D&S Motor Sports Will Showcase Their Race Car at the BDPA Career Fair & Tech Expo

D&S Motor Sports (owner, Douglas & Mecca Roeser) have agreed to bring their race car and their unique story to the 2013 BDPA Technology Conference. The car will be on display at the Career Fair and Tech Expo on August 16-17, 2013 in Washington DC.

Mecca Roeser & the race car

The Roesers are the enthusiastic and dedicated pair behind Racing 4 Life (R4L), a program designed to empower youth and to give them alternatives to crime and violence.

The organization was founded because the Roesers decided it was time for African American leaders to give back to the youth and provide them with alternatives to drugs and gangs. The couple feels there is a real need for young people to experience what life is like when positive influences replace the negative pressure so many of them are subjected to these days. [SOURCE]

“It’s very important for the youth of today to know that they can become successful in life and that there are opportunities other than professional sports and music,” said Douglas Roeser. “I do believe that the children are our future, so we need to prepare them so that they will actually have a future, and that’s R4L’s goal.”

Through them R4L enlightens elementary-to-high school age students, especially young men and women between the ages of 8 to 18. The R4L program introduces them to the automotive industry as well as to the basic principles of getting into the workforce. R4L hosts weekly programs at different area schools and outreach programs in the Washington DC Area, using its racing experience to make the connection between racing, life, and education. R4L will often bring the team’s race cars to a school as an example of what hard work and education will provide for them. R4L also provides the students with basic codes of conduct needed to give them a better chance in life.

BDPA is honored to have the Roesers and their race car at this year's conference!

Wordless Wednesday: High School Computer Competition Team (BDPA New Jersey, 2011)

Message from BDPA Richmond Chapter President

Members and Friends,

Christopher Parker

Last week we had the awesome opportunity to host 'BDPA Day' on the Virginia State University (VSU) campus. We had the honor and pleasure of talking to management information systems majors and others about the benefits of being a part of a professional organization. Also, we shared how BDPA Richmond plans to work with VSU and the students to have a strong chapter presence in the fall semester. Finally, we talked about the ways that our BDPA programs can help prepare them to succeed in their future careers.

BDPA handed out organizational information before hosting a discussion with a panel of Richmond-area Information Technology professionals, including past National BDPA vice president Allison Aheart. Eleven VSU students were able to ask questions about the industry and learn from our experiences. BDPA Richmond chapter used 'BDPA Day' to strengthen our bonds with the VSU faculty ... including a new relationship with the VSU director of corporate relations. It helps that the VSU chief information officer, Hubert Harris, is a past BDPA Richmond chapter president!

BDPA will continue to help the VSU students travel from 'the classroom to the boardroom'. It is part of our ongoing mission to deliver programs for adults, high school students, middle school students and elementary schools students in a variety of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) areas. VSU 'BDPA Day' was a reminder of how each of us has the wonderful privilege to impact someone else in a positive manner solely through the gift of time.

Please contact me to learn more about our fundraiser to help support the purchase of college student memberships in BDPA. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Christopher Parker, president
BDPA Richmond Chapter

Like a Good Neighbor, State Farm is There for BDPA with a Silver-Level Corporate Sponsorship

Built on a foundation of shared values, quality service and relationships, mutual trust, integrity and financial strength, State Farm recently became a Silver Level Corporate Sponsor for the 35th Annual National BDPA Technology Conference and Career Fair titled, “Diverse Opportunities In The Age of Convergence” on August 14-17, 2013, Washington Hilton Hotel, Washington, D. C.

"State Farm is proud to be a Silver level sponsor and values the continued relationship with BDPA," stated Theonnie Shields, State Farm Systems Manager.

Teaming up with organizations like BDPA that share State Farm’s vision and commitment to building safer, stronger, and better educated communities, the State Farm corporate sponsorship will provide support for BDPA key initiatives that promote STEM and help close the digital divide.

Monique Berry

Monique Berry, National BDPA President said, "BDPA would like to thank State Farm Insurance for their support. Their contribution will help us achieve our goal of filling the STEM pipeline with computer scientists, engineers and other tech professionals. State Farm's participation in our Technology Career Fair on August 16-17 will present the D.C. community with employment opportunities at State Farm as well as other participating companies."

As a global member-focused technology organization with 46 local BDPA chapters in the United States, BDPA continues to stand as a leader in delivering 21st century technological programs, college scholarships, mentoring, support, and services for youth and adult Information Technology professionals. BDPA is honored to partner with a world class organization such as State Farm.

