Message from National BDPA President

Monique Berry

Thank you for the opportunity to lead BDPA and for your patience as I grew in my position. I hope that during my term I have been able to make a positive impact on both the current and the future of BDPA. This is definitely one experience I will never forget!

As I write this letter as President, I want to highlight several goals and significant accomplishments of the past two years:

GOALS:

1. Reduce operational expenses and increase revenue;
2. Expand our membership base by 25%, including reaching out to college students and building relationships with college administrations;
3. Collaborate with other organizations and associations to further our organizations mission and goals;
4. Engage our members with regular communication via social networks, BDPA Today and BDPA iRadio;
5. Listen to and involve our members by holding periodic national conference call meetings; and
6. Advance professional development by offering cutting edge seminars and panels during the annual conference.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• Reduced office space at savings of $84,000;
• Renegotiated our conference contracts saving more the $500,000 in attrition fees;
• Increased membership by more than 32%;
• Developed new strategic relationships with:
• American Association of Blacks in Energy
• Clemson University
• Howard University
• Mexican American Engineers and Scientists
• National Center for Women & Information Technology
• National Organization of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers
• National Organization of Minority Architects
• National Society of Black Physicists
• National Technology Association
• Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science
• Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
• University of Phoenix
• Increased member communication via Blog post, Diversity Careers magazine, direct email, Facebook, Twitter, Groupsite, Instagram and Pinterest
• Guest appearances on BDPA iRadio by several National Board members
• Introduced the annual Lifetime Achievement Award
• Registered BDPA as a Certifying Organization for the President’s Volunteer Service Awards
• Increased member education offerings
• Agile Scrum Master certification class
• CISSP prep classes
• Career Triage classes
• STEM Online Simulations

2012 Nat'l Executive Committee

My journey in leading the Association wasn't done alone. I was accompanied by a team of dynamic individuals, both elected and not, who shared in our successes and learned from our failures. So I would like to take this opportunity to thank a number of people for their hard work and dedication, and without whom running the Association wouldn't have been possible. 

I thank the dedicated members of the Board of Directors, National Executive Committee, Conference Team and the Board Development/Governance and Bylaw Committee for their support over the past two years. I am proud of their accomplishments, as we all strove to support and actively engage current and future BDPA members.

I would be remiss if I did not recognize the true heroes of this past two years, our dedicated chapter leaders, committee chairs and their volunteer members. There are not enough words to express my thanks and appreciation of these great leaders. For without their passion and undying commitment to devote thousands of hours of volunteer service, we could not have begun this journey of transformation or achieved any of our goals. Embracing change is difficult and these change agents never lost sight of our strategic direction, even when the road to success got bumpy or was detoured.

My sincerest thanks to our headquarters team: Lesley Menor for her tireless work managing our daily operations, Wayne Hicks for managing our sales and sustaining sponsor relationships and Natasha Banks-Pronsati for taking care of finances. I am certain that we can count on their valuable support of BDPA next year.

But most importantly, my thanks go out to you, the Members, for all your support during these two years of change. For without you, BDPA would not exist. It has been my pleasure to serve you. It has been a pleasure working with talented, capable, and dedicated professionals while serving your president. My time on the Board has been extremely rewarding and has resulted in what are hopefully lifelong friendships with a truly great group of people.

I've come to appreciate more what a treasure BDPA is for all of us and our corporate partners; and I am confident that our continuing Board members will grow the organization to new heights.

In closing, I have one final request. I ask that each of you pledge your continued support to BDPA and help our 2014 leaders continue the journey to deliver the success our Association deserves.

As you know, we can do this - but only Together!

Happy New Year!  
Monique Berry, President
National BDPA

Delta Air Lines Foundation

Delta Air Lines Foundation continually strives to be a respected community partner in the neighborhoods where they do business and live. Through the Delta Air Lines Foundation and Sponsorship & Promotional Marketing areas, Delta seeks partnership opportunities that will increase brand awareness and loyalty, generate revenue, communicate customer benefits and new Delta products/services, and support positive community involvement.

