Spring Technology Showcase (BDPA Huntsville)

Jason Bradshaw is the VP-Membership Management for BDPA Huntsville Chapter. He recently wrote,

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"On a beautiful Saturday morning, BDPA Huntsville Chapter hosted a Spring Technology showcase. At the event several BDPA members engaged the youth of Huntsville, AL with technologies. The event kicked off with speaker Patricia King discussing the many accomplishments and struggles throughout her career as an African American female engineer. Mrs. King also discussed how pneumatics work and taught a hands-on application using Legos.

During Part Two of the showcase, BDPA member Casandra Nealy showcased the Lego EV3 Robot with its various configurations and functionalities.

After a brief intermission Bernard Nealy, Casandra's father and a BDPA member, started off Part Three of the showcase by displaying the large hardware and software capabilities of the small Raspberry Pi computer.

The showcase was ended with a cybersecurity briefing by BDPA members Claudia Williams and Sylvia Archie, who are both Certified Ethical Hackers and Cyber Security Analysts for the US Army. Upon closing BDPA VP-Technology Rosalind McCullough and VP-Strategy and Planning Steton Walker, engaged with the children with discussion about embracing their dreams and striving for success in whatever field they desire to pursue.

Networking and socializing the event went very well among parents, chapter members, and children. BDPA Huntsville plans to have several more technology events in the near future. In addition, the chapter will be hosting its first annual Golf Tournament on April 20, 2018."

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Grant Declination: Rhode Island Foundation (BDPA Rhode Island)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) worked with BDPA Rhode Island chapter (president, Tiffany Wiggins) to submit a $10,000 grant proposal to The Rhode Island Foundation. If approved, the grant would provide partial funding for the Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program in Providence, RI.

Unfortunately, our grant proposal was declined. The declination letter read as follows:

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Mrs. Jeanette James
Rhode Island Chapter President

Dear Ms. James:

On behalf of The Providence Journal Charitable Legacy Fund, I would like to acknowledge receive of the request submitted by your organization.

Please be assured that the fund advisors carefully reviewed your request before reaching the decision that they are unable to provide financial support at this time. The Providence Journal Charitable Legacy Fund recognizes the outstanding that your organization provides to our community.

Best wishes for continued success in your mission to serve our community.

Sincerely,
Carol Golden
On behalf of the fund's advisors
Senior Philanthropic Advisor
Rhode Island Foundation

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BETF will continue to aggressively pursue funding for all 46 local BDPA chapters. However, God loves the child who has his own ... so we encourage you to support BDPA scholarship programs by making a secure online donation.

Top 10 BDPA Chapters (Membership, February 2018)

The lifeblood of any nonprofit association is its membership. We continue to have a chapter who leads the nation in BDPA members.... BDPA Cincinnati. The chapter ... led by its president, Frank Hill ... continues to amaze others by its consistent growth. The chapter is significantly larger than the second largest chapter as they continue moving towards the next milestone of having 200 members this year.

We would also like to congratulate BDPA Bay Area (led by Gina Tomlinson) and BDPA Greater Tampa Bay Chapter (led by Andrea Johnson) for becoming an 'active' chapter by having more than the minimum level of membership. Gina and Andrea both realize that we need to work hard to keep membership growth and retention higher.

Frank Hill

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, Frank Hill
2. Detroit - president, Loraine Stewart-David
3. St. Louis - president, Marvis Hollis
4. Indianapolis - president, Delano Robinson
5. Chicago - president, John Coleman
6. Atlanta - president, Victor Montgomery
7. Southern Minnesota - president, Ebenezer Kyei-Baffour
8.  Philadelphia - president, Cedric Edwards
9. New Jersey - president, Anthony Dupree
   
10. Washington DC - president, Perry Carter

The number of chapters now belonging to the 'BDPA Century Club' has grown to three.  The benefit of having powerful leadership is obvious when we see that Cincinnati,Detroit and St. Louis 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.

What are your thoughts about the value of BDPA membership? What can your local chapter do to improve the value-proposition for you on a personal or professional level?

Message from BDPA New York Chapter President

Jeannine Andre-Burns

I want to personally say Happy New Year and I am looking forward to working with each of you.  Your membership has shown to BDPA New York that you want to be apart of a network of like-minded technology savvy people that wants to network, increase their skill-sets and give back.  So thank you for your passion and mission.

We have been building relationships with colleges and finding a home to meet every month.   We are lining up speakers and making sure that all planning will be geared towards meeting our members’ needs.   There are lots of opportunities for our New York Chapter to reboot and thrive.   I want us to all be apart of this exciting time.   That is why 2018 will represent the “BDPA New York Reboot” movement and it will begin with the “Take 5” initiative.

