Where Are They Now? BDPA Los Angeles Chapter Presidents

BDPA Los Angeles was the first BDPA chapter located in the pacific time zone when it was founded in 1986. BDPA Los Angeles chapter trivia:

My mom (Liz Hicks) served as BDPA Los Angeles chapter president in 1993-1994. A few years later I served as president of BDPA Cincinnati chapter (1999-2001). We were the only relatives to serve as BDPA president until a few years later when the Roberts' sisters (Monique/Seattle and Jovan/Detroit) duplicated the feat!

Our Los Angeles chapter hosted national BDPA technology conferences in 1989 ('Ideas in the Making') and 2006 ('Picturing the Future of Information Technology').

The chapter has never won the national high school computer competition (HSCC), however, they have had very positive impact on HSCC alumni such as Clyde Hill (2003-2005), Kelly Hill (2001-2003) and Joshua Roy (2004)

I would love to make a connection with other HSCC alumni from our Los Angeles chapter. Where are they now?

Past BDPA Los Angeles chapter president Robert Riddick (shown in photo) served as the national parliamentarian and a member of the BETF Board of Directors for many years. It would be great if we could hear from each of the past BDPA Los Angeles chapter presidents:

• Joseph Uroquart (1982)
• Connie Moore (1983-1986)
• Robert Riddick (1987-1990)
• Darolyn Howard (1991-1992)
• Donna Elijah (1993)
• Tracey Oxley (1993)
• Elizabeth Hicks (1993-1994)

• Reginald Watson (1995-1998)
• Robert Gardner (1999-2000)
• Angela White-Parker (2001-2004)
• Narvin Yarbrough (2005-2006)
• Andree Justin (2007-2008)
• John Malonson (2009-2014) - shown in photo

Where Are They Now?

2005 National BDPA HSCC Champions (So. Minnesota)

This photo taken at the 2005 National BDPA Awards Gala held in Detroit, MI. It was taken moments after BDPA Southern Minnesota chapter learned that they won the national High School Computer Competition championship. This victory was sweet for many of these youngsters as they placed in 2nd place the year before.

Can you name the people in the photo? I wonder if we can get any of the folks in the photo to leave a comment below about their personal memory of the event? What say u?

HSCC Student Spotlight: BDPA Cincinnati

2009 HSCC Team is Ready!  Simeon Ellis is second-from-right.

BDPA Cincinnati past president Frank Hill recently gave an update on some of the remarkable students who have participated in the chapter's Student Information Education & Scholarship program over the years.

• Simeon Ellis, 2007-2009 HSCC alumni graduated from The Maryland Institute of Art with a degree in Animation. Simeon loves to entertain people and make them laugh. As a child, the cartoons on television played a large role in the development of his personality, and those traits have stuck with him. Animation is the vehicle he uses to make people laugh ... and it is his chosen career path.



Frank Hill and Kamin Johnson

• Kamin Johnson, 2010 HSCC alumni graduated from Full Sail University with a degree in Game Development. Kamin moved to Austin (TX) to begin his IT career at Multimedia Games.

Curtis Mimes

• Curtis Mimes, 2011 HSCC alumni is in his second year of the Computer Engineering program at the University of Cincinnati. He recently returned from an internship at Oak Ridge Labs in Tennessee.

Hadiya Harrigan

• Hadiya Harrigan, 2011-2013 HSCC alumni graduates from Seven Hills High School with Honors this month. She plans to attend Tuskegee University in the fall, majoring in Electrical/Computer Engineering. Hadiya is one of the most decorated students in BDPA Cincinnati history as winner of Oracle scholarship and Aspirations in Computing Award from the National Center for Women in Technology (NCWIT). Hadiya was one of 35 national winners (out of over 2,500 applicants) for the NCWIT honor. Hadiya earned the Girl Scout Gold Award with her project focused on a tutorial for teaching web site development using MySQL and ASP.NET. Last year, Hadiya was honored as a 'Reaching for the Stars Leader of the Future' in Cincinnati.



