National BDPA Elections (2016-2017)

National BDPA conducted its bi-annual elections earlier this month.  Here are election results for the organization's board of directors. The two-year terms of the newly elected board members will begin January 1, 2016. Election results for the National BDPA Board of Directors are as follows.
 

Mike Williams National President	Coram Rimes National Vice President, Finance
Pamela Sexton National Vice President	John Malonson Regional Vice President, West
Kirk Williams  Regional Director, West	Felicia Jones Regional Vice President, South
Sharnecia Williams Regional Director, South	Curtis Jenkins Regional Vice President, Northeast
Hayward West Regional Director,Northeast	Michael Wulf Regional Director, Midwest

William Smith Regional Director, Midwest

These newly-elected officers will join with other soon-to-be appointed officers under the leadership of our incoming National BDPA President Mike Williams.  All of BDPA-Nation wishes the very best to each of these brothers and sisters for stepping up to serve as regional and national leaders for our organization. Our plan is to be the wind beneath their wings over the coming two years!

Kirk Williams Re-elected as BDPA West Region Director (2016-2017)

Kirk Williams

Good evening BDPA Delegates and West Region Delegates. Thank you for allowing me to represent BDPA West as the Regional Director in 2014-2015. I would like to introduce myself and share with you why I am seeking reelection as the West Regional Director.

Name: Kirk Williams

Background:

• CEO of KW3 Consulting
• 18 years of management consulting experience. Expertise in program and project management, organizational development and change management.
• Prior to KW3 Consulting, worked as a Senior Manager for Accenture PLC (formerly Andersen Consulting), leading large transformation projects in the banking and high technology industries.

BDPA Involvement:

• Served as BDPA West Regional Director for the past two years
• Served as VP, Strategy, for the BDPA Los Angeles chapter for three years
• Participated in the BDPA Los Angeles’ high school program in 8-10th grade

What are my goals for the West region and what would be the first step I would take to achieving those goals?

• KEY GOAL - Grow our presence in the West Region
• Grow membership of Los Angeles chapter by 25%
• Establish two new chapters – Seattle and Phoenix
• Establish and grow presence / interest in San Diego and Denver
• Partner with other organizations to grow presence and interest (e.g., NSBE)
• Next Steps
• Strengthen our Google Meetup model in San Diego and Denver to build interest and identify potential resources to help with our expansion efforts
• Establish Google Meetup model in Seattle and Phoenix

It has been a pleasure serving as BDPA West Regional Director. I look forward to the potentially opportunity to continue to help drive our growth efforts in the BDPA West Region.

Thank you for your time, cooperation and support as current BDPA West Regional Director.

Kirk Williams, Director
BDPA West Region

Johnson & Johnson Scholar Turayo Tijani Follows Unexpected Path

Turayo Tijani will use the 2015 Johnson & Johnson Scholarship for BDPA Students to complete her studies of actuarial science at Morgan State University. We asked Turayo to share some insights on her story with us:

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Turayo Tijani

My life thus far has taken many unexpected paths. I came to the United States in 2003 by pure chance. My grandmother was coming to visit her daughter, and she was illiterate in English so I was chosen to accompany her. My visitor’s visa expired in 2005, and I did not find out until the junior year of high school, around 2010. While in high school, I found a mentor in my soccer coach. She helped guide me in my future plans after graduating from high school.

I attended the closest post-secondary institution which was Prince George’s Community College, and the experience was a dream. I had the best professors a student could ask for; ones who did not teach from the text but used it only as a supplementary material. I was again lucky to meet another faculty member, the adviser to the multicultural Kaleidoscope club. She helped me find available scholarships for which I was eligible, and she provided a platform for me to speak to high school students about my experiences as an undocumented student in college. I graduated from Prince George’s Community College in 2014 and transferred to Morgan State University to study actuarial science, a major recommended by my high school soccer coach.

My full name is Motunrayo which in Yoruba means “I see joy again”. Despite the adversity of being an undocumented student, I have been able to find supportive people throughout my life. My high school mentor helped me pay for school by suggesting tutoring and hair braiding. I was already helping out my classmates with their advanced placement classes, so becoming a tutor was relatively easy. I also knew how to do hair, so the opportunity to earn money from it was welcomed. And when I received my work authorization, I was able to legally work at my community college as an experienced tutor.

Now at Morgan State University, my goal is to graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in actuarial science complemented with some IT technical skills. I plan to take my first actuarial exam in October, and to prepare for a SQL certification course by the end of the year.

