Message from BDPA Richmond Chapter President

Members and Friends,

Christopher Parker

Last week we had the awesome opportunity to host 'BDPA Day' on the Virginia State University (VSU) campus. We had the honor and pleasure of talking to management information systems majors and others about the benefits of being a part of a professional organization. Also, we shared how BDPA Richmond plans to work with VSU and the students to have a strong chapter presence in the fall semester. Finally, we talked about the ways that our BDPA programs can help prepare them to succeed in their future careers.

BDPA handed out organizational information before hosting a discussion with a panel of Richmond-area Information Technology professionals, including past National BDPA vice president Allison Aheart. Eleven VSU students were able to ask questions about the industry and learn from our experiences. BDPA Richmond chapter used 'BDPA Day' to strengthen our bonds with the VSU faculty ... including a new relationship with the VSU director of corporate relations. It helps that the VSU chief information officer, Hubert Harris, is a past BDPA Richmond chapter president!

BDPA will continue to help the VSU students travel from 'the classroom to the boardroom'. It is part of our ongoing mission to deliver programs for adults, high school students, middle school students and elementary schools students in a variety of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) areas. VSU 'BDPA Day' was a reminder of how each of us has the wonderful privilege to impact someone else in a positive manner solely through the gift of time.

Please contact me to learn more about our fundraiser to help support the purchase of college student memberships in BDPA. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Christopher Parker, president
BDPA Richmond Chapter

Like a Good Neighbor, State Farm is There for BDPA with a Silver-Level Corporate Sponsorship

Built on a foundation of shared values, quality service and relationships, mutual trust, integrity and financial strength, State Farm recently became a Silver Level Corporate Sponsor for the 35th Annual National BDPA Technology Conference and Career Fair titled, “Diverse Opportunities In The Age of Convergence” on August 14-17, 2013, Washington Hilton Hotel, Washington, D. C.

"State Farm is proud to be a Silver level sponsor and values the continued relationship with BDPA," stated Theonnie Shields, State Farm Systems Manager.

Teaming up with organizations like BDPA that share State Farm’s vision and commitment to building safer, stronger, and better educated communities, the State Farm corporate sponsorship will provide support for BDPA key initiatives that promote STEM and help close the digital divide.

Monique Berry

Monique Berry, National BDPA President said, "BDPA would like to thank State Farm Insurance for their support. Their contribution will help us achieve our goal of filling the STEM pipeline with computer scientists, engineers and other tech professionals. State Farm's participation in our Technology Career Fair on August 16-17 will present the D.C. community with employment opportunities at State Farm as well as other participating companies."

As a global member-focused technology organization with 46 local BDPA chapters in the United States, BDPA continues to stand as a leader in delivering 21st century technological programs, college scholarships, mentoring, support, and services for youth and adult Information Technology professionals. BDPA is honored to partner with a world class organization such as State Farm.

For more information on BDPA’s 35th Annual National Conference, contact Wayne Hicks, Director, BDPA Corporate Sales Department, corpsales@bdpa.org, (301) 584-3135.

Program Meeting: 'Business Continuity / Disaster Recovery' (BDPA New York, April 2013)

Brian Gray is responsible for disaster recovery at the United Nations. Think on what that means. BDPA New York was blessed to have Brian as a guest speaker at its April 2013 program meeting to discuss 'Towards Organizational Resilience - Business Continuity / Disaster Recovery'.

Brian shared his 14-page presentation deck with us for posterity.

Presentation - UN BC - BDPA Meeting - 18 April 2013 from Brian Gray

BDPA Corporate Sales Presentation: Detroit (2013)

BDPA Detroit chapter president Beverly Moore and the National BDPA Corporate Sales director Wayne Hicks are scheduled to have a conference call in a few days with some executives from General Motors. The focus of the discussion will be on ways that General Motors can become a BDPA corporate sponsor.

Beverly put together this 23-page .ppt deck to describe ways that any corporation can invest in her chapter. It is a comprehensive document and may serve as a 'best practice' for other chapters seeking to improve their revenue stream from corporate sales.

BDPA Corporate Sales: Detroit (2013) from Wayne Hicks

What do you think? Is this an effective presentation? If not, what would you like to see added, deleted or revised?

