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.

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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.