What is BDPA? Tynesha Harris (North Carolina State University)

BDPA, a volunteer run professional associaton, relies on word-of-mouth to reach out to its stakeholder community (e.g. members, educational institutions, entrepreneurs, corporate sponsors and the Black community). Many people have never heard of BDPA. In June of 2010, the BDPA Social Networking Team asked the question What is BDPA? with surprising results.

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BDPA is a dream promoter.

For me BDPA is a dream come true. I am an social entrepreneur and masters student at North Carolina State University studying public administration and nonprofit management and I aspire to uplift and motivate young people to learn innovative trends in technology.

I came from a rural community in Illinois where it was difficult to even find an Internet connection let alone learn about social networking and online philanthropy. I am very thankful for organizations that support underserved populations and I know that BDPA will help millions do that.

Every time I receive an email or message from BDPA I share it with all my students and they are always so amazed at the opportunities that are available. Some students need exposure to greatness so they can truly learn what is lying dormant in their own lives.

In my organization, Destiny Fulfilled Leadership Inc., I teach 21st century technology skills, entrepreneur skills, nonprofit management, leadership and character development and arts education. Although my program is new I see the tremendous impact we are making in North Carolina, Illinois, California and Missouri through social networking. I connect all my students and their parents with mentors in all professions and allow them to be globally connected. I know that BDPA will help me continue to fulfill this purpose by constantly sharing great information that inspires and motivates daily.

I know that BDPA is a catalyst for change for many people's lives and I am truly thankful for the oppurtunity to be involved in this awe-inspiring organization.

I just joined in the last month but I know with BDPA the possibilities are endless!

-Ty D. Harris, Executive Director
Destiny Fulfilled Leadership Inc

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Ty gives a passionate response to the query, 'What is BDPA?'. What are your thoughts on her response? For that matter, how would you answer the query?

The Value of “Cloud” in the Business Technology Ecosystem * Jambey Clinkscales (HP)

There are going to be over 50 tremendous workshops at the 32nd annual BDPA Technology Conference in Philadelphia on July 28-31, 2010. One of those workshops is being presented by HP program manager Jambey Clinkscales. His workshop is entitled The Value of “Cloud” in the Business Technology Ecosystem.   The workshop is in the Technology Track and is scheduled for Thursday, July 29th at 1:30 PM.

Jambey Clinkscales has more than thirty years in the Information Technology (IT) industry with demonstrated success in leadership. He progressed from hands-on network engineering roles to regional and executive management, serving as a Client Delivery Executive and an Account Manager in the Global Financial Markets Group in New York. He provided strategic planning for a global financial enterprise as a Network Tower Lead. Jambey is a problem solver who improves technical operations and alignment with strategic business planning direction.

Jambey established the Regional Ambassador role for EDS’ employee resource group in 2005. By leading regular monthly team meetings the organization expanded its reach from EDS’ corporate headquarters to spread across the US. In 2008 he became the organization’s president and led the integration with classic HP employee resource groups. In 2009 he became the Chairman of the HP Black Employee Leadership Council. He is a member of BDPA New York chapter. He served as a Delegate for New York at the 2007 BDPA Technology Conference in Washington DC. Jambey is in the ITSMF Executive Protégé Program.

Workshop participants will learn the that Cloud Computing is a means by which highly scalable and elastic technology-enabled services can be easily consumed over the internet on an as-needed basis. This workshop addresses these questions; What’s new about cloud? What problems does it uniquely solve? First, from an HP perspective and from a broader industry perspective.

Attendees will also learn about the HP Cloud Discovery Workshop, a powerful representation of decision-making aspects of cloud computing. It is an interactive session with senior consultants to identify strategic cloud related initiatives. Participants build an execution plan and roadmap of projects, design cloud infrastructure, manage cloud-related security, compliance, and governance issues, implement and support cloud-based infrastructure and enable ongoing support and organizational performance.

Finally the workshop will address IT Delivery Models around Public Cloud and Private Cloud delivery. The conclusion and main point is that every service needs to result in the right business outcome. The role of IT - is to source and deliver value. The job of IT will be to ascertain how each technology-enabled service, calibrated to each business outcome, is designed, sourced, delivered, and measured.

You can see a more detailed workshop abstract below.

The Value of “Cloud” in the Business Technology Ecosystem

View more documents from Wayne Hicks.

I encourage BETF-Blog readers to pre-register for this workshop before it is sold out!

Social Media Branding in the Age of Obama (Eric Hamilton)

There are going to be over 50 tremendous workshops at the 32nd annual BDPA Technology Conference in Philadelphia on July 28-31, 2010. One of those workshops is being presented by Involver client services manager Eric Hamilton.  His workshop is entitled Social Media Branding in the Age of Obama.   The workshop is scheduled for Friday, July 30th at 1:30 PM.

