McDonalds Becomes BDPA Bronze Level Sponsor

McDonald’s agreed to renew its Bronze Level sponsorship of BDPA. The investment supports two BDPA regional conferences, leadership panels and other professional development aspects of the upcoming 37th Annual National BDPA Technology Conference & Career Fair held August 19-22, 2015 in Washington DC. This represents over a decade of BDPA sponsorship for the global food service retailer.

Since 1955, McDonald’s has been proud to serve the world some of its favorite food. And along the way, they have managed not to just live history, but create it: from drive-thru restaurants to Chicken McNuggets and much more. It’s been quite the journey, and they promise this is just the beginning.

Pamela Mathews

“McDonald's has been a trusted partner in providing support and engagement to BDPA,” said National BDPA President Pamela Mathews. “As we approach our national technology conference, we appreciate McDonald’s commitment to our mission and are pleased to continue our partnership. We are honored to have McDonald's by our side as a Bronze Level Sponsor.”

Founded in 1975, BDPA is the premier organization for African American professionals in the information technology industry. BDPA has 46 chapters across the United States and is the largest African American information technology association in the country. BDPA continues to fulfill its mission and work to bridge the digital divide by providing career growth opportunities for its members.

To become a BDPA partner or sponsor like McDonald’s or to learn more about the BDPA Technology Conference in Washington DC, please contact BDPA Corporate Sales Team by email at corpsales@bdpa.org or 301-584-3135 x108.

State Farm Supports BDPA Mobile Application Showcase

State Farm has a rich history of giving back to the community and this year was no exception when State Farm became a BDPA Silver Level Sponsor for the 37th Annual BDPA Technology Conference & Career Fair, August 18-22, 2015 at the Washington Hilton.  State Farm was founded in 1922 by retired farmer and insurance salesman George Mecherle. They now insure more cars and homes than any other insurer in the United States. A mutual company focused on its policyholders, State Farm is currently ranked number 41 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies (www.statefarm.com).

Recognized for over eight decades as a "good neighbor," State Farm agreed to support the BDPA Mobile Application Showcase by providing college scholarships for the winning entries. The number of students competing in the showcase this year as tripled since its inauguration in 2014.

Jason Gibson

Jason Gibson, BDPA Central Illinois Chapter President said, “I am inspired by State Farm's commitment to STEM and the BDPA mission.”

Founded in 1975, BDPA is the premier organization for African American professionals in the information technology industry. BDPA has 46 chapters across the United States and is the largest African American information technology association in the country. BDPA continues to fulfill its mission and work to bridge the digital divide by providing career growth opportunities for its members.

"We are excited to continue our partnership with State Farm in 2015. As we approach the celebration of our 40th year, we appreciate the willingness and support of State Farm as we seek to advance careers from the classroom to the boardroom,” responded Pamela Mathews, National BDPA President.

To become a BDPA partner or sponsor like State Farm or to learn more about the National BDPA Technology Conference, please contact BDPA Corporate Sales Team by email at corpsales@bdpa.org or (301) 584-3135 x108.

Tec-Link Joins the Entrepreneur Showcase at 2015 BDPA Conference

Derek Holmes (president, Tec-Link) agreed to join the Entrepreneur Showcase being planned for our 37th annual BDPA Technology Conference in Washington DC. The company will have a booth at the 2-day career fair being held on August 21-22, 2015.

Tec-Link provides qualified and experienced talent to enterprise IT departments for computer software applications development. The company performs nationwide talent recruitment, background screening and employment services. Their services allows workforce flexibility for today's rapid information technology challenges in the marketplace.

Derek Holmes

Derek and his company sponsored the annual dues for 20 college students to join BDPA earlier this year.  The students came from the following colleges and universities (with the assigned chapters in parenthesis):

1. Kaplan University Online (New York)
2. Lakeland Community College (Cleveland)
3. Morgan State University (Baltimore)
4. Norfolk State University (Hampton Roads)
5. Sanford-Brown (Chicago)
6. Temple University (Philadelphia)
7. University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati)
8. University of Connecticut (Hartford)
9. University of Pittsburgh (Washington DC)
10. Wayne State University (Detroit)

BDPA wants all of its entrepreneurs and business owners to find ways to showcase themselves as sponsors and exhibitors during the conference.   If your company is interested ... please reach out to the BDPA corporate sales team by email (corpsales@bdpa.org) or phone (301.584-3135 x108).

BDPA Showcases Capitol Technology University at the Career Fair

Xavier Richards (Capitol Technology Univ)

BDPA is pleased to announce that Capitol Technology University (formerly, Capitol College) will exhibit at the 2015 Career Fair being held during the 37th annual BDPA Technology Conference in Washington DC in August. Capitol Technology University is the only independent college in Maryland dedicated to engineering, computer science, information technology and business.

