SunTrust Bank Donates $100 to BDPA Foundation for New Accounts

SunTrust Bank has made community involvement an important part of the relationships they have in the communities they serve. Now, as part of their commitment, they’re offering a special opportunity that can help you help the BDPA Education & Technology Foundation.

Act Now. Offer extended to December 31, 2008.
SunTrust will donate $100 to the charity of your choice, or you can choose to receive a $50 Gift Card to keep for your own cause when you take 3 simple steps:

1. Open a new Personal or Business checking account from now through December 31, 2008


2. Accept a new SunTrust Visa® Check Card and make any purchase using your new card by February 15, 2009


3. Complete and submit a redemption form by February 15, 2009

SunTrust extended this promotion through December 31, 2008. This promotion is open to anyone in the nation willing to open up a checking or business account with SunTrust Bank.

Grant Proposal: SunTrust Bank Foundation (Atlanta)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) and BDPA Atlanta chapter submitted a grant proposal to the SunTrust Bank Atlanta Foundation.

SunTrust Bank Atlanta Foundation is funded entirely by contributions from the earnings of SunTrust Bank Atlanta, formerly known as Trust Company Bank of Georgia. The Foundation makes grants to non-profit organizations in Metropolitan Atlanta.

The geographic focus of this fund is Metropolitan Atlanta ONLY. Community benefit and return on investment are primary considerations in distribution decisions.

The Trustees will consider requests for grants for capital improvements such as buildings, furniture and equipment, and alterations to existing structures. Applications will be considered for special projects of a community nature, special studies, surveys, research and pilot programs which do not commit the funds to recurring expenditures.

Grants from the Foundation are made by the Distribution Committee to non-profit Metropolitan Atlanta organizations that have legitimate needs and a worthwhile purpose. This fund will not consider requests for general operating support such as salaries, maintenance, and debt service, and requests by political organizations, churches or individuals. Usually grants will only be made to organizations with records of successful operation without a deficit for at least a year.

Other Committee considerations include:

• Emphasis on Metropolitan Atlanta
  
• Organization/community coordination and support
  
• Timeliness and precedence
  
• Organization management and governance
  
• Grant multiplier effect
  
• Human value and self-help emphasis
  
• Ultimate benefit to the community
  
• Financial management
  
• Implementation of a Strategic Plan

All proposals submitted to the SunTrust Bank Atlanta Foundation are automatically considered for funding from the English, Marshall, Woolford, Rich, Elkin, and Greene-Sawtell Funds. Only one application form is needed to apply to all seven funds.

Grant Requests and Inquiries should be mailed to:

Mr. Raymond B. King, Senior Vice President
Community and Government Affairs
SunTrust Bank, Atlanta
P.O. Box 4418, Mail Code 041
Atlanta, GA 30302

For telephone inquiries, please call Ms. Kay Miller at (404) 588-8250.

SunTrust Bank Fundraiser (Richmond)

BDPA Richmond chapter are participating in the My Cause fundraiser sponsored by SunTrust Bank. This fundraiser involves individuals and businesses opening a checking account. If the checking account is opened by June 30th and if the customer uses the debit card by August 31st, BDPA Richmond will receive $100 for each checking account. All the customer has to do is open the account with $100 and they receive the same checking account benefits as SunTrust employees. That is the extent of the fundraiser!

We encourage you to help us spread the word about this promotion to your friends, family, and personal and business contacts. The more people who are aware of the promotion and its offering, the greater the opportunity for us to receive donations from you and the rest of the community.

Other BDPA chapters might want to approach their local SunTrust Bank to see if similar fundraising opportunities are available in your geographic area.

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.

SunTrust United Way Campaign

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation is grateful to Ruffin Bell for his payroll pledge through the SunTrust United Way Campaign. Ruffin asked that his donation be used to support the BDPA Richmond chapter programs and services.

Our hope is that other SunTrust employees will follow Ruffin's example!