Because of the large number of proposals they receive and limited resources we have to support them, all requests must be submitted via this website at least 90 days prior to the event for consideration. To submit a proposal, you will need to create an account and complete the questionnaire. All requests must include the following for consideration: Advertising/media plans, hospitality and event exposure opportunities, cost/benefits, and exclusivity in the airline category.

Once a proposal has been submitted, an acknowledgment email will be sent to your in-box.  Delta will review your proposal and determine if your opportunity is a strategic fit, and will respond to all proposals within 4 weeks of submission.

This seems like a great funding source for any chapter that requires air transportation to attend a regional or national conference.

BDPA Triangle SITES Program (2013)

The Student Information Technology Education and Scholarship (SITES) program has been up and running for over a quarter century within BDPA. Two of the frequent initiatives under the SITES umbrella are the High School Computer Competition (HSCC) and the BDPA IT Showcase. BDPA Triangle chapter has a powerful legacy in both of these student initiatives since its founding in September 1989.

BDPA Triangle Chapter exposes middle school and high school students to the rigors of work life through development of their Computer, Information and Internet Technology skills to solve business problems. Students participate in 3-hour training sessions each Saturday, from April through June. The 12-week initiative, known as the 'BDPA Saturday Academy' includes course manuals and web-based content, online assessment, student performance tracking, hands-on-labs, instructor training and support, and focuses on industry standard certifications.

BDPA Triangle Chapter trained students from 22 area high schools, representing 12 counties located throughout the Research Triangle region. Students participating in the SITES program learn dynamic skills such as: Web-based applications, JavaScript, PHP, Project Management, Business Analysis, E-Commerce Web Applications, problem resolution, Flow-charting, Mobile Applications, Database Administration, Data Modeling, IT Security, Solution Design and much more.

Out of that training five students (see photo) earned the right to represent BDPA Triangle chapter at the 2013 National BDPA High School Computer Competition championships in Washington DC.

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) urges you to reach deep to support these young people. Please make a secure online donation to the BDPA Triangle Chapter HSCC Scholarship Fund.

Gates Millennium Scholarships

The Gates Millennium Scholars nomination process has launched. The submission deadline is January 15, 2014.

This program, funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, was established to provide outstanding low income minority students with an opportunity to complete an undergraduate college education in any discipline area of interest.

Continuing scholars may also request funding for a graduate degree program in one of the following discipline areas: education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health or science.

Google Computer Science Summer Institute

Google Computer Science Summer Institute is a program focused on increasing the enrollment and retention of computer science students, particularly those historically underrepresented in the field. The program is open to high school seniors, and features a 3-week interactive curriculum which provides students with a practical introduction to computer science (HTML, CSS, Javascript, App Engine, and more) that culminates in the creation and presentation of an application students have developed in small teams.

Are Black People Becoming 21st Century Digital Slaves?

by Phillip Jackson
The Black Star Project

If you are not able to code and if you are not computer literate, you are pretty much a 21st century digital slave. If you don't have access to and are using the internet for personal growth and development, you are pretty much a 21st century digital slave. If you are not encouraging your schools to teach coding and computer literacy to your children, and if you are not allowing your children to learn, read and write code, you are promising your children 21st century digital slavery.

Phillip Jackson

If your children are playing video games, rather than creating video games, they too, will be consigned to 21st century digital slavery. If you are not learning coding yourself, you have relegated yourself to the old way of being educated and the old way of existing. You have made yourself obsolete. You have volunteered to be a 21st century digital slave!

It is time for all people, but especially Black people, to run away from digital slavery to digital freedom and digital excellence! The most widely spoken language in world in the near future is not going to be English, Chinese, Hindi, Swahili or Spanish-it is going to be a language of computer coding. People in every country will speak this language. 90% of all new jobs in the world will require employees to speak this language. You will not be able to live (well) anywhere in the world without this language.

The Black Star Project will offer introductory classes to coding and computer literacy during the holidays. Effective education can no longer occur just between 8:30 am and 2:30 pm, Monday through Friday, for 200 school days a year. Learning has become too important to leave to schools! Learning must be driven by parents, families and communities, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year!

Learning is no longer a local activity, but a global imperative. Just as some slaves became accustomed to chattel slavery, some people are becoming accustomed to the new 21st century digital slavery. The only way to break these bonds that rob people of dignity and freedom are with "new learning".

