Rolling Out, 3/15/2016 (Reggie Rush)

Reggie Rush

5 Questions with BDPA Chicago Chapter President Reggie Rush. For those unfamiliar the organization, tell us a bit about the Chicago Chapter of Black Data Processing Association and its history?

BDPA is an international organization with a diverse membership of professionals and students at all levels in the fields of information technology, computer science and related S.T.E.M (science, technology, engineering and math) fields. Members are actively engaged in serving the community through outreach and charting the future of the IT industry.

What’s next for the BDPA?

I think the biggest challenge for us is growing both our sponsorship base and membership. These are two important elements for our success. We are a nonprofit so we need the funding to run our programs. Eighty to 85 percent of our funding goes to programs. We have no paid staff within the chapter. Now that statement helps you understand why growing membership is important, we need the members to volunteer to assist in delivering the programs.

The BDPA Chicago Chapter Annual Awards gala will take place on Saturday, March 19 at the Hyatt Regency East Tower, Grand Ballroom A & B located at 151 E Wacker Dr., Chicago. The black-tie event will begin with a VIP reception at 6 p.m. followed by the dinner program at 7 p.m.

Read the full Rolling Out article here.

Advance IT Minnesota, January 8, 2015 (Russell Fraenkel)

BDPA names Metropolitan State University & Advance IT Minnesota 2015 Community Supporter of the Year. The BDPA Community Supporter of the Year award acknowledges the efforts of a community organization that believes in and supports BDPA in its mission of increasing the participation of people of color in the information technology (IT) field. Advance IT Minnesota, a Center of Excellence in IT for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system and Metropolitan State University have supported BDPA for a number of years, providing in-kind resources and technology-equipped classrooms at their St. Paul campus.

Click here to read the full article.

My CState Daily News, 4/16/2015 (Frank Hill)

Frank Hill

Cincinnati State Honored at BDPA Event. Cincinnati State was recognized as the Corporate Sponsor of the Year by the Cincinnati Chapter of the BDPA.  During an awards luncheon last week, the organization also recognized the work of Instructor Frank Hill (pictured above) from the Business Technologies Division and read a proclamation from Ohio Gov. John Kasich recognizing the College’s work in the field.

BDPA was originally known as Black Data Processing Associates. It is an international organization with a diverse membership of professionals and students in the fields of information technology, computer science and related STEM fields. Members are actively engaged in serving the community through outreach and charting the future of the IT industry.

Read the rest of the My CState Daily News article.

My Fox Twin Cities, 1/9/2015 (Fred Blocton, Justin Wulf)

My Fox Twin Cities - BDPA Twin Cities is celebrating 25 years of education at its 10th annual awards ceremony. Students learn new technology and compete with other students all over the country.

KMSP-TV

See more.

Rochester Post-Bulletin, 9/8/2014 (BDPA Southern Minnesota)

BDPA Scholarship Banquet is Sept. 14. The Black Data Processing Associates, Rochester Chapter will hold its 15th annual Scholarship and Education Banquet on Sunday, Sept. 14 at the Rochester International Event Center, 7333 Airport View Drive S.W. A silent auction will be at 4:30 p.m. and dinner at 5:30 p.m.

The annual fundraiser will include awards, scholarship presentations and a celebration of BDPA's contributions to the Rochester community.

Tickets are $45 for adults and $30 for alumni and students.

See the full Rochester Post-Bulletin announcement.

Rochester Today, 11/1/2013 (Betty Hutchins, Will Smith)

2013 National BDPA High School Computer Competition Champions
BDPA Southern Minnesota

They Have 'IT': BDPA Celebrates the Information Technology Industry - Founded in 1975, BDPA had one goal in mind: to get more minorities involved in the computer science and information technology fields. Nearly 40 years later, those fields have grown dramatically, and BDPA (now with 46 chapters) has followed suit.

On Sept. 8, BDPA Southern Minnesota chapter celebrated its continuing mission with its 14th annual Scholarship and Education Banquet, held at the Rochester Event Center. BDPA is open to everyone -- regardless of race or gender -- interested in the IT industry.

"We help develop many skills, such as working with a team, math and computer skills in addition to soft skills such as presenting yourself to adults and speaking in front of a group." says BDPA Southern Minnesota chapter president Will Smith.

An estimated 140 guests attended, according to Betty Hutchins, founder of the local chapter.

"It was a great celebration", Hutchins said, "Just a great night."