My involvement with BDPA is through the Johnson & Johnson Scholarship. Being selected to receive this scholarship means a great deal to me. It is one less item on my list of concerns, and it means that I will be able to focus solely on classes and on learning the material than on the payment date of my tuition. Getting this scholarship provides that cushion of one less worry, and it also serves as encouragement to further my studies.

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Johnson & Johnson was recently named the BDPA Epsilon Award winner as the 'Best Company for Blacks in Technology' at our recent national conference. The consistent effort in which they provide funding for this scholarship is a powerful reason why the company was recognized. Our hope is that others will see what we are doing ... and take steps on an individual or corporate level to help us do more!

BDPA Birthday Love for Ollie Morgan

Please join us in remembering Ollie Morgan on his natal day! Ollie served on the national BDPA board of directors for a number of years as BDPA Chicago chapter president, national president and immediate past president. At the time of his passing he was an author and photographer living out his dreams in New Mexico.


Ollie was a key player in the growth of corporate sponsorships. He created the concept known as 'Corporate Advisory Councils'. We now have active CACs in many of our larger and more successful chapters around the nation. Ollie was the first to understand the importance of developing a 'return on investment' value proposition. Ollie's vision turned into the record-setting corporate sales revenue coming into the BDPA Chicago and National BDPA treasury over the past decade.

Ollie was a prolific writer. His articles about BDPA regularly appeared in the National JOURNAL and the BDPA Chicago PROFESSIONAL newsletters.

I appreciate the powerful legacy of Ollie Morgan ... particularly in the 1993-1995 era. Ollie should be a member of the BDPA Hall of Fame. For now, we honor him here in cyberspace.

Please share your memories of Ollie and think a good thought of him on his date of birth!

Kevin Rabinovich Uses Monsanto Scholarship to Study Architecture at Clemson University

Kevin Rabinovich

Kevin Rabinovich has been a long-time member of the BDPA Greater Columbia chapter. Kevin is a pianist, designer, developer, and director of TEDxYouth@ColumbiaSC. He's passionate about ideas, design, and coding. He founded TEDxYouth@ColumbiaSC, Columbia's by-youth, for-youth conference in 2011, which has attracted over 500 attendees and over 30 speakers from around the world in total.

Kevin has been playing piano since 5 years old. He was in the A. C. Flora High School jazz band and accompanies school chorus concerts and musicals. He led the FalconProgramming club at his high school, teaching club members about programming and game and product design. He also directs the school-wide Hour of Code, in which students are introduced to programming through a game created by FalconProgramming. Kevin was also part of CodeDay Columbia, a 24-hour hackathon for Columbia's high school and college students.

Kevin wrote, “My most memorable BDPA moment was when my team (Greater Columbia) got second place at the national High School Computer Competition championship. It was very rewarding, because all of our team’s hard work and preparation had finally paid off, and we were happy to beat the team who had previously beat so many others by showing them the power of teamwork and collaboration.”

Participating in BDPA has allowed him to gain access to a variety of scholarships, which are very relevant to his chosen field in technology. Kevin majors in architecture at Clemson University. His career goal is to become an MLG interaction designer.

World Wide Technology Becomes a BDPA Silver Level Sponsor

World Wide Technology (WWT), the largest privately held minority business enterprise technology company in the United States, recently expanded its commitment as a Silver Level Sponsor to the 37th Annual BDPA Technology Conference & Career Fair, August 18-22 at the Washington Hilton in Washington DC. WWT’s commitment helps to support the BDPA High School Computer Competition, conference registration, event sponsorship and several other initiatives.

The WWT Advanced Technology Center is a collaborative ecosystem to design, build, educate, demonstrate and deploy innovative technology products and integrated architectural solutions for their customers, partners and employees around the globe. With more than $6 billion in annual revenue, WWT ranked #59 on the 2014 Forbes’ Largest Private Companies list and #28 on the 2015 Fortune ‘100 Best Companies to Work For’ list. WWT employs more than 3,000 people and operates over 2 million square feet of warehousing, distribution and integration space throughout the world.

Juanita Logan

"World Wide Technology is proud to support BDPA in its mission to advance careers from the classroom to the boardroom,” said Juanita Logan, WWT Senior Manager. “BDPA’s accomplishments and incredible growth is exceptional and worthy of esteemed recognition as it celebrates its 40 year anniversary. We look forward to continuing a strong partnership with BDPA and working together to drive technology innovation into the future," she added.

