BDPA Commends Fifth Third Bank on $5,000 Grant

BDPA Cincinnati and its fundraising arm, BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF), commends Fifth Third Bank for their generous $5,000 grant.

Karen Lipscomb, BDPA Cincinnati Vice President of Member Services said, “Fifth Third Bank has been a staunch champion of BDPA for a number of years, contributing to the chapter financially as well as through the gift of resources. We look forward to a continuing relationship in which, through this partnership, we develop and retain IT talent for the greater Cincinnati area.”

Located in Cincinnati, Fifth Third Bank became the first financial institution in the United States to establish a charitable foundation. They are committed to actively engaging individuals and community groups to affect positive change and continue to invest time, resources, and people to help improve lives in the communities they serve.

BDPA Cincinnati Computer Camp Coordinator Frank Hill states, "Investing time and treasure in young people today will yield leaders, mentors and innovators needed to guarantee a brighter tomorrow for all of us. I rejoice each time I get a message about the latest successes of BDPA alumni!"

BDPA was founded in 1975 by Earl Pace and David Wimberly to close the digital divide for underrepresented minorities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields. BDPA has over 40 chapters nationwide with more than 2,500 STEM professional and student members. BDPA offers over $100,000 in scholarships annually to hundreds of high school and college students who wish to pursue STEM careers.

For more information on BDPA or a sponsorship, please contact BDPA’s corporate sponsorship program at (301) 584-3135 ext.108 or corpsales@bdpa.org. Additionally, please visit www.bdpa.org.

Message from BDPA Cincinnati Chapter President

Dalric Webb

As we enter the last month of the first quarter in 2015, BDPA Cincinnati is still putting the pedal to the metal! In case you haven’t been keeping up with the postings on the chapter's Groupsite page, there has been a flurry of activity in the last month and coming up as well! The BDPA Computer Camp team has rounded the corner and is now going into week #11 of its schedule.

The students have done EXCEPTIONALLY well in absorbing the teachings from BDPA volunteers. Many of the students have already completed interactive webpages. We are looking forward to our students competing in the upcoming BDPA Midwest Regional High School Computer Competition on June 20th. BDPA will use the regional competition to finalize on the members of the HSCC team that we plan to take to the 37th Annual BDPA Technology Conference in Washington DC. We are counting on the support of family, friends, sponsors and volunteers as these students move on their journey 'from the classroom to the boardroom'.

Rodney Swope

Our 2nd Annual IT Recruiters Roundtable was held on one of the coldest nights of the year. However, the energy in the room heated everyone up! Our chapter's VP-Member Services, Karen Lipscomb, led the panel discussion focused on hiring tips, job opportunities and timely resources. Our March 2015 program meeting will feature Rodney Swope, Minority Business Accelerator director, who will share key insights on being an entrepreneur and connecting to the vibrant economic and innovation ecosystems within Cincinnati. We hope spend the evening with us to learn from Rodney, network with like-minded professionals and enjoy some light refreshments.

BDPA Cincinnati encourages you to join us on Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 6:30 pm for island-style dining and salsa dancing at Margaritaville in downtown Cincinnati. Enjoy a one-of-a-kind tropical experience at the Margaritaville Restaurant at the Horseshoe Casino. The fun really starts at 7:30 pm when BDPA member Malik Spencer gives us lessons on Salsa dancing! Malik has taught dance workshops all over town and we look forward to seeing the improved Salsa techniques of our guests on March 25th!

Finally, we hope that all of our supporters, sponsors and volunteers will make plans to join us at the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber for the 10th Annual BDPA Awards Luncheon being held on Friday, April 10, 2015 @ 11:30. We will recognize both the 'Member of the Year' and the 'Corporate Sponsor of the Year' at this celebration. Tickets are only $25.00 and you are encouraged to RSVP right away!

2015 is off to a FANTASTIC start! Our chapter membership grew to more than 200 in February! 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? The chapter is ACTIVE in our communities – we’d love to have you join us.

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

Sincerely,
Dalric Webb, President
BDPA Cincinnati Chapter