VIDEO: Showing Students How to Leverage Blacks Gone Geek Website

This short video shows high school and college students how to navigate the Blacks Gone Geek website to find information on careers in technology, student internships, STEM programs, and much, much more.



Milt Haynes is the founder of Blacks Gone Geek. He is also a past national BDPA president with a powerful legacy in the BDPA community. We encourage all BDPA supporters to learn more about Milt's Blacks Gone Geek initiative.

BDPA Dallas Students Compete at Texas Technology Student Association Conference

BDPA works with upwards of 500 high school students each week in the computer camps that take place around the nation. We are very excited when our young people have a chance to share their love of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with others. That is what occurred earlier this week with our young people being trained by BDPA Dallas chapter.

Five BDPA Dallas chapter student members - (l-r in photo) Emilio Ramos, Xavier Grandberry, Veronica Scott, Jaqueria Lacy and Quintin Neal - participated in the High School Webmaster competition hosted by the Technology Student Association (TSA). TSA is the only student organization devoted exclusively to the needs of students interested in technology. Open to students enrolled in or who have completed technology education courses, TSA currently has membership of over 180,000 middle and high school students in 2,000 schools spanning 48 states.

TSA is supported by educators, parents and business leaders who believe in the need for a technologically literate society. Members learn through exciting competitive events, leadership opportunities and much more. The diversity of activities makes TSA a positive experience for every student. From engineers to business managers, our alumni credit TSA with a positive influence on their lives. BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is pleased to see that BDPA Dallas chapter explored the opportunity for its student members to participate in the statewide event.

BDPA Dallas students placed 6th out of 24 teams competing in the Web Design competition during the Texas Technology Student Association Conference. Congratulations to Emilio, Xavier, Veronica, Jaqueria, Quintin, Stacy Stewart (BDPA Dallas chapter president) and the rest of the BDPA Dallas leadership team for exploring new frontiers.

If you are as happy as we are about these young people ... you can show it! Just click here to make an online donation to the BDPA Dallas Scholarship Fund!

I wonder if other BDPA chapters might be interested in exploring TSA membership and TSA competitions in other states?

Program Meeting: 'Agile Software Development' (BDPA Detroit, April 2013)

BDPA Detroit chapter program meeting in April 2013 focused on 'Agile Software Development'. The guest speaker focused on how Agile is changing the way we develop applications software, the dynamic in the work place and the tools used. While there is no simple definition of Agile Software Development Framework, it is plain to see that it is terminology which will become commonly used to describe delivering value in the work place.

The meeting explored some of these approaches while sharing an overview of IBM's Agile Software Development Tool with the audience participants.  Here is the video from the meeting:

Bemley Scholar Christina Miller Heads to Creighton University

Christina Miller is a remarkable young woman who represented BDPA St. Louis chapter in 2009-2010 and 2012 as a member of their High School Computer Competition team. The BDPA St. Louis chapter earned a fifth place finish in the 2010 National BDPA HSCC Championship and improved to bring home the silver medal for a second place finish in the 2012 National BDPA HSCC Championship. As a result she earned the Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship in both years ... and will be using that scholarship money to attend Creighton University in the fall.

We asked Christina to reflect on her BDPA experiences. Here is what she had to say:

I will be graduating from Visitation Academy in May 2013 and will attend Creighton University majoring in Biochemistry and Physics.

I have worked with computers ever since I could read. I remember sitting on my dad's lap at, what seems like now, a giant desktop and after reading each prompt clicking the "Yes" or "No" buttons. I remember my dad handing me, again, what seems old fashioned, ethernet cables and plugging them into the appropriate slot. I grew up with computers and technology, so when I first got involved with BDPA the summer going into my freshman year in high school, I was hooked.

While I hope to major in Biochemistry and Physics, the skills learned during training sessions are invaluable. Not only am I able to use the typical programming languages like HTML, CSS, Javascript, JSTL and JSP, I can also rattle off fast facts about the history of computers, such as the name of the first compiler or the reason that Grace Hopper is important. Also, I learned team work, communication, and networking skills. Going year from year, I grew more comfortable and confident in my skills and I was able to help guide new students in understanding different languages.