Eric Hamilton is an internet and web development veteran with over 20 years of technology work experience.  Currently, Eric works for Involver which is a social media technology company. Involver’s technology powers over 70,000 Facebook fan pages and over 130 million Facebook fan experiences.

Eric is the author of “Social Media Branding in the Age of Obama”. This book is a social media guide which gives social media strategies for small businesses and personal development.





Eric's workshop is inspired by the 2008 presidential campaign when Barack Obama made history by not only becoming the United States' first African American President, but by using social media technology to get elected. Never has a presidential candidate used the internet and social media so effectively. President Barack Obama used social media web sites such as Facebook, LinkedIN, Twitter, Myspace, Blogger, BlogTalk Radio, YouTube and other web sites as a cohesive, collective social juggernaut. Never in the history of human civilization has the common man been able to control his media perception and catapult himself on to the big stage in this manner.

The agenda for Eric's workshop is as follows:

Social Media Branding in the Age of Obama

View more presentations from Wayne Hicks.

I plan on attending this workshop! How about you? Anyhow, Eric is available to answer any questions you might have in advance of the actual workshop in Philadelphia. What would you like to ask him?

2010 BDPA Technology Conference Fact Sheet

2010 BDPA Technology Conference Fact Sheet (Rev: Jul 2010)

View more documents from Wayne Hicks.

World's Wealthy Looking to Give While They Live

More of the world’s rich people are opting for “giving while living” rather than waiting until they are dead to donate their wealth to charity. Philanthropy by the world’s rich recovered in 2009 in all regions but North America after undergoing a sharp drop the previous year due to the global financial crisis, the Merrill Lynch-Capgemini World Wealth Report found.

And more of the world's wealthy are incorporating giving into their investment strategies, seeking value for their philanthropy and turning to their wealth managers for advice, it said.

"Our financial advisers are seeing more and more a willingness and an understanding on the part of their clients that their philanthropic intentions need to be part of their broader wealth management plan," said Chris Dupuy, head of institutional

Read the full MoneyControl.com article here.

Grant Declination: SunTrust Foundation (Atlanta)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) learned that our grant proposal sent to SunTrust Foundation on behalf of BDPA Atlanta chapter has been declined. Our proposal was considered for funding from the SunTrust Foundation, Greene-Sawtelle and Elkin Foundations, the English, Marshall, and Rich Memorial Funds, and the Woolford Charitable Trust Fund.

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Working with Atlanta's many charitable needs places great demands on our funds, and we were unable to make a grant to your organization at this time. We appreciate your interest in the community's healthy growth, and wish you success in your fundraising efforts among other donors.

Sincerely,
Kirby A. Thompson, Senior Vice President
SunTrust Bank, Atlanta

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We will continue to work with BDPA Atlanta chapter leadership on other fundraising efforts. In the meantime, you can help our efforts with your own secure online donation.

BDPA Washington DC Member of the Year * Louis Shack

Louis Shack, Technology Education Manager for DC Courts, combines his passion for computers with his passion to see youth reach their fullest potential. These passions have led him to volunteer with BDPA Washington DC chapter for the past five years. As a mentor, teacher and coordinator in the high school computer competition (HSCC) program, Louis has coached teams to achieve second and third place rankings in recent national BDPA HSCC championships (2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009).

Through his efforts and the efforts of his co-volunteers they have seen the program expand from a handful of interested applicants to thirty youths annually. For his selfless efforts and dedication to the chapter's mission, BDPA Washington DC chapter proudly presented this year's Chapter Member of the Year award to Mr. Louis Shack.

VIDEO: 2005 National BDPA Technology Conference (Detroit, MI)

Here are two video clips (clip #1, clip #2) from our 2005 National BDPA Technology Conference held in Detroit, MI.








Do you have any memories from the 2005 BDPA conference that you would like to share with us?

Letter of Inquiry: Fluor Foundation (Dallas)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) and BDPA Dallas chapter partnered on a letter of inquiry to Fluor Foundation. We are seeking permission from them to submit a grant proposal in support of the youth education program in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.

The Fluor Foundation has a long history of investing in communities, nonprofit organizations, and education.

We will keep you informed about our progress with this effort. In the meantime, I encourage our BETF-Blog reader to support the YourCause.com page created by a BDPA Dallas chapter officer. A small (and secure) donation by you will go far in helping us with these young people!

