Jared Orange Uses Wanda Everett Scholarship at Missouri University of Science and Technology

Jared Orange * Wanda Everett Scholar

Daugherty Business Solutions offered the first annual Wanda Everett Scholarship this year to two students. One of the scholars is Jared Orange who plans to use his scholarship as a student at Missouri University of Science and Technology.

Jared is was born and raised in St. Louis. He is a graduate of Westminster Christian Academy and has been a BDPA St. Louis member for the past couple of years. He competed in the 2015 National BDPA High School Computer Competition and has a deep interest in robotics and drone technology. His goal is to build robotic devices for people with damaged limbs.

Jared was selected for this scholarship based on his strong high school academic record, his drive to learn the IT profession with electives and internships, and his essay. Jared will be starting as a freshman at Missouri University of Science and Technology.

This is our first time awarding the Wanda Everett scholarship. Jared is a remarkable young man. BDPA looks forward to following his career as he progresses through college and into his career!

Sharon Shaw Wins 2015 BDPA Epsilon Award for Community Service

National BDPA annually selects and awards the BDPA Epsilon Award to recognize and celebrate key contributions and accomplishments of its members. Nominations are accepted across five categories and they are evaluated by a team of National BDPA members. One of the categories is Career Achievement. This honor is reserved for people who have significant demonstration, by meaningful results, strong partnership and collaboration with entities in the communities they reside.

BDPA is pleased to announce that Sharon Shaw has won the 2015 Epsilon Award for Community Service. She was a protocol officer for the Navy Information Dominance Forces. Her nomination was submitted by Lt. Duane Motley, commander, US Naval Forces. He wrote,

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"Ms. Shaw’s impressive managerial capability, positive leadership, and exception attitude propel her as a role model for military, civilian, and youths and capture the true spirit of community service. She is a superb leader who sets the standards that inspire and motivate peers and subordinates to excel.

Since 2000, she has unselfishly led NCTAMS LANT’s award winning (local and federal level) Drug Education For Youth (DEFY) mentoring program that promotes stability by providing 9-12 year olds the life skills necessary to deter at-risk behaviors associated with substance abuse, gangs, and other negative influences. DEFY develops youth through drug education, leadership, character development, positive role model mentoring, and community outreach to enhance quality of life for military personnel and their families. Each year 90+ youth participants and 120 mentors, guest speakers, and community leaders spent over 5,250 hours mentoring the kids. Organized volunteers to participate in three community relations events to promote DEFY.

Additionally, she is the Interim First Vice President and Second Vice President of the Newport News-Hampton Chapter of the Continental Societies, an organization dedicated to creating environments that empower children to have access to quality and appropriate opportunities to reach their optimal potential. Ms. Shaw and the Continentals spent over 3,000 raising funds for scholarships (10 $1000 scholarships); supported the Program for Educating Exception Preschoolers providing monthly donations of diapers, underwear, socks and soap powder to local children; donated 11 boxes of diapers, underwear, and socks; partnered with the Newport News Police Department and Hampton-Newport News Community Services Board to provide book bags and school supplies to 2,000 children; partnered with the Ridley Circle After School Program to implement an after-school program, provide school supplies and backpacks, and formed a reading circle; and organized a Career Pathways initiative for the Newport News Public School system to expose students to grade-appropriate career development experiences.

Sharon personally adopted a homeless family of six. She assisted them in search for a home and took it upon herself to become a mentor to the 9, 10, and 13 year old children."

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BDPA is very proud to honor the works of Sharon Shaw! We are glad that she won this 2015 Epsilon Award!

2014 National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) Rankings

BDPA Washington DC HSCC Team & Coach

The 2014 National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championships were held in Indianapolis. We had 18 teams competing in 2014. The two-day competition was fierce and we had a new champion from Washington DC! The 2014 HSCC Champion were from BDPA Washington DC and they earned HP laptops and a $2,000 Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship for attending college. They beat out the scrappy team from BDPA Greater Columbia and the perennial high-ranking team from BDPA Southern Minnesota.

The winning team from Washington DC included Lauren Battle, Beleicia Bullock, Zion Emanuel, Johnathan Legrant and Alex Li.

