Washington Informer, 8/21/2013 (Monique Berry, Michael Bijou, Francisco Nunez)

BDPA Helps Bridge 'Digital Divide'. The digital revolution in the U.S. was growing 38 years ago. Corporations were replacing electric typewriters with desktop computers. Consumers started purchasing computers for home use. Schools placed computers in classrooms. But in Philadelphia, Pa., Earl Pace and the late David Wimberly, both African Americans, worried that African Americans and other people of color would be left out of the IT (Information Technology) industry.

They founded BDPA, which currently has 45 chapters, including the District’s, and more than 2,000 members. Its ethnically diverse membership includes IT professionals and college students majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).

“The ‘digital divide’ has become wider” despite BDPA’s efforts, Monique Berry, BDPA’s national president said. “It starts in elementary school, where our children are discouraged from taking the harder sciences. In colleges, our students don’t have mentors in the sciences and IT. BDPA mentors and encourages college students to enter IT.”

Read the rest of the Washington Informer article.

Diversity/Careers Magazine, 6/1/2013 (Monique Berry, Pamela Sexton, Viola Maxwell-Thompson)

Monique Berry

BDPA Conference to Spotlight Change and Innovation. The National Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA, www.bdpa.org) will hold its 35th Annual Technology Conference from August 13 to 17. The event, which includes a wide variety of activities, will take place in Washington, DC at the Washington Hilton.

"Washington is a great conference location,” says Monique Berry, National BDPA president. “This is going to be one of our biggest conferences ever."

The theme of the conference is 'Diverse Opportunities in The Age of Convergence,' which speaks to the changes taking place in the world of information technology.

"Technology changes every day, and the focus is no longer just on computer programming,” says Berry. “With the emergence of social networking, cloud computing, and smart appliances, and the need for graphic interfaces [Pamela Sexton, conference director, notes that some interviews will happen on the spot.] everywhere, a variety of new career opportunities allow for greater creativity within the IT field."

Read the rest of the Diversity/Careers Magazine article.

Diversity/Careers in Engineering and Information Technology, 10/1/2012 (Monique Berry)

BDPA Conference 'Transforms the IT Professional'. More than 500 professional BDPA members and 125 students gathered in Baltimore, MD in August for the 2012 National Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) Technology Conference. This year's theme was "transforming the IT professional."

In today's world, "clouds are no longer associated with the weather and phones are truly smart," says BDPA president Monique Berry. "We, as IT professionals, must always remember…to use IT to engage and transform the world we live in.

"The reality of that can be daunting," she notes. Attendees to the conferences got plenty of chances to learn about the latest technologies and, even more importantly, to "build and strengthen relationships, which are the cornerstone of an effective career and life," Berry says.

Read the rest of the Diversity/Careers magazine article.

PR Newswire, 7/27/2012 (Monique Berry)

BDPA, the largest and oldest non-profit organization of African American professionals working in or having an interest in the computer science and information technology fields announced the launch of an information technology job board called ITDiversityCareers. Candidates with technology experience are able to register for free at ITDiversityCareers to make valuable connections with employers.

"We wanted to assist our members and all IT professionals with their job searches. Information technology is in high demand and with salaries on the rise employers are constantly looking for better ways to connect with the IT community," says Monique Berry, NBDPA president. "Our members are both diverse and some of the best in their field. By sponsoring ITDiversityCareers we are also providing a great resource to corporate recruiters."

In 2011 nearly 1/3 of all jobs were filled online. Specialty job boards like ITDiversityCareers have great appeal to recruiters as they can target a diverse workforce in specific disciplines. For candidates it allows them to view employment opportunities from employers who value their expertise and are committed to diversity.

"We want to increase the number of resources available to the IT community. BDPA has a longstanding commitment to assist everyone from the veteran career professional to the young professional in their career choices," says Berry.

Read more.