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.

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

BDPA Names Top 2015 Honorary Co-Chairs

National BDPA recently announced Marc Di Francisco, President of Premier Event Management; Terry Halvorsen, Principal Advisor to the Secretary of Defense for Information Management/ Information Technology and Information Assurance; Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, congressional representative of the District of Columbia; David L. Steward, President and Chief Executive Officer of World Wide Technology; Dr. E. Faye Williams, National President/CEO of the National Congress of Black Women; and Harry Wingo, President and Chief Executive Officer of the D.C. Chamber of Commerce as their top Honorary Chairs at this year’s 37th Annual National BDPA Technology Conference and Career Fair, "Evolution of IT--Embracing the Digital Future," August 18-22, 2015 at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C.

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.

Marc Di Francisco

• Marc Di Francisco is the President of Premier Event Management (PEM), producers of the regional CIO Forum for the Society of Information Management (SIM). These executive CIO conferences provide the nation’s top senior IT executives and CIOs in each region with solutions to run their IT organizations efficiently. Premier Event Management produces knowledge driven Executive IT conferences in response to the ongoing needs of CIOs and Senior IT Practitioners. Premier is committed to producing these high-end executive conferences with honor and integrity, with an emphasis on peer-to-peer networking and the sharing of information and knowledge.

Terry Halvorsen

• Terry Halvorsen is the Principal Advisor to the Secretary of Defense for Information Management/Information Technology and Information Assurance, as well as non-intelligence space systems, critical satellite communications, navigation, and timing programs, spectrum and telecommunications. Serving previously as the Acting Department of Defense Chief Information Officer, his long career includes being appointed as the Navy Chief Information Officer. Before serving as the Department of the Navy CIO, Mr. Halvorsen was the Deputy Commander of Navy Cyber Forces. He was responsible for providing leadership for over 16,000 military and civilian personnel and supporting over 300 ships and approximately 800,000 globally dispersed computer network users.

Eleanor H. Norton

• Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, now in her thirteenth term as the Congresswoman for the District of Columbia, is the Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transits. She also serves on two committees: the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. She came to Congress as a national figure who had been a civil rights and feminist leader, tenured professor of law, and board member of at least three Fortune 500 companies. Congresswoman Norton has been named one of the 100 most important American women in one survey and one of the most powerful women in Washington in another. She simultaneously earned her law degree and a master’s degree in American Studies from Yale University. Yale Law School has awarded her the Citation of Merit for outstanding alumni. Additionally, the Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences has awarded her the Wilbur Cross Medal for outstanding alumni, the highest award conferred on alumni. She is the recipient of more than 50 honorary degrees.

David Steward

• David L. Steward, Co-founder/President and Chief Executive Officer of World Wide Technology (WWT), a systems integration company, has been at the helm since July 1990. WWT provides technology and supply chain solutions with a focus on the commercial, government and telecom sectors. The company aids its customer base in the planning, procurement and deployment of IT products and solutions. Based in St. Louis, Missouri, WWT is the largest Cisco reseller to the U.S. federal government and holds several major purchasing contracts. WWT employs over 1,700 people and operates more than 2,000,000 square feet of warehousing, distribution and integration space in 21 facilities throughout the world. In 2011, WWT's total revenue was $4.1 billion, making it one of the largest African-American owned companies in the United States.

E. Faye Williams

• Dr. E. Faye Williams is National President/CEO of the National Congress of Black Women and former Counsel to the U.S. Congress’ District of Columbia Sub-Committee on the Judiciary and Education. She is a former Professor of International Law at Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, LA. Dr. Williams was the first African American to run a viable political campaign for the U.S. Congress in Louisiana – narrowly missing victory after a mysterious “computer breakdown”. She received nearly 100,000 votes and came within 6/10ths of 1% of being credited with winning a Congressional seat. Supporters often refer to her as “Louisiana’s Congresswoman in Exile”. Dr. Williams later worked briefly as White House Liaison to the U.S. Department of Energy during the Clinton Administration. She is an appointee by President Barack Obama to the Presidential Scholars Commission. She has authored three books and contributes weekly to Trice-Edney Wire Service.