Happy Anniversary: BDPA Cincinnati Chapter

BDPA Cincinnati chapter was founded in December 1989 when several African American IT professionals were approached at HP (formerly Digital Equipment Corporation) by BDPA Dayton chapter president Bill Maynard.  Bill wanted them to start a BDPA chapter in the city of Cincinnati.  After researching the organization and discussing the great opportunities that BDPA could bring to Black IT professionals in Cincinnati ... the challenge was accepted!

The charter group of visionaries began the search for chapter support by targeting technology-based individuals in the City of Cincinnati.  The strategy was to approach individuals affiliated with the Fortune-500 based companies in the area.  The discussions with these corporations focused on the needs and potential value of such an organization as BDPA.

The discussions with the Cincinnati business community were successful.   Everett Gregory, Neal Johnson, Brenda Johnson, Charles Cooper and Gina Billings were delighted with the BDPA Cincinnati chapter concept and what it would bring to the African American community.  They made the official request that National BDPA accept a charter as a new chapter.  The charter was approved in December 1989 ... and BDPA Cincinnati chapter was officially formed.

Chapter's Past Presidents

BDPA Cincinnati chapter has been very successful over the years.  The chapter has been recognized for its many community outreach programs and membership development.  The success of the chapter is a result of the efforts of chapter volunteers, supporters and sponsors.   The accomplishments were helped by the leaders that served on the chapter's board of directors and corporate advisory council over the years.  These people quietly and consistently gave their time, talent and energy to build up BDPA Cincinnati as a premier organization within the technology community.   These men and women of all races, ages and genders made a commitment to excellence with their BDPA involvement.  BDPA Cincinnati chapter will continue to grow, prosper and provide support to the membership and the community.

Join us in celebrating the 24th anniversary of BDPA Cincinnati chapter!

Amgen Foundation

The Amgen Foundation seeks to advance science education, improve quality of care and access for patients, and support resources that create sound communities where Amgen staff members live and work. The Amgen Foundation carefully considers each grant application it receives, seeking out diverse organizations whose philosophies, objectives and approaches align with the Foundation goals and mission.

The Foundation awards grants to regional, national, and Europe-based nonprofit organizations that are replicable, scalable and designed to have a lasting and meaningful effect in communities where Amgen is located. Grants should reflect Amgen’s dedication to impacting lives in inspiring and innovative ways.

Philanthropic Focus - Each year, the Foundation receives hundreds of grant proposals. While it is not possible for every organization to receive funding, those that are in alignment with the Foundation’s guidelines and programmatic vision outlined below are given careful consideration.

The Amgen Foundation, Inc. will consider grant requests from nonprofit organizations that are recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as tax exempt public charities under sections 501(c)(3) and 509(a)(1), (2), (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, located in the United States and Puerto Rico. In addition, the Amgen Foundation will consider requests for funding from governmental organizations located in the United States where the purpose of the grant is to support a charitable, educational, scientific or literary purpose. Thus, eligible grantees may include public elementary and secondary schools, as well as public colleges and universities, public libraries and public hospitals.

Successful requests will fall within both the current eligibility guidelines and funding priority areas established by the Amgen Foundation. Organizations may only submit one request a year for funding.

For more information: please call (805) 447-4056 or email them at amgenfoundation@amgen.com

Related articles

• Amgen Award For Science Teaching Excellence Honors Outstanding Teachers

Education Pioneers Analyst Fellowship

The Education Pioneers Analyst Fellowship places talented data-savvy professionals in mission-critical roles in school districts, charter management organizations, nonprofits, and other leading education organizations.

Complemented by professional development workshops, community service projects, networking and graduate school scholarship opportunities, this 10-month program provides Fellows with the exposure and access to launch a career in the education sector.