Market Watch, 7/25/2012 (Monique Berry)

National BDPA, the largest and oldest non-profit organization of African American professionals working in or having an interest in the computer science and information technology fields is gearing up for their 34th Annual Technology Conference & Career Fair in Baltimore, MD, August 1-4. In what is slated to be one of their most innovative events to date, it is the women of BDPA that are steering the helm on the conference's ship to success.

Founded by Earl Pace and the late David Wimberly as an answer to the lack of Black representation in the technology field; BDPA now serves a diverse membership including programmers, analysts, engineers, managers, instructors, and entrepreneurs, many of which are women. Since its inception in 1975, nearly 50 percent of BDPA national and local presidents have been women. There has been a woman in the top spot since 2006 with over 13 regional chapters led by women. Of the four top national leadership positions, three belong to women overseeing strategy, finance and member services.

"There is a noticeable lack of women, and specifically women in leadership roles within the science, technology, engineering and math fields. It's important for women to take on leadership roles in the STEM fields because women leaders can attract and, as mentors, help guide more women and girls toward rewarding careers in these fields," says current national president Monique Berry. "STEM careers are extremely important to the global economy. Attracting and retaining more women in STEM careers will help to improve diversity, maximize creativity, and boost competitiveness. The United States, compared to many other leading and steadily emerging countries, lacks a strong focus on educating scientists and engineers."

Read the rest of this Market Watch article.

PR Newswire, 7/20/2012 (Monique Berry)

National BDPA announced the selection of six outstanding information technology and civic professionals to receive the coveted Epsilon Awards for Professional Achievement, Career Achievement, Most Promising Technologist and Community Service for 2012. Epsilon Awards are presented annually to outstanding IT professionals and companies that exemplify professional excellence and diversity in the information technology industry. The 2012 Epsilon Awards will be presented at the 2012 National BDPA Technology Conference Awards Gala on Saturday, August 4 to be held in Baltimore, Maryland at the luxurious Hilton Baltimore Hotel.

Susan Gordon Barker, IT Executive /Leadership Programs, General Electric Healthcare and Baron Thrower, Managing Director IT Innovation, Security & Cost Take Out, The Thrower Group will be recognized with the Epsilon Award for Professional Achievement. Gwendolyn Davis, Vice President & Division Manager, KeyBank and Julius Clark, Computer & Network Security, Wells Fargo will be honored with the Epsilon Award for Career Achievement. Rashsaan Alston, Operations & Voice Technology Manager, Wells Fargo will be honored with the Epsilon for Most Promising Technologist. And William Holdipp, Jr., Manager of Research & Member Services, Consortium of African American Organizations will receive the Epsilon Award for Community Service.

Corporate Epsilon Award winners are Intel, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Hewlett Packard Company, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Health Care Service Corporation, WellPoint and Wells Fargo.

"We are honored to recognize the best companies for Blacks in IT and the individual award winners," says Monique F. Berry, national president of NBDPA. "These companies are a testament to corporate values and cultures of diversity and inclusion. The individual winners demonstrate a commitment to professional achievement as well as making a positive impact on the people and communities they serve."

Read the full PR Newswire release.

Sacramento Bee, 7/6/2012 (2012 BDPA Conference, Monique Berry)

BDPA to Host 34th Annual National BDPA Technology Conference & Career Fair in Baltimore, MD. BDPA, the largest non-profit organization of African American professionals working in or having an interest in the computer science and information technology fields, will make Baltimore, Maryland the home of their 34th Annual National BDPA Technology Conference & Career Fair. The 3-day event will rally the top tier of tech titans with thousands of IT professionals, students and corporate participants for an interactive series of innovative expos and workshops on August 1-4 at the Baltimore Hilton.

"Over the years, the National BDPA Technology Conferences have taken on unique personalities based on the venues in which they were held, as well as the character of their host chapters and leadership team," says Monique Berry, president of BDPA. "Attendees have access to top-notch keynote speakers, topical educational sessions, and a myriad of networking opportunities along with recreation; all in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere."

