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.

Examiner.com, 6/29/2011 (BDPA Baton Rouge)

BDPA HSCC Scholarship Fund. Future workers will have to be technology-savvy before entering the workforce. Yet, for many schools there is the digital divide. This divide is caused by the pre-existing socioeconomic divide in this country coupled with the cost of acquiring and maintain new technologies. In addressing the digital divide in schools grants such as the Technology Innovation Challenge Grants and Technology Literacy Challenge Grants were created and the government, private business and non-profit organizations made strides towards to ensure equal education. One of many organization in the Baton Rouge area that recognizes this is the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation. This group has been in existence since 1992 and has worked to provide community youth with educational programs to guide them down a path of success in a technology career.

Read the rest of the Examiner.com article.

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.

Cincinnati.com, 6/13/2011 (Wanda Gray, Joseph Parker)

Cincinnati students excel at BDPA Midwest Regional High School Computer Competition.  BDPA Cincinnati chapter, a nonprofit organization made up of racially diverse information technology professionals who advance the careers of African Americans from the classroom to the boardroom, stepped up to the challenge by hosting a BDPA Midwest Regional High School Computer Competition (HSCC) and IT Showcase held at Cincinnati State Technical College on June 11, 2011.

Students from Cincinnati, Columbus, Detroit and Los Angeles gathered for an opportunity to compete in oral exams, written tests, presentations and web-based design/programming projects.

Read the full Cincinnati.com recap of the Midwest Regional event.

Rochester Post-Bulletin, 6/10/2011 (Kris-Ann Hinds)

Century Grad Battles Illness on Her Way to Graduation. When Kris-Ann Hinds graduates from Century High School today, her accomplishment will go well beyond passing grades and test scores. Hinds has remained committed to living life her way, despite being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor last year. The qualities that defined her before her illness - determined, optimistic, sharp-witted - continue to shine, if not more brightly, like her smile.

Read the full Rochester Post-Bulletin article.

NOTE: Kris-Ann Hinds is a member of the defending national High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championship team trained by BDPA Southern Minnesota.

Temple University, 6/9/2011 (Howard James)

Philadelphia Neighborhoods: Tea Attracts a New Audience With Local Shop. Assistant vice president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia is a far cry from running a small business focused on organic tea. Howard James, the owner and operator of Tea Country, saw an opportunity to make the leap from corporate America to small business proprietor. After an MBA project at Eastern University steered him in the direction of fine loose-leaf teas, his passion grew for the product. Although information technology is vastly different from brewing green tea, Howard’s love for his work in both fields has contributed to his success.

Read the rest of this Philadelphia Neighborhoods article.

NOTE: Howard James is one of the original charter members of National BDPA and a past president of BDPA Philadelphia chapter.

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.

Diversity/Careers in Engineering & Information Technology, 6/1/2011 (Renetta English)

BDPA New York President Honored. In celebration of Women's History Month, Renetta English, president of the BDPA New York chapter, was awarded the Chairman's Organizational Leadership Award as an honoree at the tenth annual salute to professional women of the Professionals Network Organization (TPNO, New York, NY) on March 24, 2011. The award program, first implemented in 2001, is given yearly to recognize people working for a better quality of life in the New York City community.

Read the full Diversity/Careers article.

Diversity/Careers in Engineering & Information Technology, 6/1/2011 (Earl Pace)

Earl Pace joins IT Hall of Fame. Earl Pace, founder of Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA), has been elected to the Innovators Wing of the IT Hall of Fame.  CompTIA, the nonprofit trade association considered "the voice of the world's information technology industry," honored the inductees at its annual member meeting in Chicago on April 7.

Read the rest of 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.

EWF News, 5/26/2011 (Wayne Hicks)

Wayne Hicks

The Demand for CS and IT Talent Is On The Rise. Wayne Hicks, executive director of BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (College Park, MD), cautions graduates to keep in mind that lifelong learning is a reality.

"When you graduate, you are not done with the learning process," he says. "Graduates need to continue learning to remain competitive, whether that's through certifications or returning to school."

Hicks urges minorities to do their homework when job hunting. "Investigate the company's stance on diversity," he says. "Are there people that look like you represented throughout the organization, particularly in upper management and in hiring roles?"

Read the full Executive Women's Forum (EWF) News 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.

The Web Academy, 5/24/2011 (Eric Hamilton)

Eric Hamilton

SBI Award for The Web Academy.  We are pleased to announce that the City of New York Board of Directors of the National BDPA is honoring the Web Academy (founded by Eric Hamilton) with the Small Business Innovator Award, which shall be presented at the 15th Annual BDPA NY Scholarship and Awards Dinner on Wednesday, June 29th, 2011 at UBS, 299 Park Avenue. The theme for the evening is “Innovating our Future”.

Read the full Web Academy article.

DeniseMpls, 5/23/2011 (BDPA Twin Cities)

FREE Technology Camp for Minnesota 8th-12th Graders.  BDPA Twin Cities believes that computer literacy is NOT an “optional” skill. Computer technology is intertwined within the fabric of daily life of most Americans regardless of age, sex, gender, and race. Everyone must have more than a basic understanding of computers.