This Week in BDPA (July 11-17)

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 :

• Jul 11: Triangle - Networking, 'Annual BDPA Cookout'
• Jul 12: National BDPA - Webinar, 'Career Coaching at BDPA Technology Conference'
• Jul 13: Greater Columbia - Program Meeting, 'Communication Strategies for Relationship Maintenance'
• Jul 15: Cincinnati - Program Meeting, 'The Purple Cow: Stand Out in Your Job Search'
• Jul 16: Detroit - Program Meeting, 'Starting a Career With Deloitte'
• Jul 16: Los Angeles - Program Meeting, 'Running Your Business with Open Source'
• Jul 16: Greater Tampa Bay - Fundraiser, 'Wine and Cheese Tasting Charity Event'

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.

HSCC Testimonial * Turkenya Herring (Washington DC, 2007-2009)

BDPA exists to advance African Americans in the information technology industry from the classroom to the boardroom.  Turkenya Herring is a remarkable example of BDPA turning its vision into reality.   

Turkenya was introduced to science, technology and mathematics training while she was in middle school.  She joined a robotics team with a BDPA sponsor, Patriots Technology Training Center.  

Her interest stayed with her as she matriculated to high school.  She connected with BDPA Washington DC chapter and their high school computer competition (HSCC).   She represented the chapter on its national HSCC team in 2007, 2008 and 2009.   She earned multiple Jesse Bemley Scholarships that will help her continue her education at Bowie State University.

Let her share her testimonial with you:

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Hello, my name is Turkenya Herring. I graduated in 2010 from Charles Herbert Flowers High School. I plan to attend Bowie State University. I will major in computer science with emphasis in information systems. I plan to pursue a career in networking or database management. I am proud to say that being a part of the high school computer competition has changed my outlook on society and the effects that science and technology has on businesses.

My first year in BDPA was spent meeting new people and learning how to grasp a concept at a very quick pace. I was very shy and far from gregarious. One of the instructors, Mr. Shack, knew I was very smart and always called on me to answer questions and stand up in front of the class to present my project. Eventually, I crawled out of my timid shell and began to converse amongst my peers and instructors. My instructors knew that I had potential to be one of the brightest students; my first year I was selected to compete in the national competition with four of my peers. I was elated and my parents were proud of my accomplishments.

In my second year, I was more motivated and cordial. My instructors and peers looked up to me and expected me to lead the path to success, which was to win 1st place that year. Unfortunately, we won 2nd place but I told everyone to stay motivated because one day we would become HSCC champions. Being in the competition was not about competing, it was about building friendship, learning how to present, showing compassion, and many other valuable skills that I will need in the workforce.

BDPA was the most life-changing experience I have encountered throughout my entire life. It has influenced me to become a computer scientist and give back to others. One day I plan to create and give away my own scholarships. I’ve gained a close relationship with my peers, mentors, and parents over the past three years. I know that I would never have become the knowledgeable, compassionate, cooperative, cordial person I am today if I had not joined this outstanding program.

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BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is proud to be in a position to award Turkenya Herring with a Jesse Bemley Scholarship for her efforts in the national HSCC championships held in 2007, 2008 and 2009. We look forward to following her career over the coming years!

You can help us provide more scholarships in the future with a secure online donation.  Won't you make that move today?

Paul G. Duke Foundation

Grantmaking efforts at the Paul G. Duke Foundation focus upon programs benefiting children, young adults, and the family in the Miami County area (includes contiguous counties); with limited grantmaking in the central Ohio area. Grants are made in the areas of the arts, education, health, and social services and are made for both general and specific project support, including seed money for innovative programs. Grants for capital projects are made in the Miami County area only. The Duke Foundation has frequently made challenge grants for projects to encourage matching gifts or additional funding from other donors.

Grant Application Instructions -- The Paul G. Duke Foundation has two grantmaking cycles per year. The application deadlines are the first working day in April and August. Decisions for these application cycles are announced by the end of June and November. In order for an application to be complete, the organization must submit eight (8) complete sets of the full proposal consisting of a cover sheet and proposal requirements as detailed in the Paul G. Duke Foundation Application Packet. All copies of the proposal should be on 3-hole punch paper and double sided is appreciated. Applicants should contact our staff via e-mail 60 to 90 days in advance of the application deadline to discuss your proposal.

Only those applications following the official application process can be accepted. For those unfamiliar with the foundation’s application process, you are strongly encouraged to attend one of the grant workshops that are held throughout the year. These workshops offer an overview of the grant application processes for all supporting foundations and The Columbus Foundation. Consult the community events calendar for specific dates and registration.

How to Build Your Techie Network in One Weekend

by Kai Dupe

Have you ever heard of the Black Data Processing Association (BDPA)? BDPA has been around since 1975. The organization came into being when Earl Pace and David Wimberly met in Philadelphia to discuss their concerns about people of color in the computing industry. People of color were under represented in the field and an overall lack of career mobility existed for those who were in the field.

