I've known Clifford Clarke for almost 20 years. He was one of the driving forces behind the success of our BDPA presence in Ft. Wayne, Indiana for many years. At one point in 
his professional career he served as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the city of Ft. Wayne. Currently, he is the owner of his own business, C2 IT Advisors.Clifford was kind enough to answer questions for our Take Five interview series:
- How did you get involved in working with BDPA? - I was introduced to BDPA by a friend. She was a business analyst and as such I was impressed that she found value in the organization without being a "coder". The value was there but my BDPA engine did not really roar until I attended my first conference. My 'aha' moment was at the 1989 National BDPA Conference in Los Angeles where at the banquet it was clear that I was one of many Black Information Technology Professionals.
- What is the most rewarding aspect of working with BDPA? - There are many aspects of BDPA I enjoy. I feel BDPA has helped with my career advancement. I have developed lifelong relationships. I enjoyed presenting information at conferences. I remember being proud of our SITES team. I also enjoy mentoring individuals as I have been mentored by others in BDPA.
- Tell us about a defining moment in your life? - One defining moment in life was during my college career. Advanced Math and Science came pretty easy for me during high school. In fact I was enrolled in college programming classes prior graduating high school. I failed to develop good study habits due to the easy of which the material came to me and I was faced with the need to buckle down or go home. Needless to say I buckled down. Today, I'm a life-long learner. I'm always sharpening the saw and I am very focused on adding to the educational toolkit.
- Who is your hero and why? - I'm not so sure I have a hero, but I'm appreciative of many individuals in my life. My parents, the many mentors that I have had, and many civic leaders that all sets examples that I try to emulate.
- Any advice for people considering donation to BETF? - I encourage others to support our industry and our communities. Donating to BETF is a way to invest in both.
I hope that you will share some BDPA-Love with Clifford. I'm sorry that we no longer have a BDPA Ft. Wayne chapter, but, I'm glad that Clifford is still a strong presence within the IT industry of that city.
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