Friday, December 31, 2010

Wal-Mart Store and Sam's Club Giving Program

The Wal-Mart Foundation supports programs and initiatives addressing education, workforce development, economic sustainability, and health and wellness. For health and wellness in particular, the Foundation looks to improve access to health care, promote healthy lifestyles and behaviors, and reduce disparities.

Grant awards range from $1,000 to $5,000.

Eligible applicants include organizations with tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3), recognized government entities, volunteer Fire Departments, K-12 Public Schools/Districts, Charter Schools, Colleges, Universities, Private Schools with tax-exempt status, and faith-based organizations.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Intelsat Foundation

Intelsat Foundation believes that strong cities, towns and neighborhoods begin with a vibrant community spirit and creative, grass-roots initiatives. These are vital to the well-being of our society and economy, and Intelsat is proud to play a role.

Their philanthropy mission is to inspire connections in the community by empowering individuals in the places where the company operates. As a business leader, Intelsat supports education and quality of life initiatives that help improve the lives of young people and that support the interests and energies of our employees.

Their outreach program includes charitable donations and active volunteerism, as well as in-kind assistance and gifting. They strive to work with fine community service organizations, building true partnerships that make a difference.

The company corporate offices are co-located with BDPA chapters in Atlanta and Washington DC. BETF is open to collaboration with either chapter if they are interested.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

The Kroger Co. Foundation

The Kroger Co. Foundation was established in 1987 to support charitable activities in the communities where Kroger customers and associates live and work. The Foundation awards nearly $2.7 million to non-profit organizations on an annual basis.

Grants are made to feed the hungry, support breast cancer initiatives, provide disaster relief and assist local grassroots organizations. Read or download the Kroger Co. Foundation Report to the Community and learn more about how the Foundation strengthens the communities the Company serves.

When Fred Meyer Inc. and its banners Fred Meyer, Ralphs, Food 4 Less, Smith’s and QFC merged with Kroger in 1999, there were two separate foundations: Fred Meyer Foundation and Ralphs/Food 4 Less Foundation. Recently, the Ralphs/Food 4 Less and Fred Meyer foundations ceased separate operations and merged with The Kroger Co. Foundation. The Kroger Foundation serves all of the Company’s retail divisions, the Company’s manufacturing division and convenience stores.

Only proposals from 501(c)(3) organizations are considered. They do not use a specific grant application. Eligible organizations may submit proposals at any time through the community relations department of the local retail division office. The Foundation relies on personnel in the retail operating units to recommend the most appropriate and effective use of Foundation resources in the community. View the list of Kroger's retail division offices to find the one closest to you.

The Foundation does not support national organizations or programs; endowment campaigns; conferences or conventions; other foundations; individuals; medical research organizations; golf and other sports events.

Everything that you need to know about this funding source can be found in their contribution guidelines.

For additional information, please contact:





Foundation Administrator
The Kroger Co. Foundation
1014 Vine Street
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
(513) 762-4449, ext. 3

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

BDPA Detroit Chapter History (1981-2001)


Diane Davis served as BDPA Detroit chapter president prior to her reign as our national president. Diane taught many of us the importance of recognizing BDPA's legacy. She always took time to pay honor to those that came before her in BDPA.

Here is a slideshow that showed the first 20 years of BDPA history in Detroit that Diane recently shared with me:


I wonder if any of the current leaders in BDPA Detroit will take some time to update this slideshow to document the chapter's progress from 1981 until today?

Monday, December 27, 2010

Grant Declination: Lockheed Martin Corporation Foundation (BDPA Los Angeles)

We were disappointed to learn that our grant proposal to Lockheed Martin Corporation Foundation was turned down. BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) asked Lockheed Martin to provide us with $5,000 funding in support of the student programs implemented by our BDPA Los Angeles chapter.


The declination message read as follows:


Dear Mr. Hicks:

I received your request for financial support of the BDPA LA. I regret to inform you that our budget is not large enough to support programs that are outside of our immediate geographical area. We are investing a great deal of time in terms of mentorship and in financial support for programs that are similar to this here in the Antelope Valley.

I wish you the best of luck securing the finances you require.

Happy Holidays,
Ellen Bendell



BETF will continue to seek funding for BDPA Los Angeles chapter. We are open to ideas from you about fundraising opportunities that we might be missing.