One of my favorite parts of BDPA is getting to know my teammates so well. After training for hours and hours during the week and then spending 5 days with them at the conference, it's hard not to get to know them. I believe each one has something different to offer and bring to the table just to make our team even better and stronger.

BDPA St. Louis HSCC Team (2012) - Silver Medal Winners

BDPA's High School Computer Competition is something I will always remember and be extremely grateful for the experience.

BDPA iRadio Show: April 23, 2013 (Linwood Bailey, Tim Butts)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is very proud to be the creator of the BDPA iRadio Show. You can listen to the archive version of the show using the widget shown in the right-hand sidebar of this blog. FREE download from the iTunes Store is also available for our listeners!

Listen to internet radio with BDPA on BlogTalkRadio

---

The guests on the April 23rd show:

Linwood Bailey - Founder & owner, Fields of Success - Linwood Bailey was introduced to BDPA by past national president Milt Haynes back in 2008. Linwood is a career coach who specializes in assisting professionals with the management of their most important economic asset -- their careers. He is also the author of The Business of Me: Your Job … Your Career … Your Value, a career management guidebook designed the today’s business professional. His twitter handle is @LinwoodBailey.

Tim Butts - Principal and owner, TEB1 & Associates - Tim Butts owns a consultancy that specializes in business intelligence and IT systems. He has been working with healthcare organizations for over 20 years. His workshop presentation at the 2013 BDPA Technology Conference is titled, 'Lessons Learned: Implementing EHR'. Healthcare IT remains a very hot area for employment in the IT industry. Tim will share some of the lessons that he's learned over the years of implementing 'electronic health records' (EHR). The process of converting health records from paper to digital is full of land mines. Tim's case study approach to this workshop will allow attendees to avoid those dangers. His twitter handle is @TEB1Consulting.

---

We hope you enjoy the insights and commentary on the show from each of these guests. Please take a moment to post a comment to let us know that you care!

Pat E. Perkins LCC Renews Its BDPA Corporate Support

Pat E. Perkins LLC renewed its BDPA support for 2013-2014 this week.  The company chief executive officer and founder, Pat Perkins, is a longtime advocate for BDPA and we are very pleased that her company continues to be among the growing list of corporations that invest in BDPA programs, scholarships and services.

BDPA is proud of the mutually beneficial connection that exists with our members who are entrepreneurs and business owners. We strive to give them as much, if not more, love than we give to our Fortune 100 corporate partners.

Pat is a certified life coach who helps new and emerging leaders advance in their business, their career and their life. Visit her website at www.pateperkins.com.

VIDEO: 'Your Future in IT Starts Today'

There are upwards of 500 students engaged in BDPA computer camps around the nation on any given weekend. Here is a video that can be shared with each of those students and their parents during orientation. This video production is the creation of BDPA Twin Cities chapter leader Michael Wulf.



What did you think of Michael's video vignette?

CA Technologies Plans Diversity Recruitment at BDPA Career Fair

BDPA is pleased to announce that CA Technologies will have a booth at the 2013 BDPA Career Fair in Washington DC on August 16-17.

CA Technologies provides IT management solutions that help customers manage and secure complex IT environments to support agile business services. Organizations of all sizes leverage CA Technologies software and SaaS solutions to accelerate IT innovation through new technologies, transform infrastructure to reduce complexity and free up resources, and secure data and identities to reduce risk. They do this across all environments from the data center to the cloud and across the complete service life-cycle. CA Technologies offers a practical approach to help customers transition from maintaining IT systems to delivering new, innovative services and value through IT. CA Technologies delivers Business Service Innovation.

The corporate decision to participate in the 2013 BDPA Technology Conference was communicated to us by the diversity recruitment program manager at the company. CA Technologies will be reaching out to BDPA members and supporters to share career opportunities at the career fair.

You can follow our newest sponsor on Twitter: @CAinc

'Leadership is a Privilege' (BDPA St. Louis)

by Guest Blogger: Dwana Franklin (BDPA St. Louis)

BDPA St. Louis hosted its April 2013 program meeting at the Monsanto headquarters office. The chapter presented a panel discussion on “Leadership is a Privilege” facilitated by Vincent Shorter (director, Monsanto). The panelist included Fred Burdell (chief information officer, Emerson Industrial Automation), Teron Bowman (IT Manager, Lord & Taylor) and Fabiana Solari (middleware services lead, Monsanto). There were 30 people in attendance for this very successful networking and educational seminar.