Here are the rankings for all 18 teams that competed in 2014 national HSCC championships with the scholarship winnings for each student in parenthesis:

1. Washington DC ($2,000 Bemley Scholarship for each student)
2. Greater Columbia ($1,500 each)
3. Southern Minnesota ($1,000 each)
4. Atlanta ($500 each)
5. Cincinnati
6. Middle Tennessee
7. Chicago
8. New York
9. St Louis
10. Twin Cities
11. Indianapolis
12. Central Illinois
13. Triangle
14. Milwaukee
15. Dallas
16. New Jersey
17. Detroit
18. Charlotte

Our foundation seeks to increase the number of students that receive Bemley Scholarships. To do so, we need your help. Please consider making an online donation to help us interest young people in science and technology.

Long Story Short: Mike Williams (National BDPA President)

Mike A. Williams * National BDPA President

Mike A. Williams is ending his first year as National BDPA president. He is an experienced senior information technology executive who has over twenty-nine years of technology management and executive experience. Williams has been employed by Fortune 500 companies in the financial services, insurance, outsourcing and transportation and logistics industries.

Williams has used his diverse technology, process, and business skills to transform and optimize operations within internal technology teams and IT Outsourcing client organizations. He has also held P&L responsibilities and lead strategy and product develop initiatives that provided value-added services to clients and increased revenue and earnings within their respective lines of business.

Williams is a passionate supporter and participate in local and national nonprofit organizations. Through his foundation Thinknext, Williams and his team enable people and organizations with great ideas to do amazing things to serve their communities. Williams has a passion for developing young professionals, enabling and advising new community organizations, and assisting aspiring entrepreneurs.

Williams serves as the National President of BDPA, Founder and Chairman of the Thinknext Foundation, and member of Association of Black Foundation Executives, an organization that advocates for responsive and transformative investments in Black communities. Williams is also a published author, speaker, mentor and passionate supporter and advocate of Millennials in the technology industry.

This blog wanted to get a more personal look into the personality of this rising BDPA leader. We asked Mike to give brief answers to some odd questions. We hope you enjoy this new feature that we simply call, 'Long Story Short...'

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Mike and his daughter!

1. Craziest thing you've ever done? Snorkeling when I couldn't even swim
2. Favorite food you'd take with you on a desert island? Shrimp, Fish and any a variety of fruits (Island may provide those) but throw in some gummies bears
3. Favorite way to exercise? Lifting weights
4. Least favorite chore? Folding clothes
5. Simple things that make you happiest? My daughter's smile and the hugs and kisses she gives me (both physical and virtual ones when we are on the phone)
6. Who You'd Like to Meet? Robert Smith of Vista Equity Partners

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You can follow Mike on Twitter: @itMikeWilliams

Albert Appouh Uses his Rackspace Scholarship at Rutgers University

Albert Appouh * Rutgers University

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is proud to announce that Rackspace awarded a $1,000 college scholarship to two (2) students. One of those students is Albert Appouh of Rutgers University. Rackspace is the #1 managed cloud company, helps businesses tap the power of cloud computing without the complexity and cost of managing it on their own.

Albert recently joined our BDPA New Jersey chapter. When asked to share his thoughts on being a Johnson & Johnson scholar, Albert wrote,

I was born into a disadvantaged family in Newark, New Jersey. In my late teens, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder combined with schizophrenia and I have been institutionalized twice in my life due to these afflictions. In spite of my race, low income status, and mental disabilities, I found the best way to overcome these challenges was to immerse myself in my studies and to stay active in my community by volunteering and taking on leadership responsibilities. I maintained excellent grades throughout school, became a student leader for various extracurricular activities and volunteered regularly with organizations within my community. By taking the initiative to become a leader, and by having confidence in myself to succeed in ay endeavor I chose to take, I found that not only was I capable of being an excellent steward of resources, people and responsibility, but that I had a passion for it.

If I could be described in three words, they would be: ambitious, hard-working, and motivated. As an applied math, computer science, and economics triple major at Rutgers University with career aspirations in the IT industry, I am a very open-minded and creative person who is always eager to learn. Meeting new people and making connections fill me with such satisfaction. I am always working on improving myself in practically every aspect of my life, whether it be my personality, my leadership skills, or my etiquette. As much as I can capable of accomplishing things on my own, I work best as a team player. I always take the initiative and accept the responsibilities of in any position I’m given.