In the meantime, we would also like to ask your support in reaching our goal to fully fund the Brandon Gardner Memorial Scholarship Fund so that we might provide college scholarships to the students representing Los Angeles chapter at the 2011 national HSCC championships to be held in Chicago.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Saturday, December 25, 2010

BDPA Los Angeles: Remembering 2010

BDPA Los Angeles took some time during their annual Holiday Awards Luncheon held earlier this month to reflect on their accomplishments in 2010. The chapter also announced the creation of the Brandon Gardner Memorial Scholarship Fund to support the young people who represent the chapter at the annual national High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championships.

Enjoy the slideshow presentation:





It appears that BDPA Los Angeles chapter is ready to take it to the next level in 2011 and beyond!

Friday, December 24, 2010

Message from National BDPA President

As a global member focused technology organization, our mission is to deliver programs and services for the professional well-being of our stakeholders. Founded in 1975, our founders Earl Pace Jr. and the late David Wimberly had a vision to build an organization that would be a powerful advocate for its stakeholders’ interests within the global technology industry. Our stakeholders consist of students, adults, entrepreneurs, educational institutions, and corporate sponsors.

For over 35 years, From the Classroom to the Board Room has become our motto. In 2011, we will continue to implement programs that will ensure our members are well positioned as leaders and highly skilled IT and entrepreneurs for our sponsors and the community. We’ve accomplished a lot in 2010 and in 2011; the best is yet to come. Our focus will continue to be on "Taking Our Membership To The Next Level” as we transform our organization while delivering quality programs.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr said, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” BDPA, this quote represents us more than you will ever know. We have accomplished great things in 2010 and I am looking forward to working with each of you in 2011 as we Take BDPA To The Next Level.

Our First Quarter Board Meeting will be held in the Windy City. I am looking forward to meeting our incoming and returning board members during this time.

Best wishes to you and your families for a wonderful New Year!

Yvette Graham, President
National BDPA

HSCC Testimonial: Nana Yaa Kwansa (Southern Minnesota, 2007-2010)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is writing a check worth more than $10,000 from the Bemley Scholarship Fund for the first time in our 18-year history! Nana Yaa Kwansa is a truly remarkable young woman. I believe that she is the second person in the 25-year history of our high school computer competition (HSCC) who has been a member of the national HSCC championship team in four (4) different years. Yaa was a national HSCC champion in 2007-2010.

Yaa is currently a freshman at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Prior to college, Yaa attended Schaeffer Academy, a high school in Rochester Minnesota, and graduated in May 2010. Yaa joined BDPA Southern Minnesota chapter in 2005 and enrolled in their Youth Computer Training Program (YCTP) which is a subset of the Student Information Technology Education and Scholarship (SITES) program that exists nationwide. Yaa was an alternate on the silver-medal HSCC team in 2006.  However, she never earned less than a gold medal once she was selected to participate on the national HSCC team from Rochester MN.

Here is Yaa's story in her own words:


When I joined the BDPA Southern Minnesota chapter and enrolled in Youth Computer Training Program (YCTP) in fall 2005, little did I know what was ahead of me. A number of high school students meet in a rigorous computer programming class for 3 hours each Saturday for about 8 months throughout the year. The top 5 are selected to represent the chapter in a national competition.

In my first year participating in YCTP, I did not excel in class, but I quickly learned every web technology that was taught, including HTML, CSS, Javascript, PHP, MySQL relational databases and others. By the end of the second year, I could create full-fledged database driven web applications. I was a little nervous in class because most of the students were older than my age. However, I was proud to be among the 5 students selected each year for four consecutive years to represent the chapter.

In 2007, not only did I return to class, but I personally recruited a diverse group of new students to join the YCTP.
I approached the YCTP class that year with a new resolve, committed not only to earning a spot on the competition team, but also helping my fellow classmates to succeed. 2007 was my first year on the HSCC team, and I was given the opportunity to learn various roles for the competition, serving as the database administrator, technical writer, and lead tester. To prepare for the national competition, we had a boot camp. My fellow teammates and I worked several weeks throughout the summer, practicing computer programming, project management, presentation and teamwork. The coordinators and the volunteers were excellent and usually kept the training interesting and alive.

The National HSCC Championship was held in Washington DC that year, (and other years) we competed against over 20 other chapters from much larger cities including New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. Throughout a 2-day national competition, culminating in a 7-hour web programming project, our hard work (usually) paid off and the Southern Minnesota team earned the 1st place award. It was a great experience for me. With that experience, the competitions in Atlanta, Raleigh and Philadelphia were not different, and we maintained the 1st position.