The session introduce some of the benefits of leadership - including driving growth and change in your organization; developing others; challenging teams to go beyond their personal and group boundaries; and helping others to realize pride in accomplishment. Vincent led with views and different perspectives of leadership and then enthusiastically moderated the panel of diverse IT professionals. The discussion was interactive and insightful between the attendees and panelists.

At the end of the session time was allotted for networking, and everyone left the meeting with a minimum of one new contact to add to their network.

Some of the comments shared on the meeting evaluations included:

"It was truly a privilege to participate as a panel member for this event. I appreciated the opportunity and also enjoyed networking and learning from others in the IT community."

"It was a pleasure participating in the event last night. I really enjoyed the professional atmosphere and dialogue with the facilitator, my panel members, and the BDPA members."

"The networking at the end was awesome as well. The room was buzzing with all the chatter!!! It was a beautiful thing."

"I thought it was a very engaging, empowering, and enlightening session! Thank you for being wonderful hosts, enthusiastic panelists, and more importantly, great representatives of professionalism...substance...and style!"

Luxottica Retail Seeks Diverse IT Talent from BDPA Career Fair

Luxottica Retail realizes that BDPA provides a vibrant community for recruitment of diverse information technology professionals. That is the reason that Luxottica Retail agreed to participate in the 2013 BDPA Career Fair on August 16-17 in Washington DC.

Luxottica Retail is a diverse, growing family of 42,000 associates and doctors working together to make a difference in the lives of its customers. With a strong portfolio of retail brands, Luxottica is positioned to reach every segment of the market. The retail portfolio offers a variety of differentiation points for consumers, including the latest in designer and high performance sun frames, advanced lens options, advanced eye care, every day value, and premiere vision care health benefits.

The company, headquartered in Cincinnati OH, has a growing need for IT professionals. BDPA and Luxottica Retail are proud of their growing corporate partnership in 2013 and beyond.

Wordless Wednesday: BDPA Leaders Show Up for 2007 Awards Banquet in Philadelphia

SOURCE: BDPA Foundation Flickr Photostream

BDPA Cincinnati High School Computer Competition Team (2013)

These are the coaches and students that make up the 2013 BDPA Cincinnati High School Computer Competition (HSCC) team. They plan to compete in the National BDPA HSCC championship later this year in Washington DC.

L-R: Deborah Prince (Outreach Director), Hadiya Harrigan, Jada Brown, Hasani Harrigan, Brian Pulliam, Kiese Wambu, and Frank Hill (Instructor)

Happy Birthday Denise Holland (Past National BDPA President)

Happy Birthday to our past national BDPA president, Denise Holland!

Federal Reserve Bank Joins Growing List of BDPA Career Fair Companies

The buzz for the 2013 BDPA Career Fair being held August 16-17 in Washington DC is growing day-by-day. Today we learn that the Federal Reserve Information Technology folks purchased a booth at our career fair.

The Federal Reserve joins a growing list of BDPA Career Fair companies that include:

1. Johnson & Johnson
2. Health Care Service Corporation
3. Accenture
4. Deloitte
5. Eli Lilly and Company
6. GEICO
7. Mayo Clinic
8. MillerCoors
9. National Security Agency
10. NextEra Energy Resources
11. PNC Bank
12. Prudential
13. University of Phoenix
14. Walgreen Company
15. Walmart

This is a great time to be a BDPA member or supporter as we are truly gaining traction with companies who are HIRING. Have you placed your current resume on the BDPA Job Board yet? If not, visit today and see what we've got for you -- http://www.ITDiversityCareers.com

Seeking Students for BDPA IT Showcase

BDPA Charlotte chapter is actively recruiting high school and college students to participate in the 2013 BDPA IT Showcase. Chapter member Kevin Robinson created this promotional video to help get the word out.