For more information on BDPA’s 35th Annual National Conference, contact Wayne Hicks, Director, BDPA Corporate Sales Department, corpsales@bdpa.org, (301) 584-3135.

Program Meeting: 'Business Continuity / Disaster Recovery' (BDPA New York, April 2013)

Brian Gray is responsible for disaster recovery at the United Nations. Think on what that means. BDPA New York was blessed to have Brian as a guest speaker at its April 2013 program meeting to discuss 'Towards Organizational Resilience - Business Continuity / Disaster Recovery'.

Brian shared his 14-page presentation deck with us for posterity.

Presentation - UN BC - BDPA Meeting - 18 April 2013 from Brian Gray

BDPA Corporate Sales Presentation: Detroit (2013)

BDPA Detroit chapter president Beverly Moore and the National BDPA Corporate Sales director Wayne Hicks are scheduled to have a conference call in a few days with some executives from General Motors. The focus of the discussion will be on ways that General Motors can become a BDPA corporate sponsor.

Beverly put together this 23-page .ppt deck to describe ways that any corporation can invest in her chapter. It is a comprehensive document and may serve as a 'best practice' for other chapters seeking to improve their revenue stream from corporate sales.

BDPA Corporate Sales: Detroit (2013) from Wayne Hicks

What do you think? Is this an effective presentation? If not, what would you like to see added, deleted or revised?

VIDEO: Showing Students How to Leverage Blacks Gone Geek Website

This short video shows high school and college students how to navigate the Blacks Gone Geek website to find information on careers in technology, student internships, STEM programs, and much, much more.



Milt Haynes is the founder of Blacks Gone Geek. He is also a past national BDPA president with a powerful legacy in the BDPA community. We encourage all BDPA supporters to learn more about Milt's Blacks Gone Geek initiative.

BDPA Dallas Students Compete at Texas Technology Student Association Conference

BDPA works with upwards of 500 high school students each week in the computer camps that take place around the nation. We are very excited when our young people have a chance to share their love of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with others. That is what occurred earlier this week with our young people being trained by BDPA Dallas chapter.

Five BDPA Dallas chapter student members - (l-r in photo) Emilio Ramos, Xavier Grandberry, Veronica Scott, Jaqueria Lacy and Quintin Neal - participated in the High School Webmaster competition hosted by the Technology Student Association (TSA). TSA is the only student organization devoted exclusively to the needs of students interested in technology. Open to students enrolled in or who have completed technology education courses, TSA currently has membership of over 180,000 middle and high school students in 2,000 schools spanning 48 states.

TSA is supported by educators, parents and business leaders who believe in the need for a technologically literate society. Members learn through exciting competitive events, leadership opportunities and much more. The diversity of activities makes TSA a positive experience for every student. From engineers to business managers, our alumni credit TSA with a positive influence on their lives. BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is pleased to see that BDPA Dallas chapter explored the opportunity for its student members to participate in the statewide event.

BDPA Dallas students placed 6th out of 24 teams competing in the Web Design competition during the Texas Technology Student Association Conference. Congratulations to Emilio, Xavier, Veronica, Jaqueria, Quintin, Stacy Stewart (BDPA Dallas chapter president) and the rest of the BDPA Dallas leadership team for exploring new frontiers.

If you are as happy as we are about these young people ... you can show it! Just click here to make an online donation to the BDPA Dallas Scholarship Fund!

I wonder if other BDPA chapters might be interested in exploring TSA membership and TSA competitions in other states?

Program Meeting: 'Agile Software Development' (BDPA Detroit, April 2013)

BDPA Detroit chapter program meeting in April 2013 focused on 'Agile Software Development'. The guest speaker focused on how Agile is changing the way we develop applications software, the dynamic in the work place and the tools used. While there is no simple definition of Agile Software Development Framework, it is plain to see that it is terminology which will become commonly used to describe delivering value in the work place.

The meeting explored some of these approaches while sharing an overview of IBM's Agile Software Development Tool with the audience participants.  Here is the video from the meeting:

Bemley Scholar Christina Miller Heads to Creighton University

Christina Miller is a remarkable young woman who represented BDPA St. Louis chapter in 2009-2010 and 2012 as a member of their High School Computer Competition team. The BDPA St. Louis chapter earned a fifth place finish in the 2010 National BDPA HSCC Championship and improved to bring home the silver medal for a second place finish in the 2012 National BDPA HSCC Championship. As a result she earned the Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship in both years ... and will be using that scholarship money to attend Creighton University in the fall.