I started YCTP as an unskilled ‘computer programmer’ making appearances and putting in a few hours weekly. However, I have to say that I ended up a different person with leadership skills, human relations skills, passion for making a difference, having the sense of satisfaction, and other virtues. With the kind of commitment the coordinators and volunteers demonstrated in training and supporting the class, I have also come to understand the value and the importance of giving back to the community. The impact of feeling just a little bit more positive about life, and the spirit of generosity – giving back unconditionally to others, even to strangers as well.


I hope that you will share some BDPA-Love in the COMMENTS area for Nana Yaa!  More importantly, I hope that you see the value in helping us grow the Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship Fund ... we can only keep these scholarships going out in the future if you make an online donation today!

Oh yeah -- for those BDPA historians out there -- Brittany Middleton was a member of the HSCC teams trained by BDPA Memphis who won national HSCC championships in four different years (2001-2004).  Brittany graduated from University of Tennessee Knoxville and she now has a job teaching.   Our understanding is that only Brittany and Nana Yaa have the distinction of being 4-time national HSCC champions!

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Message from Charlotte Chapter President-Elect

Markus Beamer
Hello BDPA Members and Friends,

As the Holiday times rapidly approach, I wanted to take the time and thank all of you. The Charlotte BDPA Chapter has had a great year and it could not have been a success without you!

As we move into 2011, BDPA will continue and improve on delivering you time sensitive, up to date technological topics and training. Please join us during our January meeting, Jan 20th, where we will discuss and announce the meetings, trainings and events coming up in Charlotte in 2011.

Finally as the Holidays arrive, take time out to be with your family, enjoy them and create great memories. As a child, I loved the holidays ... all the family, friends, gifts and great food. As an adult, it is one of the few times during the year that I feel like a kid again. You too live life young and enjoy yourself!

I’m looking forward to 2011! Let’s end 2010 on a party and start the New Year!

Have a great time!
Markus Beamer, President-Elect
BDPA Charlotte Chapter

Grant Declination: Chichester duPont Foundation (BDPA Chicago)


BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) learned that our $10,000 grant proposal submitted to Chichester duPont Foundation has been declined. The grant was submitted on behalf of BDPA Chicago chapter.


The grant declination letter read as follows:

Dear Mr. Hicks:

Thank you for your correspondence and grant request dated May 25, 2010. Due to the extremely large number of deserving and competitive applications received, the Foundation was unable to award a grant for your organization this year.

Sincerely,
Gregory F. Fields
Secretary


We will continue to seek out funding opportunities for BDPA. We're very open to any suggestions that you might have on ways that we might improve our fundraising efforts.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Presidential Awardees for Math and Science Teaching Honored in Washington DC

This year’s recipients of the Presidential Awards for Excellence for Mathematics and Science Teaching were feted earlier this month during their four-day visit to Washington, DC, where they participated in professional development activities, traveled to Capitol Hill and enjoyed a special White House ceremony in their honor. The 52 science teachers and 51 math teachers from grades 7-12, also received a $10,000 award.

How great would it be to have math and science teachers associated with the BDPA Student IT Education & Scholarship (SITES) program being honored by the President next year?!? Do you know any math or science teachers in your local school who should be recognized in the future for their efforts?

Grant Proposal: Westfield Group (BDPA Los Angeles)


BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) joined with BDPA Los Angeles chapter to submit a grant proposal to the 'Westfield Works Wonders' project operated by the Westfield Group. We've asked them to provide us with $5,000 in support of the BDPA Los Angeles chapter's student programs.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Good News Tuesday: James Peterson III - Future Face of Technology

Yvette Graham, James Peterson, Milt Haynes
I met James Peterson III in 2008 when National BDPA recognized him with their Epsilon Awards as their 'Most Promising Technologist'.

James has lived up to that high honor with his work over the past few years. Today we learned that James is finishing the last year of his MBA program at Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University’s Tinley Park location. James recently accepted a position with an accounting and consulting leader, Deloitte Consulting.

Here is interview that James recently completed with the folks at Keller where he shares some of his wisdom and advice for his Keller peers. I thought it was a great addition to our weekly Good News Tuesday meme!