Read the full article along with 9-photo slideshow.

Related articles

• KTTC Rochester, 9/9/2013 (Herchran Singh, BDPA Southern Minnesota)
• CollegeRecruiter.com, 4/24/2013 (Herchran Singh)

Rochester Post-Bulletin, 10/1/2013 (BDPA Southern Minnesota)

High Achievers Honored at BDPA Annual Banquet. It was a night of celebration at the BDPA Southern Minnesota's 14th annual Scholarship and Education Banquet on Sept. 8 at the Rochester International Event Center. The Southern Minnesota chapter of the BDPA awarded thousands of dollars in scholarships and numerous awards. BDPA is a global member-focused organization that positions its members at the forefront of the information technology industry. Through an extensive list of mentors and volunteers, BDPA delivers IT to its members, strategic partners and the community, 'from the classroom to the boardroom'.

Read the rest of the Rochester Post-Bulletin article.

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, 1/30/2013 (Irwin Sylvah, Emmaly Manchanthasouk)

Irwin Sylvah and Emmaly Manchanthasouk

Black IT Pros Give Bank. Lots of people talk about “giving back,” “reaching back,” “paying it forward,” all expressions of how important it is that those who have been fortunate return the favor to others. That principle is alive and well at the local chapter of the Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA), which is showing the rest of the Twin Cities what it really means to extend a helping hand to the next generation. BDPA has been quietly and steadily doing just that for the past eight years.

Read the rest of the MSR article.

Business Courier, 10/12/2012 (BDPA Cincinnati)

BDPA Cincinnati Chapter Annual Education & Scholarship Banquet. BDPA Cincinnati Chapter is pleased to announce that Vincent Brown, founding partner of Global Novations, will be the keynote speaker for its 17th Annual Education & Scholarship Banquet. Mr. Brown has over thirty years of consulting experience in the areas of diversity and inclusion, team-building, leadership development, strategic planning and executive coaching. He also leads the innovation, intellectual property and new product development components for the company. In addition, he co-authored a book, The Phoenix Principles: Leveraging Inclusion the Transform Your Company and several others. Brown will address the theme ‘Transformation of the IT Professional’.

Read the full Business Courier calendar listing.

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, 12/21/2011 (Monica Anderson, BDPA Twin Cities)

Dr. Monica Anderson

Black Data Processing Associates Celebrates Innovative Young People. BDPA Twin Cities will hold its Seventh Annual Awards Ceremony on Friday, January 6, at Metropolitan Ballroom, 5418 Wayzata Boulevard, Golden Valley. There will be a reception at 5:30 pm and dinner at 7 pm. The theme for this year’s event is “Ignite, Inspire & Empower: The GPS of Future Technologists.”

The keynote speaker will be Monica Anderson. In 2007, Anderson graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Ph.D. in computer science and engineering and is now an assistant professor in the computer science department at the University of Alabama. She is the creator of PREOP, a program which allows computer science novices to program robots graphically using an intuitive object-based interface.

Click here to see the rest of the Spokesman-Recorder article.

Mason Pulse-Journal, 9/11/2011 (BDPA Cincinnati)

Margo Springs "Keynote Speaker" for Sixteenth Annual BDPA Awards Banquet. BDPA Cincinnati announced that Margo Springs, Chief Information Officer, City of Cincinnati, is keynote speaker for this year's banquet, addressing the theme “Ignite, Inspire, & Empower – The GPS of Future Technologists”.

Read the rest of the Mason Pulse-Journal article.

Applause Africa, 7/22/2011 (BDPA New York)

The spotlight was on Innovating Our Future at BDPA New York’s 15th Annual Scholarship and Awards Dinner, held Wednesday, June 29, 2011, at event sponsor UBS’s 299 Park Ave office in New York, NY. For 15 years, the chapter, founded in 1982, has held the awards dinner to recognize the achievements of BDPA New York’s students as well as honor its community supporters and corporate sponsors. This year, the chapter also debuted its newly created Small Business Innovator (SBI) award, recognizing innovative IT entrepreneurship in the NYC community, and Member of the Year award, recognizing the contributions of one outstanding chapter member.

Read the rest of the Applause Africa article (including a number of event photographs!)

YouTube, 6/15/2011 (Renetta English)

BDPA NY Scholarship and Awards Dinner Invitation. BDPA New York chapter president Renetta English invites you to attend upcoming chapter banquet.