We asked Christina to reflect on her BDPA experiences. Here is what she had to say:

I will be graduating from Visitation Academy in May 2013 and will attend Creighton University majoring in Biochemistry and Physics.

I have worked with computers ever since I could read. I remember sitting on my dad's lap at, what seems like now, a giant desktop and after reading each prompt clicking the "Yes" or "No" buttons. I remember my dad handing me, again, what seems old fashioned, ethernet cables and plugging them into the appropriate slot. I grew up with computers and technology, so when I first got involved with BDPA the summer going into my freshman year in high school, I was hooked.

While I hope to major in Biochemistry and Physics, the skills learned during training sessions are invaluable. Not only am I able to use the typical programming languages like HTML, CSS, Javascript, JSTL and JSP, I can also rattle off fast facts about the history of computers, such as the name of the first compiler or the reason that Grace Hopper is important. Also, I learned team work, communication, and networking skills. Going year from year, I grew more comfortable and confident in my skills and I was able to help guide new students in understanding different languages.

One of my favorite parts of BDPA is getting to know my teammates so well. After training for hours and hours during the week and then spending 5 days with them at the conference, it's hard not to get to know them. I believe each one has something different to offer and bring to the table just to make our team even better and stronger.

BDPA St. Louis HSCC Team (2012) - Silver Medal Winners

BDPA's High School Computer Competition is something I will always remember and be extremely grateful for the experience.

BDPA iRadio Show: April 23, 2013 (Linwood Bailey, Tim Butts)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is very proud to be the creator of the BDPA iRadio Show. You can listen to the archive version of the show using the widget shown in the right-hand sidebar of this blog. FREE download from the iTunes Store is also available for our listeners!

Listen to internet radio with BDPA on BlogTalkRadio

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The guests on the April 23rd show:

Linwood Bailey - Founder & owner, Fields of Success - Linwood Bailey was introduced to BDPA by past national president Milt Haynes back in 2008. Linwood is a career coach who specializes in assisting professionals with the management of their most important economic asset -- their careers. He is also the author of The Business of Me: Your Job … Your Career … Your Value, a career management guidebook designed the today’s business professional. His twitter handle is @LinwoodBailey.

Tim Butts - Principal and owner, TEB1 & Associates - Tim Butts owns a consultancy that specializes in business intelligence and IT systems. He has been working with healthcare organizations for over 20 years. His workshop presentation at the 2013 BDPA Technology Conference is titled, 'Lessons Learned: Implementing EHR'. Healthcare IT remains a very hot area for employment in the IT industry. Tim will share some of the lessons that he's learned over the years of implementing 'electronic health records' (EHR). The process of converting health records from paper to digital is full of land mines. Tim's case study approach to this workshop will allow attendees to avoid those dangers. His twitter handle is @TEB1Consulting.

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

Pat E. Perkins LCC Renews Its BDPA Corporate Support

Pat E. Perkins LLC renewed its BDPA support for 2013-2014 this week.  The company chief executive officer and founder, Pat Perkins, is a longtime advocate for BDPA and we are very pleased that her company continues to be among the growing list of corporations that invest in BDPA programs, scholarships and services.

BDPA is proud of the mutually beneficial connection that exists with our members who are entrepreneurs and business owners. We strive to give them as much, if not more, love than we give to our Fortune 100 corporate partners.

Pat is a certified life coach who helps new and emerging leaders advance in their business, their career and their life. Visit her website at www.pateperkins.com.

VIDEO: 'Your Future in IT Starts Today'

There are upwards of 500 students engaged in BDPA computer camps around the nation on any given weekend. Here is a video that can be shared with each of those students and their parents during orientation. This video production is the creation of BDPA Twin Cities chapter leader Michael Wulf.



What did you think of Michael's video vignette?

CA Technologies Plans Diversity Recruitment at BDPA Career Fair

BDPA is pleased to announce that CA Technologies will have a booth at the 2013 BDPA Career Fair in Washington DC on August 16-17.

CA Technologies provides IT management solutions that help customers manage and secure complex IT environments to support agile business services. Organizations of all sizes leverage CA Technologies software and SaaS solutions to accelerate IT innovation through new technologies, transform infrastructure to reduce complexity and free up resources, and secure data and identities to reduce risk. They do this across all environments from the data center to the cloud and across the complete service life-cycle. CA Technologies offers a practical approach to help customers transition from maintaining IT systems to delivering new, innovative services and value through IT. CA Technologies delivers Business Service Innovation.