Read the full DeniseMpls blog post.

Health Care Service Corporation, 5/21/2011 (National BDPA)

Diversity. Our employees are the cornerstone of our business and our workforce reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. Ongoing efforts are made to attract, develop and engage our diverse pool ... Key components of diversity and inclusion (D&I) at HCSC include: Employee resource groups (ERGs) – These are voluntary, employee driven groups that support diversity and inclusion goals. These include: African Americans in Motion, Asian American Resource Group, Black Data Processing Associates, Europa, HCSC Pride Alliance, In-Abled, Latinos for Advancement, Supporters of Military Veterans, Voices of Diversity and Women Improving the Strength of the Enterprise (WISE).

Read the full HCSC Diversity story here.

Rix Bits, 5/20/2011 (Ricardo Wilkins)

My Interview With BDPA.  I was recently interviewed by the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation regarding my volunteer work teaching web development to youth in the BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC).  It’s part of their Take Five interview series where they interview notable members of the organization.  As you can see from the interview, I find a lot of fulfillment in my work with HSCC. Check out the full interview here.

The Martini Chronicles, 5/17/2011 (Lahesha Williams)

Diva Spotlight. Greetings Divas! I hope that your week has been productive! My week is just about to get better, as I am ready to introduce another fabulous Professional Diva that I have had the pleasure to meet…at least virtually. Today’s diva is Lahesha Williams from Chicago, Illinois. Lahesha, who has a degree in Information Technology (Networking), is an adjunct instructor at a local school’s Business Careers Program. In addition, Lahesha is the founder of Students Empowered, Inc., and Career Help for Christians. Both organizations seek to help individuals in career and professional development. Lahesha has graciously agreed to answer a few questions in the “Haute Seat.” Let’s get to know her better, shall we?!

Read the rest of the Martini Chronicles interview.

NOTE: Lahesha is a past president of the BDPA-DeVry (Chicago) chapter.

Rutgers Focus, 5/13/2011 (BDPA New Jersey)

Rutgers Graduate Brings Computer-Literacy Training Initiative to Newark. Kevin Keogh remembers the father who showed up to Tech Saturdays in Harlem a few years ago with his two small children in tow. After a morning of computer-literacy training, the man wore a grateful smile as he was handed a laptop computer to take home, the first the family would own ... Back in 2009, the Edison native told Rutgers-Newark political science professor Mary Segers about the Harlem program, and his desire to jump-start a similar one in Newark. Segers passed the news on to Vice Chancellor Marcia Brown, whose interest was immediately piqued. A committee was formed, with Keogh as the student representative and catalyst. Seven months later, a six-week pilot program was born, in conjunction with Newark Public Schools and the N.J. chapter of Black Data Processing Associates.

Read the full Rutgers Focus article.

CyberLife Tutors, 5/12/2011 (Keith Warrick)

Keith Warrick

LinkedIn Celebrates 8 Years and 100 Million Members. LinkedIn celebrates it’s 8th birthday May 2011. The company has grown since LinkedIn started out in co-founder Reid Hoffman’s living room in 2002. LinkedIn says their official launch date was May 5, 2003 ... Keith Warrick, fellow BDPA LinkedIn group member told us how to find out what member number you are when you joined LinkedIn. Keith was a fairly early adopter of LinkedIn, and member #1,551,555.

Read the complete CyberLife Tutors article.

NOTE: Keith is a member of our BDPA Atlanta chapter and moderator of our BDPA LinkedIn Network group.

Cincinnati.com, 4/27/2011 (Wanda Gray, Steve Gutter)

Kroger's Steve Gutter joins BDPA Cincinnati Board of Directors. Black Data Processing Associates' Cincinnati chapter has announced the newest members of its board of directors. Steve Gutter, a developer in the Software Engineering Department at The Kroger Company, has been appointed to serve as BDPA’s vice president of strategy and planning.

Read the rest of the Cincinnati.com article.

Citybizlist, 4/22/2011 (John Eckenrode)

John Eckenrode

Editor's Eye on Baltimore: Recruiting's Brave New World: A conversation with John Eckenrode, CEO of CPSI. While most industries bemoan the disruptive nature of technology and the Internet, one would be hard pressed to find an industry in greater transition than the placement / staffing business. With expanding search functionality and social networking, there is little left hidden about any of us. So it's easy to find a job and, correspondingly, to hire the perfect candidate, right? So I recently sat down with John Eckenrode, CEO of CPSI, to get his insight on the perceived efficiencies of this brave new world.

Read the rest of the Citybizlist article.

NOTE: John Eckenrode is a member of the 

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation board of directors.

BlackVoices, 4/21/2011 (Julius Clark)

Computer Camp Participants Trained by BDPA Charlotte

BDPA Delivers K-12 STEM Education. The BDPA is the premier organization for African Americans working in the Information Technology field. The BDPA advances careers from the classroom to the boardroom.