Harry Wingo

• Harry Wingo, President and Chief Executive Officer of the D.C. Chamber of Commerce, hails from the District of Columbia and has experience in technology and internet law policy, cybersecurity, telecom and cloud computing, and smart grid technology. Wingo is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and Yale Law School and founded the District-based cybersecurity West River Solutions consulting firm. Wingo spent over six years as a Navy SEAL officer and worked in Google’s Washington office. He headed a program to hire veterans and also served as counsel to the U.S. Senate. Known for his outstanding organizational, political and leadership skills, Wingo strongly supports veteran hiring.

To learn more about the BDPA Annual National Technology Conference and Career Fair 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.

Grant Recipient: BDPA Milwaukee ($1,011)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation proudly announces that it approved a $1,011 grant for BDPA Milwaukee chapter. The funding came primarily from an online fundraiser that BDPA Milwaukee chapter worked on the Crowdrise platform. The funds will be used for participation of students at the 2015 BDPA Technology Conference.

BDPA Milwaukee Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program trained 27 young people this year. The young people arrived at BDPA from a variety of Milwaukee area schools that included Rufus King, Washington, Kradwell, Brookfield Elementary, Brown Deer and many more. The young people were taught web development, programming and database technology as well as 21st-Century business skills from a dedicated cadre of instructors and advisers.

Back:  Gnanam Chokkalingam, Markyla Towns, Jayla Childress, Asia Canada, Kapil Chokkalingam

Front: Alvin Cherry, Alex Hudson, Xavier Jones, Vendah Jones, Isaiah Jones

Not Shown: Makyle McIntyre, Price Hunt

The SITES volunteers and instructors came from a number of corporate partners in the Milwaukee area: County of Milwaukee, GE Healthcare, Jason Industries, MillerCoors, Milwaukee Public Schools, Rockwell Automation, Tech Mahindra and many others.  BDPA Milwaukee continues to seek support from its members and sponsors. You can make a secure online donation to the BDPA Milwaukee SITES Scholarship Fund right away!

BDPA Invites Press to 2015 National Technology Conference

Please join the 37th Annual National Technology BDPA Conference and Career Fair, August 18-22,  at the Hilton Hotel, 1919 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington DC.   BDPA is the oldest and largest African American non-profit national organization comprised of more than 2,500 Information Technology professionals and STEM college students.

Highlights of the conference will include:

• Town Hall address by General Colin Powell, former Secretary of State and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on Wednesday, August 19 at 11am;
• FREE Technology Career Fair with interviews on the spot on Friday, August 21 from noon-6pm & Saturday, August 22 from 10am-3pm. Career Fair is open to the public;
• Youth Technology Camp sponsored by Best Buy;
• Awards Gala Reception sponsored by Johnson & Johnson;
• BDPA IT Golf Classic Tournament;
• Hack-a-Thon with a $1,000 prize sponsored by Cigna and World Wide Technology;
• Networking sessions, seminars, receptions and much more.

Advanced press registration is suggested. Registration will ensure press kit and credentials and access to the press lounge. On-site registration will also be available. Register at: www.bdpa.org/?page=PressRegistration

If you have any questions, please contact Brenda Parker at bdp_associates@aol.com. We look forward to your participation.

Believe in Ohio: Let's Change the Headline

On the night of July 4, 2015 Cleveland’s Channel 5 ran a headline “5 Children Shot in Cleveland over Fourth of July”. Although this headline is specific to Cleveland, it could have happened in Cincinnati, Columbus or any other major city in Ohio. I believe that we have the opportunity to help change the headline and the future for children in urban areas.

By next March, I want the headline to read, “5 Cincinnati Public School Students Win over $45,000 in Scholarships and Awards”. This is possible….

The 20th century, often called the “American Industrial Century”, was a time when Ohio and other states comprised the world’s preeminent economic force. The 21st century can be called the “Global Innovation Century”. Today, facing unprecedented world competition, Ohio cannot reach its economic goals without contributions from many more Ohioans, including underserved, urban populations.

To build a more competitive, resilient and prosperous economy, Ohio must begin to intentionally connect African Americans and Latinos in urban areas to the state’s science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)-driven, Innovation Economy. The Believe in Ohio program does just that.

Believe in Ohio provides urban students deep exposure to STEM disciplines, uniquely enhanced with entrepreneurship tools. To ensure broad participation in the program, Believe in Ohio has adopted Inclusive Competitiveness – an interdisciplinary framework to improve the performance of underrepresented Ohioans in the Innovation Economy – to help urban students become more successful STEM education competitors and economic contributors.