Visit the BDPA New York YouTube channel.

ComputerUser, 6/2/2011 (BDPA New York)

New York Chapter of BDPA to Host 15th Annual Scholarship & Awards Dinner. The New York Chapter of BDPA announced today that it will host its 15th Annual Scholarship & Awards Dinner, on Wednesday, June 29, 2011 from 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm, at UBS, 299 Park Ave, New York, NY. The purpose of the dinner, sponsored by UBS, is to recognize the outstanding contributions of BDPA New York’s 2010-2011 corporate sponsors as well as award scholarships to the chapter\'s student participants of BDPA’s Student Information Technology Education Scholarship (SITES) program. SITES is a program designed to develop the next generation of IT Professionals, and encourage African American youths to explore careers in such traditionally underrepresented fields as Computer Science and Information Technology. To date, the New York Chapter has awarded over $50,000 to deserving New York City area students to pursue their college educations. The chapter will also honor the first recipients of the newly created Small Business Innovator (SBI) and Outstanding Member awards.

Read the full ComputerUser article.

EURweb, 5/26/2011 (Larry Quinlan, Michael Robinson)

Audrey’s Society Whirl: New York Urban League Bestows Prestigious Frederick Douglass Awards. Since its inception in 1965, the New York Urban League (NYUL) Frederick Douglass awards dinner has recognized a wide range of private and public-sector leaders including Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, Dr. Betty Shabazz, Russell Simmons and Bud Selig, whose contributions have helped break down racial obstacles and promote opportunities for the less fortunate ... Larry Quinlan, chief information officer, Deloitte LLP served as gala chair.

Shown in the photo are Jean-Marie Horovitz, Noel Hankin, Ed Goldberg, H. Sidney Holmes III, Rahshib Thomas, Glenn Rice, honorees Cora Weiss and David N. Dinkins, New York Urban League president & CEO Arva R. Rice, honoree Marcus Sameulsson, National Urban League president & CEO Marc Morial, Michael Robinson.

Michael Robinson is past president of BDPA New York chapter and past BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) director.


Larry Quinlan is currently a BETF director.

Read the full EURweb story.

Diversity/Careers Magazine, 3/1/2011 (Wayne Hicks, Judaea Lane, Melodie Mayberry-Stewart)

L-R: BDPA New York Board of Directors (and a visitor)

New York CIO Keynotes BDPA Chapter Awards Dinner; Students Get Citations of Excellence. 'Don't Be Afraid of the STEM!' was the theme of BDPA New York's 2010 scholarship and awards dinner, held November 10 at the downtown Brooklyn location of National Grid, sponsor of the event. Founded in 1982, BDPA New York is currently the fifth largest chapter of National Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA). The annual awards dinner recognizes the achievements of BDPA New York students and honors its community supporters and corporate sponsors.

Read the rest of the Diversity/Careers article here.

YouTube, 1/28/2011 (Marvin Gentry)

BDPA Chicago Chapter. Video tribute to Marvin Gentry for his work as the master of ceremonies at the 22nd annual BDPA Chicago chapter Awards Banquet.

Black Twin Cities Business Directory, 1/1/2011 (H. James Dallas)

BDPA Twin Cities Awards Ceremony. We will recognize an IT Black Professional, IT Business Enterprise of the Year and young people who participated in the 2010 Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) Twin Cities Community Youth Technology programs, the BDPA National High School Computer Competition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the Community IT Youth camp. We will celebrate our high school competition team taking eighth in the nation in July 2010 at the National BDPA High School Computer Competition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

See the full Black Twin Cities Business Directory article here.

YouTube, 11/19/2010 (Millie Liggins)

2011 BDPA Chicago Awards Banquet.  Video posted by Chicago chapter member Millie Liggins provides both a preview of the 2011 chapter awards banquet as well as a review of the 2010 banquet.

ComputerUser, 11/6/2010 (Melodie Mayberry-Stewart)

New York State CIO to Deliver Keynote Address at 2010 BDPA New York Scholarship and Awards Dinner. BDPA New York announced today that Melodie Mayberry-Stewart, PhD, New York State Chief Information Officer and Director of the Office of Technology, will keynote the chapter’s 2010 Scholarship and Awards Dinner. Dr. Mayberry-Stewart will deliver an address incorporating the dinner’s theme of, “Don’t Be Afraid of the S.T.E.M.,” [STEM being an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics].

Read the full ComputerUser announcement.