BDPA Foundation

Saturday, May 12, 2007

JRJ.com, 5/12/2007 (Irma Pittman)

Corporate Sponsor PSEG Donates Computers for BDPA-NJ's' Families in Technology 'Day. Today Newark students and their families gathered at the Science Park High School in Newark, where PSEG co-sponsored the 4th Annual Families in Technology (FIT) Day...

Read the full media story here.

Tuesday, May 1, 2007

Diversity/Careers in Engineering & Information Technology, April/May 2007 (Javelin Lawrence)

Insurance Firms' Drive for Innovation Boosts the Role of the IT Pro. At State Farm Insurance Co (Bloomington, IL), Javelin Lawrence works in data and info strategies as a system analyst. She supports and services the front end of a tool to improve the productivity of product model developers. "I work with a team of analysts who are supporting and servicing a very complex application," she says. Lawrence also coordinates the local high school computer camp for BDPA and teaches at the camp. "In 2006 our kids placed fifth in the country," she says proudly.

Read the full media story here.

Diversity/Careers in Engineering & Information Technology, April/May 2007 (Dele Oladapo)

Dele Oladapo is VP of IS at Prudential Financial. Oladapo appreciates the mentoring support he gets at Prudential, especially from Barbara Koster, SVP and CIO, whose management team has helped him through special projects. He's also a member of Prudential's Black Leadership Forum, the New Jersey chapter of BDPA, the NextGen Network of the Executive Leadership Council and the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.

Read the full media story here.

Friday, January 19, 2007

WIS News 10, 1/19/2007 (BDPA Greater Columbia)


Computer Classes at Midlands Tech Welcoming High Schoolers. Registration starts Saturday for the 2007 BDPA High School Computer Training Program at Midlands Technical College's Northeast Campus.

Read the full WIS News 10 article here.

Sunday, December 31, 2006

Working Mother, 12/31/2006 (Allstate Insurance)

2006 Women of Color. Women of color are in good hands with Allstate—especially when it comes to career advancement. All multicultural women received career counseling last year. They also accounted for about a third of the women who participated in Allstate's mentoring program. Plus, employees can tap into specialized mentoring groups, such as the Black Data Processing Associates, a networking opportunity for women-of-color IT professionals, and MenTTium, an executive development program for midlevel female employees.

Read the rest of the article here.

Wednesday, November 1, 2006

Diversity/Careers in Engineering & Information Technology, Oct/Nov 2006 (Denise Holland)

Transportation Offers Increasing Opportunities for Women and Minorities. Denise Holland is principal officer and SAP production support manager at Amtrak, working at the forefront of transportation technology. Amtrak's high-speed Acela trains, for example, look like speeding bullets as they fly from Boston to Washington, DC, she says ... A native of Baltimore, Holland learned basic programming at a summer school program. "I was hooked right away," she says. So much so, that today she's national president-elect of BPDA. "I like to keep busy," she remarks with a smile.

Read the full media story here.

Diversity/Careers in Engineering & Information Technology, Oct/Nov 2006 (Charmaine Allen)

Charmaine Allen is a Senior Manager at BCBSIL. Charmaine Allen has worked with the electronic claim processing systems at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL, Chicago, IL) for more than twenty years. Her thorough knowledge of the health insurance business and technology helps her guide best practices in processing claims, data collection, management and imaging systems ... She's a member of BDPA, and likes to mentor young people interested in IT careers.

Read the full media story here.

Diversity/Careers in Engineering & Information Technology, Oct/Nov 2006 (ING Americas)

ING's diverse employee groups help the company succeed. Many sites are growing. Program managers, project managers, business analysts, QA pros, database and data warehouse pros and software developers are needed. "We look for sharp IT people who also understand business needs and can speak the language of both," Robertson says. ING works with groups like BDPA and the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting to find potential candidates...

Read the full media story here.

Monday, October 9, 2006

Business Courier of Cincinnati, 10/9/2006 (Wayne Hicks, Earl Pace)

Hicks to head BDPA Foundation. A local business incubator CEO will take on additional duties as the head of a national nonprofit.

Read the media story here.

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Auburn University News, 9/14/06 (Juan Gilbert, Betty Hutchins, Gina Billings)

Auburn University and BDPA Launch IT Institute. Black Data Processing Associates joined with Auburn University in the launch this month of the Information Technology Institute Certification Program, an innovative online service designed to help IT professionals sharpen their technical skills and boost their leadership potential.

Read the media story here.

Thursday, September 7, 2006

Diverse Issues in Higher Education, 9/7/2006 (Juan Gilbert)

Minority Computing Group Establishes IT Institute at Auburn University. The national Black Data Processing Associates organization is kicking off the BDPA Information Technology Institute Certification Program this month...

