Visions Newsletter, 10/31/2009 (Ken Wilson)

Important Community Meeting - Tuesday, Nov. 17th. For a while now we have sought ways to rejuvenate our Cleveland Chapter by doing new and exciting things. A while ago, we announced the initiation of a “technology peace corps” type initiative called the BDPA Information Technology Corps (IT Corps) which is intended to address community development by applying our members and students’ computer skills throughout the year on short projects. We have an opportunity to start that process in earnest now.

Read the full blog post here.

The Raleigh 10, 10/8/2009 (2009 BDPA Conference)

Top Ten Lists of Raleigh, North Carolina. This is video is a review of the 2009 National BDPA Technology Conference held in Raleigh, NC. Video produced by Kevin Jones (Visual Propaganda).

View the video here.

SlideShare, 10/2/2009 (Julius Clark)

BDPA Charlotte Information Technology Thought Leaders 2010 Membership Drive. This slideshare presentation was given at the October 2009 program meeting hosted by BDPA Charlotte chapter. The presenter was incoming chapter president Julius Clark.

BDPA Charlotte Information Technology Thought Leaders 2010 Membership Drive

View more presentations from BDPA Charlotte - Information Technology Thought Leaders.

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.

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.

Here is visual image of the article:

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

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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.

MOBeamer, 8/31/2009 (BDPA Charlotte)

My High School Programmers. On August 7th, 2009, 3 freshman and 2 sophomore students from Charlotte, NC faced a field of programmers. They made up the youngest team of African American students that competed in this years Annual BDPA High School Computer Competition. Regardless of age they had intentions of winning and they represented Charlotte very well, placing in the top 10 teams nationwide...

Read the rest of the blog post here.

Sys-Con Media, 8/25/2009 (Frank Shines)

NFL Star to Keynote BDPA Tampa Bay At-Risk Youth Charity Event, Sep 12, 2009. The BDPA Greater Tampa Bay Chapter in conjunction with Computer Mentors Group Inc, (CMG) and Lives Under Construction (LUC) is planning its first youth charity awards breakfast at the Intercontinental Hotel on Saturday, September 12, 2009. The event, to support the training and motivation of underprivileged Tampa Bay youth in computer technology, entrepreneurship...

Read the rest of the media release here.

University of Minnesota, 8/24/2009 (Adwait Walimbe, Daniel Sheppard, Yaa Kwansa, James Arama, Ahmed Mahamad)

Rochester Area Students Win Third Straight National Competition. Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) Southern Minnesota Chapter won for the third year in a row at the National High School Computer Competition that was held in Raleigh, North Carolina from August 4th thru August 8th. The team competed against 22 other teams from much larger cities across the nation including Chicago, Los Angeles, Detroit and New York. The Southern Minnesota team, now having won the last four out of the five years, ranged in age from 14-18 and included students throughout the Rochester area school district.

Read the full media release here.

Maddux Press, 8/21/2009 (Frank Shines, Manish Kharod, Paddy O'Brien, Tony McClay)

The Mentor Report – Computer Mentors August Newsletter. Last we I was able to travel to Raleigh NC for the National BDPA Conference. I went as part of a marketing campaign to promote our Tech Teen curriculum (“Smart Charlie”). I’ll have to admit that “Charlie” didn’t do that well, but I also was able to be there to support the team of youth that represented the BDPA Greater Tampa Bay chapter in the High School Computer Competition. I want to thank Frank Shines, BDPA chapter president, Manish Kharod and Patrick “Paddy” O’Brien, trainers, and especially Antony “Tony” McClay, trainer and chaperone for the trip to Raleigh. But the biggest congratulations have to go to the students for the way that they proudly and represented the Tampa Bay area. We were represented by our team leader Rhys Campbell (Junior – Home School and Tampa Bay Technology High School), Daniel Grant (CMG student and Sophomore at Steinbrenner High School), and Ayele Gibson (CMG student and Freshman at Middleton High School). They really represented themselves, BDPA Tampa, Computer Mentors, and all of you who helped support the trip with your time and contributions...

Read the rest of the blog post here.

WiredBranch Media, 8/13/2009 (Denise Tawwab)

“Social Media for Business” at BDPA Convention. To all the students who attended the “Social Media for Business” workshop at BDPA convention in Raleigh today, I had fun and appreciated all of your input and perspective on how you are using social media in your lives.

Read the full blog post here.

YouTube, 8/10/2009 (2009 BDPA Conference)

This is a video review of the 2009 National BDPA Technology Conference held in Raleigh, NC. Video produced by Kevin Jones (Visual Propaganda).

SlideShare, 8/5/2009 (2009 BDPA Conference)

These are the presentations made at the 2009 National BDPA Technology Conference held in Raleigh NC.

2009 National BDPA Technology Conference Presentations

View more presentations from Wayne Hicks.

YouTube, 8/4/2009 (2009 BDPA Conference)

Diversity/Careers in Engineering & Information Technology, 8/1/2009 (Joe McMahon, Rosalind Shaffer, Matthew Harvey)

Joe McMahon, Matthew Harvey, Rosalind Shaffer

BDPA Epsilon Awards Announced. The National Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) named three IT pros to receive its individual Epsilon awards for 2009. The awards are presented annually to IT pros who exemplify excellence among blacks in the industry. The career achievement award went to Joe McMahon, Sabre Systems; Rosalind Shaffer of Eli Lilly received the professional achievement award; and Matthew Harvey, also of Lilly, was recognized for his community service. The Epsilon awards were presented at the 2009 National BDPA Technology Conference in Raleigh, NC.

