Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, 12/22/2009 (Joe Richburg, Aaron Young)

Music Producer Promotes High-Tech Careers to Youth. Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) Twin Cities is planning an evening of celebration on January 8, when it will honor the Twin Cities' top IT professionals at its fifth annual awards ceremony. Music producer Andre Fischer, recognized for producing and arranging Natalie Cole's Grammy award-winning album, Unforgettalbe, will keynote the BDPA's ceremony.

"We want to excite youth so they pursue and education and a career in IT," says Aaron Young, president of the BDPA Twin Cities chapter.

Read the full Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder article here.

Charity Blossom, 12/19/2009 (Jeanette Wiggins)

Make a pledge to BDPA Rhode Island Today. Show your support for BDPA Rhode Island chapter by making a pledge today! No need to donate now -- you can do so later. Just let 'em know that you support them! It's our "Pledge Now, Pay Later" plan. Click here to pledge: PLEDGE TODAY!

Read the full Charity Blossom pledge opportunity here.

PRLog, 12/16/2009 (Joe Richburg)

Veteran Music Industry Producer Andre Fischer to Keynote BDPA Annual Awards Ceremony. Veteran music industry producer Andre Fischer will offer the keynote speech at the Black Data Processing Associates-Twin Cities (BDPA) fifth annual awards ceremony Friday, January 8, 2010 at the Radission Plaza Hotel in downtown Minneapolis.

Read the full PRLog press release here.

Rochester Post-Bulletin, 12/3/2009 (Betty Hutchins)

Mayor Bestows Medals for Community Service. Betty Hutchins, founder of the Black Data Processing Associates' Southern Minnesota chapter, won the Mayor's Award. The organization introduces minority students to high-tech careers. "We've got great success stories," Hutchins said. "College careers, graduate students -- a lot of success stories."

Read the full Rochester Post-Bulletin article here.

SlideShare, 12/3/2009 (Doris Shannon)

Increasing the Introvert's impact - In an Extrovert world. Introverts, estimated to be as few as 25% of the population, are often misunderstood by extroverts. Without an understanding extroverts are unable to reinforce and support the strengths introverts bring to the relationship/conversation. Just as often Introverts misunderstand themselves; spending years considering their introversion a weakness to be corrected. Doris Shannon made this presentation during webinar on 12/3/2009.

Calling All Introverts-Linkedin

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KTTC Rochester, 12/2/2009 (Betty Hutchins)

Mayor's Medal of Honor Recipients. Betty Hutchins established alliances with interested institutions and individuals within Rochester, including The Mayo Clinic and IBM. She established the framework for BDPA Southern Minnesota Youth Computer Training Program's success. She came to Rochester ten years ago to join the Mayo Clinic, and brought with her experience with the Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA), which she co-founded in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Read the full KTTC Rochester article here.

Diversity/Careers Magazine, 12/1/2009 (Denise Holland, Cheri Raymond, Viola Thompson)

Women of Color Find Success in IT. Women of color are supplying the diversity that companies want and need in their IT departments. But as the economy struggles to shake off the recession, these women may have to be more competitive than ever to land the best jobs. This is especially true for upper-level management, say industry watchers at the Information Technology Senior Management Forum (ITSMF) and Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA).

Read the full Diversity-Careers article here.

SlideShare, 11/28/2009 (BDPA Chicago)

This is 22-page portfolio from BDPA Chicago chapter. It describes the chapter's history, programs, services and corporate sponsorship opportunities.

BDPA Chicago Chapter Portfolio

View more presentations from Wayne Hicks.

This is a document that should be used as a 'best practice' by all other BDPA chapters!

SlideShare, 11/21/2009 (John Malonson)

Using Google 'SITES'. This is slideshow used during presentation at the Nov 2009 program meeting hosted by BDPA Los Angeles chapter. The guest presenter was John Malonson (Raytheon).

BDPA LA: Google Sites

View more presentations from mrmalonson.

iContact Community, 11/20/2009 (Markus Beamer, Julius Clark)

BDPA Charlotte Chapter Election Results. I am happy to announce that Markus Beamer, current VP of Strategy & Planning, was elected as the 2010-2011 President-Elect for BDPA Charlotte. Markus has been a dedicated member of the BDPA Charlotte family, most notably as trainer for the High School Computer Competition (HSCC) program. Markus has demonstrated a strong passion of educating the next generation of students and walks the talk of our creed; "Advancing Careers From the Classroom to the Boardroom". Markus is a rising leader in the IT industry who also has a tremendous passion for developing online video/strategy games in his spare time. Markus is a very talented individual and will serve the Charlotte community well.