Read the full media story here.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

YouTube, 8/15/2006 (2006 National BDPA Conference)

The BDPA Foundation YouTube account now has 17 videos including these from the 2006 National BDPA Technology Conference was held in Los Angeles CA. This 3-part video runs for a total of 23 minutes. The video produced by video produced by Kevin Jones (Visual Propaganda) and divided into three parts by Jeff Walt (Jeff Walt Designs)


2006 BDPA Conference (1 of 3)




2006 BDPA Conference (2 of 3)




2006 BDPA Conference (3 of 3)


Do you have any memories of the 2006 BDPA conference held in Los Angeles that you can share with us?

Wednesday, August 2, 2006

VisionIT Media Room, 8/2/2006 (David Segura)


Detroit-based VisionIT CEO Shares Panel with Nation’s Top IT Executives. On Friday, August 4th in Los Angeles, CA, the Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) will host its annual luncheon as a part of its 2006 National Technology Conference, which features a panel discussion with some of the nation’s top senior-level information technology executives, including VisionIT president/CEO David H. Segura.
“I am absolutely honored that the BDPA would ask me to engage in such an important discussion along with its members and such an influential group of executives,” said David Segura. “As a U.S.-based supplier with 10 years of IT staffing, outsourcing and vendor management experience, VisionIT brings a unique perspective to this discussion. We have experienced tremendous growth all the while positioning ourselves to become more competitive in the global marketplace.”
Read the full media release here.

Tuesday, August 1, 2006

Business Wire, 8/1/2006 (Chiji Ohayia)

Capella University PhD Grad Picked to Direct 2006 National Black Data Processing Associates Technology Conference; Chiji Ohayia, a 2005 PhD Graduate of the Online University, Will Direct Conference from August 2-5 in Los Angeles. Chiji Ohayia, a recent PhD graduate of Capella University's School of Business and Technology, will direct the 28th-annual National Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) Technology Conference, which will be held August 2 to August 5 at the Los Angeles Airport Hilton. "I am honored to be part of this event. The BDPA is the premiere organization for Black IT professionals and this conference will bring nearly 700 of us together in a truly engaging and inspiring atmosphere," Ohayia said.

Read the full media story here.

Thursday, July 27, 2006

PR Newswire, 7/27/2006 (Ken Freeman)


CIGNA Helps Prepare City Youth for Careers in Information Technology. Today, the "computer kids" practice in Philadelphia and Hartford. Next month, with CIGNA's help, they will be on their way to Los Angeles for a national convention for Information Technology (IT). In time, they hope to become leaders in IT across the country.

Read the rest of the article here.

Friday, June 30, 2006

Diversity/Careers in Engineering & Information Technology, June/July 2006 (Gina Billings)

Meet Gina Billings, BDPA's new president. 'This year's conference will offer more professional development opportunities for our members," says Gina Billings, the new national president of Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA, www.bdpa.org). The organization's twenty-eighth annual convention and career fair will be held at the Hilton LAX in Los Angeles, CA this August 2 to 5.

Read the media story here.

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Case Western University, 5/16/2006 (Demo Solaru)

Case Weatherhead grad, 46, advances career with EDM degree. Demo Solaru, of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, in research for his doctoral dissertation for the executive doctor of management degree (EDM) from Case Western Reserve University's Weatherhead School of Management investigated the concept of "flow"—a term first coined by Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi in the 1970's—to see if it impacts customer loyalty...

Read the full media story here.

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

EDS Press Room, 3/29/2006 (Cozy Bailey, Bob Blackwell, Curvie Burton, Deloris McGee, Sharon McNealy, Markita Wadley)

Black History Month at EDS Features Awards, Diversity Celebrations. Four African-American EDS leaders received national honors during Black History Month, which also featured awards for members of an employee network group and corporate sponsorship of other diversity activities...

Read the full media story here.

Thursday, February 9, 2006

Hartford Courant, 2/9/2006 (BDPA Hartford)

Event Promotes Computer Use. Before she retired, LisaMarie Clay knew little about computers, and she was baffled by the concept of the World Wide Web. But after a few basic classes, the busy grandmother of three has discovered how helpful the Internet can be. Clay, 50, of West Hartford, said she now relies on her computer in many aspects of her daily life: communicating by e-mail, doing research for her part-time studies at Hartford Seminary and organizing activities such as a women's retreat for her church.

Read the full media story here.

Tuesday, December 6, 2005

HireStrategy, 12/6/2005 (Wayne Hicks)

Black IT Professionals Launch NoVa Chapter. The Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) has launched a Northern Virginia chapter to help provide greater professional opportunities for information technology (IT) professionals in Northern Virginia...