Young people in urban centers need to know that the true path to success is to fill the dual pipelines of productivity – becoming “intrapreneurial” employees and job creating entrepreneurs in next generation industries. These industries are largely in STEM areas that represent our state’s present and future economic promise.

That’s why Believe in Ohio created the Urban STEM Mentor Network . . . and we need your help this school year!

Believe in Ohio needs STEM and business professionals and entrepreneurs, like you, to show the way. In as little as 1 hour per month, you can support a motivated student along the path of this new century economy. Your task will be to simply coach a young person through a scripted process – the Roadmap to Future Jobs & Prosperity - to prepare them to compete for close to $1 million in scholarships and awards. Yes, this can be done in about 1 hour per month.

The Believe in Ohio Urban STEM Mentor Network Support Team is ready to assist you to be the one to make an impact on our urban youth.

Click on http://www.ohiosci.org/mentor-signup to get started today and help to rewrite the leading story.

Grant Recipient: BDPA Chicago ($2,250)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) approved a partial grant payment of $2,250 to the BDPA Chicago chapter. The chapter originally requested $5,000 to support its programs ... however, BETF was only in position to provide a partial grant.

Reggie Rush

BDPA Chicago chapter president Reggie Rush wrote, "The training program for our annual High School Computer Competition (HSCC) program has been ongoing and challenging. The students in our program are committed and should be allowed to demonstrate what they have learned in the National HSCC championship. The majority of our students are new to BDPA and those that are not eligible to compete would benefit from attending the Youth Technology Camp as an incentive to work harder to make the team next year. We have doubled our fundraising efforts but due to the reduction in financial support, we are requesting additional support from BETF."

BETF is committed to work with BDPA Chicago in the coming weeks and months to get an early start of its fundraising for the 2016 cycle. We ask that the readers of this blog take a moment to make a secure online donation in support of BDPA Chicago!

Monsanto Provides Silver Level Sponsorship for BDPA Programs and Scholarships

BDPA recently announced Monsanto, as a Silver Sponsor supporting the 37th Annual National BDPA Technology Conference and Career Fair, "Evolution of IT--Embracing the Digital Future," August 19-22, 2015 at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C.

Pamela Mathews

“On behalf of the National Board of Directors and the National Executive Committee, it is my honor and privilege to welcome Monsanto as a Silver Level Sponsor for the 2015 National Conference,” Pamela Mathews, National BDPA President. “It is only possible to provide the support our members receive through relationships and sponsorships from organizations like Monsanto. The BDPA family thanks Monsanto for their support."

Monsanto is recognized globally as a sustainable agriculture company who support farmers all around the world. Monsanto focus on empowering farmers—large and small—to produce more from their land while conserving more of our world's natural resources such as water and energy. Ranked 43rd on 2015 Top 50 Companies for Diversity; Monsanto’s CEO Hugh Grant was named one of the highest rated CEOs by Glassdoor.

“For over 10 years now, Monsanto has been honored to be part of such an amazing organization. We value our relationship with BDPA and our sponsorship has allowed many high school students to be trained and compete in the High School Computer Competition, even placing 2nd in 2012,” said Vincent Shorter, Monsanto senior director. In addition he added, “We have awarded over $12,000 in scholarships to date and work closely with our local chapter on several initiatives. Monsanto employees and our community have benefited greatly from this longstanding relationship and I’m proud to be a member of both.”

Today, BDPA is the largest African American information technology association in America. For 40 years, BDPA has enabled the upward mobility of African Americans and other minorities in the Information Technology and STEM fields. Because of BDPA’s focus on students and professional members alike, we continue to support and lead the upward success of our members “from the classroom to the boardroom”.

Jerry Walker

Jerry Walker, BDPA St. Louis president said, "We are proud that Monsanto demonstrates its commitment to BDPA’s mission both nationally and at home in St. Louis. One way that Monsanto has supported BDPA in St. Louis is by providing financial support, human resources, and facilities for our local High School Computer Competition team. Monsanto’s gift of time, talent, and treasure is very much appreciated.”

To become a BDPA partner or sponsor like Monsanto or to learn more about the National BDPA Technology Conference and sponsorship opportunities, please contact BDPA Corporate Sales Team by email (corpsales@bdpa.org) or phone (301.584-3135 x108).