Read the rest of the iContact Community announcement here.

Baltimore Business Journal, 11/20/2009 (John Eckenrode)

Maryland tech tax heroes go from political neophytes to savvy fundraisers. In 2007, Maryland’s information technology industry got its crash course in politics. Two years later, it’s the model student. A group of tech community leaders has organized a $1,000-per-head fundraiser for Gov. Martin O’Malley and Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown. The dinner event is scheduled for Dec. 1 in a private home. But organizers say it’s not about paying for political influence — just about keeping the ear of those who wield the power. “We’re not trying to buy support or votes,” said John Eckenrode, CEO of CPSI, an IT company in Catonsville. “We’re just trying to buy access so we can make our best case when legislation comes down the pike.”

NOTE: John Eckenrode is a member of BETF Board of Directors.

Read the rest of the Baltimore Business Journal article here.

YouTube, 11/17/2009 (Ken Wilson, Sylvia Calhoun, Darvel Geoge)

BDPA Cleveland Chapter Honors 2009 SITES Participants. This 3-part video was taken at Community Meeting hosted on 11/17/2009 by BDPA Cleveland chapter. This 3-part video features an introduction by the chapter president (Ken Wilson) as well as an overview of the Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program by the chapter coordinator (Sylvia Calhoun). Please note that the Oracle Scholarship is discussed in the 3rd video.


Part 1-of-3




Part 2-of-3




Part 3-of-3



Video Credit: Henry Ford

eWeek.com, 11/16/2009 (Larry Quinlan)

Outsourcing Myths Have No Grounds, Says Deloitte CIO. Outsourcing as a practice remains strong, Larry Quinlan, CIO of professional-services provider Deloitte LLP, asserted during a keynote address at last week's Global Sourcing Forum and Expo in New York City. Despite his pro-outsourcing bent, however, Quinlan also acknowledged the arguments of those who feel that off-shoring is ultimately detrimental to the U.S. economy.

[NOTE: Larry Quinlan is a member of BETF board of directors]

Read the full eWeek.com article here.

Clemson Newsroom, 11/16/2009 (Juan Gilbert)

Clemson professor selected to 50 Most Important African Americans in Technology list. Human Centered Computing chairman Juan E. Gilbert has been selected to the 10th Annual 50 Most Important African Americans in Technology for his efforts in research, education and outreach.

“This is a tremendous honor for me to be included the 50 Most Important list,” said Gilbert. “I am always looking for ways to inspire the interests of cultures that would not normally pursue computing so they might have a gateway to opportunity.”

Read the full Clemson Newsroom story here.

Detroit Free Press, 11/12/2009 (Darryn Brundage-Forrest, Matthew Clark, Daniel Rothchild, Jourdan West)

IT Professionals to Honor Michigan High School Students. Students who participated in the Detroit chapter of Black Data Processing Associates’ high school training camp will see the fruits of months of hard work tonight when they are honored at a scholarship and education awards banquet at Compuware Corp. at 7 tonight. Matthew Clark, a senior at Cass Technical High School; Darryn Brundage-Forrest, a sophomore at Renaissance High School; Daniel Rothchild, a freshman at Pioneer High School, and Jourdan West, a freshman at Michigan State University, represented the chapter at the 2009 National BDPA Technology Conference in Raleigh, N.C., in August. The team competed against more than 25 other chapters and won second place in Web design at the conference.

Read the rest of the Detroit Free Press article here.

SlideShare, 11/11/2009 (Jesse Bemley, Frederick Smith III, Danna Sturdivant)

SITES Student Program Kickoff (No. Delaware). BDPA Northern Delaware chapter had a kickoff on November 11, 2009 to share information about their Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program.

SITES Student Program Kickoff (No. Delaware)

View more presentations from Wayne Hicks.

SlideShare, 11/10/2009 (Tom Ermolovich)

Can You Educate Someone To Be An Entrepreneur? BDPA Boston Metrowest Chapter featured Tom Ermolovich as their program meeting guest speaker in Nov 2009. Tom Ermolovich is an entrepreneur and senior engineering executive. Currently, he is the Online Program Director for the Master of Science in Technology Commercialization program at Northeastern University.

Can You Educate Someone to be an Entrepreneur?

