schools in their area that compete for the Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge next year?

2010 BDPA Technology Conference Honorary Co-Chairs

National BDPA announced Marc Di Francisco (president and CEO, Premier Event Management), Michael Heim (CIO, Eli Lilly and Company) and Garth Marcial (vice president of DePuy and Ortho Clinical Diagnostics) as Honorary Chairs for the 2010 National BDPA Technology Conference. These honorary chairs take a leadership role in promoting the conference and provide resources to assist with the execution of a successful conference.

“BDPA is excited to recognize this year’s honorary chairs for the 2010 National Conference”, said National BDPA President, Yvette Graham. The theme, "Access for All", is both timely and appropriate given President Obama's challenge to all Americans: "We need to invest in the skill and education of our people." BDPA is a catalyst for professional growth and technical development.

All three conference co-chairs shared their insights on BDPA and the upcoming national conference:

"Through the CIO Forum’s regional conferences, we work to bring together the local BDPA chapters and CIO’s from the area to network socially and professionally," said honorary co-chair Marc Di Francisco. "We strive to enhance membership for the BDPA by promoting it and we also allow BDPA members to attend our Forums complimentary."

"Lilly's corporate vision is to improve health outcomes for individual patients. As patient populations across disease states are very diverse, a focus on diversity is simply good business”, said conference co-chair Michael Heim. "Our partnership with BDPA has been very beneficial for employee growth and development through opportunities provided at both local and national levels. The professional workshops, leadership development, and access to community outreach activities all expand our employee's breadth. Importantly, BDPA provides direct exposure to African Americans in technology leadership roles across industry -- this type of role modeling and mentoring is invaluable."

"The annual BDPA Conference serves as an integral opportunity for Johnson & Johnson to recruit high-potential candidates into our family of companies," said conference co-chair Garth Marcial. "The conference networking events allow us to network and collaborate with sponsor companies across the nation to continue to improve the bright and vibrant future of the BDPA organization. Johnson & Johnson partners with local BDPA chapters throughout the year, hosting various events, forums, and information sessions to demonstrate our dedication to the advancement of BDPA and its members."

The 32nd annual National BDPA Technology Conference to be held in Philadelphia, PA on July 28-31, at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown Hotel, provides a total information technology experience for high school and college students, information technology professionals, entrepreneurs, IT senior managers, corporations, academia, government agencies and the research community. The value-packed slate of offerings given by field experts exemplifies the BDPA commitment to provide state of the art training, professional growth and technical development, entrepreneurial opportunity, technical resource offerings, and access to leading edge technology to its members, corporate supporters, and the community.

Developing Elementary and Middle School Leaders in Urban Districts to Improve Teaching and Learning of Science

For elementary and middle school educators working in urban settings, the 2010 Urban Science Education Leadership Academy provides an outstanding opportunity to tackle reform of science teaching and learning at a getaway in New Orleans.

Scheduled for Aug. 2–5 in an exciting city with unmatched charm and wonderful cuisine, this academy helps build the foundation skills that support real leadership through collaboration, the change processes, use of research, and the study of relevant data. Dr. Adriane Dorrington, a noted professional development expert, will facilitate. The featured speaker is astronaut Dr. Bernard Harris, Jr. Scholarships are now available.

Registration is required by June 30. Invited: Teams (five-person team required) composed of one district science coordinator, one building administrator-principal/assistant principal, and three teachers.

For more information, visit the USEL Academy web pages.

AirTran Airways

AirTran Airways is committed to the communities they serve and is pleased to contribute to worthy causes and fundraising events in those communities.

Please note that they accept charitable donation requests through their website only. They no longer accept mailed or faxed charitable donation requests. The standard donation for organizations meeting the below guidelines is one set of 2 coach tickets.

In order to be eligible for a charitable donation, your organization must meet the following requirements:

• Provide a 501c3 tax identification number
• Submit your request at least 6 weeks prior to the event
• Not be affiliated with any political group or controversial cause
• Provide a physical mailing address for certificates to be mailed if approved
• Have not received AirTran Airways ticket certificates for a previous fundraising event within the past year

Please use their Charitable Donation Application to submit your proposal. Please do not call AirTran Airways regarding the status of your request. They receive a tremendous number of requests and will process your application as soon as they can prior to the event date.

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is willing to submit an online application as fiscal agent for your BDPA chapter. Our preference is that these tickets be used for a SITES-related program. We will also limit our efforts to chapters that have (a) provided us with their current SITES budget and (b) provided us with a chapter president profile for publication on our award-winning blog.