I first learned of BDPA in 2008. As someone who has been a computer scientists for over 20 years at that time, it is unacceptable to me that it took me so long to learn of its existences. I am not sure what took me so long to learn of this wonderful organization, but part of my mission going forward is to make sure people of color who are interested in technology (which should be all people of color!), are aware of the opportunities that BDPA provides.

The lack of Blacks and other minorities continues to be a problem. Many, including myself, are still studying this problem in 2010. One of the factors that have come to the fore is the social conditioning of people of color when it comes to computing.

It is social conditioning that plays a role when we see Blacks over represented in entertainment and athletics and it is social conditioning when there is an under representation of Blacks in computing. The best resource on this topic that I have found thus far is Stuck in the Shallow End by Jane Margolis.

Now I have attended many conferences on technology and education and the BDPA conference is by far the best technology conference I have ever attended. I have never attended an event where there were so many Black men and women who were technology professionals. There were thousands. The conference provides an opportunity for learning in a environment that is culturally relevant.

The conference is also a place where the youth are encouraged and exposed to technology. Every year the youth participate in the High School Computer Science Competition (HSCC). During the conference, each chapter that entered the competition presents their project which could be anything from developing a piece of desktop software, a website, or perhaps an iPhone app. The winner is crowned as part of the conference.

My observation is that the conference is strictly business during the day and a lot of fun and mingling in the evening! This year the conference is being held in Philadelphia July 28 - July 31. If you are interested in a career in information technology or you are a technology professional who wants to learn what is hot in terms of technology or simply want to connect with other black professionals in information technology, you should make it a point to be in Philadelphia the last week of this month!

I know I will be there!

For more information about BDPA, please visit their site at http://www.bdpa.org/.

Grant Recipient: BDPA Baton Rouge ($175)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is not always able to provide full funding support to very worthwhile requests.

BDPA Baton Rouge chapter asked BETF for $4,800 to "assist our new chapter in getting students to the High School Computer Competition and Youth Technology Camp in July. This will be the first time these students will have a chance to participate in this amazing experience."

Unfortunately, BETF was unable to fully fund this request. At this point, we have only been able to approve $175 grant disbursement to BDPA Baton Rouge chapter. However, we are keeping our eyes open for other ways to help them.

If you have ideas ... or if you want to help ... please REPLY to this post or make a secure online donation.

Sheila Marionneaux * Epsilon Award for Community Service

Sheila Marionneaux (Health Care Service Corporation) is one of the winners of the 2010 Epsilon Award for Community Service presented by National BDPA and WorkplaceDiversity.com.

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

The Epsilon Community Service Award is presented to individuals who have demonstrated leadership in the Black technology community through volunteer work, contributions, and other activities that are not included in his or her job descriptions.

Sheila Marionneaux is a Senior Program Manager for ITG Strategic Services Team at Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC) in Chicago, Illinois. Sheila's core business specialties include: public relations; communications planning and implementation; and the facilitation and oversight of major meetings and corporate events. She has been with HCSC for 12 years and is responsible for supporting the chief technology officer (CTO), in the delivery of organizational change management solutions, along with strategic and creative communications for various internal and external audiences.

Sheila Marionneaux holds executive officer roles on various boards and committees and is devoted to ongoing community service. She is President of Health Care Service Corporation’s BDPA corporate chapter, serving a constituency of 100 members (HCSC is the National BDPA 2008 Epsilon Award winner for Top Companies for Blacks in IT); additionally she serves on the Corporate Advisory Council as a corporate champion for HCSC. A nationally published writer, Sheila provides guidance and support to individuals and for not for profit organizations in need of targeted communications.

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) joins all of BDPA-Nation in congratulating Sheila on her 2010 Epsilon Award for Community Service. I hope that many BDPA members strongly consider careers at Health Care Service Corporation!

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

Grant Proposal: Exelon Foundation (Chicago)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) partnered with BDPA Chicago chapter to submit an online grant proposal to the Exelon Foundation.  

Grants are reviewed on a quarterly basis. Please reach out to any of your Exelon contacts to speak on our behalf. We're seeking this funding for the Student IT Education & Scholarship program in Chicago. You can visit Gibran's YourCause page if you want to personally help out the students and volunteers of our BDPA Chicago chapter!

What STEM Programs Does BDPA Provide for Young People?

BDPA Orlando chapter president Pablo More hosts a weekly lunch'n'learn webinar. Today, the BDPA lunch'n'learn focused on the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs that exist within BDPA.

The topics (presenters) were:

IT Showcase (Dr. Jesse Bemley) - Dr. Bemley provided a quick historical context about his 25-year history with STEM-training in BDPA, concluding with an overview of the IT Showcase.

High School Computer Competition (Danna Sturdivant) - Danna will discuss HSCC programs at high level.