When asked about his relationship with BDPA, Albert wrote,

Being a member of Black Data Processing Associates has introduced me to a diverse network of qualified STEM professionals who can share their expertise and keep me (and other members, of course) up-to-date on business opportunities in the industry. In addition, the organization’s career development services have helped me develop and enhance my professional skills in order to increase my value in the eyes of prospective companies. Overall, being a member of BDPA has helped me learn more about technology, has improved my technical abilities, has introduced me to an experienced group of role models, and has opened doors leading to employment.

BDPA is blessed to have such a young and talented technology student on board as both a member and as winner of the Rackspace Scholarship. We look forward to supporting Albert's career as he seeks to advance in the technology industry!

Evelyn White Uses Wanda Everett Scholarship at Webster University

Evelyn White * Webster University

Daugherty Business Solutions offered the first annual Wanda Everett Scholarship this year to two students. One of the scholars is Evelyn White who plans to use her scholarship as a graduate student at Webster University.

Evelyn White graduated from Harris-Stowe State University, a Historically Black College and University located in St. Louis, Missouri. She is working towards her degree in Management Information Systems (MIS) and plans to pursue her master’s in Cyber Security after graduation.

She recently completed an internship with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a virtual intern. White’s internship responsibilities included creating a dashboard for identifying mission critical metrics and isolating instances where the metrics were out of compliance. Which resulted in increased visibility, transparency and usability by both senior leadership and agency’s customers at more than 4,500 locations nationwide and abroad. Evelyn’s internship was provided through the Thurgood Marshall College Scholarship Fund where she is a Leadership Institute participant.

Last summer she was selected to participate in Harris-Stowe State University’s first U.S. Exchange Foundation Chinese Development Program. The program objectives were to provide American students with an opportunity to experience the Chinese language, history, culture and its modern society.

Evelyn is an active campus leader and a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success Organization, a 2014 inductee to the Alpha Chi National College Honor Society, a member of the Vice President’s Academic Honors Society, the Regional Business Council’s Higher Education Collaboration Mentor Network Program, the HBCU Student of Tomorrow China Delegation, a participant in the Annual Cox Automotive HBCU Summit, and a proud member of Harris-Stowe’s Coder’s Club.

This is our first time awarding a scholarship to a college student who plans to study for her graduate degree. Evelyn is a remarkable young woman. BDPA looks forward to following her career as she progresses through her graduate education at Webster University and on into her career!

Lauren Ravenell Earns 2016 Lilly Scholarship for Ball State University

Lauren Ravenell * Ball State University

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) worked closely with Eli Lilly & Company to confirm Lauren Ravenell as a winner of the 10th annual Eli Lilly & Company Scholarship for BDPA Students. There were three winners of this scholarship. Lauren is a wonderful person to win this prestigious scholarship.

During high school Lauren was a varsity athlete in Track and Field and Golf. She was also involved in various extracurricular activities such as Student Government and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She was also on the High School Computer Competition (HSCC) team for BDPA Indianapolis chapter throughout her four years of high school. She graduated from Westfield High School with a 3.667 GPA and over one hundred hours of community service.

Now she is a sophomore at Ball State University, majoring in Telecommunications with a minor in Computer Science and Spanish. She finished her freshman year at Ball State on the Dean’s List. She was a member of the Black Student Association and Excellence in Leadership. She also enjoyed her time on a student-driven cooking show. This was one of her favorite experiences because Lauren was able to work behind the scenes of a production and learn from my peers as well as mentors. Now, Lauren is a participant in the PhD Pathways Mentoring Program. Upon graduation, she plans to obtain a Master’s degree in Business Administration and afterwards she will seek a PhD.

We asked for Lauren to share her thoughts on BDPA:

Lauren at the IT Showcase

"This past year I participated in the IT Showcase at the 2016 BDPA Technology Conference. In previous years I was a member of the Indianapolis Chapter HSCC Team. The transition from the high school program to the college level program created many opportunities for growth. From participating in the Showcase I was able to gain more experience in research and presentation skills. During the conference I was able to network, take more advantage of the career fair and gain interview experience. The career fair also granted me with increased opportunities for internships.

Lauren is a remarkable young woman. BDPA looks forward to following her career as she progresses through college and on into her career! You can follow Lauren on Twitter: @lauren_ravenell.