  1. How did you develop an interest of the field of that you are currently in?
    My mother is the Executive Director of Nursing for the Cook County Bureau of Health. After watching her at work and assisting her with her duties I wanted to be just like her, only in a different industry. After realizing that project management is one of my best professional qualities I decided to pursue that as a career in the technology sector since that is what I have experience in.
  2. What successes have you achieved thus far and how was it made possible?
    My greatest success to date has been being profiled in Black Enterprise magazine (March 2008). I responded to an advertisement in the October 2007 issue asking for submissions pertaining to how Black Enterprise magazine has helped to shape your career. I submitted my article and the rest is history.
  3. From what Keller program will you be graduating?
    MBA – Project Management concentration, June 2011
  4. What has been your favorite experience at Keller so far?
    Taking GM 545 in the Atlanta Perimeter center. I loved that class and the professor made statistics very interesting, I ended up getting an A in that class.
  5. What motivated you to succeed at Keller?
    I wanted to have the suffixes MBA & PMP listed after my name.
  6. What will be your title and role (job description) with Deloitte?
    Business Technology Master Consultant – Technology Division, Systems Integration service line. Duties will involve interfacing directly with clients (Fortune 1000 and Government) with regards to delivering valued services and technology solutions aligned to their strategic goals and initiatives.
  7. What do you feel set you apart from the competition?
    My competition came from medium and large size public institutions where firms like Deloitte routinely recruit from on-campus. Most of the students from these schools feel as if their institution name and degree title should “elevate” them into the roles and organizations that they seek employment in. I feel that my desire to achieve success and to outperform my competition is what separates me from the rest. Keller trained me to get the job done, not to rely on an outsider’s subjective ranking.
  8. How did your Keller experience prepare you for this role?
    Keller prepared me for this role by having classes scheduled for every 8 weeks. Each class in a sense becomes a project and this has conditioned me to working quickly, delivering quality results and gaining real-world expertise and instruction.
  9. What advice would you have for your Keller peers?
    When you tell your peers what school you’ve attended (or are attending) and they get it confused with another graduate school, kindly correct them. If they sneer or give you awkward looks, please inform them that you attend a high caliber and quality school that actually prepares you to become leaders in business, and not to rely on someone’s name or brand to become successful. Also, Join professional organizations that are related to your professional goals and network, network, network!!!

This blog will continue to seek out Good News stories about people of African descent and share them with you each Tuesday. Please pass along any Good News stories that come your way!

In the meantime, I encourage you to share some love with James Peterson III. Perhaps we'll get enough good vibes going here that he'll come by and visit himself!

BETF Executive Director Wins BAM Award for Excellence in Education and Technology in North Carolina

I was surprised and honored to receive the following notice from the Blacks at Microsoft (BAM) folks down in North Carolina.

You have been selected to receive the BAM Award for Excellence in Education & Technology, in celebration of our 20 Year Anniversary & BAM Minority Student Day (BMSD), which will be held February 11, 2010 at our Microsoft Charlotte Campus. Following the awards presentation, we invite you have lunch with our High School students from 12:00 Noon – 1:00 PM.
This Award recognizes four national and community leaders including yourself that have made significant contributions in the field of Education or Technology. Honorees include the following:
  1. Dr. Ronald Carter, President, Johnson C. Smith University
  2. Dr. Peter Gorman, Superintendent, Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System
  3. Wayne Hicks, Executive Director,  BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF)
  4. Johnny Taylor, President/CEO, Thurgood Marshall College Fund & Ebony Power 100 Leaders in America for Academia
BMSD is a Microsoft signature program that give’s high school students the opportunity to learn about careers in technology, listen to executive speakers, connect with Microsoft employees, participate in hands-on computer demonstrations, cutting edge technologies, and learn about High School Internships and College Scholarships. The ultimate purpose of the event is to expose students from underrepresented ethnic backgrounds to the exciting opportunities in the field of technology.


We anticipate 150+ High School students in attendance throughout the Carolinas Region, including media coverage.  As part of this event, we are also inviting students pursuing STEM careers from Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC), Johnson C. Smith University, and UNC Charlotte as participants.

One of our key highlights will be showing CPCC/UNC Charlotte as our Gaming & Simulation Division Winners of our Microsoft 2010 US Imagine Cup student competition. Imagine Cup is the world’s premier student technology competition hosted by Microsoft. Open to high school, college, and university students across the globe. Prior BMSD speakers have included: Bill Gates, Microsoft Executive Chairman & Co-Founder, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Steve Ballmer, CEO, Microsoft; and Mike Rucker, Retired NFL Carolina Panther & Pre-game Commentator as examples.

