Message from BDPA Cincinnati Chapter President

Dalric Webb & Cincinnati students

Greetings BDPA Cincinnati Chapter members!

Fresh off the outstanding performance of our students at the 36th Annual BDPA Technology Conference in Indianapolis, IN last month, we continue to accelerate our efforts at winning the 'Race To Innovate'!

Our chapter continues to grow and sustain with 175 members and a 98% membership retention rate! This is both a testament to the hard work of the membership management team but also to the strength and VALUE of our chapter and the efforts of our volunteers. Are you feeling the benefit of your own membership? How are you engaged with the chapter? Let’s talk at this month’s program meeting which will be held at our new location at the Woodlawn campus of Brown Mackie College. I’d love to hear your thoughts on how we can bring greater VALUE to your membership and get you more engaged with the chapter’s efforts.

We continue to 'Race to Innovate' next month at our 18th Annual Education Banquet where we will give special recognition to the students who participated in our SITES program this year and to the volunteers who worked tirelessly with them to advance their careers 'from the classroom to the boardroom'.   I hope you will join us and show your support for the future faces of technology from our local communities. Invite others within your circles to join us as well. Let’s work together to show our youth we value their hard work, dedication, and commitment, by being living examples they can reach out and touch as part of their own personal board of directors. I hope to see all of our partner organizations represented including, AAKOB Financial Services, Brown Mackie College, Cincinnati Bell, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati State Technical College, Delta Gateway Foundation, GE, Kroger, Learn on the Web, Northern Kentucky University, Per Sholas and Procter & Gamble.

As we round out the third quarter of the year, your chapter volunteers have been putting in the work to make your chapter successful. Will you be able to attend this month’s program meeting on September 17th? Register here to attend.

What did you think of our newsletter published last quarter by Carmen Byes, Director of Communications? Have you provided her any feedback for what you’d like to see in the next edition? Your feedback and input is what makes our chapter rise from good to great. Please take an active role in your chapter.

Ellery Lewis

I also forgot to say CONGRATULATIONS to VP-Fundraising Ellery Lewis and his wife on the birth of their baby girl in May. Elise (the baby) is doing great and mom and dad are just now starting to get a little more sleep. We are glad to have our vice president back in the saddle as we have missed his smiling face while he has been taking care of home. Perhaps we will get to meet the new little one at our fourth quarter social event? Stay tuned!

Finally, I ask for your engagement as a member of the chapter board of directors if you are not already engaged. While the year is winding down we are already looking ahead to 2015 and how we want to raise the bar in terms of our Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship program, our membership growth and so much more. We can use great leaders like you who can give just a few hours each month towards the success of our collective efforts to shrink the technology gap that exists within our under-served local community.

If we don’t work to close the gap in our own community, who will? BDPA is a great vehicle to further the objectives of bringing more minorities up through the information technology ranks. Won’t you be a part of the BDPA success story and join our great team of leaders?

Consider joining the BDPA Cincinnati Chapter Board of Directors. We have a very strong team which works VERY well together to accomplish our mutual goals and objectives. You will be in the company of some really good (and SMART) people with a passion for not only YOUR success, but the success of our youth and our communities. It is a positive team to be a part of and we want you to be a part too.

Please consider taking one of the open positions within the chapter. No role is too small and the need is great. You can do this. We need you. Our communities need you. Our students need you. Visit our chapter landing page to see which positions are open and are of interest to you.

I look forward to hearing from you soon. Can you spare one hour peer week to return months of value to others in need? Let’s talk. Give me a call (513.549-6991) or send me an email (cincinnati@bdpa.org) and let’s chat about how you can give just a little and get so much in return.

As always, your feedback is earnestly solicited. How is your BDPA membership working out for you? How can we improve the value of your membership? Send me a note or pull me to the side at the monthly program meeting. This is YOUR chapter. Are you feeling engaged?

Sincerely,
Dalric Webb, President
BDPA Cincinnati Chapter
Twitter: @DalricWebb