Election Results: BDPA Chicago (2015-2016)

BDPA Chicago, 2nd-largest chapter in the nation, announced the results of its leadership election for 2015-2016.   The winners were:

President: Reggie Rush (DivIHN Integration)

Vice President: Rene' Yarborough (Baxter International)

Treasurer: Damond Singleton (Kellogg Company)

Recording Secretary: John Hopkins III (Veredus)

BDPA Chicago Chapter was chartered on March 15, 1986 as the 14th chapter nationwide with eight founding members:

1. Marvin Walker, President
2. Hazel Beason, Vice President
3. Anthony Pittman, Treasurer
4. Michelle Walker, Recording Secretary
5. Wallace Neal, Education Chairperson
6. Roy Peeples, Public Relations Chairperson
7. Greg Walker, Finance Chairperson
8. Fidelis Umeh, Member

The first monthly program meeting was held April 18, 1986 at the Palmer House Hotel. BDPA Chicago Chapter is renowned for its delivery of programs and services to its membership. As a result the success of the chapter is measured by its membership and its network of the most talented professionals servicing all aspects of information technology. Over one hundred companies and government agencies are represented by its membership. Chapter activities include technical workshops and seminars, monthly presentations, membership drives and social events.

In 1988, 2001 and 2011, BDPA Chicago hosted the National BDPA Technology Conference. For three consecutive years (1991, 1992, 1993) BDPA Chicago was named Chapter of the Year by the national association. The chapter sponsors a city-wide high school computer competition team open to all metropolitan area students. These students are enrolled in a 33-week program where they are instructed in computer programming and professional presentation. Five of these students are selected to represent Chicago at the national BDPA High School Computer Competition at the national BDPA Technology Conference. Chicago has sponsored a team each year since 1988.

We encourage you to support the BDPA Chicago Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program! Your secure tax-deductible donation can make a difference!

Election Results: BDPA Cincinnati (2014-2015)

BDPA Cincinnati chapter has a powerful legacy that has grown since its founding in December 1989. The chapter recently concluded elections that put in place those IT professionals who will take BDPA Cincinnati chapter to the next level in 2014-2015. The following officers were elected in accordance with chapter bylaws:

President - Dalric Webb (GE) 

Vice President, Finance - Steve Gutter (The Kroger Company)

Please join all of BDPA in welcoming these new leaders as they strive to advance the careers of African Americans in the information technology industry from the classroom to the boardroom in the greater Cincinnati region. They have some large shoes to fill ... however, the chapter also has some powerful corporate support and it currently stands as the 5th-largest BDPA chapter in the nation.

Election Results: BDPA St. Louis (2014-2015)

BDPA St. Louis chapter has a powerful legacy that has grown since its founding in January 1989. The chapter recently concluded elections that put in place those brothers and sisters who will take BDPA St. Louis chapter to the next level in 2014-2015. The following officers were elected in accordance with chapter bylaws:

President - Dwana Franklin-Davis (MasterCard)  

Executive Vice President - Jerry Walker (Nestle Purina)  

Vice President, Finance - Marvis Hollis (Macy's)  

  Vice President, Membership Management- Lionel Phillips (IBM)  

Vice President, Strategy & Planning - Malcom Mathis, (Monsanto)  

Other appointed leaders in the chapter include:

• HSCC Coordinator - Tiffany Jones (Monsanto)
• Communications Coordinator - Tiffany Pierre (Unknown)

Please join all of BDPA in welcoming these new leaders as they strive to advance the careers of African Americans in the information technology industry from the classroom to the boardroom in the state of Missouri. They have some large shoes to fill ... however, the chapter also has some powerful corporate support and it currently stands as the 11th-largest BDPA chapter in the nation.