Microsoft Charlotte is one of 4 large field campuses outside of our Redmond, Washington headquarters. Most of our 1,250 employees who live and work in North Carolina support Fortune 500 and other enterprise customers and partners to provide sales, consulting, and support services for many of our Flagship Products and Developer Technologies. We work with more than 2,665 partner companies that build technology tools and services on the Microsoft platform, creating jobs and revenue in North Carolina. Since 2003, we have given and matched employee gifts totaling more than $62.5 million in cash, curriculum, software and volunteer hours in North Carolina.
We are pleased to announce that North Carolina is the first state in the nation to adopt a Microsoft IT Academy in all 628 NC High Schools. The program will give students the opportunity to learn in-demand software and technical skills as well as earn industry-recognized certification as a Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) or a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP).

I am humbled by this honor. I look forward to visiting with BDPA supporters in Charlotte for the BAM Minority Student Day in February 2011.

Monday, December 20, 2010

The BDPA Insider - December 19, 2010

 

 
What better way to start the day than with your weekly message from BDPA!

In this issue:
  1. BDPA Newsletters from Chapters Around the Country
  2. BDPA Seeks High School and College Students for 2011 IT Showcase
  3. BDPA Students: Upload Files to CPanel (Zack Garbow)
  4. Five Ways To Stand Out In The IT Career Community
  5. Message from Atlanta Chapter President
  6. Message from New York Chapter President
  7. Message from New York Chapter President-Elect
  8. National BDPA President - Welcome to our new website
  9. Newman Networks News December 17th, 2010
  10. Tablet PC + PowerPoint = Productivity
  11. Why IT Jobs Are Never Coming Back
  Kudos to Milt Haynes for creating this weekly message.  It is much appreciated by BDPA-Nation! 

BDPA Teaches Technology to Teens in Baton Rouge

BlueCross BlueShield of Louisiana (BCBSLA) published the following article in their internal newsletter:

BCBSLA employees and sisters Glenda Chappell (Senior Programmer Analyst, Actuarial Systems) and Billie Davis-Lomas (Senior Business Engineering Analyst, IT-Medical Management/Managed Care) spend their Saturday mornings preparing local teens for their futures in higher education and the workforce.
Billie Davis-Lomas, far left, and her sister and Blue Cross coworker Glenda Chappell, far right, pose with some of the teens they mentor through Black Data Processing Associates.
Chappell and Davis-Lomas work with an organization called BDPA Baton Rouge (BDPA-BR). Chappell is one of the chapter’s charter members. Both sisters have been involved in the organization for decades, serving in cities across the nation.

BDPA-BR provides hands-on computer training and skill-building exercises for local students. With an emphasis on team building, presentation skills and professional etiquette, each BDPA class is led by local volunteer mentors like Chappell and Davis-Lomas. Students are guided by their mentors to compete for scholarships at regional and national conferences, which are often attended by top-level executives from companies like Microsoft and QVC.

We don’t just teach them computer skills. We teach them how to conduct themselves in a professional setting, which is something they can always use,” says Davis-Lomas.

The students are very enthusiastic and eager to start creating projects,” Chappell adds. “It’s very rewarding to see them succeed.”

BDPA-BR is open to all middle- and high-school students, and the Baton Rouge chapter targets those considered “at-risk” because of socioeconomic factors.
BDPA-BR is a professional organization for information technology professionals, providing community service and professional development opportunities for its members. The group is open to those working in the IT field and other technology-focused careers.

If you are interested in supporting BDPA-BR, the organization is looking for members, volunteer instructors and financial support for supplies and conference fees. BDPA-BR is on Blue Cross’ list of qualified non-profit organizations for which the company will match financial gifts beginning at $100 (up to $1,500 annually).

To learn more about BDPA, visit their website or follow the group on Facebook or Twitter. You may also contact them by e-mail.

I have known Glenda and Billie for many years. BDPA Baton Rouge is lucky to have both of them as chapter leaders. I look for great things to come from Louisiana in the coming months and years!

Sunday, December 19, 2010

This Week in BDPA (Dec 19-25)

BDPA has 45 chapters around the nation. You can always find programs, services or networking activity here or here. BDPA supports your efforts for career advancement in the IT industry. Our hope is that you will continue to support Our Cause!

Are you taking advantage of these programs? Here is a weekly preview of upcoming events gathered from the centralized BDPA calendar :
We encourage all BDPA leaders to take advantage of the centralized BDPA Groupsite Calendar to post your upcoming events! Please let us know of other BDPA events that we may have missed. Most importantly, let us know if you plan to attend any BDPA events this week.