Current fellowship opportunities are available in the following locations: Austin TX , Bridgeport CT , Chicago IL, Dallas TX, Washington DC, Denver CO , Detroit, MI , Boston, MA, Houston, TX , Los Angeles, CA , Memphis, TN , Nashville, TN , New Orleans, LA, New York Metro Area , Sacramento, CA , San Francisco Bay Area , Seattle, WA

[Click here to Read More]·       

Wordless Wednesday: National BDPA High School Computer Competition Silver Medalists (Washington DC, 2010)

Tech Expresso Cafe: BDPA South Region Director Felicia Jones (Dec 17, 2013)

BDPA South Region director Felicia Jones has worked for 17 years in the IT industry ... most recently with Macy's Inc.  She led a team of volunteers over the past two years (2012-2013) to revolutionize the programs and services delivered by our BDPA Atlanta chapter.  She moves forward in the next two years (2014-2015) as a regional director responsible for the growth and development of 19 local BDPA chapters in the southern area of our country.  Also, Felicia is the president of the Next Level Technology Foundation ... a recently-created organization focused on fundraising to support BDPA Atlanta chapter.

Felicia used this podcast interview to review the successes over the past two years as well her vision for the future of both the BDPA South Region and Next Level Technology Foundation.

We hope you enjoy this podcast!

Discover Technology Internet Radio with Tech Expresso Cafe on BlogTalkRadio

Where Are They Now? BDPA New York Chapter Presidents

BDPA New York chapter was founded in January 1983. The idea took hold at the end of 1982 when Stan White (New Jersey Chapter) contacted several of his co-workers at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Greater New York inquiring if we wanted to get together to talk about an organization named Black Data Processing Associates. A group of people met in the Blue Cross cafeteria and decided to pursue the idea.

The initial charter members for BDPA New York chapter included: Willie Cummings, Barbara Gordon, Debra Johnson, Ernest Molina, Stan Seymore and Stan White. Their decision to create a chapter was a good one as evidenced by the fact that BDPA New York was named 'Chapter of the Year' in 1988, 1999, 2011 and 2012. I was a member of the BDPA New York chapter in 1996-1997 while living and working on Long Island.

Judaea Lane, George Baker, Renee McClure & Tony Codrington

It would be great to hear from our past, current and future BDPA New York chapter presidents. Here is the list as best we can tell:

• Ernest Molina (1982-1983)
• Willie Cummings (1984-1985)
• Anita Wilson (1986)
• George Baker (1987)
• Michael Robinson (1988-1989)
• Roxanne Burrus (1990)
• Tony Codrington (1991-1992)
• Roger Dunn (1993)
• Renee McClure (1994-1997)
• Shirley Monrose (1998-1999)
• Jeffry Kimble (2000-2005)
• Judaea Lane (2006-2010)
• Renetta English (2011-2013)
• Tyrone McKinney (2014-2015)

Two of the past New York chapter presidents served as national officers: Roxanne Burrus (national BDPA treasurer) and Renee McClure (national BDPA president).

The chapter hosted the national BDPA Technology Conference in 1991 ('Getting to the Core of Technology').

The chapter has been one of the most dominant chapters in the national high school computer competition (HSCC). BDPA New York chapter won the national HSCC championship in four different years (1988, 1989, 1992 and 1999).

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) awarded Bemley Scholarships to New York chapter students:  Kevin Castillo (2009), Frantzy Jean-Phillips (2009), Christopher Lezama (1999), Kevin O'Neil (1999), Donald Porter (1999), Cazemba Richards (2009), Alan Rosales (2009) and Barine Tee (1999).

We've mentioned alot of names in this blog post.   The question remains:

Where are they now?

This Week in BDPA (December 15-21, 2013)

BDPA offers strong programs in 46 cities around the nation. Are you taking advantage of these programs? Here is a weekly preview of upcoming events gathered from the centralized BDPA calendar :

• Dec 17: BDPA Cleveland - Program Meeting, 'Cyber Security: Threats, Solutions and Opportunities'
• Dec 18: BDPA Cincinnati - Program Meeting, 'What Really is Cloud Computing?'
• Dec 18: BDPA New Jersey - Webinar, 'Build Automated Solutions Without Writing Code!' 
• Dec 19: BDPA St. Louis - Networking, 'Holiday Happy Hour' 
• Dec 19: National BDPA - Webinar, 'Career Triage'
• Dec 19: BDPA Washington DC - Networking, 'Annual Holiday Mixer & Member Appreciation'
• Dec 20: BDPA Washington DC - Fundraiser, 'Annual Student Alumni Pancake Dinner'
  
• Dec 21: BDPA Chicago - Workshops, 'Student Empowerment Retreat'

Please let us know of other BDPA events 

that we may have missed! 