Election Results * BDPA Orlando (2009)

BDPA Orlando hosted the 1998 and 2002 National BDPA Technology Conferences. Today, the chapter is focused on delivering world-class programs and services for anyone in the greater Orlando area interested in advancing the careers of African Americans in the IT industry.

BDPA Orlando is the 20th largest chapter in the nation. The incoming chapter president, Pablo More, pulled together a dynamic leadership team. Please join me in welcoming the BDPA Orlando chapter board of directors for 2009:

• President - Pablo More (SunTrust Bank)
  
• VP-Finance - Bessie Peoples (Walt Disney World)
  
• VP-Membership Management - JC Walker (Valencia Community College)
  
• VP-Member Services - Glenn Brown (Lockheed Martin)
  
• VP-Strategy & Planning - Tonya Farquharson (Lockheed Martin)
  
• Immediate Past President - Haki Nkrumah (Valencia Community College)

These brothers and sisters have high hopes and aggressive plans for BDPA Orlando chapter in 2009 and beyond. Please reach out thru the COMMENTS option below to encourage their success!

2009 Best Companies for Blacks in Technology

National BDPA and WorkplaceDiversity.com, the source for diversity talent, announced Allstate Insurance, American Airlines, Compuware, Eli Lilly and Company, Health Care Service Corporation, Merck and Company, Monsanto, State Farm Insurance, SunTrust Bank, Wal-Mart Stores, and WellPoint as the winners of the 2009 Best Companies for Blacks in Technology Award.

"These companies deserve special recognition for their outstanding community outreach and diversity recruiting programs and for promoting a significant number of African Americans into their IT management ranks," said Milt Haynes, National BDPA Past President. "One of these companies will be announced as the Top Company for Blacks in Technology and receive the much coveted Epsilon Award."

The Epsilon Award is presented annually to the top company in the nation that promotes a workplace and environment that supports the advancement of Blacks in the information technology industry. The Epsilon Award will be presented later this year at the 2009 National BDPA Technology Conference to be held August 5-9 the Raleigh Convention Center in Raleigh, NC.

"We are very pleased to recognize the outstanding contributions that these companies have made for Blacks in Technology," said National BDPA President, Denise Holland. "In this economy, many African Americans in technology are concerned about opportunities for both employment and advancement. It is important to recognize those exceptional companies that have provided African Americans with challenging and fulfilling career opportunities in Information Technology."

BDPA Corporate Sponsors and Supporters were asked to complete a comprehensive survey that was used to rate their performance in the areas of Demographics, Diversity Programs, Diversity (Training, Affinity Groups), Tenure, Promotions and Terminations, Diversity Recruiting, Career Path Programs, Minority Vendor Programs, and Community Outreach.

"BDPA is the voice of African Americans in IT," said Dan Honig, Chief Operating Officer of WorkplaceDiversity.com. "WorkplaceDiversity.com is honored to be working with BDPA because it is committed to closing the digital divide and helping African American IT professionals advance." Added Honig, "We are very pleased to recognize these companies that are truly practicing workplace diversity in their IT departments."

2011 Awards and Recognition Program (BDPA Atlanta)

We encourage our Atlanta-based readers to join BDPA Atlanta chapter for its 2011 Annual Awards and Recognition program being hosted on November 16 by Cox Enterprises. During this event the chapter will be recognizing the following corporate sponsors and community partners who have contributed so much to the chapter this year:

• Cox Enterprises
• Deloitte
• DeVry University
• Keller Graduate School of Management
• Macy's Systems and Technology
• Matrix Resources
• SunTrust Bank

A special recognition will be presented to the award winning 2011 High School Computer Competition team by the folks at World Wide Technology, a leader in the field of systems integration and the largest African American owned IT firm in the United States!

In attendance also will be the 2012 chapter leadership team who are poised to take BDPA Atlanta chapter to the next level! You are encouraged to mingle with these future officers and committee chairs and learn how you can become a part of their plans for the upcoming year.