BDPA Students: Upload Files to CPanel (Zack Garbow)

Zack Sharing 411 about Computers!
We told you earlier about the success of Zack Garbow as the High School Computer Competition (HSCC) coordinator for BDPA Southern Minnesota chapter. Students on his teams in the past few years have earned over $50,000 from the Jesse Bemley Scholarship Fund administered by the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF). Whatever Zack is doing in Rochester, Minnesota is working ... and perhaps it's time for the other 44 chapters to look to him for some 'best practice' advice.

Zack recently wrote a comment on this blog about his goal for the upcoming year:
"I love your concept of 'One BDPA'. This year I'm releasing our custom teaching software to any other chapters who are interested, hosted and supported free of charge. The idea is that we can then have a single resource library where all chapters can share assignments, teaching documents, and videos and really raise the level of resources collectively."
Zack has created two videos for HSCC students so far:
  1. HTML 1: Learning the Basics
  2. HTML 1: Upload Files to CPanel








Is any other chapter willing to get on board with this 'One BDPA' effort?

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Message from New York Chapter President

As I sat down to pen my last message as President of BDPA New York, I could not think of the last words or message to express. So I decided to review our photo album. Then the following words immediately came straight out of my heart - Thank You. A photo album has a beautiful way of reflecting memories. No matter what took place: good or bad, pictures tell a beautiful story.

Highlights of my administration are as follows:
  1. SITES
    • Our SITES students participated in BDPA’s Regional and National Conferences via programs such as the High School Computer Competition, in which they placed in the top 10 for the past three years, as well as the Youth Technology Camp and IT Showcase. Special acknowledgment goes to National Grid and Sesame Flyers International, who always provided the resources to prepare our students for technical competitions.
    • A few of our SITES students were chosen for the unique opportunity to intern at Bank of New York and UBS.
    • Thanks to Dr. Jesse Bemley, our students received the chance of a lifetime -- the opportunity to attend the 2009 and 2010 Teragrid Computing Conference.

  2. Communications

  3. Community Outreach

  4. Membership Events
    • Thanks to our members and supporters, we were able to conduct technical & professional presentations on such topics as Cloud Computing, Social Networking
      Strategies, The Role of IT in Voting, Turning a No into a Yes and Virtualization and Client Computing.
    • We provided social and networking opportunities to our membership with events such as our monthly Meet-n-Greet at B. Smith’s, Sing Harlem, Sing Theatre event, and Book Signing Party.

  5. Sponsorship/Community Support
Judaea is 'Lady in Red'
My success as President could not have happened without the support of my Executive Board, our members and our many supporters. Thank You and Thank You once again for allowing me to represent you as President of BDPA New York.

Best wishes, Good health, and Love,
Judaea Yarde Lane, President (2006-2010)
BDPA New York Chapter

Friday, December 17, 2010

BDPA Seeks High School and College Students for 2011 IT Showcase

One of the most remarkable BDPA programs is the IT Showcase. This program provides a showcase for talented young people that are the future faces of technology. BDPA is actively recruiting high school and college students to participate in the 2011 National IT Showcase in Chicago!

BDPA wants to take the IT Showcase to the next level in 2011. This year’s goal is to recruit 20 high school students and 20 college students! BDPA would like to encourage each chapter to identify qualified students. Register your students today.


Here is the Call for Presenters issued by the IT Showcase founder Dr. Jesse Bemley:




Please share this information with any high school or college student who you think will benefit from participation in the 2011 BDPA IT Showcase!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Newsletter: BDPA New York (Dec 2010)


Message from New York Chapter President-Elect

I would first like to thank Judaea for her years of diligent service to our chapter and to the National organization.