Happy Birthday Gina Billings!

Join us in wishing a Happy Birthday to past national BDPA president Gina Billings! Gina served on the national BDPA board of directors from 2002-2009 as BDPA Cincinnati chapter president, national president-elect, national president and immediate past president. Gina is a hard working BDPA leader with an expertise in finances, having served for ten years as the chief financial officer for the BDPA Cincinnati chapter.

Much of my success in BDPA is due to the support of Gina. In September 1998, Gina led an effort with Brenda Hogan, Tina Welch, Marilyn Wilson and myself to rejuvenate BDPA Cincinnati chapter.

The five of us met weekly for the remainder of 1998 putting together the organizational plans and goals for 1999. BDPA Cincinnati chapter went public in January 1999 with our first program meeting in over two years. There were approximately a dozen guests at that initial program meeting and we ended the month with six financially current members.

It's been all good since that day. The chapter has been winning awards at the national level, including 4-time Chapter of the Year (2001-2002, 2004, 2006) and 5-time Runner Up Chapter of the Year (2000, 2005, 2007-2009). Gina had the vision to be a founder of the chapter in 1989 and her vision positively impacted hundreds of students, IT professionals and entrepreneurs in the greater Cincinnati area ever since.


Gina will be a member of the BDPA Hall of Fame at some point in the future. For now, we honor her here in cyberspace. Happy Birthday Gina!

Top 10 BDPA Chapters (Membership, September 2016)

The lifeblood of any nonprofit association is its membership.  BDPA Cincinnati remains the #1 BDPA chapter in the nation.   The chapter ... led by its president,  Shawnda Peterson ... continues to amaze others by its consistent growth.   It will be interesting to see if the chapter can continue growing towards the next milestone of having 300 members this year.

We continue to operate under the leadership of National BDPA VP-Membership Management Mildred Allen.   Her team now includes Chad White (Dallas) and Judaea Lane (Memphis).  Her efforts have allowed BDPA to continue to grow.   She realizes that we need to work hard to keep membership growth and retention higher.

Loraine Stewart-David * BDPA Detroit President

BDPA Detroit was the fastest growing chapter in the nation last month.   It is now the 2nd largest chapter in September 2016.  The chapter is under the leadership of its president, Loraine Stewart-David.  There are a number of positive aspects of this chapter including its willingness to meet on a monthly basis at a local technology center. It is no accident that active efforts within a local BDPA chapter results in more members ... more members results in more membership dues ... which makes it easier to implement more consistent and effect programs and services. How are things going in your local chapter?

BDPA believes 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. Cincinnati - president, Shawnda Peterson
2. Detroit - president, Loraine Stewart-David
   
3. Atlanta - president, Keith Humphrey
   
4. Chicago - president, Reggie Rush 
5. Indianapolis - president, Terry Morris
   
6. Philadelphia - president, Cedric Edwards
7. Milwaukee - president, Carmen Giles
8.  Washington DC - president, Perry Carter
   
9. New York - president, Tyrone McKinney
10. Triangle - president, Carl Hill 

The number of chapters now belonging to the 'BDPA Century Club' currently stands at four.  The benefit of having powerful leadership is obvious when we see that Cincinnati, Detroit, Atlanta and Chicago 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.

National president Mike Williams recently touted the value that organizational re-branding has made on BDPA.  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?

Sandra Scott Wins BDPA Epsilon Award for Community Service

Sandra Scott * Epsilon Award

National BDPA annually selects and awards the BDPA Epsilon Award to recognize and celebrate key contributions and accomplishments of its members. Nominations are accepted across five categories and they are evaluated by a team of National BDPA members. One of the categories is Career Achievement. This honor is reserved for people who have significant demonstration, by meaningful results, strong partnership and collaboration with entities in the communities they reside.

BDPA is pleased to announce that Sandra Scott has won the 2015 Epsilon Award for Community Service. Her nomination was submitted by Carmen Giles, manager, MillerCoors. She wrote,

BDPA Milwaukee Chapter leadership team believes that Sandra Scott is a BDPA Epsilon Award Winner and here are reasons why:

Sandra Scott is an outstanding individual and an enormous assess to the Milwaukee Community. She has been a key player in many areas of the Milwaukee Community such as Hansberry Sands Theatre Company, MillerCoors – Milwaukee Tutorial Program, NAACP, Milwaukee County Cultural Artistic & Musical Programming Advisory Council and the rejuvenation of the BDPA Milwaukee Chapter.