View more presentations from Wayne Hicks.

IndependentMail.com, 11/7/2009 (Juan Gilbert)

Grant to Clemson to fund software that is senior-friendly. Only about 35 percent of Americans 65 and older are Internet users, according to the Pew Research Center, and a Clemson University computer scientist thinks there’s a reason for that. In preliminary studies, older citizens found the use of a mouse and keyboard involved a large amount of hand-eye coordination and was “something of a hindrance,” said Juan Gilbert, a Clemson computer science professor. [NOTE: Juan is a member of BDPA Cincinnati chapter]

Read the full IndependentMail.com article here.

NSBE Alumni Arsenal, 11/1/2009 (Julius Clark)

Was Harriet Tubman a CISSP? This is my way to celebrate and honor the woman Harriet Tubman was. She is the African American woman I most admire for her courage and dedication to secure freedom for her people, despite the high risk of losing her life. My hope is that this work inspires and motivates minority students to pursue STEM careers, especially in Information Security.

Read the full NSBE Alumni Arsenal article here.

Visions Newsletter, 10/31/2009 (Ken Wilson)

Important Community Meeting - Tuesday, Nov. 17th. For a while now we have sought ways to rejuvenate our Cleveland Chapter by doing new and exciting things. A while ago, we announced the initiation of a “technology peace corps” type initiative called the BDPA Information Technology Corps (IT Corps) which is intended to address community development by applying our members and students’ computer skills throughout the year on short projects. We have an opportunity to start that process in earnest now.

Read the full blog post here.

The Raleigh 10, 10/8/2009 (2009 BDPA Conference)

Top Ten Lists of Raleigh, North Carolina. This is video is a review of the 2009 National BDPA Technology Conference held in Raleigh, NC. Video produced by Kevin Jones (Visual Propaganda).

View the video here.

SlideShare, 10/2/2009 (Julius Clark)

BDPA Charlotte Information Technology Thought Leaders 2010 Membership Drive. This slideshare presentation was given at the October 2009 program meeting hosted by BDPA Charlotte chapter. The presenter was incoming chapter president Julius Clark.

BDPA Charlotte Information Technology Thought Leaders 2010 Membership Drive

View more presentations from BDPA Charlotte - Information Technology Thought Leaders.

Diversity/Careers Magazine, 10/1/2009 (Mario Armstrong, Monique Berry, Donald French, Robert Gavin, Milt Haynes, Wayne Hicks, Raven Stevenson)

BDPA’s 31st National Conference Comes to Raleigh. The thirty-first national conference of BDPA ran from August 5 to 8 at the brand-new convention center in Raleigh, NC. As always, the event brought together African American IT pros from all parts of the country to network, talk shop and perhaps find new jobs.

Read the full article here.

Local Talk Weekly, 9/30/2009 (BDPA New Jersey Board of Directors)

'Families in Technology Day' Held in Newark. The Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) New Jersey chapter hosted its Sixth Annual Families in Technology (FIT) Day on Saturday, September 12th at Rutgers University in Newark at the Robeson Campus Center. Celebrating the theme "Technology Awareness = Economic Empowerment", it was truly a remarkable event geared towards helping others embrace technology.

Here is visual image of the article:

Black Enterprise, 9/29/2009 (Reginald Gardner)

In Case of Disaster. At D&C Charter Bus Co. in Chicago, vice president and CIO, Reginald Gardner, says his 10-employee luxury motor coach firm uses a two-pronged approach to disaster planning. The first segment addresses the company’s administrative operations (archiving all files on a regular basis and maintaining them off site, for example), while the second covers the operation of its motor coaches (annual safety inspections and updated driver logs, for instance).

[NOTE: Reggie Gardner served as both BDPA Chicago chapter president and National BDPA VP-Member Services in the past.]

Read the rest of the Black Enterprise article here.

Pilgrim Software, 9/28/2009 (Frank Shines)

Pilgrim Software Receives 2009 BDPA Outstanding Achievement Award for Success & Support. Tampa-based Pilgrim Software announced it has received the Outstanding Achievement Award from the BDPA Greater Tampa Bay Chapter. The award was presented to acknowledge Pilgrim’s success as a world-leading provider of enterprise-wide compliance and quality management software solutions, and for its support for diversity in technology in the Florida region.

Read the rest of the media release here.