 

This movement will be an outreach to you as a member by getting down to the “Top 5” basics.  Determining the top 5 needs of our membership, speaking on the top 5 trending topics of 2018, having meetings at the top 5 areas to service our membership, and partnering with a college to build students’ top 5 skills.  We are happy to say that we are moving forward with developing a BDPA New York Club at Pace University.  This alliance will put a hop in New York Chapter’s skip with keeping BDPA New York in line with promoting student relationship, building Chapter spirit, and empowering them by partnering with seasoned members to be the dare devils of the technology industry.

We are looking for a home in the heart of Manhattan. If anyone has corporate space that their company will allow for our monthly meetings, please reach out to locations@bdpa-ny.org if you have any questions or can provide any input to gathering space. 

Upcoming:

1. Our 2018 BDPA Conference this year will be in jazzy New Orleans!  Early Bird specials end March 31, so log into www.bdpa.org to register.
2. BDPAFuture# is the theme of our overall vision through the United States with 30 chapters alive and well.  For the first time, BDPA is offering monthly Tech Talks with the first kick off this Friday.  Topics such as BDPA Digital, AI, and Branding Yourself are already scheduled out till March.  Register for free at  BDPA Career and Tech Talks.
3. We are looking for volunteers for the following committees:  Planning Committee (speakers, business events, and locations), Social Media Committee (maintain BDPANY social media platform with trending content), Membership Committee (survey members and email outreach).
4. We have Board positions opened:  President Elect, Director of HSCC, Webmaster, Board Secretary.  Please email candidates@bdpa-ny.org if you are interested in any of these positions.

Last note, I’m really excited about the Reboot Movement with "The Take 5" initiatives and looking forward to getting to know you. 

 

Jeannine Andre-Burns, president

BDPA New York

Eli Lilly and Company Honored as BDPA Gold Level Sponsor

Once again Eli Lilly and Company has hit the $50,000 Gold Level Sponsorship mark at Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) 40th Annual National Technology Conference & Career Fair. The event will take place on August 9-11, 2018 at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans, 601 Loyola Avenue New Orleans, Louisiana. BDPA’s Career Fair will be held on two days, Friday August 10, 1pm-5pm and Saturday, August 11, 9am-2pm. It is free and open to the public. Expecting over 1,000 Information Technology (IT) professionals, along with 40 Fortune 500 Companies, BDPA is excited about bringing one-stop interview opportunities to IT applicants. Patrons can register online via www.bdpa.org website.

The Lilly story began 140 years ago, when founder Colonel Eli Lilly combined scientific rigor and passion for discovery, with caring for the individuals and communities the company served. Employees honor his legacy by embodying his call to "Take what you find here and make it better and better."

Diversity Inc., has ranked Eli Lilly the following;
    • Top 50 Companies for Diversity (No. 16)
    • Top Company for People with Disabilities (No. 8)
    • Progress (No. 8), Mentoring (No. 9)
    • Employee Resource Groups (No. 11)
    • Supplier Diversity (No. 11)

Tim Coleman

“We are proud to again partner with and support BDPA. The organization’s work to ensure a diverse talent pipeline for the future and to encourage young people to explore careers in science and technology aligns with our beliefs at Lilly,” said Tim Coleman, Eli Lilly and Company Vice President. “Education is so vital to creating the professionals who will contribute to the discovery of innovative medicines of the future.”

For 40 years, BDPA has enabled the upward mobility of African Americans and other minorities in the Information Technology (IT) and STEM fields. Through its 40+ local community chapters in major cities across the United States, BDPA has been at the forefront of promoting the minority agenda within the IT profession since 1975.

Michael Wulf

"We extend a hearty thank you and recognize Eli Lilly and Company for its unwavering belief in BDPA and their commitment to a diverse and inclusive workforce,” said Dr. Michael Wulf, National BDPA vice president. “In 2018 BDPA raises the bar even higher with a distinct shift and focus on persistent member experiences, radically enhanced pipeline programs and building strategic partnerships with academia and other high performing organizations, like Eli Lilly. Lilly's sponsorship helps fill the information technology (IT) pipeline by supporting local and national STEM professional development programs for youth and adults. Their sponsorship and willingness to invest incredible leadership resources like our newly elected BDPA National President, Mr. Terry Morris, is a distinct testimony that BDPA will remain the premier IT professional development networking organization delivering a network of diverse IT talent for years to come."

For corporate sales please contact corpsales@bdpa.org or 301-584-3135 ext. 108.

Grant Proposal: Goldman Sachs Foundation (BDPA Cincinnati)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) worked closely with the officers of the BDPA Cincinnati chapter to submit a grant proposal to the Goldman Sachs Foundation seeking $8,000 for the 2018 Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program.  We should get an answer within a couple of months.

BETF is willing to work with any of the 46 local BDPA chapters to obtain the funding that they need to successfully deliver their 2018 SITES program. Simply reach out to the BETF executive director if you have questions or wish to discuss further.