Sandra is the CEO and founder of the Scott Institute of Learning. She has worked with a number of Milwaukee Public Schools to improve academic achievement. Her main goal is to educate students how to manage, embrace, and understand such topics as Conflict, Critical Thinking, and Financial Literacy. Her program has touched so many students’ lives and they are highly encouraged to join the BDPA Milwaukee Chapter HSCC program. Under her program, students have mastered the art of NASDAQ Stock purchasing and selling.

Under Sandra’s leadership Hansberry-Sands Theatre Company has given numerous Milwaukee youths an opportunity to display their talent in acting and production director roles. She provided strategic direction, vision, bias for action, and motivating leadership. Hansberry-Sands Company was the only Black theatre company in Milwaukee for many years. Sandra and her team received numerous acknowledgments from the Mayor of Milwaukee, local media, and corporations.

Under Sandra’s leadership, the BDPA Milwaukee Chapter has expanded its membership and student recognition in the City of Milwaukee. She played a significant role preparing the Milwaukee students attendance at the 2014 BDPA National Technology Conference. This was the first time that the BDPA Milwaukee Chapter had students attend the conference. BDPA Milwaukee Chapter success is contributed to Sandra Scott passion for successful results.

Alston Clark Uses His Zycron Scholarship at Howard University

Alston Clark * Howard University

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is proud to announce that Zycron awarded a $2,500 college scholarship to five (5) students. One of those students is Alston Clark of Howard University.  Zycron is an international information technology services and solutions firm headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. Since 1991, Zycron has offered IT solutions to a broad client base, and today is the primary provider for numerous Fortune 500 companies.

Alston loves working on difficult problems and relating abstract concepts into realistic solutions. Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Alston developed a love for science and technology at an early age. Currently a computer science major at Howard University, Alston enjoys finding ways to use technology to help positive social causes. During his free time, Alston can be found playing guitar or exploring the city with this brothers and sister. After college, Alston plans on working in industry for a number of years as a software engineer.

When asked to share his thoughts on being a Zycron scholar, Alston wrote,

"During my freshman year in high school, I participated in BDPA High School Computer Competition. This was my first experience with coding and it opened my eyes to new possibilities. My instructor challenged myself and my teammates to be greater. I will never forget his class nor his advice. Being a member of the BDPA has benefited me in high school, and continues to help me reach my goals in college. I am extremely grateful for this organization."

BDPA is blessed to have such a young and talented student on board as winner of the Zycron Scholarship. We look forward to supporting Alston's career as he seeks to advance in the technology industry!

Adrienne Nelson Earns 2016 Lilly Scholarship for Florida A&M University

Adrienne Nelson (FAMU)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) worked closely with Eli Lilly & Company to confirm Adrienne Nelson as a winner of the 10th annual Eli Lilly & Company Scholarship for BDPA students. Adrienne is a wonderful person to win this prestigious scholarship.

Adrienne is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida. Adrienne is a Student Ambassador for the Florida Information Technology Career Alliance where she works on projects supporting the computer science, information technology and information systems programs for Florida A&M. Additionally, Adrienne is a Learning Assistant providing instructional aid during the semester to enhance the learning process for IT students. Adrienne also serves as a 4-H Youth Camp Counselor and Adult Leader assisting 4-H officers during camp programs and encouraging youth to participate in 4-H.

We asked Adrienne to share her thoughts on BDPA,

"Being able to participate in the 2016 National BDPA Conference has been an unforgettable experience. It has cause unmeasurable growth professionally and intellectually throughout the many opportunities that this conference allowed. I not only placed in the BDPA IT Showcase for college participants but I also had the opportunity to speak with other companies for internship opportunities, leading to further networking and even interviews. I thoroughly enjoyed the conference and I look forward to attending future BDPA events."

Adrienne is a remarkable young woman. BDPA looks forward to following her career as she progresses through college and on into her career in the IT industry! You can follow Adrienne on Twitter: @AKA_Nelson

2013 National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) Rankings

2013 HSCC Champions from Rochester, MN

The 2013 National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championships were held in Washington. We had 16 teams competing in 2013. The tension during the 2 days of the competition centered around the team trained by BDPA Southern Minnesota chapter. This chapter won 6 of the past 7 national competitions and arrived in Washington DC seeking to defeat the defending champion BDPA Atlanta chapter.