I am so excited and ready to run the 2011-2012 race by representing the BDPA New York chapter, which is truly a premiere organization for Information Technology professionals. I appreciate the new members that have accepted leadership positions in our chapter. Time is of the essence and 2011 is right around the corner. The baton has been passed to a new 2011 team and its time to run the relay. Below are some of the initiatives for 2011:
  • January - our organization volunteers for Rainbow PUSH Coalition’s Annual Wall Street Project. Kim Smith, our newly appointed VP of Membership Management, is currently seeking volunteers to attend and to participate in the career fair. This is an opportunity for us all to promote National BDPA and to support one of our members, Andrew Carr, Executive Director of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. Please contact Kim at vpmm@bdpa-ny.org if interested.
  • February - Black Family Technology Awareness Week (BFTAW). Please contact Cheryl Nedwell or Damon Holmes to join the BFTAW Committee. Meetings are every Tuesday at 9:00 pm. Email bftaw@bdpany.org if interested in joining the committee.
  • March - We will be hosting an Information Technology and Emergency Management Symposium. The Symposium will explore and identify the links between emergency management partners and information technology.
  • April – Program Meeting, Role of IT and Census
  • May - CIO Forum, Meet and Greet
  • June – Internet Week, Employment and Branding Forum, Meet and Greet
  • AugustNational Conference, Summer Fundraiser, Scholarship Event
  • September – Health and IT, General Membership Meeting, Meet and Greet
  • October – Cyber Security Month
  • November – Mobile Technology
  • December – Computer Science Week, Holiday Celebration
As stated in my campaign platform, New York City is the center of the world and as you can see we have a number of programs planned in 2011. New York City deserves an organization for INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY professionals that’s as dynamic as the city. To achieve this, we must all work together to participate in and promote the goals and mission of BDPA.

I need you to attend our program meetings, support our fundraisers, volunteer as speakers, and to be mentors for our IT Showcase students. Please contact me at pres@bdpa-ny.org to discuss volunteer opportunities.

I, along with the 2011–2012 board, am looking forward to meeting you at the Holiday celebration on December 17, 2010 and working with you all in the coming year.

All the best,
Renetta A. English, President-Elect
BDPA New York Chapter

Message from Atlanta Chapter President

BDPA Atlanta Members and Friends,

Carter Hill
The chapter leadership board and I are busy formulating strategies for 2011 and beyond. Our primary focus for the coming month will be laying the ground work for our BDPA 3.0 initiative that will be officially launched at our January meeting. One other point of focus for our team has been the addition of two new board members to our chapter. Therefore I am proud to announce the following changes to our local leadership board:
  1. Lavonda Lloyd (Costco) has joined our board as the new Vice President of Membership Management. In this role she will be responsible for maintaining accurate records of our membership. She will also be working with our national VP of Membership Management Mildred Allen to ensure that all members have access to all of their rights and privileges. Lavonda is a recent graduate of Keller Graduate School and holds an MBA with a concentration in Project Management. Lavonda has served as our interim VP of Member Management for the past 4 months and has done an exceptional job. She replaces Desiree Plummer who held this position earlier this year.
  2. Phyllis Ferguson (Strategic Perfection) has joined our board as our new Vice President of Public Relations & Marketing. In this role she will be responsible for the teams that create marketing strategies, materials and spearhead our social media strategy. She will also work with our national corporate sales team. Phyllis is a graduate of DeVry University and holds a Bachelors degree in Computer Science. She also an experienced PMP certified project manager and holds a Technical Management Certificate from Georgia Tech. Phyllis has served as our interim VP of PR and Marketing for the past 3 months and has done an exceptional job. She replaces Keith Warrick who was our former Director of PR, Marketing and Social Media until June of this year.
Please join me in welcoming Lavonda and Phyllis to our leadership board. In the coming months their areas will be exceptionally busy. If you would like to help them in their roles please contact them.

Thanks.
Carter C. Hill, Chapter President
BDPA Atlanta
(678) 677-5428
Follow on Twitter: @CarterHillJr

Wayne Hicks Available as Program Meeting Speaker


I was a guest speaker at a BDPA Los Angeles program meeting back in the day. Our topic was simple, 'Why BDPA in Los Angeles?'. There was a good turnout and our dialogue with chapter members and leaders was quite candid and frank.

The chapter president, Andree Justin, shared the following testimonial on my presentation,

"Wayne's visit energized the chapter leadership and attending members. His enthusiasm and dedication to mentoring local chapters and sharing the goals and objectives of the BDPA exemplified the emotions, attitude and focus BDPA members should follow. We received great ideas about how to approach our challenges in serving LA stakeholders. Wayne reminded us that we represent every African American in this region. We now can approach our program development, community involvement and sponsor relationships with a much grandeur vision and mission. BDPA LA appreciates the time that Wayne took out to share with us and highly recommends other chapters to tap into his wealth of management, corporate, entrepreneurial and BDPA knowledge."

I am working on my 2011 speaking calendar. Click here to see my bio. I would love to come visit with your chapter over the coming weeks and months. POST A COMMENT if you are interested in exploring this opportunity.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Regal Foundation


The Regal Foundation provides community grants to 501(c)(3) organizations in locations where the Regal Entertainment Group operates. You can see the 2008 grant recipients & the amount of their grants on Page 19-25 of their 2008 tax return.