The corporate decision to participate in the 2013 BDPA Technology Conference was communicated to us by the diversity recruitment program manager at the company. CA Technologies will be reaching out to BDPA members and supporters to share career opportunities at the career fair.

You can follow our newest sponsor on Twitter: @CAinc

'Leadership is a Privilege' (BDPA St. Louis)

by Guest Blogger: Dwana Franklin (BDPA St. Louis)

BDPA St. Louis hosted its April 2013 program meeting at the Monsanto headquarters office. The chapter presented a panel discussion on “Leadership is a Privilege” facilitated by Vincent Shorter (director, Monsanto). The panelist included Fred Burdell (chief information officer, Emerson Industrial Automation), Teron Bowman (IT Manager, Lord & Taylor) and Fabiana Solari (middleware services lead, Monsanto). There were 30 people in attendance for this very successful networking and educational seminar.

The session introduce some of the benefits of leadership - including driving growth and change in your organization; developing others; challenging teams to go beyond their personal and group boundaries; and helping others to realize pride in accomplishment. Vincent led with views and different perspectives of leadership and then enthusiastically moderated the panel of diverse IT professionals. The discussion was interactive and insightful between the attendees and panelists.

At the end of the session time was allotted for networking, and everyone left the meeting with a minimum of one new contact to add to their network.

Some of the comments shared on the meeting evaluations included:

"It was truly a privilege to participate as a panel member for this event. I appreciated the opportunity and also enjoyed networking and learning from others in the IT community."

"It was a pleasure participating in the event last night. I really enjoyed the professional atmosphere and dialogue with the facilitator, my panel members, and the BDPA members."

"The networking at the end was awesome as well. The room was buzzing with all the chatter!!! It was a beautiful thing."

"I thought it was a very engaging, empowering, and enlightening session! Thank you for being wonderful hosts, enthusiastic panelists, and more importantly, great representatives of professionalism...substance...and style!"

Luxottica Retail Seeks Diverse IT Talent from BDPA Career Fair

Luxottica Retail realizes that BDPA provides a vibrant community for recruitment of diverse information technology professionals. That is the reason that Luxottica Retail agreed to participate in the 2013 BDPA Career Fair on August 16-17 in Washington DC.

Luxottica Retail is a diverse, growing family of 42,000 associates and doctors working together to make a difference in the lives of its customers. With a strong portfolio of retail brands, Luxottica is positioned to reach every segment of the market. The retail portfolio offers a variety of differentiation points for consumers, including the latest in designer and high performance sun frames, advanced lens options, advanced eye care, every day value, and premiere vision care health benefits.

The company, headquartered in Cincinnati OH, has a growing need for IT professionals. BDPA and Luxottica Retail are proud of their growing corporate partnership in 2013 and beyond.

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

SOURCE: BDPA Foundation Flickr Photostream

BDPA Cincinnati High School Computer Competition Team (2013)

These are the coaches and students that make up the 2013 BDPA Cincinnati High School Computer Competition (HSCC) team. They plan to compete in the National BDPA HSCC championship later this year in Washington DC.

L-R: Deborah Prince (Outreach Director), Hadiya Harrigan, Jada Brown, Hasani Harrigan, Brian Pulliam, Kiese Wambu, and Frank Hill (Instructor)

Happy Birthday Denise Holland (Past National BDPA President)

Happy Birthday to our past national BDPA president, Denise Holland!

Federal Reserve Bank Joins Growing List of BDPA Career Fair Companies

The buzz for the 2013 BDPA Career Fair being held August 16-17 in Washington DC is growing day-by-day. Today we learn that the Federal Reserve Information Technology folks purchased a booth at our career fair.

The Federal Reserve joins a growing list of BDPA Career Fair companies that include:

1. Johnson & Johnson
2. Health Care Service Corporation
3. Accenture
4. Deloitte
5. Eli Lilly and Company
6. GEICO
7. Mayo Clinic
8. MillerCoors
9. National Security Agency
10. NextEra Energy Resources
11. PNC Bank
12. Prudential
13. University of Phoenix
14. Walgreen Company
15. Walmart

This is a great time to be a BDPA member or supporter as we are truly gaining traction with companies who are HIRING. Have you placed your current resume on the BDPA Job Board yet? If not, visit today and see what we've got for you -- http://www.ITDiversityCareers.com