The winning team from Southern Minnesota included five students --  Isaac Gullickson, Preethiya Sekar, Daniel Sheppard, Herchran Singh and Prabhjot Singh.

Here are the rankings for all 16 teams that competed in 2013 national HSCC championships with the scholarship winnings for each student in parenthesis:

• Southern Minnesota ($1,500 college scholarship for each member)
• Los Angeles ($1,000 each)
• Atlanta ($500 each)
• Washington DC ($500 each)
• Cincinnati
• Twin Cities
• New York
• Greater Columbia
• Chicago
• Charlotte
• Detroit
• Dallas
• Middle Tennessee
• Philadelphia
• Triangle
• New Jersey
• St. Louis

Our foundation seeks to increase the number of students that receive Bemley Scholarships. To do so, we need your help. Please consider making an online donation to help us interest young people in science and technology.

Dr. Bellverie Ross Wins BDPA Epsilon Award for Career Achievement

Dr. Bellverie Ross * Epsilon Award Winner

National BDPA annually selects and awards the BDPA Epsilon Award to recognize and celebrate key contributions and accomplishments of its members. Nominations are accepted across five categories and they are evaluated by a team of National BDPA members. One of the categories is Career Achievement. This honor is reserved for highly experienced professionals who have significant career accomplishments or contributions throughout their career.

BDPA is pleased to announce that Dr. Bellverie Ross has won the 2015 Epsilon Award for Career Achievement. Her nomination was submitted by Jeffrey Stovall, CIO, City of Charlotte. He wrote,

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Bellverie, in her six years with the City of Charlotte, has been an exemplary employee and a role model for others in the organization. Bellverie’s rapidly growing list of accomplishments includes:

• Bellverie was the lead for the City’s newly formed program management office to prepare the IT environment for the 2012 Democratic National Convention. Starting in January 2012, she initiated and guided the program office and focused cross-divisional teams toward critical objectives leading to a DNC with no significant technology outages. Her success at leading the DNC PMO led to her being appointed to lead the citywide Enterprise Program Management Office.
• Bellverie was the project manager for the city’s recent conversion to LTE mobile routers in 950 police and fire vehicles and 10G network upgrades in over 60 public safety facilities. This concludes the turn-around of a challenged ARRA Broadband Technology Opportunity Program grant from 2011. (http://www.statetechmagazine.com/article/2015/01/how-local-governments-are-preparing-firstnet)
• Bellverie worked to develop the City’s first mobile apps: MyCharlotte and RideCATS. The city of Charlotte was honored with the 10th Annual Mobilizer Award for 2011 in the Mobilizing Business Applications category for MyCharlotte and RideCATS. (http://mobileenterprise.edgl.com/top-stories%5C2011-Best-In-Mobilizing-Business-Applications76704).
• Bellverie led a 2012 voice-over-IP conversion project to replace the aged 311 call center PBX system whose upgrade had been postponed for years. The new, innovative hosted platform now serves as the core telephony solution for the $2M+ citywide conversion from Centrex to VoIP which the City will be implementing through 2018. (http://www.crn.com/news/networking/240006868/nwn-gives-city-of-charlotte-a-convention-communications-boost.htm)
• Bellverie worked with Microsoft and the city Event Permitting team to deliver a solution for the DNC events and for future use. This product has been used since the DNC to replace a manual prior process involving paper and emails across multiple departments and outside agencies. (http://youtu.be/tmgxGNiXk0A)

Bellverie Ross (far right) Accepts her Epsilon Award

Additionally, Bellverie is a community supporter, donating her time freely to support a local women’s STEM advocacy (WISE – Women in Science and Engineering) as well as mentoring at a local high school. This is no small feat given her concurrent work on a doctorate in organizational behavior in IT, which she earned last year.

Bellverie has been in the IT field for over 25 years. Prior to the City of Charlotte, she served as a SVP/Director with MBNA America, a business owner, and a senior project manager with LendingTree.

When considering her achievements at the City of Charlotte in her brief time here and the span of accomplishments across her career, Bellverie is eminently well-qualified for BDPA career achievement recognition. It continues to be a pleasure and tremendous honor to have her on my team.