Youth Technology Camp (Jamesetta James and Mildred Allen) will discuss the YTC program set to take place in Philadelphia PA on July 29-31, 2010.

BDPA Foundation (Wayne Hicks) Wayne will discuss ways that BETF supports SITES Programs and fundraising efforts.

BDPA Lunch'n'Learn: STEM Programs for Young People

View more presentations from Wayne Hicks.

I encourage you to check out the centralized BDPA Calendar of Events so that you don't miss the next Lunch'n'Learn session!

I would also love to hear your thoughts on the 30-page .ppt presentation that was used during this session. Any questions or comments?

Message from Los Angeles Chapter President

"Taking Membership to the Next Level"

BDPA Los Angeles exists to serve the Information Technology needs of its members and community.

Our continuous goal is to deliver services and programs that you desire. To provide even greater value, please continue to let us know which services and programs you would like to see expanded or offered.

Case in point: Many of you asked that we provide a virtual component to our monthly program meetings. We are proud to say that we heard you and now offer such a service.

BDPA Los Angeles is pleased to announce the launch of our new website. Using information learned from our March 2010 program event (Introduction to Wordpress), an Open Source solution was selected to create and manage our new site (note: only a web browser was needed, no special tools were required).

If you're interested in setting up a similar solution of your own, be sure to attend our next event.

I look forward to seeing you at our next event and 2010 National Conference!

P.S., If you're not a member already, be sure to join BDPA!

Sincerely,
John C. Malonson III, President
BDPA Los Angeles
email: president@bdpala.org

Oracle Scholarships Awarded to BDPA Hampton Roads Students

BDPA Hampton Roads student members Carita Jester and Janaf Wyche 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 November 2009 program meeting hosted by BDPA Hampton Roads chapter president Joe McMahon.

Both students graduated from college in May 2010.  Carita Jester attended Old Dominion University and received her BS in Computer Science and Janaf Wyche attended Norfolk State and received her BS in Optical Engineering. Janaf obtained her defense security clearance and is now a government civil service civilian and works in the intelligence community.

You can learn more about the BDPA Hampton Roads here.

HSCC Testimonial * Logan LeCompte (Twin Cities, 2009)

One of the most remarkable demonstrations of commitment to BDPA occurred last year. The high school computer competition (HSCC) team trained by BDPA Twin Cities chapter wasn't able to afford plane tickets to attend the 2009 national championships being held in Raleigh NC. They didn't let the lack of funding stop them. Instead they simply piled the team, chaperones and coordinator into a van ... and drove for over 20 hours to get to North Carolina. This remarkable BDPA team ended up earning Jesse Bemley Scholarships with their 4th-place finish in the 2009 national HSCC championships.

Here is the testimonial from a member of that team:

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When I started BDPA I wasn't sure if programming was a skill that I could possess. I didn't think that I could memorize a whole new language and be able to recall and implement what I learned to make a fully functional website. I remember one of the first days of class our teacher Mark Holden walked us though creating a very basic html website; and after completing the website I started to think that I could easily learn how to program and make fully functional websites. In my first year while in 10th grade at BDPA I made the HSCC team but was an alternate on the competing team. I took 11th grade off because I had a job that required me to work on Saturdays. In 12th grade I came back to BDPA to make the HSCC team again and make the competing team where the Twin Cities chapter earned a 4th place at the BDPA competition in North Carolina.

BDPA taught me a lot of skills that I use today in life. BDPA taught me how to program in three different languages (C#, VB, and HTML) which I have implemented in my programming classes in college. Even though BDPA is a programming based program they made sure that the students learned public speaking skills and how to act in formal situations. I am now more comfortable talking in front of an audience than I was before BDPA.

BDPA has defiantly impacted my career decisions. In BDPA I learned how I could get into peoples computers and shut them down, or open files. After learning how to do this I discovered that I wanted to have a career where I could get paid to hack or protect people from hackers.

I'm attending Dakota State University with a double major in Network Security and Network System Administration and a minor in Networking.

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I encourage anyone reading Logan's testimonial to take a moment and share some love with this young brother!

How Healthy Is Your Project?: A Lesson in Earned Value Management (Jacqueline Ockleberry)

There are over 50 workshops scheduled for the 32nd annual BDPA Technology Conference in Philadelphia on July 28-31, 2010. One of the workshop presenters is Jacqueline Ockeberry, PMP.

Jacqueline Ockleberry is the founder of JYO Consulting. Her experience spans more than twenty years in the field of Information Technology and the discipline of Project Management. She is an innovative and versatile professional offering a rich mixture of experience and success in the business world, nonprofit, and academia.