Election Results: BDPA Chicago Chapter (2014-2015)

BDPA Chicago chapter has a powerful legacy that has grown since its founding in March 1986. The chapter recently concluded elections that put in place those brothers and sisters who will take BDPA Chicago chapter to the next level in 2014-2015. The following officers were elected in accordance with chapter bylaws:

President - Reggie Rush (Geneca)  

Executive Vice President - Nashunda Bolden (Computer Resource Solutions)  

Administrative Vice President - Pamela Nortfleet (Chicago School of Professional Psychology)  

Treasurer - Jesse Mathews III (McDonald's)  

Recording Secretary - Henri'Etta Goodwin, (McDermott Will & Emery)  

Please join all of BDPA in welcoming these new leaders as they strive to advance the careers of African Americans in the information technology industry from the classroom to the boardroom within the metro Chicago area. They have some large shoes to fill ... and BDPA Chicago is not only the largest chapter in the nation ... it is also the defending BDPA Chapter-of-the-Year!

Election Results: BDPA New York (2014-2015)

BDPA New York chapter has a powerful legacy since its founding in November 1982. The chapter met on November 14, 2013 to determine the leaders who carry the baton in 2014-2015.

Renetta English, Tyrone McKinney and Anthony Dupree

The newly-elected officers are:

• President - Tyrone Terrence McKinney (Bloomberg)
• President Elect - Anthony Dupree (Elizabeth Arden)
• Vice President, Finance - Jim Harrison

Please join the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation in thanking Renetta English and Wanda Jackson for their years of leadership service as they end their executive leadership roles with BDPA New York chapter.  It is worth noting that BDPA New York chapter won numerous chapter awards during their tenure including back-to-back 'Chapter of the Year' awards in 2011 and 2012.

National BDPA Election Results (2014-2015)

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, 2014. Election results for the National BDPA Board of Directors are as follows.
 

Craig Brown National President	Loraine Stewart National Vice President, Finance
Pamela Sexton National Vice President	Vacant Regional Vice President,West
Teresa Williams  Regional Vice President, South	Felicia Jones Regional Director, South
Frederick Smith, Jr. Regional Vice President, Northeast	Lilla Hunter-Taylor Regional Director, Northeast
Michael Wulf Regional Vice President, Midwest	Vacant 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 Dr. Craig Brown.  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!

Letter from BDPA Twin Cities HSCC Coordinator

Michael Wulf

BDPA Chapter Presidents, Officers, Members, & Volunteers!

My name is Michael Wulf and I’m a candidate running for BDPA Midwest Region Vice President.

With only a few weeks before we travel to the 35th Annual BDPA Technical Conference & Career Expo I wanted to introduce myself to each chapter in the Midwest Region and ask consideration for your support in my decision to run for office.

In the past 8 years I’ve been a volunteer heavily engaged in the BDPA Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program ... more specifically, the High School Computer Competition (HSCC) program in the Twin Cities. Most of you know me as their HSCC Coordinator. As a leader in corporate America, I use a collaborative style of management. In this role I view myself in the same capacity - in a supportive role to assist in making BDPA even more successful building on the great work of predecessors.

In this role I will partner with the elected National President, Regional Director, and many others to empower our Midwest region to be the best in BDPA!

Given the opportunity to be elected by your chapter delegates at the national conference my goals are:

• Expand communication between chapters, national and BETF.
• Grow membership and reactive inactive chapters in the region.
• Support local chapter and national initiatives.
• Support membership growth.
• Support youth education, professional development, and HSCC competition.

Given the opportunity to serve in this capacity my intention is together establish a Midwest action plan to align and accomplish our combined prioritized goals. I have the experience, passion and determination to deliver on what is needed. Together we can make a difference at a higher level than ever dreamed.

Things you may not have known about me that you may want to know why serving in this capacity is important.

• Father of a blended family with two daughters, two sons, and three grandchildren. Education and the mission of BDPA means a great deal to me.
• Extremely knowledgeable in the management of geographically dispersed matrix organizations – much like our Midwest region is organized. Veteran IT Professional serving IT for 32 years.
• I live in the “Midwest” keeping homes in both Minnesota and Illinois.