Founded in 1927, Capitol is an accredited institution offering associate, bachelor's and master's degrees, as well as professional development training and certificates, and partnerships with government and industry. Capitol is designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security. The college is located in Laurel, Maryland, a suburban setting midway between Washington, DC and Baltimore. Capitol is committed to providing a quality education that is technology-driven, accessible, affordable and practical especially during these challenging economic times.

BDPA will encourage all of its student members to drop by and visit the Capitol Technology University booth during the conference!

Marketing IT: Alignment With Business - Fred Mapp (Quality Service Solutions)

Fred Mapp

Fred Mapp (president, Quality Service Solutions) suggests that the key to marketing information technology is improved relationship building with business stakeholders. However, IT does not get much credit for getting things done in this arena. Is your organization spending an enormous amount of time and energy on strategy development with little to show for your efforts? Management teams often get bogged down in unfocused, inconclusive discussions instead of making rapid, well-informed strategy decisions. To stay ahead of the pack you must market and translate your organization's strategy into basic day-to-day initiatives. How do you avoid or address these issues?

Mapp is scheduled to give his workshop, 'Marketing IT: Alignment With Business', on August 19th at the 37th annual BDPA Technology Conference. His workshop will cover several initiatives and areas to ensure your IT strategy is well-founded. By looking at these initiatives, you can identify critical gaps in your strategy execution processes and focus on the most important choices you must make. He will also cover results from the latest CIO survey. Survey results suggest IT leaders are increasingly taking action to market IT and to build and solidify relationships with their non-IT stakeholders.

Mapp has an extensive amount of experience in the area of information technology systems and applications, infrastructure support, customer support and consulting services developed over 40 years with the World Congress on Information Technology, AMD, Honeywell, InfoSpan, American Express, IBM and his own consulting company, Quality Service Solutions. He is experienced in developing and defining IT objectives, strategic plans and metrics and in the implementation of supporting technology. He has managed thousands of employee’s world wide ensuring their satisfaction and commitment to their business partners and customers.

Mapp is a motivational speaker and has presented regularly to businesses on how corporations can improve business processes and implement technology tied to business strategies to achieve a sustained competitive edge. He has presented at CIO conferences and various association seminars. He has also been featured in articles in Fortune, CIO, Optimize and various other magazines.

He is the author of "Mapping Information Technology to your Business".



You can learn more about the full schedule of conference workshops here.

How Technology Has Changed the Way We Recruit IT Professionals - Bridgett Baggett (Career Innovations)

There are a number of world-class workshops planned for delivery at the 37th Annual National BDPA Technology Conference. On Wednesday, August 19, we anticipate excellent attendance for workshop entitled, 'How Technology Has Changed the Way We Recruit & Retain IT Professionals'. If your organization is waiting for the next IT guru to upload their resume to your career page or Applicant Tracking System (ATS), you have a better chance posting your job opening on MySpace and rushing to the nearest pay phone to place the follow-up call. HR and Recruiting Technology have evolved and so has the ideal candidate.

What we can expect?

• Millennials will dictate the evolution in HR Technology and the Recruiting Process
• Technology Has/Will Forced Transparency
• High Turnover

The pool of recruitment data is growing and the technology companies should focus on harnessing that data and focusing on unconventional ways to help leverage digital connections and real-life relationships to attract and retain IT professionals.

There are three objectives for this workshop:

1. How to Leverage Technology in the Recruiting Process
2. How to Create a Competitive Advantage within Your Recruiting Process
3. How to Create a Employee Retention Strategy

Bridgett Baggett

The workshop will be presented by Bridgett Baggett (Career Innovations). Bridgett assists organization as they seek to grow their leadership talent and develop a stronger workplace culture. She works primarily with start-ups and small to mid-size companies. She assists with recruiting and retaining top talent. She is an also an active member of the Society for Human Resource Management, Human Capital Institute, National Association of African Americans in Human Resources and the Institute for Human Resources. She is also the VP-Professional Development with BDPA Charlotte chapter.

You can see the rest of the 2015 conference schedule here.

Oracle Continues to Deliver on College Scholarship Commitment to BDPA

Globally listed by Forbes as one of the world's most valuable brands as well as one of America's best employers, Oracle is continuing its tradition of Silver level sponsorship of BDPA at this year’s 37th Annual BDPA Technology Conference, August 18-22 in Washington, D.C.

Headquartered in Redwood City, California and founded in 1977, Oracle offers software for mobile computing; database and middle-ware software that runs and manages business applications for midsize businesses and large enterprises; and Java, a software development language. Oracle also provides applications software such as human capital and talent management, customer experience, customer relationship management, financial management and governance.

Traci Wade

Traci Wade, Oracle Senior Diversity and Inclusion Consultant, gladly reported that, "Oracle is honored to have had a long standing relationship with BDPA to provide scholarships to deserving students focusing on degrees in Computer Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Our scholarships assist with providing the financial support to continue education for what we hope will be future employees and leaders at Oracle."