As my submission of Bellverie as a candidate is meant to be a surprise, I have supplemented her pre-City of Charlotte resume in the submission with additional information above which describes her accomplishments to date.

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You can follow Bellverie on Twitter: @Bellverie

Marcus Schumann Uses Bemley Scholarship to Study Computer Science at CSUDH

Marcus Schumann

Marcus Schumann earned a Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship as a member of the BDPA Los Angeles chapter. His High School Computer Competition (HSCC) team who won the silver medal at the 2013 BDPA Technology Conference. He plans to use his Bemley Scholarship at Cal State University at Dominguez Hills where he seeks to complete a major in Computer Science.

Marcus believes that having a degree in computer science would open up many job possibilities for the future. He joined BDPA Los Angeles chapter in 8th grade and that sparked his interest in coding and creating applications. Marcus believes that coding can be used to do just about everything. It is no secret that almost every job available today will require a programmer or computer scientist to help their company grow. In the modern age, technology rules our lives.

Marcus is African American and German heritage. He visited Germany twice with his family. During those visits Marcus noticed how tapped into technology the people are. Technology is valued highly in Germany. Technology and innovation can solve worldly problems. Marcus is also an avid gamer and loves to play video games. Marcus hopes to use his skills to work for the entertainment industry. He believes video games brings the player out of reality and lets them take a break from the stresses of the real world.

We asked Marcus to share his thoughts on BDPA:

"Before I joined the BDPA I did not know anything about what programming was. I only knew that I could go on websites and get information, I didn’t know how any of the web pages actually work. BDPA is the reason I am majoring in Computer Science today and I am so thankful towards my teachers.

Marcus Schumann and his 4 HSCC teammates!

On my first year at the BDPA chapter Los Angeles we went to competition as the HSCC in Washington D.C. It was a great experience I saw famous monuments and our team got second place out of all the chapters for our website application. Our team was top notch, we had a great connection that drove our team forward and to push to the limits. Participating in the HSCC was such as great experience for me, I learned how to work under pressure, present our project to people, and work well with others. Before the competition I had always been afraid of presenting in front of people. Now, the fear is still there but I am able to push through it and speak in front of an audience.

I miss the team we had and the great people I met. The HSCC was something I will never forget. I learned some much and we worked so hard to get second place that year. The experiences and connections I made at the HSCC is it’s own award and it taught me valuable lessons that will last me a lifetime. Thank you for giving me that opportunity."

Marcus is a remarkable young man. BDPA looks forward to following his career as he progresses through college and on into his career in the IT industry! Please note that the Bemley Scholarship Fund is made up of individual donations from people like yourself. Please take a moment to recognize young people like Marcus with a secure online donation!

2016 Leaders for the Future Awards (Cincinnati, OH)

The Reaching for the Stars Program takes great pleasure in identifying, saluting, and creating awareness of young leaders in the African American community.  This year they are honoring ten exceptional high school sophomores and juniors destined to be future leaders in the greater Cincinnati area.  These emerging leaders epitomize excellence in character, service, and academic achievement. Their selection will be based on overall academic excellence, outstanding community service, and leadership.

Award recipients will be honored during a special recognition ceremony November 12^th at 2pm at the University of Cincinnati‘s African American Cultural and Resource Center. Courtis Fuller, WLWT-TV anchor, will be emcee.  There will be a reception immediately following the Program.  There is no charge. 

At 1pm there will be a Seminar on obtaining scholarships for minority students to attend the University of Cincinnati.  This Seminar will be hosted by Bleuzette Marshall, Chief Diversity Officer at UC and Attorney Robert Richardson, Chairman of the UC Board of Directors. This is an excellent opportunity for parents and students to get valuable information and meet key decision-makers. 

 

The Awards create a linkage for these young aspirants with established  and accomplished leaders in their professions and in their community.  We encourage students to come back to Cincinnati after their educational careers are over and help make Cincinnati great.   Propelled by their innate talents, lofty goals, and the encouragement of inspiring role models, these emerging leaders are encouraged to soar as they continue to fulfill their highest potential and ….reach for the stars!

BDPA Cincinnati chapter has three previous winners - Hassani Harrigan, Hadiya Harrigan and Brian Puliam.