Sending this memo in advance of the national election to allow us both the opportunity to talk by phone. I will attempt to call you, however I can be reached at (651) 261-0408. See you at the “Get to know the candidate session” (8/14/2013).

Sincerely,
Michael G. Wulf, Candidate
BDPA Midwest Region Vice President

Eileen Gadsden Accepts Nomination for Office of BDPA Northeast Regional Vice President

BDPA Philadelphia chapter president Eileen Gadsden is a hard-working woman! She owns her own strategic branding company, E-Region Enterprises. Gadsden still wants to do more. She accepted the nomination for BDPA Northeast Region Vice President which would place her on the National BDPA Board of Directors in 2014-2015.

Prior to serving as a local chapter president, Gadsden served BDPA Philadelphia for three years as vice president of strategy and planning. She also served as the national co-chairperson of the BDPA Entrepreneurial Advisory Group.

Gadsden's plan is to assist the local chapters in the BDPA Northeast region - Baltimore, Boston Metrowest, Hartford, New Jersey, New York, Northern Delaware, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Rhode Island and Washington DC - reach their strategic goals by increasing membership, corporate support and community engagement.

"It has been a great honor to work in Philadelphia as an educator an influencer in the information technology space. I am looking forward to the next challenge of bringing the BDPA vision to reduce the digital divide both at the academic and professional level throughout the northeast region of our nation." said Eileen Gadsden.

Eileen holds a MBA from Penn State University and a BS from St. Joseph's University. She was honorably discharged after serving 12 years in the United States Army Reserves. Earlier this year Ms. Gadsden was recognized as one of the most influential Philadelphia women by the NAACP Philadelphia Branch for her work with BDPA. Her passion for the chapter's youth technology program was documented in a documentary published by CBS Philly called, 'Brotherly Love: Teaching Tech High School Kids'.

The election results will be announced at the 35th annual National BDPA Technology Conference taking place August 14-17, 2013 in Washington DC.

Message from BDPA Chicago Chapter President

Greetings,

I am seeking your support to become your next National Vice President of BDPA. I am passionate about the organization and know that I have what it takes to move us forward. My key focus areas will be Brand Rejuvenation, Member Value Proposition and Cultural Transformation of National BDPA.

Please review the attached brief summary and also share with your delegates to gain a little more insight about me.

Pamela Sexton, Candidate, National BDPA Vice President (2014-2015) from Wayne Hicks

I am looking forward to meeting you and your delegates next week to discuss any suggestions or concerns you may have going into 2014. Thanks for your support.

Thanks & Regards,
Pamela Sexton
BDPA Chicago Chapter President
National BDPA VP Strategy & Planning
2013 National BDPA Conference Director
Email pamela.sexton@bdpa.org

Elections: BDPA New York (2013-2014)

Renetta English

BDPA New York chapter held its bi-annual elections at its November program meeting in accordance with its bylaws. The results of that election provided the following results:

• President : Renetta English (City of New York)
• VP-Finance: Wanda Jackson (DZ Bank)
• VP-Membership Management: Tyrone McKinney (WPP/Real Media

There were no nominees for the president-elect vacancy. The chapter is still looking for any qualified member interested in any appointed or elected leadership positions.  If you have questions or wish to discuss further please reach out by email (elections@bdpa-ny.org) or phone 212.802-5341.

Election Results: BDPA Dallas (2012-2013)

Stacy Stewart

Please join this blog in welcoming in the new officers for BDPA Dallas Chapter! These brothers and sisters ... under the leadership of Stacy Stewart ... will guide the fortunes of this Texas-based chapter in 2012-2013:

• President - Stacy Stewart (BlueCross BlueShield of Texas)
• President-Elect - Denise Holmes (BlueCross BlueShield of Texas)
• VP-Finance - Chris Johnson (Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport)
• VP-Membership Management - Angie Pesek (BlueCross BlueShield of Texas)
• VP-Member Services - Johnny Wilson (FIS)

BDPA Dallas chapter, founded in September 1987, has a proud history. That history will be honored under the leadership of Stacy and his crew over the next two years as they strive to be one of the best chapters in the South Region.