Hasani Harrigan

• Hasani Harrigan, 2012-2013 HSCC alumni is a junior at Seven Hills High School. He is an outstanding student-athlete. Earlier this month, he won the 'Reaching for Stars Leader of the Future Award' at the University of Cincinnati. This award is given to outstanding high school students. Hasani is in his third year with the chapter's SITES program and he will anchor the team during the upcoming national HSCC championship being held later this year in Indianapolis.

BDPA Cincinnati seeks to advance the careers of its members from the classroom to the boardroom and we look forward to following these young people in the coming months and years! Please help us ... please make a secure online donation to the Brandon Berry Memorial Scholarship Fund!

Related articles

• Cincinnati.com, 1/6/2014 (Hadiya Harrigan)
• Cincinnati.com, 7/29/2013 (Hadiya Harrigan)
• Overview: BDPA High School Computer Competition

Monsanto Scholarship for BDPA Students (Deadline: 7/15/2014)

BDPA is proud to partner with Monsanto Company to provide $10,000 in annual scholarships to students with an interest in pursuing or continuing a 4 year academic program related to Information Technology. The Monsanto Scholarships for BDPA Students will provide four $2,500 scholarships to graduating high school or college students to assist with their studies.

The scholarships will be offered at both the national and local level:

• Two $2,500 scholarships will be awarded through the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation.
• Two $2,500 scholarships will be awarded through the BDPA St. Louis chapter with an emphasis on past or present High School Computer Competition team members.

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States
• Be a graduating high school senior or college student in good academic standing
• Be a member of BDPA
• Complete the Monsanto BDPA Scholarship application packet
• Demonstrate academic achievement (minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale)
• Must not be related to any employee actively working in Monsanto

Complete Monsanto BDPA Scholarship Application packet must include:

• Complete Scholarship Application Form
• Current transcript
• Essay on “How has Information Technology impacted Agriculture” (500 words max)

Download the application at http://www.betf.org/scholarships/monsanto.shtml

All application materials must be RECEIVED on or before July 15, 2014 in order to be eligible. Incomplete applications will not be considered! Monsanto will announce the scholarship winners during the 2014 National BDPA Technology Conference in Indianapolis, IN.

Past winners include Della Anjeh (Pomona College), Jala Cruz (Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis) and Alex Marcellus (Purdue University).

For more information, please contact:
BDPA Education and Technology Foundation
Phone: (513) 284-4968
Fax: (202) 318-2194
E-mail: monsanto@betf.org

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Wordless Wednesday: BDPA Northeast Region Leadership

BDPA iRadio Show - June 10, 2014 (Bryan Bennett, Carl Hill, Derrick Brown)

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!

Find Additional Technology Podcasts with BDPA on BlogTalkRadio

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The guests on the June 10th show:

Bryan Bennett - professor, Northwestern University - Bryan Bennett is a professor at Northwestern University with experience as an owner of a healthcare technology consulting firm. Bryan will give a presentation at the 2014 BDPA Technology Conference on the topic, 'Beyond the Electronic Health Record: The Next Steps for Healthcare'. Many healthcare organizations believe they are finished or almost finished once they implement an EHR solution. Unfortunately, the EHR is only the first step in a journey that will lead them to becoming a data enabled healthcare organization. There are several additional steps and multiple continuums, in addition to the technology, that need to be addressed if the organization is going to reach their destination. This presentation will discuss the next steps an organization must take to be successful and address the other continuums that are currently being short-changed. The presentation will point out the stumbling blocks they will face along the way and how to overcome them. You can follow Bryan on Twitter -- @jbryanbennett

Carl Hill - president, BDPA Triangle and Golden Technology Services - Carl Hill is president of Golden Technology Services with over 30 years of experience in the IT industry. He will be a presenter at the 2014 BDPA Technology Conference on the topic, 'The Cyber Threat Landscape - What Should You Know?' Carl's presentation will highlight the growing cyber threat landscape, the history, past year, future vulnerabilities and what should employees, small businesses and large organizations do to minimize their risks.