Ms. Ockleberry is a noted lecturer who delivers highly interactive classes built on practical and real-world experiences. She has trained hundreds of project managers on a variety of topics. Her real-world experiences and enthusiasm are the perfect combination for a fun, comprehensive review of project management fundamentals, advanced project management techniques or PMP® exam preparation.

Jacqueline earned her Master's Certificate in Project Management from George Washington University and she is certified as a Project Management Professional (PMP®) by the Project Management Institute (PMI®). She also holds a Master of Business of Administration from Keller Graduate School of Management and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Arlington.

She is a lifetime member of the BDPA Dallas chapter serving as chapter president in 1996-1999. She also served as the director of the 2004 National BDPA Conference.

BDPA is fortunate to have Jacqueline as a conference workshop presenter. Her workshop is entitled, 'How Healthy is Your Project?: A Lesson in Earned Value Management'.

This seminar will introduce you to the fundamental components for measuring your project performance using Earned Value Management (EVM). EVM quantitatively assesses the real progress of a project by understanding the work that was completed, the time taken to complete it, and the actual costs to complete the work. When properly applied, EVM provides an early warning of project performance problems.

The topics covered in this seminar include:

• What is Earned Value Management?
• Four EVM Questions to Ask
• Project Tracking without EVM
• Project Tracking with EVM
• Scaling EVM from Simple to Advanced Implementations
• Interpreting EVM Data
• Limitations of EVM

The class is intended for managers and team members who require insight into how to assess a project’s health as well as being able to determine a project’s potential for success or failure, based upon stakeholder expectations.

The workshop is scheduled for Thursday, July 29th @ 1:30pm. Will you be attending? Do you have any questions about PMP certification that we can discuss with Ms. Ockleberry in this online forum?

BDPA Announces New $100 One-Day Conference Pass

BDPA created a new One-Day Pass that is now available for $100. This pass is ONLY valid any 1 day of the 32nd annual BDPA Technology Conference and does not include the Awards Gala. However, it does provide you with access to world-class workshops and plenary sessions for the day that you choose.

You may purchase your One-Day Pass online.

Take a look at the conference public agenda to learn more about events happening on each day of the conference.

2010 BDPA Technology Conference Public Agenda

View more documents from BDPA Foundation.

You might also find it useful to check out the 2010 BDPA conference fact sheet. I hope that this new $100 One-Day Conference Pass encourages more BETF-Blog readers to attend the conference later this month!

STEM Fellowships for College Students (Deadline: 7/15/2010)

The National Minority STEM Fellowship Program (NMSFP) is a two-year fellowship funded by the US Department of Energy and administered by the Educational Advancement Alliance (EAA). EAA will support dozens of fellows who are starting or continuing in Master's level programs in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) at colleges and universities in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania or Washington DC.

The NMSFP will provide a stipend of $18,000 per year and tuition support up to $20,500 per year ($77,000 maximum over a two-year period). Applicants must be US citizens and should be permanent residents of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, or Washington DC. Individuals from cultural, racial, geographic, and socio-economic backgrounds that are currently underrepresented in graduate education are encouraged to participate in the fellowship program.

There are 30 fellowship slots currently available for Fall 2010. If you are aware of any students who may be interested and eligible for the NMSFP, please contact:


Sheronda Rae Ball, MSS, MLSP
Program Director
Educational Advancement Alliance, Inc.
4548 Market Street-Suite LL-04
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19139
Office Phone Numbers: (215) 243-4141 or (215) 895-4003
www.eaalliance.org

I hope that some of our HSCC Alumni will consider applying for this unique STEM fellowship opportunity!

Employment Resources for BDPA Stakeholders

The national Black unemployment rate is now 15.4% with no plan to reduce it in the near future. The economic crisis in America hit hard for many African Americans in the information technology (IT) industry over the past few years. Many are worried about being laid off.

I share these insights on ways that BDPA can help those members that are unemployed or under-employed.

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1. BDPA Career Coaches - Career coaching service is provided through a collaraborative effort between Blacks Gone Geek (Milt Haynes) and other career coaches such as Linwood Bailey, Deborah Chambers Chima, Tanya Hinton, Franne McNeal and Pat Perkins
2. BDPA Career Fair - BDPA provides a live, face-to-face opportunity for anyone seeking a career in the IT industry at the BDPA career fair held during the 32nd annual BDPA Technology Conference in Philadelphia, PA on July 28-31, 2010.
3. BDPA-Jobs YahooGroup - This online community is open to any employer that wants to post IT job opportunities or contracts and anyone (particularly BDPA members) may retrieve and apply for employment. Currently, there are over 2000 subscribers. Last month there were over 170 IT-based career postings.
4. BDPA Groupsite Career Center - There are over 2340 subscribers to our BDPA Groupsite. One of the most active discussion areas is the 'Career Center'
5. BDPA LinkedIn Jobs Networks - Career opportunities and other discussions about employment.
6. BDPA Talent Management System (part of BDPA Career Center) - This is the primary source of employment opportunities for BDPA members and supporters. BDPA corporate sponsors post IT career opportunities on a regular basis. There are currently 58 job postings ready for your immediate consideration. You should ensure that your current resume is posted in this system as these same sponsors often mine the resume database for private one-on-one interviews.
7. Small Business Development Centers - Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) provide management assistance to current and prospective small business owners. SBDCs offer one-stop assistance to individuals and small businesses by providing a wide variety of information and guidance in central and easily accessible branch locations. The services provided by SBDC are free and available in your city.
8. Who's Hiring Now - The Who’s Hiring Initiative is all about connecting people with jobs. The Who's Hiring Team uses “word of mouth” to find out who’s hiring and social networking tools to pass the word on hot job opportunities.