Last but not least, the chapter's technology committee will unveil the new BDPA Atlanta portal which will go live on January 1st! This dynamic technology team is compromised of seasoned IT professionals and several DeVry/Keller students.


Here are the logistics for the program:

DATE: Wednesday November 16, 2011
TIME: 6:00 pm

ADDRESS: Cox Enterprises
6205 Peachtree Dunwoody Road
Atlanta, GA 30328

DRESS CODE: Formal Business Attire

ADMISSION FEES:

• BDPA Atlanta Members & Cox Employees: Free
• College Students (w/School ID): $5.00
• Non-BDPA Members: $10.00

You can click here to RSVP for the event!

Message from Orlando Chapter President

Greetings and Happy New Year! I hope that everyone had a wonderful break over the holiday season and feels rejuvenated and excited about 2010 and the great opportunities that lie before us in our great sunshine state of Florida!

Enterprise Florida has released their 2010-2015 economic development plan which we have provided a link to in our newsletter along with other useful information and resources.

We are going to kick of the year with our first monthly program meeting of the new year. It takes place on Thursday, January 28th @ 6:00PM Eastern at SunTrust Bank. The first meeting will focus on Career Development and using a Professional Development Framework.

I would like to recommend a great book to check out that is fitting to read as we start the new year. The book is "Start Where You Are, Life Lessons in Getting From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be" by Chris Gardner, author of "The Pursuit of Happyness". I believe the many of the principles within the book we can apply to not only ourselves but our jobs, our project teams, departments, our small businesses etc..

We can start where we are at, regardless of where we are at, no matter what has taken place this past year, those are struggles, they are experiences that make us stronger, challenges which shape but not hinder us, passion and determination will help focus us not on the past but on the future and achieving success because that is what we all want. Let us look forward to 2010 and begin the work to make this a successful year.

Please join me at our next meeting on January 28th and let us continue this conversation, and allow BDPA Orlando to help be the go-to value resource for your professional development or partner in business.

Thank you,
Pablo More, president
BDPA Orlando Chapter
Phone: (407) 286-9681

Breaking the Glass Ceiling in Atlanta

Did you know that Atlanta is a finalist

to host our 2008 BDPA Technology Conference?

Our chapter in Atlanta is building momentum for that process by offering outstanding monthly program meetings for those IT professionals who are interested in career advancement from the "Classroom to the Boardroom."

BDPA Atlanta is very excited to present a panel discussion with three senior IT executives entitled, 'Breaking the Glass Ceiling'. The panelists will engage in a dialogue about career mobility for talented IT professionals seeking to move into the boardroom. The meeting will take place on Wednesday, September 26, at The Macquarium Building in Atlanta, Georgia.

The panelists are:

1. Ken Keller - Vice President, Enterprise Program Manager (SunTrust Bank)
2. Alonzo Howell - Director, Revenue Management Systems (Delta Technology)
3. Gary Donaldson - Vice President, Network Systems (Delta Technology)

All three panelists are members of BDPA and the Information Technology Senior Management Forum (ITSMF). ITSMF is the only national organization dedicated exclusively to cultivating executive talent among African American IT professionals. Its mission is to fill the executive pipeline with the next generation of African American IT executives.

One way that ITSMF and BDPA work together is through an Executive Protege' Program (EPP). In fact, we encourage any IT manager with executive aspiration or potential to consider participation in the EPP. Please click here if you want to receive more information on this remarkable program.

Members of ITSMF are senior IT executives from corporations, governmental bodies, and universities of well-established technology businesses. The panelists for the program meeting on September 26th will share the knowledge and skills that have enabled them to arrive and thrive in key management roles. If you are interested in learning what it is like to bust through the glass ceiling then this is a program meeting that you will want to attend.

For more information about this meeting please reach out to Jivonne Gilliam, VP-Member Services, BDPA Atlanta Chapter by email (MemberServices@atlantabdpa.org) or phone (800.727-2372) or simply post a comment below.