Founded in 1975, BDPA is the premier organization for African American professionals in the information technology industry. BDPA has 46 chapters across the United States and is the largest African American information technology association in the country. BDPA continues to fulfill its mission and work to bridge the digital divide by providing career growth opportunities for its members.

“We are honored to secure Oracle’s endorsement of our STEM program,” said National BDPA president Pamela Mathews. “We look forward to working closely with Oracle again this year in advancing careers from the classroom to the boardroom.”

To become a BDPA partner or sponsor like Oracle or to learn more about the National BDPA Technology Conference in Washington, D.C. as well as sponsorship opportunities, please contact BDPA Corporate Sales Team by email at corpsales@bdpa.org or 301-584-3135 x108.

Wordless Wednesday: Career in Information Technology

MillerCoors Sustains Gold Level Sponsorship of BDPA

Standing on its 300-year history of strong leadership, innovation, sustainability, and supporting people and communities, MillerCoors renewed its Gold Level sponsorship of BDPA in 2015. MillerCoors has thousands of employees working together as a single team rising to meet and exceed the expectations of its customers. That people at MillerCoors are its most valuable asset, and their impact on the MillerCoors business is visible in each statistic and accomplishment.

Steve Canal

Steve Canal of MillerCoors Community Affairs said, "We are proud that MillerCoors was selected as the exclusive adult beverage sponsor for National BDPA corporate receptions and events. One of the key value propositions of attending the National BDPA Technology Conference is the opportunity to network with all levels of professionals, from entry-level to C-Level executives."

Founded in 1975, BDPA is the premier organization for African American professionals in the information technology industry. BDPA has 40 chapters across the United States and is the largest African American Information Technology Association in the country. BDPA continues to fulfill its mission and work to bridge the digital divide by providing career growth opportunities for its members.

"BDPA is honored to continue our partnership with MillerCoors. We recognize and appreciate support of MillerCoors over the years financially and otherwise,” said National BDPA President Pamela Mathews. “As we celebrate our 40th year in existence at this year’s 37th Annual BDPA Technology Conference, August 18-22nd in Washington, D.C., we are excited that MillerCoors is there with us to assist in advancing careers from the classroom to the boardroom."

To become a BDPA partner or sponsor like MillerCoors or to learn more about the BDPA Technology Conference in Washington, D.C. as well as sponsorship opportunities, please contact BDPA Corporate Sales Team by email at corpsales@bdpa.org or 301-584-3135 x108.

GoldTech Renews Its Support of BDPA for Third Straight Year

BDPA is proud of the major corporations that have invested tens of thousands of dollars into our programs, scholarships and services. However, our heart pounds even harder for those smaller Black-owned businesses who find a way to support BDPA. GoldTech has found a way in each of the past three years to support BDPA.

Kelvin Gholston

GoldTech is owned by Ohio entrepreneur Kelvin Gholston. His company offers a diverse group of clients a cost effective, single-source provider of high-value Engineering, Information Technology and Professional Staffing solutions. The company was founded in 1999 ... and restructured in February 2005. GoldTech has the proven expertise, speed, and scale to help clients achieve a higher level of service delivery with service offerings specific to their core competencies.

Kelvin has found a way to make a difference for his clients and he has the social consciousness to make a difference in the community with his consistent sponsorship of BDPA.  This year the company agreed to underwrite the memberships for 16 college students around the country. The sponsored students came from the following colleges:

• Brown Mackie College
• Carleton College
• Haverford College
• ITT Technical Institute
• Peirce College
• Robert Morris University
• Saint Louis University
• University of Maryland
• University of Wisconsin

Our hope is that other Black-owned businesses will look to make a difference by becoming a BDPA corporate sponsor. Please reach out to us by email (corpsales@bdpa.org) or phone (301.584-3135, ext. 108) if you want to learn more about BDPA and it's sponsorship program!

In the meantime, share some love with Kelvin and the folks at GoldTech!

Johnson & Johnson Scholarship (Deadline: 7/12/2015)

Johnson & Johnson is a Platinum Sponsor of BDPA. We are proud to offer the Johnson & Johnson Scholarship to any eligible college student!

The Johnson & Johnson Scholarship seeks to provide financial assistance to any rising sophomore or higher student at a 4-year college or university. The criteria and eligibility for the award are detailed in the application.

Johnson & Johnson Scholarship from BDPA Education and Technology Foundation

The Johnson & Johnson Scholarship provides up to four (4) $2,500 one-time only scholarships for a college student with a STEM major, strong community involvement and a minimum GPA of 3.0.

The next step is yours! Do you know anyone in your chapter who might be interested in this $2,500 college scholarship? The completed application, typed essay, two letters of recommendation, official transcript and resume must be received on or before Sunday, July 12, 2015.