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Please let me know if you have other resources that you think should be added to this list. Also, feel free to share your experience with any of these employment resources.

Disrupting Philanthropy: Technology and the Future of the Social Sector

Networked digital technologies are transforming philanthropy, making it easier for "donors and doers" to find, support and work with one another to address social problems, a new monograph says.

But inequities of access and capacity also keep many individuals and institutions from benefiting from information networks, says Disrupting Philanthropy: Technology and the Future of the Social Sector.

"Philanthropy is an industry driven by passion and data, and networked technologies have the potential to harness that passion in ways we've barely begun to imagine," says Edward Skloot, co-author of the monograph and director of the Center for Strategic Philanthropy and Civil Society at the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University.

The 53-page monograph, published by the center, looks at the ways networked digital technologies are "enabling donors and doer to access vast amounts of data from governments and the social sector, reshaping ways in which they connect with one another, and transforming how social change is produced," the center says in a statement.

Read the full Philanthropy Journal article here.

BDPA IT Institute Fall Enrollment Opens

The Fall 2010 enrollment period is still open for the BDPA IT Institute. The course scheduled for the Fall term (September 6th through December 10th) is the PMP Exam Prep taught by Gregory Brown, PMP.  The course has been updated to align with the 4th edition of the PMBOK Guide and awards all *35 PDUs* required to sit for the PMP Certification Exam

Key Benefits of Certification:

• Career advancement, progression and promotion from sponsoring corporations/employers
• Increased technology business acumen and leadership skills
• Respect and prestige of being "certified"
• Publication opportunities in field
• Leadership, management and project management skill development

Now is the time to take control of your future in the IT industry. Apply now for Fall 2010 courses! For more information, you can contact the BDPA IT Institute leadership by phone (800.727-2372) or email.

BDPA Youth Technology Camp (Philadelphia, July 28-30)

The annual BDPA Youth Technology Camp (YTC) provides interactive, hands-on workshops, seminars, and activities for students seeking to gain valuable exposure in leading-edge technology topics. This event gives students the opportunity to network with young entrepreneurs, and other youths from around the country who are pursuing academic and professional futures in the information technology industry.

Don't miss this opportunity to take part in a technology camp specifically tailored to meet the needs of today's youth!   It takes place in Philadelphia on July 28-30, 2010.   Here are more details on the workshops and offsite visit that will be provided to all YTC students:

2010 BDPA Youth Technology Camp

View more documents from Wayne Hicks.

For more details contact the YTC coordinator Jamesetta James at conference@bdpa.org or call her on (800) 727-2372.

Message from Philadelphia Chapter President

Please accept my invitation to come out and join us on Wednesday, July 28th for a day of golf, food, prizes, and networking at Seaview Golf Resort. This is the kickoff event for the 32nd annual BDPA Technology Conference on July 28-31 at the Downtown Marriott in Philadelphia.

BDPA, which supports technologists from the classroom to the boardroom, is celebrating its 35th year in the place where it all began.

Be a part of the celebration and enjoy great day on the links.

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.

Hayward West, president
BDPA Philadelphia Chapter

Using Social Media to Market Yourself or Your Business (Nicole Newman)

I strongly encourage BETF-Blog readers to make every effort to attend the 32nd annual BDPA Technology Conference in Philadelphia on July 28-31, 2010. One of the great benefits of this conference will be the 58 world-class workshops. I'm looking forward to the workshop presented by Nicole Newman entitled, 'Using Social Media to Market Yourself or Your Business'.

Nicole Newman is passionate about seeing businesses grow using technology tools that increase productivity. The digital divide is separating us into two communities technology - savvy and technology-illiterate. With a Temple University bachelor's degree in Management Information Systems and University of Maryland MBA, she is determined to stop talking about the problem and inform you about the solution. Find Nicole online networking at DiversePhilly.com, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or YouTube. [full bio]

Nicole plans to cover some important ground in her 75-minute workshop. At the end of her workshop you will be able to:

1. Understand the current status of the 'social media revolution'
2. Define social media
3. Understand benefits of social media
4. Apply social media strategy to impact on job hunting

Using Social Media to Market Yourself or Your Business

View more presentations from Wayne Hicks.