The message applies nationwide. BDPA understands that there are too few African Americans stretching themselves to obtain PhD in computer science or other STEM-related curriculum. That is the deeper purpose for the BDPA IT Showcase. We want to show our students role models as well as encourage them to showcase their research and presentation skills. Please let us know if you know of a high school or college student interested in participating in the 2013 BDPA IT Showcase!

Hartford Steam Boiler

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation is always looking for new funding sources willing to consider grant proposals in support of BDPA programs, scholarships and services. We are pleased to see that Hartford Steam Boiler (HSB) is open to funding requests. HSB places a high value on improving the quality of life in Hartford, its home for more than 140 years, and the cities where they have branch offices. HSB believes businesses that are dedicated to the community reap more benefits than simply their own prosperity and growth. They help to improve the ultimate bottom-line – life – by creating a place where everyone wants to live, work, and grow.

The HSB corporate-giving program focuses primarily on the Greater Hartford community. The company supports organizations in several categories – education, civic, health and human services, the arts, and culture.

For more information about the HSB Corporate Giving program, please submit a proposal in writing to:

Ann Waller
Hartford Steam Boiler
One State Street
PO Box 5024
Hartford, CT 06102-5024

MTC Integration Joins Growing Number of IT Entrepreneurs Who Invest in BDPA

Masai Troutman

BDPA is pleased to announce that MTC Integration is on board as our newest corporate supporter. The company founder, Masai Troutman, agreed to purchase 5 corporate memberships - one will be used for him; the other 4 will be used to underwrite college student memberships in the state of Maryland.

This sponsorship is part of our effort to engage with BDPA entrepreneurs and small business owners.

BDPA iRadio Show: April 9, 2013 (Matthew Harvey, Pamela Sexton)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is very proud to be the creator of the BDPA iRadio Show. You can listen to the archive version of the show using the widget shown in the right-hand sidebar of this blog. FREE download from the iTunes Store is also available for our listeners!

Listen to internet radio with BDPA on Blog Talk Radio

---

The guests on the April 9th show:

Matthew Harvey - Chapter President, BDPA Indianapolis - Matthew Harvey is president of one of the most active BDPA chapters in the nation. His chapter has a legacy for educational programs that impact on the lives of K-12 students. Also, his chapter has created a very unique and vibrant bond with a Fortune 100 corporation, Eli Lilly & Company.

Matthew shared his vision for the chapter including how he sees the 2014 BDPA Technology Conference ... to be held in Indianapolis ... over the coming weeks and months.  The twitter handle for his chapter is @BDPA_Indy.

Pamela Sexton - Director, National BDPA Technology Conference - Pamela Sexton is the 2013 National BDPA Technology conference director. She is pulling together the largest gathering of African American IT professionals in the nation on August 14-17, 2013 in Washington DC. There will be thousands of participants, hundreds of corporations, dozens of workshops, seminars, plenary sessions, a wonderful golf tournament, a 2-day career fair and so much more.

Pamela shared the current updates on the conference with our BDPA iRadio Show listeners. The conference twitter handle is @bdpa_conference

---

We hope you enjoy the insights and commentary on the show from each of these guests. Please take a moment to post a comment to let us know that you care!

Message from the BDPA Milwaukee Chapter President

Carmen Giles

Carmen Giles (MillerCoors) agreed to work with others to rejuvenate the BDPA Milwaukee chapter. She shared an update on the process with us recently.

---

We had an informational meeting last month with 14 people. Everyone was very interested in the organization. Adonica Randall (Abaxent) shared a wealth of knowledge and lesson learned regarding the past Milwaukee Chapter.

Meeting Agenda:

• NBDPA Overview
• NBDPA Technology Conference Experience
• Corporate Sponsorship overview
• Milwaukee Chapter:
1. History of the past Milwaukee Chapter and Lesson Learned from the past chapter
2. Officer positions tentatively assigned:
• President – Carmen Giles (MillerCoors)
• Vice President – Allen Baylor (MillerCoors)
• Vice President of Finance – Open (Confirm at next meeting)
• Vice President of Membership Management – Sandi Scott (Scott Institute of Learning)
• Vice President Member Services – Nicole Jackson (MillerCoors)
• Vice President Strategy and Planning – Albert Thomas (GE Healthcare)
• Local Chapter Administrator - Open (Confirm at next meeting)
• Goal is to have all open officer positions filled by end of April
3. BDPA Milwaukee open enrollment - Goal is  to have at least 6 individuals join by the end of April
• Next Steps:
1. Next meeting scheduled for April 18
2. Meeting every two weeks
3. Chapter Planning
4. Membership Drive
5. Networking Event at the Milwaukee MillerCoors Pub (Confirm a date at the next meeting)
• Q&A

I will provide another update after the April 18th meeting. Please let me know if you have any further questions or would like to discuss in further detail.