Read the original article in Diversity/Careers in Engineering & Information Technology.

National BDPA, 7/1/2009 (Yvette Graham, Wayne Hicks, Cecil Jones, Patricia Perkins, Mary Rushiago, Pam Sexton)

2009 Pre-Conference Highlights. National BDPA dedicated the Spring edition of the JOURNAL to the 2009 conference held in Raleigh, NC. There are great articles and other features about BDPA and the conference in this outstanding 54-page document.

2009 National BDPA Pre-Conference JOURNAL

View more documents from Wayne Hicks.

PR Newswire, 7/1/2009 (Milt Haynes, Denise Holland, Dan Honig)

National BDPA and WorkplaceDiversity.com Announce Winners of the 2009 Best Companies for Blacks in Technology Award. National BDPA and WorkplaceDiversity.com, the source for diversity talent, announced Allstate Insurance, American Airlines, Compuware, Eli Lilly and Company, Health Care Service Corporation, Merck and Company, Monsanto, State Farm Insurance, Sun Trust Bank, Walmart Stores, and WellPoint as the winners of the 2009 Best Companies for Blacks in Technology award.

Read the rest of the media release 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 Information Technology, 6/28/2009 (LaTasha Gary, David Segura)

At ITSMF gala, IT execs look beyond the glass ceiling. IT leaders from the public and private sector gathered in Irving, TX in February to honor colleagues and share information. Global banking giant UBS was corporate sponsor of the year; member of the year was LaTasha Gary, senior director of global channel partner information for Hewlett-Packard. A special recognition award went to David Segura, CEO of VisionIT (Detroit, MI) and vice-chair of HITEC.

Read the full article here.

Diversity/Careers in Information Technology, 6/28/2009 (Denise Holland)

BDPA Plans for Its Best Conference Ever. Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA, http://www.bdpa.org/) plans an even more effective national technology conference this August. “Last year’s was the most successful yet, and we intend to exceed that,” says BDPA president Denise Holland.

Read the full article here.

BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois Newsroom, 6/23/2009 (Mario Dean)

BlueCross and BlueShield of Illinois Employee Wins Corporate Diversity Award. Chicago resident Mario Dean was awarded Health Care Service Corporation's (HCSC) 2008 President's Diversity Award, officially known as the "Raymond F. McCaskey Diversity and Inclusion Award." Dean is a support analyst for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, which is operated by HCSC. Members of HCSC's Board of Directors and Senior Leadership Team gathered last night along with others to honor Dean at a special dinner ceremony at HCSC's Chicago headquarters.

Read the full news article here.

Allan's Best Week Ever, 6/16/2009 (Matthew Lampkin, Mary Udeh)

Advancing Careers from the Classroom to the Boardroom. eek! I love my job and yet again, I was able to step out of ordinary and connect with folks who volunteer their time and resources to helping their community. Tonight I had the privilege of chatting with the Hartford chapter of the BDPA. It is truly amazing to me that there are so many unseen and unheard leaders heroes giving of themselves to inspire, educate and mentor kids.

Read the full story here.

Jamaican American Association of Northern California, 6/5/2009 (Patricia Glover)

BDPA Summer Technology Training for Youth at Jamaican American Association of Northern California. High school students earn college credit. Web development class and SAT or ACT review class begins on July 6. 2009.

Click here to see the full media release.

YouTube, 6/2/2009 (Gina Billings)

The Gravely Group - Part I: Bylaws. Past national BDPA president Gina Billings describes the service that Melvin J. Gravely provided to the organization in recent efforts to review and update national bylaws.

WVU Today, 5/29/2009 (Johnathan Holifield)

WVU Alumni Association Announces 2009-10 Board of Directors. The West Virginia University Alumni Association recently elected its executive officers and three new board members during its annual business meeting held in May ... Holifield is president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Cleveland. In this role, he leads development and implementation of an agenda to empower Clevelanders to contribute their full measure and potential to increase societal inclusion, educational competitiveness and economic prosperity ... Holifield also received Black Data Processing Associates President’s Award.

Read the full story here.

New York Times, 5/7/2009 (Larry Quinlan)

On the Agenda: Modernizing the Meeting. Similarly, at the accounting firm of Deloitte, which began adding high-definition videoconferencing equipment to its offices about a year ago, it’s no longer unusual for as many as 80 employees in 10 cities to meet without the expense of airfare or hotels. And according to Larry Quinlan, a principal at Deloitte, once employees and management overcome their initial resistance, they’re happy to forgo travel — perhaps indefinitely.

“In previous downturns, as soon as you got travel money in your budget again you’d get back on the planes because the videoconferencing experience wasn’t that good,” Mr. Quinlan said. But with better systems in place, he said, “you can now scheme to reduce travel on a permanent basis. The economic downturn merely provides management with the mandate to do it.”

Read the full article here.

[NOTE: Larry Quinlan is BETF board member.]