You can help the chapter by supporting the BDPA Dallas HSCC Scholarship Fund!  Or you can help by simply replying to this message with some goodwill for the chapter leaders!

Election Results: BDPA Greater Columbia (2012-2013)

Mildred Allen

The new officers for the BDPA Greater Columbia chapter have been announced. Please join us in welcoming the 2012-2013 chapter leadership:

• President - Mildred Allen (SCANA)
• President-Elect - Paulette Johnson-Davis (BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina)
• VP-Finance - Wennie Lee
• Recorder - Michael Norton (BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina)
• Immediate Past President - Phyllis Coleman (BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina)

BDPA Greater Columbia, established April 15, 1997, seeks to develop and increase Information Technology skills and knowledge in the community through seminars, workshops, and training programs.


BDPA Greater Columbia
P.O. Box 23612
Columbia, SC 29224 United States
Phone: (803) 210-9152
Email: gcbdpa@bdpa.org


The chapter hosts its meetings here on the 2nd Tuesday of each month:


IT-Ology Building
1031 Gervais Street, Suite 200,
Columbia SC 29201


Do you know any information technology professionals in South Carolina? If so, you should share this information with them!

Election Results: BDPA Cincinnati (2012-2013)

BDPA Cincinnati recently concluded its election for leadership in the next two years. Prince Ellis (Information Technology Department Chair, Brown Mackie College) was re-elected to a second 2-year term as the chapter's vice president of finance.

The election turned on Prince's past BDPA achievements. He helped organize the annual awards banquet, served as an instructor during the chapter's computer camp and worked closely with the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) to generate a record-breaking amount of revenue for the Cincinnati chapter. He attended most of the chapter events and successfully managed the chapter's funding.

Prince said, "I will continue to ensure zero-based budgeting and ensure that the chapter has funding for our events and programs."

The BDPA Cincinnati chapter leadership for 2012-2013 is:

• President - Clarence Larcarte (Procter & Gamble)
• President-Elect - Vacant
• Immediate Past President - Wanda Gray (Nielsen)
• VP-Finance - Prince Ellis (Brown Mackie College)
• VP-Member Services - Joseph Parker (Procter & Gamble)
• VP-Membership Management - Dalric Webb (General Electric)
• VP-Strategy & Planning - Steve Gutter (The Kroger Company
• Chair, Corporate Advisory Council - Patrick Nelson (Procter & Gamble)

Dalric Webb, Wanda Gray, Prince Ellis and Clarence Larcarte

BDPA Cincinnati has been around since 1989. It is a 4-time winner of the 'Chapter of the Year' honors on a national level and remains a powerhouse on both a regional and national level. The eyes of the nation will be watching Clarence as he takes the chapter to higher levels in the coming months and years.

National BDPA Board of Directors (2012-2013)

The beginning of the 2012-2013 leadership team began on November 5 when the appointment of a number of the officers was approved during the 4Q-2011 NBOD meeting held in Las Vegas.

Meet the 2012-2013 National BDPA Board of Directors:

L-R (standing): Mike Williams (regional director - South), Fred Smith (regional VP - North), Chad White (VPMM), Theonnie Shields (regional director - Midwest), Barbara Allen (regional VP - Midwest), William Flowers (outside director), Allison Aheart Haymore (VPMS), Milt Haynes (CIO), Glenda Chappell (secretary), Jesse Mathews (outside director) and Coram Rimes (regional director - North)

L-R (sitting): Pamela Sexton (VPSP), Loraine Stewart (VPF), Monique Berry (president), Craig Brown (vice president) and Teresa Williams (regional VP - South)

Photo Credit: Charlie Perkins

Careers in Technology (BDPA Chicago)

 

 

Come on out to our October Program Meeting!

 

 

Submit your nominations for the

 

BDPA Chicago Chapter 2012-2013 Administration

 

Attend a workshop regarding

 

Careers in Technology and much, much more

 

Presenter: Milt Haynes National BDPA CIO & Founder of Blacks Gone Geek

 

What does it take to build a successful career in the IT Industry?