Sincerely,
Carmen Giles, president
BDPA Milwaukee Chapter

National BDPA Technology Conferences (2013-2015)

I encourage all BETF-Blog readers to make plans to attend the 2013 National BDPA Technology Conference to be held in Washington DC on August 14-17, 2013.  Our National BDPA Board of Directors is thinking ahead. They have selected the location for the next three conferences ... Washington DC (2013), Indianapolis (2014) and Washington DC (2015)

Creating IT Futures Foundation Donates $10,000 to Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship Fund

Creating IT Futures Foundation agreed to donate $10,000 to BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) to support education for 20 high school students interested in pursuing STEM-related studies at the collegiate level. The funds will be placed in the Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship Fund and be awarded to 20 high-performing students in the National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championship being held in Washington DC on August 14-17, 2013.

Creating IT Futures Foundation supported college scholarships for deserving BDPA student members in 2011 and 2012. The scholarships have been awarded to some truly remarkable young people who will help America 'win the future' in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

BETF Scholarship Winners

Creating IT Futures Foundation,established in 1998 as the philanthropic arm of CompTIA, the IT Industry Association, is aware that studies show that workplaces benefit from diversity. Due to a number of factors, the percentage of women and minorities in Information Technology (IT) has been lower than reflected in the population at large. That’s why Creating IT Futures Foundation specifically partners with programs that can identify and recruit women and minority candidates to the IT profession.

"BETF is grateful to Creating IT Futures Foundation executive director Charles Eaton and others who continue to fuel BDPA programs, scholarships and services. We hope that others will seek to do their part in support of the Jesse Bemley Scholarship Fund by making secure online donation immediately!" said BETF executive director Wayne Hicks.

BDPA Joins with President Obama’s Council on Service and Civic Participation to Deliver President’s Volunteer Service Award

BDPA announced today that they have teamed up with the White House to become a Certifying Organization for the PRESIDENT’S VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD, a national program recognizing Americans who have demonstrated a sustained commitment to volunteer service. Established in 2003, the AWARD was created by President George W. Bush to give Presidential recognition to individuals, families, and groups who meet requirements for volunteer service, measured by the number of service hours performed over twelve months. [SOURCE]

BDPA is one of many organizations that have joined forces to deliver the PRESIDENT’S VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD and honor the volunteers who strengthen our nation. As a Certifying Organization for the AWARD, BDPA is responsible for verifying service hours, nominating potential recipients, and delivering the AWARD.

Monique Berry

“We are extremely proud to recognize our most outstanding volunteers with the PRESIDENT’S VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD,” said Monique Berry, BDPA President. “BDPA volunteers are role models in our community, donating their time, energy and talent to advance computer technology across the nation. The AWARD is our way of thanking these volunteers and inspiring everyone in our community to make volunteering a central part of their lives,” she added.

The AWARD is issued by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation, the group that helps to foster and encourage a culture of volunteer service and civic participation among Americans. The program is chaired by two-time Super Bowl Champion Darrell Green, with former U.S. Senators Bob Dole and John Glenn as honorary co-chairs. The Council is composed of leaders in government, media, entertainment, business, education, nonprofit, volunteer service organizations, and community volunteering.

BDPA was founded in 1975 by Earl Pace and the late David Wimberly as an answer to minimal African American representation in the technology field. Today, BDPA is a nationally recognized technology-focused organization with 46 active chapters in the United States. They boast a diverse and varied membership, including programmers, analysts, engineers, managers, instructors, students, and entrepreneurs.

The PRESIDENT’S VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD is within reach, even for those who have never volunteered before.