SITES Program (New Jersey, 2015)

BDPA New Jersey and Bloomfield College Coders Camp introduced middle- and high-school students to information technology via the Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program. Students participate in 3-hour sessions on Saturdays starting in February to learn application development, database design and web development. The top performing students get the opportunity to compete regionally as well as at the National BDPA Technology Conference. Bloomfield College provide lab space and college students serve as volunteer peer-coaches. These college students also have the opportunity to participate in the technology showcases and Career Fair during the annual conference.

BDPA New Jersey is two weeks away from taking seven students to the annual technology conference being held in Washington DC on August 19-22, 2015. The students will be competing in the High School Computer Competition Program.

The chapter raised 80% of the funds needed but they still need your assistance with the last 20% to ensure that their students can go to Washington DC. The funds are needed to cover lodging and transportation costs. Please make an online donation today of $25 or $50, to BDPA New Jersey Chapter. BDPA is a 501c3 organization approved by IRS so your donation is tax deductible. Please invest in our students as they invest in their future.

If you have any questions you can contact Coram Rimes, BDPA New Jersey parent-student liaison by phone (973.367-1878) or email (coram.rimes@bdpa.org). BDPA is a diverse organization that contributes to the development of professionals in the Information Technology industry and to extend this knowledge and experience to others in their respective communities.

Believe in Ohio: Will you be the one?

In the urban areas, bootstraps were not always readily available. Our success came by way of community support - a teacher, church member or volunteer coach. Sheer drive alone, often was not enough to help us prosper and excel. We were fortunate to have someone there to guide and mentor us along the way.

Many African American professionals and entrepreneurs left the cities to live in the expanse of the suburbs. Therefore, it begs the question, who is left to give young people guidance to see the possibilities of 21st professional and technology driven careers? Will you be the one to one to lend your support?

The 20th century, often called the “American Industrial Century”, was a time when Ohio and other states comprised the world’s preeminent economic force. The 21st century can be called the “Global Innovation Century”.   Today, facing unprecedented world competition, Ohio cannot reach its economic goals without contributions from many more Ohioans, including underserved, urban populations.

To build a more competitive, resilient and prosperous economy, Ohio must begin to intentionally connect African Americans and Latinos in urban areas to the state’s science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)-driven, Innovation Economy. The Believe in Ohio program does just that.

Believe in Ohio provides urban students deep exposure to STEM disciplines, uniquely enhanced with entrepreneurship tools. To ensure broad participation in the program, Believe in Ohio has adopted Inclusive Competitiveness – an interdisciplinary framework to improve the performance of underrepresented Ohioans in the Innovation Economy – to help urban students become more successful STEM education competitors and economic contributors.

Young people in urban centers need to know that the true path to success is to fill the dual pipelines of productivity – becoming “intrapreneurial” employees and job creating entrepreneurs in next generation industries. These industries are largely in STEM areas that represent our state’s present and future economic promise.

That’s why Believe in Ohio has created the Urban STEM Mentor Network . . . and we need your help.

Believe in Ohio needs STEM and business professionals and entrepreneurs, like you, to show the way. In as little as 1 hour per month, you can support a motivated student along the path of this new century economy. Your task will be to simply coach a young person through a scripted process – the Roadmap to Future Jobs & Prosperity - to prepare them to compete for close to $1 million in scholarships and awards. Yes, this can be done in about 1 hour per month.

The Believe in Ohio Urban STEM Mentor Network Support Team is ready to assist you to be the one to make an impact on our urban youth.

Click on http://www.ohiosci.org/mentor-signup to get started today.

Grant Recipient: BDPA Dallas ($5,000)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation approved a $5,000 grant for BDPA Dallas chapter. BDPA Dallas chapter president Chad White submitted a request for the funding in July 2015. The purpose of the funding is to assist with traveling needs for BDPA Dallas students to attend the National Conference later this month.

L-R: Christion Lankford, Amani Duncker, Jayln Jackson,
Kierra Obey, Ean Herrera, Jaden Reese

The chapter selected five students who will represent the city in the annual High School Computer Competition championship. There will also be two chaperones in attendance to support the students.  BDPA Dallas students have been training since early in the year for the championship. The students are always excited, motivated and eager to learn about the components of the competition process.

Much of the funding for this $5,000 grant came as a result of volunteer grants secured by employees of BlueCross BlueShield of Texas. The chapter also received support from members of the fundraising team on Crowdrise.

Good luck Dallas!