Read the full media story here.

DigitalPlumbers, 12/6/2005 (Danielle Templeton, Dwight Hugget)


The 20 Year Milestone for BDPA's High School Computer Competition (HSCC). The competition marked the 20th year that BDPA has trained High School Students in computer programming. The HSCC is an opportunity for teams of high school students from BDPA chapters across the nation to compete for scholarships. The competition is designed to introduce students in grades 9 through 12 to the field of Information Technology, encourage them to seek higher levels of education, and groom many of them to become our next generation of IT professionals. To achieve these ambitious goals the HSCC has evolved into a rigorous competition, comprising three distinct categories that include computer programming, oral questioning, and a written examination.

Read the rest of the DigitalPlumbers article here.

Freddie Mac Pressroom, 12/6/2005 (Wayne Hicks)

Freddie Mac Houses New BDPA Nova Chapter. The Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) recently launched an official Northern Virginia chapter to help provide greater professional opportunities for information technology (IT) professionals throughout the Northern Virginia corridor. As the founding sponsor, Freddie Mac will house the new local chapter at its McLean, Va., headquarters, and will host the chapter’s first meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 7. Preceding the meeting, there will be a mini job fair for IT professionals from 4- 6:30 p.m.

Read the media story here.

Sunday, October 30, 2005

Diversity/Careers in Engineering & Information Technology, Oct/Nov 2005 (Shirley Bridges)

Transportation technology: open roads, skies & opportunities. Folks in the transportation arena agree it's a wide-open field, especially for talented diverse techies...Shirley Bridges, senior VP and COO at Delta Technology, says her industry is "a great place to be in. The field is constantly changing. You don't have to worry about being bored!"

Read the full media story here.

Monday, September 19, 2005

Carolina Newswire, 9/19/2005 (Coretta Poole)

BDPA Triangle Chapter presents Dan Blue's Lessons in Excellence - Sept. 19. The Triangle Chapter of Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) will host its September meeting here on September 19, 2005 at First Flight Venture Center from 6:30 - 8:00 pm. BDPA Triangle Chapter members and guests participate in monthly program meetings to develop business and professional skills while connecting with business leaders and technology innovators. The featured guest speaker will be Dan Blue, managing partner of the Thigpen, Blue, Stephens & Fellers law firm in Raleigh, NC.

Read the full media story here.

Thursday, September 15, 2005

WhatSay.com, 9/15/2005 (John Eckenrode, Denise Holland)

BDPA Supports Corporate Sponsor Efforts for Katrina Evacuees. CPSI, Corporate Professional Services, Inc., announced the need to fill 125 direct hire job opportunities with a major Maryland Corporation. CPSI is giving special focus to eligible dislocated workers to help in their recovery in the wake of Hurricane Katrina...

Read the full media story here.

Monday, August 15, 2005

Video: 2005 National BDPA Technology Conference



Compuware Press Room, 8/15/2005 (Wayne Hicks, Peter Karmanos)

Compuware Sponsors Black Data Processing Associates’ National Conference in Detroit. Compuware Corporation (NASDAQ: CPWR) today announced that it is a Platinum sponsor of the 27th Annual National Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) Conference. This prestigious event will be held August 17-20 at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center. The conference will attract more than 800 IT professionals, CIOs and entrepreneurs, as well as individuals wishing to engage in an IT career.

Read the media story here.

Saturday, August 13, 2005

PRWeb, 8/13/2005 (2005 BDPA Conference)

BDPA 27th Annual Conference in Detroit Michgan, August 17 - 20, 2005 at Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center. Be in the drivers seat of success at the 27th Annual National BDPA Conference this will be a world-class conference event to be held August 17 - 20, 2005 at Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center, in beautiful downtown Detroit, on the banks of the Detroit River...

Read the full media story here.

Tuesday, August 9, 2005

Blackwell Consulting Services Press Room, 8/9/2005 (Robert Blackwell Sr., Wayne Hicks)

BDPA Names Robert Blackwell Sr. Honorary Co-Chairperson for 2005 Annual Conference. The national organization of the Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) announced that Robert (Bob) Blackwell Sr., Chief Executive Officer of Blackwell Consulting Services, the largest African-American owned IT and Management Consulting Services firm in the Midwest, has been named Honorary Co-Chairperson for the organization's annual conference to be held in Detroit, Michigan, August 17-20, 2005 at the Marriott Renaissance Hotel...

Read the full media story here.

Friday, August 5, 2005

YouTube, 8/5/2005 (2005 BDPA Conference)

This is a panoramic review of the 2005 National BDPA Technology Conference held in Detroit MI.



I invite you to help name the BDPA students, members and leaders that you see in this video review.