Derrick Brown - chapter president, BDPA Atlanta - is an IT manager with Macy's Systems and Technology. He is a workshop presenter at the 2014 BDPA Technology Conference on the topic, 'The Necessity and Power of Critical Thinking'. Critical Thinking is the most sought after skill according for prospective employees according to Forbes. This is a trend that will only continue as technology and innovation continues to proliferate. So what does this mean to you? It means you must readily be able to use reason and logic as part of your daily on-the-job process. This seminar will provide you with tools you need to enhance your critical thinking skills both at home, and on the job.  Derrick can be found on Twitter - @DSherroidBrown

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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!

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BDPA Cincinnati Announces New Board Leadership – Patrick Nelson

BDPA Cincinnati chapter, a nonprofit organization made up of racially diverse information technology professionals, today announced a new member of its board of directors. Patrick Nelson appointed to serve as the director of the chapter’s Benefits Department.

BDPA Cincinnati is the 2nd-largest (out of 46) chapters in the nation. The Benefits Department procures discounts and other benefits for BDPA Cincinnati chapter members. These benefits fall into the following categories: hardware, magazine subscriptions, software and training. The department will contact various corporations in the local area to secure discounted pricing for BDPA members. The department will create a written document that shares the specific and tangible benefits that accrue to our chapter members. Finally, the department will provide relevant content on membership benefits for chapter website (www.bdpa.org/group/CI) and other online platforms.

“We want to welcome back Patrick Nelson, who has volunteered to serve as the Benefits Department director. Patrick brings not only years of experience with the BDPA organization, having previously served as its chapter president and corporate advisory council chairperson, but also a wealth of technical experience and organizational leadership from his 27 year career with Procter & Gamble,” said BDPA Cincinnati chapter president Dalric Webb. “Patrick is the right person for the job at the right time as we continue to build and expand on the tangible membership benefits for our BDPA members.”

Patrick is co-owner of Unique Expressions Management Services. During his P&G career, he successfully identified game-changing technology trends, aligned senior business leaders and implemented global solutions that delivered exceptional business results across 150+ manufacturing plants around the globe. Patrick has a passion for applying innovative IT solutions and services in a way that transforms business models and drives bottom line results across the enterprise. He is a natural collaborator who works effectively to untangle ambiguous situations and resolve wicked problems. Patrick graduated with a degree in computer science from Jackson State University.

About BDPA:
BDPA is the premier organization for African American professionals in the information technology industry. For more than 25 years, BDPA Cincinnati has fulfilled its mission and worked to bridge the digital divide by providing career growth opportunities for its members. BDPA Cincinnati is the fastest-growing of the 46 chapters that exist around the nation.

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OSIsoft Sponsors BDPA Philadelphia

BDPA is pleased to announce that OSIsoft is on board as a corporate supporter. The company made investment in programs and services of our BDPA Philadelphia chapter. In addition the company is sending one of its group leaders to the 36th annual BDPA Technology Conference on August 5-9, 2014 in Indianapolis.

OSIsoft, founded in 1980, is headquartered in San Leandro, CA, with operations worldwide. The company delivers the PI System®, the industry standard in enterprise infrastructure, for management of real-time data and events. With installations in 107 countries spanning the globe, the OSIsoft PI System is used in manufacturing, energy, utilities, life sciences, data centers, facilities, and the process industries. The PI System enables users to manage assets, mitigate risks, comply with regulations, improve processes, drive innovation, make business decisions in real-time, and to identify competitive business and market opportunities.

The BDPA account manager for OSIsoft is Eileen Gadsden. For more information about the BDPA corporate sales program you can call (513.584-3135 x108) or email the organization.

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BDPA Regional VP Michael Wulf Rides Across the Country for Charity

Michael Wulf is a longtime BDPA member currently serving as vice president of our BDPA Midwest region. He received the President’s Volunteer Service Award in both 2012 and 2013, acknowledging his tireless work with the Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program hosted by our BDPA Twin Cities chapter.