See the full BlackVoices post here.

Compuware Community Clicks, 4/18/2011 (Ron Bell, Anquanette Clegg)

How Compuware Helps Black Data Processing Associates Help Young Programmers. For more than 20 years, Compuware has been a major supporter of Black Data Processing Associates, and especially the organization’s National High School Computer Competition. Founded in 1975, BDPA is a national non-profit organization of minority professionals working in the computer science and information technology fields.

Read the rest of the Compuware article here.

Benzinga, 4/14/2011 (BDPA Chicago, Michael Gaines)

Computer Resource Solutions Changes Identity to The CRS Group.   Computer Resource Solutions has changed its corporate identity to The CRS Group.  This change coincides with the development of several new and enhanced service offerings and capabilities of the firm, which will have a name that embraces a more global service offering.

CRS is also committed to enhancing the education of youth within the technology spectrum and has partnered with a variety of community organizations to support their goals. In addition to being involved in such organizations, CRS has been a proud sponsor of BDPA Chicago for their various initiatives for over 15 years. CRS employees are also active members of BDPA Chicago's Corporate Advisory Council.

Read the full article here.

BusinessWire, 4/8/2011 (Earl Pace)

IT Hall of Fame Inductions Highlight Final Day of CompTIA Annual Member Meeting. Induction of the Class of 2011 into the IT Industry Hall of Fame and educational sessions on opportunities for technology companies in healthcare IT, security and cloud computing highlighted day two of the second CompTIA Annual Member Meeting here this week. The new IT Hall of Fame Class inducted Thursday includes the late Phil Katz, creator of the .ZIP file format, and Earl Pace, co-founder of Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA). Both men were inducted into the IT Innovators Wing of the hall.

Pace guided the expansion of BDPA’s activities from a Philadelphia-based organization to a national initiative. Today, BDPA is the largest U.S. professional organization representing minorities in the IT industry. Pace continues to promote the mission of BDPA, telling meeting attendees the organization “gives underserved youth the soft skills and expertise needed to move up in IT industry.”

Read the rest of the Business Wire article.

IT Business Edge, 4/5/2011 (Earl Pace)

The Tech Pioneer Who Dared to Speak out Against Racism in IT.  This week, a technology pioneer is being honored as an inductee into the IT Hall of Fame, in recognition of his lifelong contribution to IT innovation. Yet chances are, you’ve never even heard of him.

The IT Hall of Fame, which is administered by the IT trade association CompTIA, has bestowed the honor on Earl Pace, co-founder of Black Data Processing Associates and chairman of the board of trustees of the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation. I had the pleasure of conducting an in-depth interview with Pace a couple of years ago, and I was heartened by the fact that he had no inclination to steer away from the issue of racism in IT.

Read the rest of the IT Business Edge story.

CompTIA Blog, 3/28/2011 (Earl Pace)

Earl Pace

Class of 2011 Selected for IT Hall of Fame.  The creator of a tool that made it easier to send and receive large volumes of data; a leader in bringing racial diversity to the IT industry; and the team that developed a credential that’s helped hundreds of thousands of people embark on careers in high-tech are the newest members of the IT Hall of Fame, administered by CompTIA.

The IT Hall of Fame Class of 2011 includes the late Phil Katz, creator of the .ZIP file format, and Earl Pace, founder of Black Data Processing Associates. Both men were elected to the IT Innovators Wing of the Hall of Fame.

Read the rest of the CompTIA Blog post here.

BDPA Monthly Newsletter, 1/1/2003 (Roxanne Clinton, Milt Haynes, Tony Lesesne, Woodie Lesesne, George Williams, Mark Windholtz)

Newsletter: National BDPA (Jan 2003)

View more documents from Wayne Hicks

Peirce Connections, 3/14/2011 (Richard Tillies)

Peirce Professor Named Director of Collegiate Engagement for BDPA Philadelphia Chapter. I am proud to share the news that our own Richard Tillies, Assistant Professor of Information Technology, has been appointed Director of Collegiate Engagement for the Philadelphia Chapter of Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA).

BDPA, formed in 1975 right here in Philly, is a nonprofit organization of professionals in the Computer Science and Information Technology (IT) fields and the premier national organization for Black IT Professionals.

Diversity/Careers Magazine, 3/1/2011 (Renetta English)

Renetta English is This Year's BDPA New York Chapter Prez. Members of the BDPA New York chapter have elected Renetta English to serve as 2011-2012 chapter president. English has been a member of BDPA since 2004 and served in several leadership roles. In 2008 she was the New York chapter's HR director. Last year she was the chapter's VP of membership management; chapter membership grew by thirty percent during her tenure.

English clearly believes that BDPA is a premier organization for IT pros. "We must all work together to participate in and promote the goals and mission of BDPA," she notes.

She has strong ideas about the future direction of BDPA New York in areas like membership, youth programs, finances, corporate sponsorships, political relationships, small business ownership, strategic partnerships and community.

Read the Diversity/Careers article here.