YouTube, 1/23/2010 (Yvette Graham, Gibran McDuffie, Ricky Penick)

2010 BDPA Chicago Awards Banquet. This is a highlight and interview reel of Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) annual awards banquet.




View the video here.

IMEC Inc., 1/23/2010 (Tychaun Jones)

Tychaun Jones - Parliamentarian. In 1992, he attended Brooklyn Technical High School where he majored in Computer Science and worked part time with Davidge Data Systems (DDS). By 1995, he was a member of the Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) high school competition team and later went on to college at the University of Michigan.

See the full bio here.

The Flip Board, 1/22/2010 (Paul Moore)

Today, Lightyear Wireless announced the promotion of Paul Moore to Regional Manager according to their marketing and compensation plan. He will now experience greater residuals and override payouts for customer acquisition. “Congratulations on Regional Manager!” said Ron Mattingly, Vice President of Sales. Paul is also a member of many professional organizations which include the BDPA, Mid-South Association of Contingency Planners and the Memphis Area Chamber of Commerce.

Read the full announcement here.

Slideshare, 1/21/2010 (John Hoffler)

Running a Small IT Consulting Firm. BDPA Charlotte chapter hosted January 2010 program meeting on the topic, "Running a Small IT Consulting Firm". The speaker was John Hoffler. This is the .ppt presentation that Mr. Hoffler used for his presentation.

Running a Small IT Consulting Firm

View more presentations from Wayne Hicks.

Rochester Post-Bulletin, 1/15/2010 (Toni Adafin, Betty Hutchins, Vi Johnson, Julius Kwansa, Charlie Perkins, Barbara Porter, Ray Ventura)

Perkins to Lead BDPA. The Black Data Processing Associates Southern Minnesota Chapter has elected Charlie Perkins of Rochester as president. Perkins serves as unit head for media support services at Mayo Clinic. Prior to working at Mayo Clinic, he served as vice president of Harris Bank in Chicago.

Read the full article here.

Cloud Computing Journal, 1/13/2010 (WellPoint)

WellPoint Receives 2010 Diversity Leader Award. WellPoint continues to be recognized among the nation's leaders in diversity and inclusion practices and has received multiple honors in recent years including recognition as a Top 50 Company for Diversity by DiversityInc; a Top Company for Executive Women by the National Association of Executive Women; a Top 50 Company for Latinas according to LATINA Style Magazine; Innovation in Multicultural Health Care Award by NCQA; a Top 50 Employer by Equal Opportunity Publications, CAREERS and disABLED Magazine; Best Company for Blacks in Technology by BDPA & WorkplaceDiversity.com; and WellPoint CEO Angela Braly was the recipient of the 2009 CEO Diversity Leadership Award.

Read the full press release here.

Open Salon, 1/7/2010 (Wayne Hicks, Thaddeus Howze)

Forget about saving the Earth, we'd better save ourselves! As a technologist, I am fascinated by the effect of technology on the human species and the human condition. Recently there were three catalysts that made me think about this again. The first was receiving an email regarding electronic waste or e-waste and its dumping on the African continent as well as its illegal trade in Chinese communities. Wayne Hicks, a leading member of the BDPA posited the idea that something should be done about the dumping of toxic e-waste on the shores of Africa and he asked the question: Does BDPA need to take a public stand on the issue of e-waste? After some research, I applauded Wayne Hicks interest in this controversial issue and agreed with his question. A more definitive stand is required.

Read the full blog post here.

Daily-Stimulus, 1/6/2010 (Michael Holman Sr.)

The Dawning of the Information Age. Just this week I had to do a paper for a Pace University class I'm taking on one of the historical events that really had an impact on history. The paper had to be somewhat extensive and I thought "Woe Is Me!". Low and behold after conducting a search, I found a website the zeroed in on the Top Ten Historical Events at http://tinyurl.com/TopTenEvents.

Read the full blog post here.

But You're a Girl, 1/5/2010

You Are Toxic: IT Consultant from Hell. I am sharing the following email correspondence to illustrate how some people have no clue that their energy is so negative that even I don’t want to associate with them. No longer willing to spend time with emotional vampires and people who play mind games, I’ve tried, for several years now, to tell “Chuck T” (name changed for privacy), that I simply do not and will not interact with him.

Read the full blog post here.

National BDPA, 1/4/2010 (Yvette Graham)

President Yvette Graham Takes Office. Premier Organization for African Americans in IT, The National Black Data Processing Associates (NBDPA) is pleased to announce the incoming administration led by President Yvette Graham of Chicago IL. With a new dawn brings a new vision. The BDPA Chapters can soon anticipate an internal targeted message campaign as well as learning of Yvette Graham’s strategic development plan which entails 3 key areas of internal focus: Operation Cleanup, Organization Transformation and Value Proposition. Externally, BDPA will seek out new partners and better engage existing partners and stakeholders to mutually realize the holistic BDPA value proposition.

Read the full media advisory here.

AboutGreaterCincinnati.com, 1/1/2010 (Ramala Andemariam, Janice Lee)

BDPA Cincinnati. "Advancing careers from the classroom to the boardroom" is the main focus of BDPA Cincinnati. One of over 50 national BDPA chapters in the United States, BDPA Cincinnati is a volunteer organization that offers adult professional development and student programs focused on information technology. Per the BDPA Cincinnati chapter's website, its goals are to "help strengthen the expertise of minority members in the information technology community, offer this expertise to those minorities evaluating information technology for career or business potential, and broaden the information technology knowledge of the Greater Cincinnati community as a whole."

Click here to read the rest of the article.

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

View more presentations from doriss60.

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

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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

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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.