Michael & Elizabeth Wulf

Michael found a new and unique way to raise money for the SITES program that is offered free-of-charge by BDPA volunteers. He and his wife Elizabeth plan to ride their motorcycles around the perimeter of the United States to raise needed funds to jump-start the creation of an academy that will run on a hosted online course management system. The 'Ride-4-Charity' fundraiser takes place from June 8-18, 2014. Michael and Elizabeth will ride over 7000 miles, across 26 states, during those 10 days.

Funds are being collected by the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation. Donations go directly towards the creation of an online course room that will be used for software, infrastructure and ongoing support. Online course rooms will be deployed across the United States taking free volunteer-led technical training out to communities and community centers where they can benefit most.

BDPA has the volunteer base and passion to serve future IT professionals and leaders. Their motto is 'from the Classroom to the Boardroom'. Volunteers will collaborate with students and guide them through training they normally would not get. This 'facilitated' style of training creates the confidence needed by students as they consider post-secondary education and careers in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM). BDPA and the Wulf family want kids in the United States to be the inventors, creators or innovators and not just consumers.

To find out more or support this cause, please check out www.Ride4Charity.org or Facebook: Ride4Charity.

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BDPA Cincinnati Announces New Board Leadership - Carmen Byes

Carmen Byes

BDPA Cincinnati chapter, a nonprofit organization made up of racially diverse information technology professionals, today announced a new member of its board of directors. Carmen Byes appointed to serve as the director of the chapter’s Communications Department.

BDPA Cincinnati is the 2nd-largest (out of 46) chapters in the nation. The Communications Department is responsible for communicating BDPA information via all appropriate platforms (online and offline). This department is solely responsible for maintaining current and relevant content on the chapter website (www.bdpa.org/group/CI). Finally, this department ensures that chapter members have their technical articles published in both local and national publications.

“We are very excited to have Carmen join the volunteer team on the BDPA Cincinnati Board of Directors. Carmen brings a fresh perspective, energy, technical expertise and a passion for the success of the mission of the BDPA organization,” said BDPA Cincinnati chapter president Dalric Webb. “I look forward to working with Carmen to grow our chapter and continue to expand our efforts at addressing the technology gaps within our communities.”

Carmen is a technical specialist contractor for Pomeroy with a current assignment to Fifth Third Bank. She is also an IT specialist for Staples. Carmen is A+ certified and pursuing additional Network+ and CCNA certifications. Carmen attended North Carolina A&T State University and recently graduated from Per Scholas. She’s always had an interest in working within the Information Technology industry.

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Message from BDPA Cincinnati Chapter President

Dalric Webb

Hard to believe it is June already with the whirlwind of activity planned by the hardworking volunteers within the BDPA Cincinnati chapter!  As we start full tilt into the summer months, please join me in celebrating the efforts of some of our notable members.

First, we thank Carl Matthews (Group Three Systems) for his project management leadership of the 2014 BDPA Midwest Regional High School Computer Competition and IT Showcase. Teams from Chicago, Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Los Angeles will participate in this event as a warm-up to the upcoming National BDPA Technology Conference on August 5-9, 2014 in Indianapolis. Carl has a support team including Frank Hill (Hiltonics Computer Associates), Deborah Prince (xpedx), and Karen Lipscomb (Yoh). Together, this team is on track to deliver an outstanding regional event on June 21st.

Second, I’d like to welcome several new members to our leadership team. These new leaders seek to close the technology gaps in our community by advancing the careers of African Americans in the IT industry from the classroom to the boardroom:

1. Former chapter president Patrick Nelson (Unique Expressions) rejoins the board as the Benefits Department director. In this role, Patrick brings over 20 years of BDPA experience and technical acumen from his work at Procter & Gamble.
2. Carmen Byes (Fifth Third Bank) is our Communications Department director. Her team will soon publish the first chapter newsletter in almost four years.
3. Former chapter president Brenda Hogan (Duke Energy) agreed to serve as chair of our annual Awards Banquet Fundraiser. Stay tuned for more information on this event taking place later this year.
4. VP-Member Services Karen Lipscomb and her business area have been relentless in their efforts to bring professional development programs and services to the chapter.