Message from the Founder (August 2015)

Earl Pace

40 years ago David Wimberly and I pooled our resources, rented a hotel meeting room at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Philadelphia, invited a bunch of our friends who were in the “data processing field” and started Black Data Processing Associates. Of course it had no name at that time but several meetings later, we had an organization. Unfortunately, David Wimberly met with a premature death before the organization was actually formed but we continue to be indebted to him. David was tenacious! We worked in the same building on the same floor but for different companies. It seemed that each time I left or entered my office David was there lobbying me for the creation of an organization like BDPA. Eventually, I agreed and the rest is history. So it is on this 40th anniversary that I say to David, “Thank you!”

Usually, on occasions such as this, announcements, articles and speeches appear with congratulations extolling the accomplishments of the organization and all the wonderful things it has done. Along with this comes statement of how the industry would not be the same were it not for the organization’s contributions. All of these things are appropriate and fitting for BDPA but in the Information Technology industry where it’s all about “keeping up with the changes”, there’s no time for self-indulgence. There’s too much to be done! In the United States, there are now over 116 million people employed of which 7 million are employed in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) occupations. Blacks or African Americans hold but 6% of these STEM positions despite being 13% of the population. In an economy with 26 million firms, Black or African American businesses comprise but 7% of the functioning businesses, 90% have no paid employees! Access to investment capital for business start-ups is almost non-existent and racial inequities continue to prevent African Americans and others of color from participating fully in the American Dream. The past 40 years have merely been “a race to the starting line”.  Now the real work begins!

BDPA has been doing excellent work since its inception. Over the past 28 of our 40 years of operation, we have introduced tens of thousands of students, from middle school, high schools and colleges, to the IT industry and given them actual IT skills through our Student Information Technology and Education Scholarships (SITES) programs and internships. We have contributed to the development of the careers of our IT professional members and others through our jobs bank, our Project Management development and support and networking opportunities. Along with our local chapter’s contribution to the development of technical and management skills through their monthly program meetings, webinars and local networking, BDPA has been making a difference . But we have been too busy “doing the good work”, without doing an adequate job of blowing our own horn! Now that STEM has come into vogue, other organizations are very publicly entering into an arena that BDPA has been functioning in for decades. It’s time for BDPA to be recognized for its foresight and industry contributions! The year 2015 seems like the right time to do so!

National BDPA has developed a plan to increase recognition of the BDPA brand. Our local chapters are to be included in this effort through the coordination and efforts of the regional representatives. This year’s National Conference in August at the Washington Hilton, in Washington DC, will be a BDPA Conference like no other! More important to this effort is the participation of our membership. You have seen, participated in and benefited from the programs and opportunities provided by BDPA. Don’t keep it a secret! One characteristic of the group that attended the organizational meetings of BDPA in 1975 is that they recognized that the value of the organization was enhanced by bringing in others. A strong BDPA would be of value to them and those that they brought in. That’s what we call a “social and selfish motivation”. They spread the word – and they didn’t have the Internet! Each of us must be eager to tell the BDPA story!

BDPA is 100% dedicated to contributing to your journey “from the classroom to the boardroom”. There is strength in numbers so each of us needs to be a spirited evangelist, for the BDPA mission. Let’s make 2015 the year we make the world aware that for 40 years past, BDPA has been an Information Technology Thought Leader with proven results. That BDPA is ready to take those programs and more forward for, at least, another 40 years! Let’s all be as tenacious as David Wimberly!

One BDPA!
Earl A. Pace, Jr.
BDPA Co-Founder

Johnson & Johnson Scholar: Adrian Ables (DePauw University)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation joins with Johnson & Johnson to award $20,000 in college scholarships this month. The Johnson & Johnson Scholarship for BDPA Students has been awarded to DePauw University senior Adrian Ables.

Adrian Ables

Adrian was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He has lived with his family in Oklahoma for most of his life. His passion has always been soccer ever since he was a little kid. He loves reaching out to his community and teaching kids how to play soccer. He teaches young people that they need to work hard on and off the field. Adrian is the captain of the soccer team at DePauw University.

Adrian wrote, "Being a student athlete has shown me the benefits of persevering through rough times along with bringing me into contact with a wide range of people. Furthermore, I am pursuing a major in computer science at my university as well. The IT area fascinates me and I love discussing new ideas or projects. I want to pursue a career in the administrative side of IT."

Adrian drove to Cincinnati earlier this summer to participate in the BDPA Midwest Regional IT Showcase. He plans to compete in the 13th annual BDPA IT Showcase in Washington DC later this month. His topic focuses on social media and how it can positively impact the workplace infrastructure, communication, and environment.