SlideShare, 9/16/2009 (Janice Coleman)

BDPA Philadelphia chapter held program meeting on September 16, 2009 that was advertised as "Overcoming Networking Challenges and Leveraging Social Media". The focus of the discussion was the importance of networking; using the social media; overcoming networking challenges; and leveraging your network. The guest speaker was Janice Coleman.

Effective Networking in Today's Marketplace

View more presentations from Wayne Hicks.

Girls Action Network, 9/12/2009 (Goldie Bonney, Coram Rimes)

Girls Action Network Partners With BDPA New Jersey Chapter for 6th Annual Families in Technology Day. Girls Action Network (GAN) joined forces through a partnership with Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) New Jersey Chapter on September 12, 2009 at Rutgers University in Newark, NJ to support BDPA's 6th Annual Families in Technology Day. The theme of the FIT Day event was focused on "Technology Awareness = Community Empowerment." Over 250 families and students participated in the various panel discussions and workshops that were conducted from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm. Several of the event's speakers were affiliated with GAN to include: Elisa Basnight, Andrea Fant-Hobbs, Ileana Griffiths, Ayana Neil and Dalila Springer.

Read the rest of the GAN press release here.

Mnet, 9/2/2009 (Eli Lilly and Company)

Lilly Named Best Company for Blacks in Technology. Eli Lilly and Company announced today that it has been given the Epsilon "Star of Highest Magnitude" Award and has been named the best company for Blacks in technology by the Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) and WorkplaceDiversity.com. The Epsilon Award is given annually to the top company in the nation that promotes a workplace and environment that supports the advancement of African Americans in the information technology industry.

"We are thrilled and honored to have received this award," said Michael Heim, senior vice president of information technology and chief information officer, at Lilly. "This award is proof that Lilly has made, and will continue to make, choices that support our dedication to diversity and ultimately offer better solutions for our employees and patients."

Read the full media release here.

MOBeamer, 8/31/2009 (BDPA Charlotte)

My High School Programmers. On August 7th, 2009, 3 freshman and 2 sophomore students from Charlotte, NC faced a field of programmers. They made up the youngest team of African American students that competed in this years Annual BDPA High School Computer Competition. Regardless of age they had intentions of winning and they represented Charlotte very well, placing in the top 10 teams nationwide...

Read the rest of the blog post here.

Sys-Con Media, 8/25/2009 (Frank Shines)

NFL Star to Keynote BDPA Tampa Bay At-Risk Youth Charity Event, Sep 12, 2009. The BDPA Greater Tampa Bay Chapter in conjunction with Computer Mentors Group Inc, (CMG) and Lives Under Construction (LUC) is planning its first youth charity awards breakfast at the Intercontinental Hotel on Saturday, September 12, 2009. The event, to support the training and motivation of underprivileged Tampa Bay youth in computer technology, entrepreneurship...

Read the rest of the media release here.

University of Minnesota, 8/24/2009 (Adwait Walimbe, Daniel Sheppard, Yaa Kwansa, James Arama, Ahmed Mahamad)

Rochester Area Students Win Third Straight National Competition. Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) Southern Minnesota Chapter won for the third year in a row at the National High School Computer Competition that was held in Raleigh, North Carolina from August 4th thru August 8th. The team competed against 22 other teams from much larger cities across the nation including Chicago, Los Angeles, Detroit and New York. The Southern Minnesota team, now having won the last four out of the five years, ranged in age from 14-18 and included students throughout the Rochester area school district.

Read the full media release here.

Maddux Press, 8/21/2009 (Frank Shines, Manish Kharod, Paddy O'Brien, Tony McClay)

The Mentor Report – Computer Mentors August Newsletter. Last we I was able to travel to Raleigh NC for the National BDPA Conference. I went as part of a marketing campaign to promote our Tech Teen curriculum (“Smart Charlie”). I’ll have to admit that “Charlie” didn’t do that well, but I also was able to be there to support the team of youth that represented the BDPA Greater Tampa Bay chapter in the High School Computer Competition. I want to thank Frank Shines, BDPA chapter president, Manish Kharod and Patrick “Paddy” O’Brien, trainers, and especially Antony “Tony” McClay, trainer and chaperone for the trip to Raleigh. But the biggest congratulations have to go to the students for the way that they proudly and represented the Tampa Bay area. We were represented by our team leader Rhys Campbell (Junior – Home School and Tampa Bay Technology High School), Daniel Grant (CMG student and Sophomore at Steinbrenner High School), and Ayele Gibson (CMG student and Freshman at Middleton High School). They really represented themselves, BDPA Tampa, Computer Mentors, and all of you who helped support the trip with your time and contributions...