You can always find BDPA programs, services or networking activity online at places such as:

• BDPA Facebook Group
• BDPA Foundation Facebook Page
• BDPA Foundation Twitter Account
• BDPA LinkedIn Network Group

BDPA supports your efforts for career advancement in the IT industry. Our hope is that you find reasons to provide tax-deductible support to our Causes, our HSCC Scholarship Funds or Your Causes! We encourage all BDPA leaders to take advantage of the centralized BDPA Groupsite Calendar to post your upcoming events.

Election Results: BDPA Cincinnati (2014-2015)

BDPA Cincinnati chapter has a powerful legacy that has grown since its founding in December 1989. The chapter recently concluded elections that put in place those IT professionals who will take BDPA Cincinnati chapter to the next level in 2014-2015. The following officers were elected in accordance with chapter bylaws:

President - Dalric Webb (GE) 

Vice President, Finance - Steve Gutter (The Kroger Company)

Please join all of BDPA in welcoming these new leaders as they strive to advance the careers of African Americans in the information technology industry from the classroom to the boardroom in the greater Cincinnati region. They have some large shoes to fill ... however, the chapter also has some powerful corporate support and it currently stands as the 5th-largest BDPA chapter in the nation.

10 Tips for Filling Volunteer Vacancies in BDPA

Guest Blogger: Dalric Webb (BDPA Cincinnati president-elect)

Recently, I took it upon myself to try and “connect the dots” and close the gap between vacancies in our local chapter board of directors and potential volunteers who expressed an interest in working within the chapter framework toward the goals of the organization. The individuals who expressed interest were all identified at our regular monthly program meetings but they could also come from any online community such as Groupsite, Facebook, LinkedIn Network, Pinterest or Twitter.
The guiding principle is simple -- Ask the question (“Would you consider taking a role in the chapter”) and then follow-up with those who answer, ‘Yes’!

Here are some pointers that can help us identify talented volunteer leaders for BDPA at local, regional or national level.  BDPA leaders seeking to fill volunteer vacancies:

1. Should have a personal and demonstrated desire to serve the organization.
2. Must have a vision for the future – and be able to articulate it. This vision needs to align with the BDPA purpose.
3. Should be able to point potential volunteers to a stable location (preferably online) that details the expectations of each role and which roles are vacant.
4. Must be familiar with each vacancy.
5. Must be able to listen to the expressed interest of the potential volunteer in order to suggest one or two open vacancies for their consideration (demonstrating that they have listened and heard the potential volunteer).
6. Must follow-up – this is CRITICAL.
7. Should expect several rounds of interaction; email exchanges, phone calls or face-to-face meetings to occur before the potential volunteer actually commits to filling a vacancy.
8. Should stay engaged with the potential volunteer – build a relationship and rapport.
9. Should follow-up after confirmation of acceptance with a public announcement and publication of the volunteer being appointed or accepting the new leadership role.
10. Should integrate the new volunteer into all planning and communication sessions (depending on the persons level of interest, this can start prior to actually appointment/acceptance).

This effort has to be personal! People don’t join BDPA for the benefits … they join for the relationship. It starts with the person making ‘the ask’. That leader needs to convey what they feel, believe, and want to build in BDPA with the potential volunteer.

Dalric Webb, president (2014-2015)
BDPA Cincinnati Chapter

Tech Expresso Cafe: National BDPA President-Elect Dr. Craig Brown (Dec 12, 2013)

National BDPA president-elect Dr. Craig Brown shares his vision for BDPA as he takes over the presidency for 2014-2015. The main thrust of his vision is to transform the organization to make it more relevant for our members, sponsors and community. Many refer to this strategic direction as 'BDPA 2.0'. Craig shares some of the specific ideas and concepts that will take place over the coming weeks and month with the Tech Expresso Cafe podcast audience.