We share this information with you in advance of the conference so that you can ask questions and ensure that the presenter, Nicole Newman, is fully prepared for those who will be in attendance. Are you using social media to promote your business? Are you using social media to improve your personal brand as you hunt for upward mobility in your career?

What say u?

Grant Proposal: Southwest Airlines (Dallas)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) partnered with BDPA Dallas chapter to submit an online grant proposal to Southwest Airlines seeking seven airline tickets. BDPA Dallas would use the tickets, if approved, to get their high school computer competition team to Philadelphia for the 2010 HSCC championships.

BDPA Dallas is pulling out all the stops to get funding for their Student IT Education & Scholarship (SITES) program. They even created a YouTube video about their youth education program.





We'll keep you informed on the status of this Southwest Airlines grant proposal.

Top 10 BDPA Chapters (Membership, Jul 2010)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is very happy to announce that National BDPA VP-Membership Management Mildred Allen contacted us to take advantage of the offer we made last month to fund 100 student memberships.  We are very happy to report that July 2010 marked an increase in membership for the first time in many months!

Membership is the lifeblood of any organization. The 45 BDPA chapters in BDPA-nation average 35 members (up 3 from last month).

BDPA Chicago (president, Pamela Sexton) continues to demonstrate excellence in the area of recruitment and retention of its membership.  This chapter has been #1 in membership for the 39th month in a row.

BDPA Washington DC (president, Perry Carter) made the most remarkable increase in membership over the past month.   The chapter climbed over 10 other chapters to become the second-largest chapter in nation.  This is the highest ranking for our BDPA Washington DC chapter since September 2008!

My hope is that Pamela or Perry will share thoughts on how they are doing so well with membership in their chapter.  If they are reading this post ... please consider sharing some of your insights with us.  OK?
The top ten chapters in terms of membership as of 6/1/2010 are:

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

The top four chapters on this list are in the BDPA Century Club with at least 100 members. BDPA Chicago chapter tops the list with 224 members!  

Leave a comment if your chapter isn't listed above. We're happy to tell you where your BDPA chapter is ranked if you want.  In the meantime, we would love to know what you think about membership in BDPA?

Drill Questions to Pass the PMP Certification Exam (Elaine Jackson, PMP)

There are over 50 workshops scheduled for the 32nd annual BDPA Technology Conference in Philadelphia on July 28-31, 2010. One of the workshop presenters is Elaine Jackson, PMP.

Elaine Jackson enjoys coaching people on how they can pass the Project Management Certification Exam. For the last six years, her style of coaching involved training individuals to understand the project management processes and knowledge areas, and explaining how to apply that knowledge toward passing the PMP Exam. She applies a holistic approach toward getting students to respond appropriately in test environments.

Elaine Jackson achieved her Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification in 2008 after she conducted several study group sessions for project managers employed at HP. She realized there was a need for students to be encouraged to finish their studying and for them to make a move in their careers.

Elaine perfected the study process to achieve a level where students pass the PMP exam on 1st attempt. Her closing rate is holding at 94%. Students followed her advice by studying hard to achieve improvements in practice tests. Elaine’s goal is to assist Project Managers world-wide in virtual and face-to-face environments to be most ready for the PMP Certification Exam.

She recently completed the Entrepreneurial Training Program. She is on pace for speaking engagements at various events in career development and technology programs that have individuals seeking information on how Project Management can help their careers and how to achieve the PMP Certification.

BDPA is fortunate to have Elaine as a conference workshop presenter. Her workshop is entitled, 'Drill Questions to Pass the PMP Certification'.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:

1. Anyone that previously failed the PMP Exam and wants 2nd chance at success
2. Managers wanting to achieve PMP Certification for career growth
3. Individuals needing supportive structured coaching to achieve exam ready status
4. Anyone stuck within the PMP Certification application process

WORKSHOP ANSWERS THESE QUESTIONS:

1. Why is the PMP Certification in such demand?
2. Why do you need the PMP Certification?
3. What methods of study lead to success?

This workshop will be highly interactive and participants will be encouraged to think and understand what will be expected during the PMP Exam. A good part of the session will be dedicated to exploring how to answer the PMP questions with accuracy.

Drill Questions to Pass the PMP Certification Exam

View more documents from Wayne Hicks.

The workshop is scheduled for Wednesday, July 28th @ 10:15am. Will you be attending? Do you have any questions about PMP certification that we can discuss in this online forum?