Read the rest of the blog post here.

WiredBranch Media, 8/13/2009 (Denise Tawwab)

“Social Media for Business” at BDPA Convention. To all the students who attended the “Social Media for Business” workshop at BDPA convention in Raleigh today, I had fun and appreciated all of your input and perspective on how you are using social media in your lives.

Read the full blog post here.

YouTube, 8/10/2009 (2009 BDPA Conference)

This is a video review of the 2009 National BDPA Technology Conference held in Raleigh, NC. Video produced by Kevin Jones (Visual Propaganda).

SlideShare, 8/5/2009 (2009 BDPA Conference)

These are the presentations made at the 2009 National BDPA Technology Conference held in Raleigh NC.

2009 National BDPA Technology Conference Presentations

View more presentations from Wayne Hicks.

YouTube, 8/4/2009 (2009 BDPA Conference)

Diversity/Careers in Engineering & Information Technology, 8/1/2009 (Joe McMahon, Rosalind Shaffer, Matthew Harvey)

Joe McMahon, Matthew Harvey, Rosalind Shaffer

BDPA Epsilon Awards Announced. The National Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) named three IT pros to receive its individual Epsilon awards for 2009. The awards are presented annually to IT pros who exemplify excellence among blacks in the industry. The career achievement award went to Joe McMahon, Sabre Systems; Rosalind Shaffer of Eli Lilly received the professional achievement award; and Matthew Harvey, also of Lilly, was recognized for his community service. The Epsilon awards were presented at the 2009 National BDPA Technology Conference in Raleigh, NC.

Read the original article in Diversity/Careers in Engineering & Information Technology.

National BDPA, 7/1/2009 (Yvette Graham, Wayne Hicks, Cecil Jones, Patricia Perkins, Mary Rushiago, Pam Sexton)

2009 Pre-Conference Highlights. National BDPA dedicated the Spring edition of the JOURNAL to the 2009 conference held in Raleigh, NC. There are great articles and other features about BDPA and the conference in this outstanding 54-page document.

2009 National BDPA Pre-Conference JOURNAL

View more documents from Wayne Hicks.

PR Newswire, 7/1/2009 (Milt Haynes, Denise Holland, Dan Honig)

National BDPA and WorkplaceDiversity.com Announce Winners of the 2009 Best Companies for Blacks in Technology Award. National BDPA and WorkplaceDiversity.com, the source for diversity talent, announced Allstate Insurance, American Airlines, Compuware, Eli Lilly and Company, Health Care Service Corporation, Merck and Company, Monsanto, State Farm Insurance, Sun Trust Bank, Walmart Stores, and WellPoint as the winners of the 2009 Best Companies for Blacks in Technology award.

Read the rest of the media release here.

Diversity/Careers in Information Technology, 6/28/2009 (Monique Berry)

Monique Berry gets BEYA award. At this February’s Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA), Monique Berry, president of the Philadelphia BDPA chapter, was named a modern-day technology leader: a person of color who shapes the future course of engineering, science and technology.

“It is an honor and a privilege to be recognized nationally,” says Berry. “My goal is to get minority youth interested in technology by showing them how challenging, fun and exciting the field of IT can be.”

Read the full article here.

Diversity/Careers in Information Technology, 6/28/2009 (LaTasha Gary, David Segura)

At ITSMF gala, IT execs look beyond the glass ceiling. IT leaders from the public and private sector gathered in Irving, TX in February to honor colleagues and share information. Global banking giant UBS was corporate sponsor of the year; member of the year was LaTasha Gary, senior director of global channel partner information for Hewlett-Packard. A special recognition award went to David Segura, CEO of VisionIT (Detroit, MI) and vice-chair of HITEC.

Read the full article here.

Diversity/Careers in Information Technology, 6/28/2009 (Denise Holland)

BDPA Plans for Its Best Conference Ever. Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA, http://www.bdpa.org/) plans an even more effective national technology conference this August. “Last year’s was the most successful yet, and we intend to exceed that,” says BDPA president Denise Holland.

Read the full article here.

BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois Newsroom, 6/23/2009 (Mario Dean)

BlueCross and BlueShield of Illinois Employee Wins Corporate Diversity Award. Chicago resident Mario Dean was awarded Health Care Service Corporation's (HCSC) 2008 President's Diversity Award, officially known as the "Raymond F. McCaskey Diversity and Inclusion Award." Dean is a support analyst for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, which is operated by HCSC. Members of HCSC's Board of Directors and Senior Leadership Team gathered last night along with others to honor Dean at a special dinner ceremony at HCSC's Chicago headquarters.

Read the full news article here.

Allan's Best Week Ever, 6/16/2009 (Matthew Lampkin, Mary Udeh)

Advancing Careers from the Classroom to the Boardroom. eek! I love my job and yet again, I was able to step out of ordinary and connect with folks who volunteer their time and resources to helping their community. Tonight I had the privilege of chatting with the Hartford chapter of the BDPA. It is truly amazing to me that there are so many unseen and unheard leaders heroes giving of themselves to inspire, educate and mentor kids.

Read the full story here.

Jamaican American Association of Northern California, 6/5/2009 (Patricia Glover)

BDPA Summer Technology Training for Youth at Jamaican American Association of Northern California. High school students earn college credit. Web development class and SAT or ACT review class begins on July 6. 2009.

Click here to see the full media release.

YouTube, 6/2/2009 (Gina Billings)

The Gravely Group - Part I: Bylaws. Past national BDPA president Gina Billings describes the service that Melvin J. Gravely provided to the organization in recent efforts to review and update national bylaws.

WVU Today, 5/29/2009 (Johnathan Holifield)

WVU Alumni Association Announces 2009-10 Board of Directors. The West Virginia University Alumni Association recently elected its executive officers and three new board members during its annual business meeting held in May ... Holifield is president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Cleveland. In this role, he leads development and implementation of an agenda to empower Clevelanders to contribute their full measure and potential to increase societal inclusion, educational competitiveness and economic prosperity ... Holifield also received Black Data Processing Associates President’s Award.

Read the full story here.

New York Times, 5/7/2009 (Larry Quinlan)

On the Agenda: Modernizing the Meeting. Similarly, at the accounting firm of Deloitte, which began adding high-definition videoconferencing equipment to its offices about a year ago, it’s no longer unusual for as many as 80 employees in 10 cities to meet without the expense of airfare or hotels. And according to Larry Quinlan, a principal at Deloitte, once employees and management overcome their initial resistance, they’re happy to forgo travel — perhaps indefinitely.

“In previous downturns, as soon as you got travel money in your budget again you’d get back on the planes because the videoconferencing experience wasn’t that good,” Mr. Quinlan said. But with better systems in place, he said, “you can now scheme to reduce travel on a permanent basis. The economic downturn merely provides management with the mandate to do it.”

Read the full article here.

[NOTE: Larry Quinlan is BETF board member.]

2009 BDPA Conference: Early Bird Registration Extended to 4/30/2009

Current information on 2009 BDPA Technology Conference

Diversity Intelligence, 4/8/2009 (National BDPA)

Organization Profile of the Week: Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA). BDPA is a global member focused organization of over 55 chapters throughout the United States serving thousands of IT professionals and students. BDPA is committed to excellence and providing a wide spectrum of resources to members, corporate sponsors, businesses, educational institutions and the community.

Read the full profile here.

Open Web Developer's Journal, 4/3/2009 (Frank Shines)

Google, APEX and Others Discover the Fast-Growing Digital Signage Market - by Frank Shines. Digital Signage is the fastest-growing marketing and communications medium in the world second only to the Internet and branded entertainment. It replaces conventional paper signs and posters with electronic signs using liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and plasma screens. Google has pursued a patent on digital signage and has recently launched a Google TV ads platform, which will likely revolutionize out-of-home and TV advertising in the coming years. APEX Digital Imaging is providing a total suite of digital signage services through a collaboration with the largest companies in the space.

Read the full article here.

NOTE: Frank is BDPA Greater Tampa Bay chapter president (2008-2009)

Rochester Post-Bulletin, 3/24/2009 (Betty Hutchins)

United Way Awards. Betty Hutchins hugs United Way of Olmsted County President Karen Erlenbusch while being honored with the Spirit of Caring award at the organization's Celebration of Caring and Giving 2009 Tuesday, March 24, 2009 at the Rochester International Event Center.

Read the full Post-Bulletin article here.