We hope you enjoy this podcast!

Discover Technology Internet Radio with Tech Expresso Cafe on BlogTalkRadio

HP Corporate Foundation

HP Corporate Foundation provides grants to U.S. universities, low-income and ethnically diverse K-12 school districts, national non-profit organizations that align with HP's goals to increase achievement in math and science, and under-served communities working to address their most pressing issues through reinvention and collaboration. HP only accepts grant proposals by invitation.

HP supports kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) education programs that enhance math, science, reading, and computer skills; professional development activities that emphasize teachers using technology as a tool in the classroom; or programs that provide educational enrichment and assistance to students before, during or after school (for example - homework centers, mentoring, or science programs). HP also supports programs and partnerships that are national or regional in scope.

Email mailto:philanthropy_ed@hp.com for more information.

Election Results: BDPA St. Louis (2014-2015)

BDPA St. Louis chapter has a powerful legacy that has grown since its founding in January 1989. The chapter recently concluded elections that put in place those brothers and sisters who will take BDPA St. Louis chapter to the next level in 2014-2015. The following officers were elected in accordance with chapter bylaws:

President - Dwana Franklin-Davis (MasterCard)  

Executive Vice President - Jerry Walker (Nestle Purina)  

Vice President, Finance - Marvis Hollis (Macy's)  

  Vice President, Membership Management- Lionel Phillips (IBM)  

Vice President, Strategy & Planning - Malcom Mathis, (Monsanto)  

Other appointed leaders in the chapter include:

• HSCC Coordinator - Tiffany Jones (Monsanto)
• Communications Coordinator - Tiffany Pierre (Unknown)

Please join all of BDPA in welcoming these new leaders as they strive to advance the careers of African Americans in the information technology industry from the classroom to the boardroom in the state of Missouri. They have some large shoes to fill ... however, the chapter also has some powerful corporate support and it currently stands as the 11th-largest BDPA chapter in the nation.

STEM Attrition: College Students' Paths Into and Out of STEM Fields

Recent report issued by the National Center for Education Statistics tells us that students majoring in STEM fields are roughly as likely as their non-STEM peers to drop out of their majors. This is important information for BDPA stakeholders to consider as we continue to implement our nationwide Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program.

Read More!

Blacks In Technology Podcast #47: 'How To Raise a Coder'

Blacks In Technology (BIT) is an organization whose focus is to increase visibility, increase participation and change the perceptions of African Americans in the technology field. They host regular podcasts to showcase technologists and engineers.

The 47th podcast in the series is geared towards parents of young people who are engaged in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs. The title of BIT Tech Talk #47 is "How To Raise a Coder".



BDPA Education and Technology Foundation is proud to share this podcast with those in our cyber-sphere of influence!

Dell Scholarship Program -- Deadline: January 15, 2014

While many students dream of obtaining a college degree, life sometimes gets in the way, particularly for those dealing with personal responsibilities at home or in their communities. The Dell Scholars college scholarship program, an initiative of the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, recognizes students who have overcome significant obstacles to pursue their educations.

Visit Planning and Preparing for College (Scholarships, Internships, Etc) for additional information on scholarships and internships.

BDPA Twin Cities SITES Program (2013)

The Student Information Technology Education and Scholarship (SITES) program has been up and running for over a quarter century within BDPA. Two of the frequent initiatives under the SITES umbrella are the High School Computer Competition (HSCC) and the BDPA IT Showcase. BDPA Twin Cities chapter has a powerful legacy in both of these student initiatives since its founding in January 1989.

BDPA Twin Cities chapter student training program is free and available to all students with a passion for technology. It is held on Saturdays and includes three levels of education. BDPA thrives from a great group of dedicated volunteers and parents. This year, the “circle of learning” continues as HSCC alumni return to teach and coach new students. Classes are exciting as students learn programming languages (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, C#, MySQL), web development, project management, and team building skills. They also gain insight from IT professionals that come in every week to share their career experience. By the end of our program, students become young IT leaders and take pride in being “Nerdy”.