Monique Berry, BDPA President states, “There are so many ways to contribute, and every volunteer hour makes a difference in improving the quality of life for others. BDPA encourages everyone to get involved and to bring along your family, friends and neighbors. Together, we can strengthen America – one hour at a time.”

For more information about volunteering with BDPA, contact Zenia Lofton at vpms@bdpa.org or call BDPA on (301) 584-3135.

Pfizer Plans to Use BDPA Job Board to Improve Diversity Recruitment

BDPA is pleased to announce that Pfizer is a new corporate sponsor. Pfizer is a pharmaceuticals company committed to applying science and global resources to improve health and well-being at every stage of life. The company strives to provide access to safe, effective and affordable medicines and related health care services to the people who need them.

This is a brand new corporate relationship for BDPA. The company is focused on a ROI-value proposition that includes both recruitment of diverse IT talent as well as retention of current diverse IT talent.

BDPA plans to deliver on the recruitment promise via our BDPA Job Board - www.ITDiversityCareers.com - which continue to grow on a daily basis with new job seekers, recruiters, and IT-related job postings.

Pfizer will underwrite the annual memberships for 10 of its employees into BDPA. This will allow those 10 people the opportunity to network and take full advantage of all the benefits of membership in the largest organization of African American technology professionals in the nation.

Pfizer is leading by example.   We hope that other Fortune 500 companies will take a look at the benefits of becoming a BDPA corporate sponsor.   For more information you can reach out to us by email (corpsales@bdpa.org) or phone (301.584-3135)

Comcast Foundation

The Comcast Foundation was founded by Comcast Corporation in June 1999 to provide charitable support to qualified nonprofit organizations. The Foundation primarily invests in programs and nonprofit organizations that strengthen their communities. Their primary focus is on funding diversity-oriented programs that address digital literacy, community service and building tomorrow’s leaders.

It appears that BDPA programs fall in the 'Digital literacy and related programs' focus area. As America evolves into a truly digital nation, the Comcast Foundation wants to help ensure that all citizens of all backgrounds can use broadband to achieve their full potential. Helping more people to learn the benefits of broadband (“digital literacy”), and then to use it (“broadband adoption”), will make our communities and our nation stronger.

Comcast Foundation does not accept unsolicited sponsorship requests or grant proposals. If your chapter is interested in submitting a grant proposal on behalf of your SITES proposal, then verify that you operate within a Comcast service area and use the local address for all related correspondence.

Click here to see if your chapter or organization is co-located with a local Comcast Foundation service area.

Contact BETF by reply email if you have interest in pursuing a joint grant proposal.

National Security Agency Seeks Diverse IT Talent from BDPA Career Fair

BDPA is pleased to announce that the National Security Agency will have a booth at the 2-day career fair that is a component of our 2013 BDPA Technology Conference in Washington DC. These are great job opportunities and I hope that our BDPA members are ready with their resumes and best interview skills during the conference this year!

Do you think that your employer is interested in recruiting diverse Information Technology talent this year?  If so, please reach out to us by email (corpsales@bdpa.org) or phone (301.584-3135).

PNC Bank Seeks to 'Make A Difference' as a BDPA Bronze Level Corporate Sponsor

We are very proud to announce that PNC Bank agreed to become a Bronze Level corporate sponsor. The bank wants to hire on-board at least 3 people over the course of the next year via the BDPA Job Board and the 2-day career fair being held on August 16-17 in Washington DC.

They also want to raise the brand awareness of their company by advertising in the BDPA Conference Guide as well as sponsoring one of the workshop tracks at the 2013 BDPA Technology Conference.

Also, PNC Bank wants to help BDPA provide meaningful STEM experiences to young people in Cleveland and Philadelphia ... as such they agreed to purchase five (5) corporate sponsorships in both of those local chapters.

Finally, PNC Bank wants to work with the BDPA Northeast regional vice president, Fred Smith, and the University of Pittsburgh in an aggressive effort to rejuvenate our BDPA Pittsburgh chapter. To do so, they agreed to purchase 10 corporate memberships ... half of which will go to college students at the University of Pittsburgh.

PNC Bank is looking to work with BDPA at local, regional and national level in 2013 ... and we are grateful to them for doing so!