Wall Street Journal, 3/19/2009 (Dwight Handon)

Business-Services Franchises Offer Second Career to Former Execs. The fact that is members make decisions quickly is a big plus for TAB franchisee Dwight Handon, 50, who was downsized from a senior director position at Freddie Mac. Mr. Handon, of Fairfax VA, launched his franchise last October and has six members in his peer group, with more arriving each week.

Read the full article here.

PRWeb, 3/13/2009 (LaTasha Gary, David Segura)

IT Executives Urged To Look Beyond the Glass Ceiling at ITSMF Symposium/Awards Gala Minority Executives Honored for Contributions to IT profession. The "Who's Who" of information technology (IT) leaders from the public and private sector gathered in Irving, Texas, last month to honor colleagues who have made extraordinary contributions to the advancement of information technology while demonstrating proactive leadership in advancing diversity. This highly-anticipated event was part of the symposium "Globalization from a Business, Economic and Cultural Perspective," a forum designed to equip African American and Hispanic IT executives to compete in today's global marketplace. Events were co-sponsored by the Information Technology Senior Management Forum (ITSMF) and the Hispanic IT Executive Council (HITEC).

Two of the award members are current or former BDPA members:

• LaTasha Gary, BDPA Dallas chapter member and Senior Director of Global Channel Partner Information, HP, won the Member of the Year Award.


• David Segura, former BDPA Detroit chapter member, CEO of VisionIT and Vice-chair of HITEC won the Special Recognition Award.

Read the rest of the press release here.

The Triangle Tribune, 3/9/2009 (Rick Leggett)

Program launches Saturday Academy. A nationally recognized program aimed at increasing students' success in the technology-driven global economy has arrived in the Triangle. "Technology is so new and so burgeoning," Rick Leggett, president of the Triangle chapter, said to the students at the orientation. "You’re getting an opportunity most people in America don’t have. A lot of teens don’t gain this exposure to work with [IT] professionals who are already in the industry. It’s all about the network."

Read the full article here.

ITBusiness Canada, 3/3/2009 (Earl Pace)

IT Alone Can't Unwind the Financial Mess. Well, I can't say I wasn't warned. After writing in a column last December about the destructive labels that are thwarting the closure of the racial divide, a reader in Maryland e-mailed me to say that I should "just stop with the racial discussion" or cancel his print subscription. He e-mailed me again on Feb. 19 to inform me he had called to cancel it himself after reading my interview in that week's issue with Earl Pace, founder of Black Data Processing Associates.

Read the rest of the article here.

Diversity/Careers Magazine, 3/1/2009 (Frederick Blocton, Dorothy Richburg, Joe Richburg)

Medtronic Engages All Its Businesses in Supplier Diversity. Gretchen Ebert is director of supplier diversity at Medtronic, Inc (Minneapolis, MN), the worldwide medical device company that works to alleviate pain, restore health and extend lives. Dorothy Richburg is president and CEO of Keystone Computer Solutions (St. Paul, MN). Keystone is now an important MBE supplier for Medtronic, providing IT staffing and a forward-looking electronics recycling program.

Read the full article here.

Greater Framingham Community Church, 3/1/2009 (Rod Flakes)

Announcements: BDPA Leader --- Rod Flakes. One“must join” organization for Black computer professionals, is the BDPA (Black Data Processing Associates). In November of 2008, our own Rod Flakes was elected President of the Boston MetroWest chapter. With his experience as the Director of IT Support Services for the Department of Mental Health of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Rod brings a wealth of talent to his new leadership position.

Read the full announcement here.

Washington Post, 2/22/09 (John Eckenrode)

A Year After 'Tech Tax' Scare, Maryland Firms Follow Up With Lawmakers. A year ago, Maryland technology companies were holding rallies and pushing a last-minute lobbying campaign at the State House as they tried to persuade legislators not to impose a new tax on the industry. House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel), has told tech executives not to worry about another tax, said John Eckenrode, president of the Maryland Computer Services Association. "But anything's possible and it can happen very quickly in this environment," he said, referring to the ongoing economic downturn. "Next year is an election year, so it should be okay, but 2011 could be another story."

NOTE: John Eckenrode is on the BDPA Foundation board of directors.
Read the full article here.

Computerworld, 2/16/2009 (Earl Pace)

BDPA's Earl Pace Talks About Racism in the IT Workplace. Early in his career, when he was working as a programming manager at a financial services firm, Earl A. Pace Jr. went to a computer conference in Arizona where there were 200 attendees -- 199 white people and him. Well aware of the opportunities in the exploding industry, he decided that ratio needed to change. That decision led to the founding, in 1975, of Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA), a national organization that now has more than 50 chapters and aims to provide what it calls "a pathway from the classroom to the boardroom."