L-R: Kelly Martin, Samuel Odumakin, Sifora Tek-Lab, Jesus Vega, Justin Wulf, Opeyemi OdumakinJorian Wulf, Qadre Ayinde, Kiani Burkett, Roman Gradford, Joshua Cunningham, Hillary Thomas Jr., Diliet “Shortcut” Tekie, Salvador Rojas, Jonathan Rojas, Xzavier Wells, Isaiah Brown, Alondra Rojas, Phoenix Lewis, Ariana Pope, Aron Tek-Lab, and Daze Davison

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) urges you to reach deep to support these young people. Please make a secure online donation and designate it in support of the BDPA Twin Cities programs, scholarships and services.

BDPA Corporate Supporter: ThoughtWorks

Please welcome ThoughtWorks on board as one of the 102 corporations to have invested in BDPA programs, scholarships or services in the past 365 days!  The company's principal consultant worked with BDPA Dallas chapter president Stacy Stewart to create a partnership that will result in future monthly program meetings (including vittles) to be hosted by ThoughtWorks.

Tech Expresso Cafe Podcast: BDPA Atlanta Chapter President Derrick Brown (Dec 5, 2013)

Derrick Brown, BDPA Atlanta chapter president, was the guest on the Tech Expresso Cafe podcast produced by BDPA members David Blackman and Jacqueline Sanders. The discussion focused on the vision that Derrick has for BDPA Atlanta chapter as it enters into the new year. BDPA Atlanta chapter is the 4th largest chapter in the nation and it has some remarkable programs, scholarships and services. Enjoy the podcast:

More Technology Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with Tech Expresso Cafe on BlogTalkRadio

We invite all BDPA stakeholders to enjoy the podcast!

BDPA St. Louis SITES Program (2013)

The Student Information Technology Education and Scholarship (SITES) program has been up and running for over a quarter century within BDPA. Two of the frequent initiatives under the SITES umbrella are the High School Computer Competition (HSCC) and the BDPA IT Showcase. BDPA St. Louis chapter has a powerful legacy in both of these student initiatives since its founding in January 1989.

BDPA St. Louis Chapter is dedicated to developing the next generation of IT professionals by overseeing various computer training sites across the St. Louis area over the course of the year. Shining students from those training sites are selected to attend a 13-week intense training program offered at Monsanto. The program teaches high school students how to effectively present to a group; gather requirements; design a usable interface; code web applications; and test functional components. The students are challenged to build web applications using HTML, CSS, PHP, JavaScript and MySQL. The intense training sessions were taught this year by John Cooper and Tiffany Jones.

Toni Love (HSCC Coordinator), John Cooper (HSCC Trainer), James Fields, Tiffany Jones (HSCC Instructor),
Jacqueline Nobbe, Christina Miller, DaShawn Staples, Della Anjeh, Cameron Smith Albert Ware (Volunteer),
Oseyi Ikuenobe (Volunteer) and Tom Bast (Volunteer)

Not pictured: Vincent Anjeh, Desmond Jason, Akshaya Nandakumar, Lauren Schmiedeler and Abby Vandeven

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) urges you to reach deep to support these young people. Please make a secure online donation to the BDPA St. Louis Chapter HSCC Scholarship Fund.

Grant Disbursement: BDPA Charlotte ($9,063)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is pleased to announce approval of $9,063 grant disbursement to BDPA Greater Charlotte chapter. This grant disbursement flows smoothly with our vision to achieve, through investment in education and technology, an informed Black community prepared to lead and leverage the knowledge revolution for the benefit of the community-at-large.

BDPA Charlotte chapter president Markus Beamer requested the funding to pay for its Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program in 2013.  This project lasted for eight months and allowed IT professionals to teach high school students how to build 3-tier web applications.  The SITES program introduces these young people to real-world problems and assists them in building solutions for those problems.  The highest performers from this program were awarded an all-expenses paid trip to Washington DC to participate in the Youth Technology Camp and compete in the 2013 National BDPA High School Computer Competition championship!

Congratulations to BDPA Charlotte chapter for its strong efforts to provide meaningful STEM-related programs to its young people. BDPA is making a difference in its efforts to promote the 'future faces of technology'.