Read the rest of the Sacramento Bee article.

Diversity/Careers, 6/1/2012 (Monique Berry, Janice Coleman, 2012 BDPA Conference)

BDPA Comes Up With Great Plans Once Again. Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) has plans to "transform the IT pro" at its thirty-fourth annual technology conference, to be held August 1-4 at the Hilton Baltimore in the city's Inner Harbor downtown.

"We will be focusing on professional development, moving people to the next level," explains BDPA president Monique Berry, an IT pro at mutual fund company Vanguard (Malvern, PA). "And we want to fill the STEM pipeline by graduating the next generation of STEM professionals."

Read the rest of this Diversity/Careers article.

Diversity/Careers Magazine, 6/30/2011 (Monique Berry, Milt Haynes, Wayne Hicks, Curtis Jenkins, Pamela Sexton)

BDPA Will "Ignite, Inspire and Empower" This Summer in Chicago. The thirty-third annual Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) Technology Conference and Career Expo promises exciting new features in addition to the panels, workshops and competitions attendees have enjoyed in past years. It will be held August 3 to 6 at the Hilton Chicago, located downtown on the Michigan Avenue Cultural Mile.

Read the rest of the Diversity/Careers article.

PR Newswire, 6/1/2011 (Monique Berry, Yvette Graham)

National BDPA and WorkplaceDiversity.com, the source for diversity talent, announced Allstate Insurance, American Airlines, BlueCross BlueShield of IL, NM, OK, & TX, Intel, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Northrop Grumman, State Farm Insurance, Wal-Mart Stores, WellPoint and Wells Fargo as the winners of the 2011 Best Companies for Blacks in Technology Award.

"These companies deserve special recognition for promoting a significant number of African Americans into their IT management ranks and for their outstanding community outreach and minority vendor programs," said National BDPA President, Yvette Graham.

Read the full PRNewswire story.

Blog Talk Radio, 7/28/2010 (Monique Berry, Marc DiFrancisco, Yvette Graham, Milt Haynes, Paulette Johnson-Davis, Jacqueline Lawson, Earl Pace)

Cloud Suite Smart Presents 2010 BDPA Technology Conference Highlights. We would like to highlight the conference on the cozzas BlogTalkRadio program "CloudSuiteSmart"! The show’s segment would include short interviews of senior BDPA officials to discuss their vision and dream for the organization.

Listen to internet radio with Jacqueline Lawson on Blog Talk Radio

Click here to listen to audio of this radio show episode.

Diversity/Careers in Engineering & Information Technology, 7/1/2010 (Jesse Bemley, Monique Berry, Phyllis Coleman, Milt Haynes)

BDPA Expects Hefty Crowds in Philadelphia.  'We’re really looking forward to having our meeting in Philadelphia,” says Monique Berry, who is a project manager with the Vanguard Group (Valley Forge, PA) and BDPA’s national president elect and VP of business management. “Sixty percent of the U.S. population is within a twenty-four hour drive so we expect even more people than we had last year in Raleigh.”

Read the full Diversity/Careers article.

Diversity/Careers Magazine, 2/1/2010 (Monique Berry, Donald French, Yvette Graham, Charles Moore, Earl Pace)

BDPA Installs New Officers. Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) installed new national officers in early January. Yvette Graham, who works at Allstate as director of the project development and operations organization for the claims department, is the group’s new national president. Monique Berry, an IT pro at Vanguard Group, is the new national president elect and VP of business management. Charles Moore of Wachovia is the new VP of finance. Founder Earl Pace and executive director Dr Donald French remain on the board.

The original news & views article is here.

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.

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 Engineering & Information Technology, Apr/May 2005 (Monique Berry)

At Vanguard, the Diversity Commitment Keeps Growing. The Vanguard Group has increased its commitment to diversity during the decade. Senior company leaders oversee an ongoing effort to incorporate diversity awareness throughout the organization, says Allison Green, head of diversity for the company...

Read the full media story here.