 

This workshop addresses the key skills that are needed and how to obtain them. This seminar also shows how to tap into talent communities using social networking tools and techniques to find lucrative and rewarding career opportunities. This is a must attend workshop for anyone interested in pursuing a long-term career in IT.

 

Milt has been a BDPA member for over 20 years and has served as BDPA Chicago Chapter President and National BDPA President. Milt currently serves as the CIO for National BDPA. As CIO, Milt is responsible for the technology infrastructure and for linking technology to internal strategy. Milt has received over 25 awards and honors at the local chapter and National level including the most prestigious National BDPA Outstanding Chapter President Award, Outstanding Contributor Award, Member of the Year Award, President's Award, Service Award and the Spirit Award.

Click here for more info:

http://blacksgonegeek.org/2011BDPAChicagoProgramMeeting.aspx

 

October 21, 2011

 

Hyatt Center

71 S. Wacker Drive, 6th Floor

Chicago, IL 60606

6:30pm

 

Back to Basics with Focus!

 

Visit the chapter's website:  www.bdpa-chicago.org

Election Results: BDPA Atlanta (2012-2013)

BETF joins with others in congratulating the winners of recent BDPA Atlanta chapter elections:

• Chapter President, Felicia Jones (Macy's)
• Chapter President-Elect, Derrick Brown (Macy's)
• Chapter VP-Finance, Lawrence Flowers (Chick-fil-A)

BDPA Atlanta, 2nd largest chapter in the nation, has been well-served by outgoing chapter president Carter Hill. Carter led his chapter to a number of chapter awards and superb performance from the chapter's high school computer competition team. Carter will remain on the chapter's board of directors in his new role as the immediate past president.

I encourage you to use the POST COMMENT option below to share some love with these BDPA leaders as they prepare for their new roles within the Atlanta chapter.

Message from Hampton Roads Chapter President

Allison Aheart didn't win the election for National BDPA Vice President ... however, she demonstrated her skills, talents and aspirations in this nomination speech. I hope that she stays on board as a strong chapter president taking BDPA Hampton Roads chapter to unreached heights in 2012 and beyond...

National BDPA Election Results (2012-2013)

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, 2012. Election results for the National BDPA Board of Directors are as follows.
 

Craig Brown National Vice President	Loraine Stewart National Vice President, Finance
Teresa Williams  Regional Vice President, South	Mike Williams Regional Director, South
Frederick Smith, Jr. Regional Vice President, North	Coram Rimes Regional Director, North
Barbara Allen Regional Vice President, Midwest	Theonnie Shields 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 Monique Berry.  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!

BDPA Northeast Regional Director Candidate: Coram Rimes (New Jersey)

BDPA elections are being held this week at the annual Delegates Meeting in Chicago. The organization will be electing regional officers for the first time in its 35-year history. The only nominee for the BDPA Northeast Regional Director vacancy is BDPA New Jersey past president Coram Rimes.

Coram has over 34 years of corporate work experience with various roles in marketing & sales, technology, auditing, physical security and information technology for the past 20 years. During his career, he served with increased responsibility from supervisory level, middle management and corporate officer. For the past decade he has been a director. His past employers have been major corporations including, AT&T, Verizon, Bank of New York, and Federal Reserve Bank of New York, TIAA-CREF and Prudential.

Coram has a remarkable history with BDPA. His BDPA involvement includes:

• Lifetime member of BDPA since 1995
• National Board Of Directors Member 2003, 2008-2010
• New Jersey Chapter President 2003-2004, 2008-2010
• New Jersey Chapter HSCC Coordinator 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2011
• Epsilon Award Recipient for Career Achievement in 2007

Coram is one of a handful of BDPAers in history to be elected to public office. He was elected to serve on the Orange (NJ) City Council in 2000-2008.

Coram is also a business owner. He has operated a tax preparation business since 1985.