Also, I want to compliment the work of the membership management business area under the leadership of Wayne Hicks (Hicks Enterprises). His team worked hard to make BDPA Cincinnati the fastest-growing chapter in the nation! The quality of our chapter's member benefits continues to grow. Also our chapter grows closer with regular social events such as the visit to the Cincinnati Art Museum and the upcoming meet & greet at Mahogany's on the Banks soul food restaurant on June 26. The membership management team is working hard to ensure the members of the second-largest chapter in the nation FEEL our love as they connect and expand their personal and professional networks.

Finally, we want to congratulate VP-Fundraising Ellery Lewis (Procter & Gamble) and his wife, Amber-Renee on the recent birth of their first child, Elise Noelle Lewis. We wish continued blessings to the Lewis family.

I cannot close my monthly message without asking those members that are not actively engaged to step forward and lend a hand. There is so much more we can do but for the lack of willing members who can see the value of giving a few hours a month of their time to a greater cause. Won’t you consider being a part of this dynamic and focused team of technology professionals? Can you spare as little as five hours per month to support others in need? Let’s talk. Give me a call on (513) 549-6991 or send me an email and let’s chat about how you can give just a little and get so much in return.

Please consider joining the BDPA Cincinnati Chapter Board of Directors. We have a very strong team which works VERY well together to accomplish our mutual goals and objectives. You will be in the company of some really good (and SMART) people with a passion for not only YOUR success, but the success of our youth and our community. It is a positive team and we want you to be a part of it. Please consider taking one of the open positions within the chapter. No role is too small and the need is great. You can do this. We need you. Our communities need you. Our students need you. The open board positions can be found on our website. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

As always, your feedback is earnestly solicited. How is your BDPA membership working out for you? How can we improve the value of your membership? Send me a note or pull me to the side at the monthly program meeting. This is YOUR chapter. Are you feeling engaged?

Sincerely,
Dalric Webb, president
BDPA Cincinnati Chapter

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Top 10 BDPA Chapters (Membership, May 2014)

The lifeblood of any nonprofit association is its membership.  We are tickled to announce that membership has grown for the 5th straight month to its highest level since January 2010.  In fact, the total membership increased by 17% so far this year ... and up 53% from this time last year!  The membership growth is a direct result of efforts by local, regional and national leaders to provide a value proposition to members (and potential members) with its programs, scholarships and services.  Kudos to the National BDPA president Craig Brown and his team for the continued positive trending in this core metric.

Reggie Rush

This month we pay homage to BDPA Chicago chapter (president Reggie Rush). for its continued success in terms of membership retention and recruitment. BDPA Chicago added more members in May than any other chapter in the nation as it solidified its ranking as the largest chapter in the nation. Most of these new members came from corporate sponsors.

BDPA Milwaukee chapter (president, Carmen Giles) had a wonderful month as well.  This chapter grew by 31% last month!  Much of the growth came as a result of well-attended program meeting.

We believe in the management maxim -- you get what you measure.  Let us assess the numbers in order to honor those local BDPA chapters who are demonstrating success in their efforts to recruit and retain members. Let's take a look at the ten largest chapters in BDPA-Nation:

1. Chicago - president, Reggie Rush
2. Cincinnati - president, Dalric Webb
   
3. Washington DC - president, Perry Carter 
4. Philadelphia - president, Eileen Gadsden
5. Atlanta - president, Derrick Brown 
6. New Jersey - president, Goldie Bonney
7. Dallas - president, Chad White
8. Los Angeles - president, John Malonson
9. New York - president, Tyronne McKinney
10. Detroit - president, Beverly Moore

The top five chapters on the list remain in the 'BDPA Century Club'! The benefit of having powerful leadership is obvious when we see that Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, Philadelphia and Washington DC each have over 100 members. One of the common denominators for each of these chapters is that they place a high premium on the delivery of quality programs and services to their members. These chapters work hard to ensure that there is a strong return on the $100 investment that each member makes thru annual dues.

What are your thoughts about the value of BDPA membership? What can your local chapter do to improve the value-proposition for you on a personal or professional level?

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