This Week in BDPA (December 1-7, 2013)

BDPA offers strong programs in 46 cities around the nation. Are you taking advantage of these programs? Here is a weekly preview of upcoming events gathered from the centralized BDPA calendar :

• Dec 2: BDPA New York - Fundraiser, 'Holiday Celebration & Fundraiser'
• Dec 5: BDPA Chicago - Networking, 'JPMorgan Chase Networking Event'
• Dec 7: BDPA Atlanta - Webinar, '2013: Our Chapter's Year in Review'

Please let us know of other BDPA events 

that we may have missed! 

You can always find BDPA programs, services or networking activity online at places such as:

• BDPA Facebook Group
• BDPA Foundation Facebook Page
• BDPA Foundation Twitter Account
• BDPA LinkedIn Network Group

BDPA supports your efforts for career advancement in the IT industry. Our hope is that you find reasons to provide tax-deductible support to our Causes, our HSCC Scholarship Funds or Your Causes! We encourage all BDPA leaders to take advantage of the centralized BDPA Groupsite Calendar to post your upcoming events.

Top 10 BDPA Chapters (Membership, November 2013)

The lifeblood of any nonprofit association is its membership. As such it is good to note that BDPA membership has grown for the 5th straight month under the leadership of National BDPA VP-Membership Management Curtis Jenkins. In fact, the total membership in BDPA has grown over 43% from this same time last year! In fact, BDPA membership in November 2013 is higher than any month since February 2010!

We also want to congratulate the BDPA St. Louis chapter for advancing four places to become the 11th largest chapter in the nation over the past month.  Chapter president Dwana Franklin-Davis and her leadership team managed to increase membership in their chapter by over 14% in the month of November.  Much of this increase was due to corporate memberships purchased by Monsanto.

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, Pamela Sexton
2. Washington DC - president, Perry Carter 
3. Philadelphia - president, Eileen Gadsden
4. Atlanta - president, Derrick Brown
5. Cincinnati - president, Clarence Larcarte 
6. Los Angeles - president, John Malonson (up 1 spot)
7. Dallas - president, Stacy Stewart (down 1 spot)
8. New Jersey - president, Goldie Bonney
9. New York - president, Renetta English
10. Detroit - president, Beverly Moore

We continue to have four chapters in the 'BDPA Century Club'! The benefit of having powerful leadership is obvious when we see that Atlanta, Chicago, 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.

Historical perspective:

Top 10 BDPA Chapters (Nov 2012)
Top 10 BDPA Chapters (Nov 2009)

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?

Message from BDPA Atlanta Chapter President

Derrick Brown

Once again, BDPA Atlanta delivered. On November 14, 2013 Felicia Jones cemented her era as BDPA Atlanta President in an elegant and professional manner at our Annual Awards and Recognition program. It was the capstone on the Jones Era, which created a foundation of growth for BDPA Atlanta.

She passed the torch of leadership to myself, Derrick S. Brown, and in the doing highlighted what we do and why we do it in a moving and informative presentation.

BDPA Atlanta is committed to living up to its motto, 'Learn, Grow, and Achieve'. We firmly believe that as volunteers we are committed to living out this mandate, and positively impacting the lives of others. We are committed to growing our youth through the efforts of STEM in our various youth programs. We are committed to helping college students through the work we’ve done in our Success Alliance programs and collegiate outreach. We are committed to helping adults through our Professional Development Bootcamp and the Learn By Doing program. We are committed to showing examples of leadership and celebrating success in our Annual Minority Information Technology Forum.

BDPA Atlanta has been and will continue to be an engine of innovation in social and technological uplift. In 2014 we will continue to build our network, leverage the connections we create, and generate new and exciting opportunities for our members.

If you weren’t with us last week, if you weren’t with us last year, if you haven’t been with us in years, if you have never been with us … then the time is now. Membership has its privileges. Come learn how to network. Come learn how to interview. Come learn how to actually put money in your pocket in the diverse and exciting world of IT. Come learn what’s new and hot and cutting edge. Come learn how to communicate with your boss for a just reward. Come learn how to be the consummate professional. Come learn how to lead. We are doing all this and more in 2014. Come … join us … join BDPA Atlanta!

D.S. Brown, president
BDPA Atlanta Chapter