When asked to share his thoughts on BDPA and his desire to become the first Northeast Regional Director, Coram wrote:

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My vision for BDPA is to restore its’ greatness and ensure that the organization is financial sound with proper oversight for the future. Increase membership and ensure that BDPA focus on its members. Encourage the organization and members to be drivers of technology by their increased educational backgrounds and heighten work roles. Let's breakdown the barriers to success so that BDPA can achieve the highest goals while setting the standard for others to follow.

I ask for your vote to serve in a leadership capacity as Northeast Regional Director on the National Board to allow me an opportunity to make positive impact on BDPA.

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I invite our blog readers to share their thoughts on Coram Rimes and his BDPA legacy. What say u?

Take Five: Craig Brown (BDPA Dallas)

Dr. Craig Brown is a candidate for National BDPA Vice President. The elections will be held later this week. Dr. Brown has a 24 year career serving as an expert systems and database architect within leading technologies like Oracle, Oracle-PeopleSoft, SAP, IBM and Microsoft. His experiences are more particular to the Enterprise Resource Planning, Decision Support and Relational Database Management Systems technologies. He earned over 20 certifications within these technological areas and currently provides implementation and integration expertise along with a variety of other technological disciplines. He holds a BS in Computer Science as well as a Master's in Business and a Doctorate in Management Information Systems.

Dr. Brown agreed to participate in our ongoing 'Take Five' interview series.

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1. How did you get involved with BDPA? - I originally joined the BDPA in 1996. A lady named Roxanne Clinton told me about the organization and I was amazed that a program like this existed at the time. The way I found myself starting a career within IT was not through a direct plan, so to be able to show others what I do and how I got there was something of great interest to me.
2. What is your favorite part of working with BDPA? - My favorite activities are working with young people. College students, High School Students and New entries into the work force. These young people are usually very eager to learn and they soak up everything I tell them like sponge. My next favorite part is giving presentations to up and coming entrepreneur’s, existing entrepreneur’s and people that are just curious about entrepreneurship. I have presented at the national conference in previous years in this area and these are truly the high points of my BDPA career.
3. What future evolution or change would you like to see in BDPA? - I would like to see the BDPA be more active in the more advanced areas of technology. There are quite a few opportunities within the IT arena particularly in the architecture and administration roles and high level design and development work spaces. A few of the HBCUs are also a little behind at offering up to date (CIS, MIS, BIS) curriculum’s that will help add a few more minorities into these fields of study. I would like to bring my experiences to the organization and help make anyone that will listen way that can gain experiences with standards like Oracle EBS, SAP, IBM DB2, Oracle PeopleSoft and Microsoft SQL. I would like to then further this exposure into specialized areas like S>O>A>P, IT Auditing, Project Management (PMP) for IT functions. These areas can certainly use a boost of minority subject matter experts.
4. Why should someone pay $100 membership dues to join BDPA? - I would tell all existing and new members that for the $100 membership dues the BDPA can provide:
   • A few different ways to educate and train, for those that are interested in learning within the IT arena.
   • Insights on career paths for entering into or shifting within the IT work space.
   • Help fill in the gaps caused by lack of experience and/or lack of training with affiliations with organizations like the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF)
   • General Information about what is happening within the IT arena to continue to attract more members interested in this news.
5. Any advice for people considering donation to BETF? - I would advise anyone that donating to the BETF benefits not only students but BDPA chapters. The programs that I am aware of exist to assist its participants with educational and planning that can help start or maintain a career within the IT area. If anything you can become more computer literate. Since finance is the biggest obstacle between minority communities and educational programs and opportunities, a donation to the BETF is certainly one way around this obstacle.

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We encourage you to learn more about all of the 2011 national and regional BDPA candidates. Mostly, we encourage you to share some BDPA-Love for Dr. Brown. It takes gumption to put yourself on the line for service as a volunteer leader at a national level. I appreciate Dr. Brown for his willingness to do so ... and for taking the time to share his thoughts with us.