First-come; first-served. What say u?

This Week in BDPA (June 6-12)

BDPA has 45 chapters around the nation. You can always find programs, services or networking activity here or here. BDPA supports your efforts for career advancement in the IT industry. Our hope is that you will continue to support Our Cause!

Are you taking advantage of these programs? Here is a weekly preview of upcoming events gathered from the centralized BDPA calendar :

• Jun 8: Boston - Program Meeting, 'Service Delivery Management: Delivering Value to the Business'
• Jun 9: New York - Networking, 'Meet & Greet'
• Jun 10: Northern Delaware - Program Meeting, 'Innovative Approaches to Professional Leadership and Management'
• Jun 10: Charlotte - Program Meeting, 'Effective Job Interviewing Techniques'
• Jun 11: New York - Seminars, '12 Hours of Technology'

We encourage all BDPA leaders to take advantage of the centralized BDPA Groupsite Calendar to post your upcoming events! Please let us know of other BDPA events that we may have missed. Most importantly, let us know if you plan to attend any BDPA events this week.

Facebook and Nonprofits: The Evolution Continues

Facebook isn’t the kind of company to stand still – and sometimes its changes (especially to privacy settings and navigation) can drive its power users crazy. That includes nonprofits, which have raced to embrace the “go where the crowd is” ethos of 500,000 million Facebook users. The latest changes are a case in point: the company is moving forcefully to impose its vision for a “social graph” to the rest of the web, encouraging sites to adopt its own tools to link users in an ever-widening network of personal choice. Hence, the suddenly ubiquitous “Like” button – including this site – and a quick move away from the “fans” and “pages” paradigm Facebook did such a great job of establishing. So, if you’ve put hundreds of hours into winning fans for your cause’s Facebook page, you might just sigh with digital frustration.

Read the rest of this onPhilanthropy story here.

Faye McBeath Foundation

The Faye McBeath Foundation is a private, independent foundation providing grants to tax-exempt nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations in the metropolitan Milwaukee area. Its major areas of interest are: children, aging and elders, health, health education, civic and governmental affairs.

These areas were established by Faye McBeath and do not change. However, specific grant-making interests within each of these major categories change periodically. The Faye McBeath Foundation was established in 1964, shortly before the death of Faye McBeath in 1967 and they have been providing organizations with support for over 40 years.

The Application Process has six basic steps:

1. Submittal of a letter of intent
2. Communication with and from Foundation staff
3. Formal invitation to submit a full proposal
4. Submittal and review of a full proposal
5. Notification of the Trustees' decision
6. Submittal of a Letter of Intent

1020 N. Broadway, Suite 112
Milwaukee, WI 53202-3157

Contact: Scott Gelzer, Executive Director
Tel: (414) 272-2626
Fax: (414) 272-6235
Email: info@fayemcbeath.org

Prepare a 1-2 page letter of intent that includes a brief description of the applicant organization, the program to be funded, the corresponding match between the Foundation's guidelines and the request, the amount requested and the estimated total project budget. Include the name and address of the organization, and the name, phone number and e-mail address of a contact person. There are no deadlines for letters of intent. Letters will be considered as they are received; timing of actual response and any scheduling of a full proposal may vary.

Upon receipt of a letter of intent, Foundation staff will formally respond by e-mail or letter. Staff may contact you to discuss the project and in some cases, may schedule a site visit. If the request is outside the current program, geographical, or funding interests of the Foundation, a letter will be promptly sent informing you of this determination.

Generally, applicants can expect a response to a letter of intent within 60 days of a letter's receipt. The final response will either be a decline of the letter or a formal invitation to submit a full proposal.

Good luck to any of our Milwaukee-based readers that might benefit from this information!

Message from Philadelphia Chapter President

As May draws to a close, I am grateful for our sponsors and members that continue to support the BDPA mission. I challenge you all to get involved and volunteer your time. Giving back feels good and right. It also is a key ingredient for your personal and professional growth.

If you attended our last program meeting then you heard my membership recruitment challenge. I ask that each member recruit at least one new member by August 31 2010. Encourage people you know to join the BDPA Philadelphia family.

Please accept my invitation to join us in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection by registering for the 32nd Annual National BDPA Conference, July 28-31, 2010 at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Philadelphia, PA.

This year's conference will feature 4 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.