Dell Member Purchase Program: BDPA (April 2013)

It’s our pleasure to share Dell’s Member Promotion Program (MPP) communication for the month of April with BDPA members!

Dell Member Purchase Program: BDPA (Apr 2013) from Wayne Hicks

A few call-outs from Dell’s April flyer:

1. Double Your Discount is back from 4/4 – 4/30 
2. BlackBerry Z10 for Verizon Wireless - $50 discount by using coupon code: Z10SAVE50 plus a $50 Promo eGift Card , offer valid from 4/1-4/30 
3. Double Your Discount is back on Dell Electronic and Accessories – save 10% by using coupon code J7LDVZT3RL$89R, offer valid from 4/4 – 4/30

A'right BDPA folks ... here is how to shop:

1. Continue to Earn Rewards with Dell Advantage: Members can also earn 5% cash back with a Dell promo eGift Card and free 2nd day shipping on any purchase. Register now at: www.Dell.com/mpp/bdpaadvantage
2. Shop online at www.Dell.com/mpp/bdpa
3. Give Dell a call at (888) 243-9964 and reference Member ID: CS127235942 – please note that your member ID has changed.

Webster University Is a New BDPA Corporate Supporter

BDPA is very pleased to add Webster University to its growing list of corporate supporters. Webster University chief information officer Ken Freeman agreed to attend the 35th annual BDPA Technology Conference. Ken is a longtime BDPA supporter as well as a member of the Information Technology Senior Manager Forum. Ken supports his local chapter -- BDPA St. Louis -- as a member of its corporate advisory council.

Please welcome Webster University to the BDPA Family!

Walmart Makes Bronze Level Sponsorship Commitment to BDPA

Built on the principles of leadership through service, Walmart recently joined the growing list of Bronze Level Corporate Sponsors at this year’s 35th Annual National BDPA Technology Conference and Career Fair on August 14-17, 2013 in Washington DC.

"We're proud to be part of the annual BDPA Conference," said Fumbi Chima, Walmart Vice President of International Integrations. "We know that supporting STEM programs and careers in science, technology, engineering and math help prepare young professionals for exciting opportunities and challenging careers."

Committed to quality products, innovative thinking, creative leadership, and sustainability, Walmart’s global reputation of community goodwill continues to be built on trust, confidence, and reliability. Every day, Walmart helps over 200 million customers improve their quality of life by saving them money at 10,700 stores in 27 different countries. In FY’13, Walmart reached $466 billion in record sales.

"We are excited to have Walmart as a partner this year. Not only will their contribution support the conference programs, it will help BDPA maintain our education and outreach programs to advance STEM careers," said Monique Berry, National BDPA president.

As a global member-focused technology organization with 46 active chapters in the United States, BDPA continues to stand as a leader in delivering 21st century technological programs, college scholarships, mentoring and services for youth and adult Information Technology professionals. BDPA is honored to partner with a world class organization such as Walmart.

For more information on the BDPA Corporate Sponsorship program, contact BDPA Corporate Sales Department director Wayne Hicks by email (corpsales@bdpa.org) or phone (513.284-4968).

Message from Cincinnati Chapter President

Clarence Larcarte

It’s an exciting time to be a part of BDPA Cincinnati! Why? Because technology enables us to improve our lives in so many different facets and BDPA is all about technology. Whether you are a casual technology user or a hard-core developer, we have something for you.

So, what are some of the things you can expect to see from us in the coming months? Well, how about a workshop on 'Ethical Hacking'? Or a meeting where we just play video games ... so we can learn about 'Code Development'? I bet you’d find it interesting if we talk about the latest people to get rich from IT (and how you could do it too). These are just a few of the topics we’ll explore. All while keeping our focus on LEARN MORE, EARN MORE, DO MORE!

Our chapter is hosting a meetup of the 'Cincinnati Blacks In Technology' on Wednesday, April 17, 2013. Our topic this month is: "Gaming the System: The Gamification of Education, Entrepreneurship and the Economy"

My board of directors is actively working to make this the best year in the history of BDPA Cincinnati. There’s lots of room for you to participate. Please join us!

Best Regards,
Clarence Larcarte, President
BDPA Cincinnati