Usually these community grants come in form of funding and in-kind support to enhance organizations benefiting persons suffering economic, social, physical, or educational hardship or disadvantage, or who are otherwise in need of charitable, scientific, or educational support or assistance.

Funding decisions are made three times each year.  Content of Grant Applications:
  1. Application and grant agreement
  2. IRS tax-exempt letter
  3. Copy of most recent financial audit
The grant application should be sent to:




7132 Regal Ln
c/o Richard Westerling
Knoxville, TN 37918
(865) 925-9787


Please take a moment to review the information available from their website to determine if your chapter is a good match for this funding source. If you think so, let BETF know by replying to this blog post.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Good News Tuesday: John Dabiri, 2010 MacArthur Fellow

Biophysicist John Dabiri was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2010. The Fellowship is a $500,000, no-strings-attached grant for individuals who have shown exceptional creativity in their work and the promise to do more.


Dabiri is only 30-years old. He serves as the Associate Professor of Aeronautics and Bioengineering at the California Institute of Technology.

He graduated from Princeton University with a B.S.E. degree summa cum laude in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in June 2001. In September 2001, he came to Caltech where he earned an M.S. degree in Aeronautics in June 2003, followed by a Ph.D. in Bioengineering with a minor in Aeronautics in April 2005. He joined the Caltech faculty as an Assistant Professor in May 2005. In 2008, Popular Science magazine named him one of its "Brilliant 10" scientists.







This brother is the reason that we need to ensure our children are up-to-speed on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) all throughout their school years! 

We're not giving away $500,000 ... but, we can give a little something with your help!



BDPA Grant Disbursement Plan for American Honda Foundation Funds

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) and the National BDPA VP-Member Services are pleased to announce the process by which the American Honda Foundation (AHF) funding will be distributed.

We are excited about this disbursement plan because it will leverage the American Honda Foundation funding to move our Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program forward in a number of ways.
  1. More students engaged in Saturday ‘computer camps’ (or whatever they are called at local level). These Saturday computer camps are the essence of our SITES program … we need to encourage their development and growth.  The successful 'best practice' in our Southern Minnesota chapter needs to be replicated around the nation.
  2. More BDPA chapters / volunteers engaged with elementary and middle school students. SITES is supposed to be K-12, however, we only seem to promote and reward efforts with 8th – 12th graders in the HSCC project. Can we get more energy, engagement and creativity in elementary and middle school programs?
  3. More BDPA engagement with HSCC alumni – This group of students are a wealth of talent and opportunity that BDPA has never really engaged with in the past. Can we get more engaged with HSCC alumni as promoters, volunteers, instructors, mentors, and so forth?
  4. Stronger participation in regional conferences – it seems that regionalization is a part of BDPA’s future. Can we leverage this AHF funding to get chapters to consider hosting or attending regional conferences?
  5. Stronger participation in national conference – Can we leverage this AHF funding to get more participation in YTC, IT Showcase and national HSCC championships in Chicago next year?
  6. Marketing and Documentation of past glories – Can we leverage this AHF funding to get more material about our current programs and our HSCC alumni at the local chapter level?
The other attractive component of this grant disbursement plan is that funds will flow on a quarterly basis culminating at the 2011 annual BDPA Technology Conference in Chicago. The plan requires chapter reporting to be completed on activity between January 1 – June 30, 2011. In addition we hope to give regular (monthly?) updates that will prod, encourage, motivate and cajole local chapter presidents to be more proactive in their SITES preparation and documentation.

Anyhow, this is our game-plan for disbursement of the funds. We should be reporting on the first winners within the next 30 days. Is your chapter giving out 2010 scholarships to 2010 High School Computer Competition (HSCC) alumni? Did you chapter send a representative to the annual HSCC coordinators' meeting held last month in Naples?

What say u?

Monday, December 13, 2010

This Week in BDPA (Dec 12-18)

BDPA has 45 chapters around the nation. You can always find programs, services or networking activity here or here. BDPA supports your efforts for career advancement in the IT industry. Our hope is that you will continue to support Our Cause!

Are you taking advantage of these programs? Here is a weekly preview of upcoming events gathered from the centralized BDPA calendar :
We encourage all BDPA leaders to take advantage of the centralized BDPA Groupsite Calendar to post your upcoming events! Please let us know of other BDPA events that we may have missed. Most importantly, let us know if you plan to attend any BDPA events this week.