This year's conference will also feature the 25th High School Computer Competition and the IT Showcase!

If you have been too busy to keep up with the latest trends in our industry, we have lined up workshops led by industry-leaders from JPMorgan Chase, Vanguard, DeVry University, Allstate, Quest Diagnostics, Eli Lilly and more.
Reserve your room today by contacting the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown at 1-800-266-9432 and ask for the BDPA (Black Data Processing Associates) rate or register online. Reserve your room before June 14, 2010 to receive the exceptional Deluxe Room rate of $159.00.

Hayward West, President
BDPA Philadelphia Chapter

Top 10 BDPA Chapters (Membership, Jun 2010)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) made an offer last month to provide funding for 100 student memberships ($2,500 value) if one of the national officers reaches out to us via this blog post!   Nobody closed the deal with us as of the writing of this post.

Membership is the lifeblood of any organization.  BDPA Chicago (president, Pamela Sexton) understands that nothing is more important than recruiting and retaining its membership.  As a result the chapter has been #1 in membership for the 38th month in a row.

BDPA Philadelphia (president, Hayward West) climbed up to the #2 chapter in membership for the first time since July 2009.

BDPA Los Angeles (president, John Malonson) is now the 6th largest chapter in terms of membership.  This is the highest ranking for that chapter in its 28-year history. Congrats to BDPA Los Angeles chapter VP-Membership Management Rodd Amos and his team for working so hard to acheive this milestone!

Perhaps its time for Pamela, Hayward or John to share some of their thoughts on membership growth.  If they are reading this post ... please consider sharing some of your insights with us.  OK?

The 45 BDPA chapters in BDPA-nation average 32 members (same as last month). 

We welcome BDPA Cincinnati (president, Wanda Gray) back into the Top Ten. Leave a comment if your chapter isn't listed below. We're happy to tell you where your BDPA chapter is ranked if you want.

The top ten chapters in terms of membership as of 6/1/2010 are:

1. Chicago
2. Philadelphia - (jumped one place since last month)
3. Triangle - (dropped one place since last month)
4. New York - (jumped one place since last month)
5. Atlanta - (dropped one place since last month)
6. Los Angeles - (jumped one place since last month, highest ranking ever!)
7. Southern Minnesota - (dropped one place since last month)
8. Dallas
9. New Jersey - (jumped one place since last month)
10. Cincinnati - (jumped two places since last month)

Only one chapter on this list is in the BDPA Century Club with at least 100 members. BDPA Chicago chapter tops the list with 224 members!

Feel free to ask about the ranking of your chapter. In the meantime, we would love to know what you think about membership in BDPA?

Crossover Foundation

The Crossover Foundation helps children and youth reach for the stars. Youth who are struggling with life's greatest challenges are among those who most deserve to feel like a star. By partnering with organizations that provide enrichment services to our youth, the Crossover Foundation strives to do just that.

The Crossover Foundation is a nonprofit organization that develops the dreams of youth by exposing them to pathways of success with College Tours, summer enrichment programs, and the Allen Iverson Student Athlete Scholarship Fund.

The Crossover Foundation, Inc. established in 2000, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded by Allen Iverson, Philadelphia 76ers, and Gary Moore, his personal manager, because of Mr. Iverson's desire to give back and stay involved with children and the community. Originally named The Allen Iverson Celebrity Summer Classic Foundation (AICSCF), the Foundation changed its name to The Crossover Foundation, Inc. in November 2002.

The mission of the Crossover Foundation is to improve and address the health, educational and social needs of underprivileged children residing in the inner cities.

Today, Americans are more connected to digital tools with regards to access to computers, education about information technology, and the Internet. Census data confirms the reality that underserved minority communities because of socio-economic factors, disproportionately fall behind other communities with regard to access to this information. Examined closer, it is a very complex program that threatens the ability of underserved communities to be able to produce individuals that will be able to compete in the market of today's growing digital economy. In a society that increasingly relies on computers and the Internet to deliver information and enhance communication, it is imperative that all Americans have access.

The Crossover Foundation is dedicated to helping low-income children who are at risk of being left behind and of not being qualified for jobs as other educated or higher income groups. By partnering with organizations that have a strong sense of responsibility, the Crossover Foundation provides grants for establishment and upgrades of technology centers within these underserved communities.

Does your chapter seek to establish or upgrade its technology center? If so, this might be a funding source worth pursuing. What say u?