Read the full article here.

City of Kansas City, 2/12/2009 (Phillip Vann)

Black Family Technology Awareness Week (BFTAW) in Kansas City MO

View more documents from Wayne Hicks.

Petersburg People's News, 2/12/2009 (BDPA Richmond)

High School Computer Training and Competition. The Richmond VA chapter of the Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) is pleased to announce the start of its Annual High School Computer Competition (HSCC) Program. The goal of this exciting training and competition is to increase youth interest in information technology.

Read the rest of the media story here.

Black Star News, 2/7/2009 (BDPA New York)

Black Family Technology Awareness Week (February 16-21, 2009). In our ongoing tribute to Black History Month, we pay homage to Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) who have created a conduit through which Black History meets Black progress via technology. As part of their Black Family Technology Awareness Week (BFTAW) 2009 program, the New York Chapter of BDPA is offering a series of family and business events, coming up in various locations throughout New York City. BFTAW is a collaborative public awareness campaign between the BDPA, the Community Network of SBC and the W.E.B. DuBois Learning Center, focusing on closing the digital divide by helping bridge the gap between Black families and technology by encouraging more African Americans to incorporate technology into their businesses and daily lives.

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CollectiveX Champions, 2/5/2009 (Perry Carter)

Harvesting and Sharing Data at BDPA. BDPA is a national organization. Introduced by their Northern Virginia Chapter, the CollectiveX service is now used by other chapters as well as BDPA Chapter Presidents. Chapter committees wanted to be successful with a user-friendly collaborative solution -- and, were required to tie it in directly to a top business objective. (For instance, BDPA's Washington, D.C. Chapter's goal was to publish a monthly newsletter while concurrently leveraging "ezine," or "electronic magazine" formats).

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Norwalk News, 1/31/2009 (Lydia Barron)

Norwalk Teens have 'Breakfast with Champions' at Carver Center. Athletes, writers, sports trainers and other professionals gave teens advice Saturday on how to become what they want to be when they grow up. Lydia Barron, chief information officer for JNet Communications, told those in attendance points to remember when trying to get a job or a raise. She said small things -- such as making eye contact with a prospective and dressing well to an interview -- could make a world of difference.

[NOTE: Lydia Barron is a member of BDPA Foundation Board of Directors.]

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SlideShare, 1/29/2009 (Pablo More)

BDPA Orlando chapter president Pablo More gave this presentation at January 2009 program meeting. He provided some tactical tips for BDPA members in central Florida that were seeking to find a job or move forward in their career within the IT industry.

Career Development and Successful Job Hunting Strategies

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Gazette.net, 1/1/2009 (John Eckenrode)

Annapolis: A Wish List. A year ago, Maryland business leaders were scrambling to campaign against a potential sales tax on computer services. While it's unlikely that a computer sales tax or something similar will come up this session, that doesn't mean business executives such as John Eckenrode are not monitoring the legislature. The state's budget shortfall for fiscal 2010 could reach $2 billion, making executives wonder if tax hikes will be proposed.

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Diversity/Careers Magazine, 1/1/2009 (Lewis Roberts)

Biotech & Pharma: The Chemistry Feels Right. Dr Lewis Roberts was born and raised in the West African nation of Ghana; he graduated from the University of Ghana Medical School in 1982. For a year he served as a medical and surgical intern at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana, and as a teaching and research assistant in the med school’s department of physiology.

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Diversity/Careers Magazine, 1/1/2009 (David Segura)

Finance Finds Strong Diversity Program a Help in Tough Times. Ten years ago an article in Diversity/ Careers profiled David Segura’s new Vision Information Technologies (Detroit, MI) as an MBE on the rise. Segura launched his fledgling business in 1997, and a year later he was projecting $1 million in revenues. His business provided IT personnel to its clients, developing a pool of talented professionals with varied skills and connecting them with jobs.

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Diversity/Careers Magazine, 1/1/2009 (Rhonda Boyd)

At Allstate, Rhonda Boyd Heads Up an Innovation Lab. Rhonda Boyd is a literal “dream weaver.” It’s her job to help employees of insurance giant Allstate Insurance Co (Northbrook, IL) articulate their ideas and, in many cases, make them come to life.

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