One major concept Adrian lives his life by is “The little things are the big things.” As a leader and a role model Adrian is willing to truly listen to those around them along with making decisions that affect a group as a whole. Adrian seeks to be the best man he can be, by helping as many people as he can.

Congratulations to Adrian for earning this $2,500 college scholarship from Johnson & Johnson! 

Message from BDPA Cincinnati Chapter President (August 2015)

Dalric Webb

Greetings!

As we turn our attention towards the STRONG team of students we are taking to the 37th Annual National BDPA Conference in Washington DC in two weeks, let me take just a moment to offer another acknowledgement to the 2015 Future Leader Award recipients, two of whom are our very own Yaw Asante and Mouhamadou Guisse! Photos from the event are viewable on our chapter website in the photo gallery section. You can also view the event program guide.

Speaking of the BDPA Technology Conference, have you registered? Are you going? Are you planning to attend the career fair? How about the professional development workshops? Are you excited about the sponsors and vendors that are supporting this event? Did you know Retired General Colin Powell is the featured speaker this year? Think your personal and professional networking could get a boost out of attendance at this annual premier technology conference? Did you know the focus of this year’s conference is YOU! Specifically “The upcoming technology conference will be focused on how you as an individual in the technology field can be a part of this evolution and embrace the current and upcoming digital landscape”. I do hope to see you there. This is THE place to be the week of August 17th.

As I was reading through my FREE copy of Diversity-in-Action last night, it came to my mind that perhaps all the chapter members of the LARGEST BDPA chapter in the nation were not aware that this free subscription was one of MANY member benefits? Did you receive your complimentary copy of this publication at the mailing address you provided or that you have in your online profile? If not, please contact our VP Membership Management at vpmm.cincy@bdpa.org to make sure we have your proper contact information. This benefit is just one of MANY benefits of your BDPA membership. Take a look at the BDPA membership benefits on the national website.

I do hope to you can join us at this month’s program meeting where we have a dynamic speaker leading the interactive conversation on “The Cloud”.  Hope to see you there!

We have a few more openings on our board of volunteers. Won’t you consider joining this dynamic team? We can use your support in helping others (and yourself) advance their careers “from the classroom to the boardroom”. Will you consider applying your skills, professionalism, and sense of community to the task of strengthening the digital thought leaders of tomorrow through the BDPA organization? Visit our chapter website at www.bdpa.org/group/ci and let me know which opportunity best fits your passion.

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

Sincerely,
Dalric Webb, President
BDPA Cincinnati Chapter

Top 10 BDPA Chapters (Membership, July 2015)

The lifeblood of any nonprofit association is its membership.  BDPA Cincinnati remains the #1 BDPA chapter in the nation for the third month in a row.   The chapter ... led by its president, Dalric Webb ... continues to amaze others by its consistent growth.   The chapter holds monthly program meetings that are full of energy and information.  The chapter will be heading to the national conference next week with young people competing in a number of the youth events.   Life is pretty good for a BDPA member in the Queen City!

Tyrone McKinney

The other chapter making major moves this month is BDPA New York (president, Tyrone McKinney).  They were in 12th place last time we tracked these metrics ... now, they loom as the 5th largest chapter in the nation ... moving up 7 spots in the past two months.   The chapter meets regularly and they also form strategic partnerships with other professional associations.  We are very proud to see such greatness from BDPA New York.   They serve as an inspiration to many others around the nation.

BDPA believes 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. Cincinnati - president, Dalric Webb 
2. Chicago - president, Reggie Rush 
3. Detroit - president, Beverly Moore 
4. Atlanta - president, Derrick Brown (up 2 spots)
5.  New York - president, Tyrone McKinney (up 7 spots)
6. Philadelphia - president, Eileen Gadsden (down 2 spots)
7. Washington DC - president, Perry Carter (down 2 spots)
8. Indianapolis - president, Terry Morris (up 2 spots)
9. New Jersey - president, Goldie Bonney (down 1 spot)
10. Milwaukee - president, Carmen Giles (down 3 spots)

We had a significant rise in the number of chapters now belonging to the 'BDPA Century Club'! The benefit of having powerful leadership is obvious when we see that Cincinnati, Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta, New York and Philadelphia 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.

Our national president, Pamela Mathews, recently touted the value that organizational re-branding has made on BDPA.   I suspect that the 37th annual National BDPA Technology Conference will also provide a tremendous boost to membership this month.  


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?