Message from the BDPA Cincinnati Chapter President

Dalric Webb

Spring is in the air and the BDPA team of volunteers are busy as bees!

I represented Cincinnati Chapter at the 2015 BDPA Midwest Region chapter president's meeting held in Chicago on March 21-22. The meeting allowed us to leverage best practices, lessons learned and networking with other key leaders including National BDPA president Pamela Mathews and vice president Mike Williams. As the second largest chapter in the nation (out of 46 chapters) Cincinnati was tapped to host the 2017 Midwest Region president's meeting! We look forward to hosting all the leaders here in the 'Queen City'!

Congratulations to all the students who completed the 12-week computer camp held at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College (CinState)! Your commitment, dedication, determination, and positive attitudes made helping you learn the 'code' of technology that will change the world, an awesome experience for all the instructors! Please visit our computer camp website to see some of the fine work these up and coming technologists have developed. We move on to the second phase of the training program with a smaller team invited to compete in both the regional and national High School Computer Competitions. Our team should be prepared to compete for trophies and college scholarships at the 37th annual BDPA Technology Conference in Washington DC.

We had a FANTASTIC 'meet and greet' last month at Margaritaville. The event was well attended and everyone in attendance had a great time. We appreciate BDPA member Malik Spencer for sharing his Salsa line-dancing expertise with our attendees.

Babacar Guisse

BDPA Cincinnati chapter successfully celebrated its 10th Annual Awards Luncheon this weekend! All of the chapter's corporate sponsors from 2014 were recognized. CinState earned the award as '2014 Corporate Sponsor of the Year' -- the highest award given to any corporation. Babacar Guissé was named '2014 Member of the Year' -- the highest award given to any member.

Other winners announced during the event included:
- Michael Pulliam (Quest Diagnostics) was named '2014 Director of the Year'
- Wayne Hicks (Hicks Enterprises) was named '2014 Executive Officer of the Year'
- Frank Hill (Cincinnati State) won the '2014 Community Service Award'
- Deborah Prince (xpedx) won the '2014 Spirit Award'

I encourage you to attend our next monthly program meeting on 4/15/15 to join our discussion on '3D Printing: The Promise of Tomorrow'. We will have a 3D printer on hand to provide examples of this new technology. Light refreshments will be available.

Shelton Graves

Our board of volunteers continues to grow as we welcomed Shelton Graves (North American Properties) on as our chapter's Marketing Department director. Shelton seeks to enhance the marketing presence of the BDPA chapter – making BDPA a household name in Cincinnati. There are still a few more volunteering opportunities that can use your support. Send me an email or  give me a call on (513) 549-6991 and let’s chat about it.

2015 is off to a FANTASTIC start! Membership continues to grow with the chapter growing over 200 members during the first quarter of the year. We hope to continue that trend with the active engagement of our members. Remember, this is YOUR organization. What are you looking to get out of it? What are you putting into it to obtain those results? Are you engaged? Did you attend the last program meeting? The last social? The last computer camp session? Have you chatted with President-Elect Shawnda Peterson about her thoughts and plans for her upcoming presidency in 2016-2017? The chapter is ACTIVE in our communities – we’d love to have you be active with us.

Looking forward to seeing you at one of our upcoming events!

Sincerely,
Dalric Webb, President
BDPA Cincinnati Chapter

Newsletter: BDPA Columbus (April 2015)

Newsletter: BDPA Columbus (Apr 2015) from BDPA Education and Technology Foundation

10 Reasons to Join BDPA

I joined BDPA in 1989. I was promoted to a mid-level management leadership position for a large mainframe computer room. It was my first job in the information technology (IT) industry and I figured that membership in BDPA would be helpful.

Technology professionals compete in a global economy and must never stop learning. BDPA membership provides access to resources that advance the careers of African American IT professionals from the classroom to the boardroom.

Here are 10 reasons to join BDPA:

1. Acquire professional and leadership skills
2. Connect to network of IT professionals and executives in the academic, commercial, government and non-profit sectors.
3. Enhance and develop additional technical skill sets.
4. Obtain exposure to technical and professional topics through program meetings, seminars and workshops
5. Obtain free advertising through website and entrepreneur directory.
6. Opportunity to participate in the regional and national high school computer competition, internships, lifelong mentors, scholarships and student empowerment activities.
7. Participate actively in an organization that is setting trends in emerging technology.
8. Participate in certification support groups.
9. Serve as a role model within the African American community.
10. Support and influence the goals and directions of this leading edge technical organization through the contribution of your own professional expertise.

I joined BDPA in 1989 ... when did you join? And, if you are not a member yet ... what are you waiting on? Join BDPA today!

Out of curiosity ... if you are currently a BDPA member -- what was your primary reason for joining?