Computer Science Education Week (CSEdWeek) takes place December 7-13, 2015 to coincide with the birthday of Admiral Grace Hopper, a pioneer in the field of computer science who was born on December 9, 1906. CSEdWeek was first recognized in 2010 when the 111th Congress passed House Resolution 1560. The goal of CSEdWeek is to introduce students to computing and show them that the world of technology is for everyone.

Computer science is often present in informal curricula but is absent from mainstream education. Additionally, according to Code.org, "25 states still don't allow students to count computer science courses toward high school graduation." These facts impact all students, and especially girls.

As noted in one of NCWIT's most popular resources, 'Girls In IT: The Facts,' "girls comprise 56% of all Advanced Placement (AP) but only 19% of AP computer science test-takers."

Exposure to computer science is critical, as the U.S. Bureau of Labor predicts that in the coming decade some of the best and highest-paying jobs will be in IT. For these reasons and more, CSEdWeek provides an opportunity to introduce students to computer science, using fun and engaging activities.

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation collaborated with BDPA New York (president, Tyrone McKinney) to submit a $7,500 grant proposal to American Airlines. Our request seeks out funding or in-kind air travel for the 2016 Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship program hosted by BDPA New York. We should have an answer on our request in January.

BETF is pleased to announce that Adwait Walimbe (Wal-Mart) will be our guest on the November 24th episode of the BDPA iRadio Show.

Adwait is the most decorated BDPA student member in our history. Adwait joined BDPA while still in junior high school. He participated in the local chapter's Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program. In fact, Adwait is the only student in over 30 years of BDPA history to be part of the winning team in National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championship for FIVE YEARS.

Adwait used his college scholarship winnings to attend the University of Minnesota. During his college career he participated in the BDPA IT Showcase held in Baltimore. This was when Adwait sat among a large crowd of IT professionals to listen to the career insights delivered at an executive symposium by the keynote speaker Ben Hasan, an IT executive with Wal-Mart.

"That's where I met Ben. I followed up with him later at the conference, and over the next few months he convinced me to join Wal-Mart," said Adwait.

Adwait is also an Eli Lilly Scholarship winner. He worked with other HSCC teammates on an IT startup and now he is making a name for himself at Wal-Mart as a director of strategy and analytics. BDPA iRadio Show will enjoy listening to the story of this young man's journey and how BDPA may have impacted on his career choices.

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation is pleased to announce that Dr. Juan Gilbert (University of Florida) will be our guest speaker on the February 23rd episode of the BDPA iRadio Show.

Dr. Juan E. Gilbert is the Andrew Banks Family Preeminence Endowed Professor and Chair of the Computer & Information Science & Engineering Department at the University of Florida where he leads the Human Experience Research Lab.

Dr. Gilbert has research projects in spoken language systems, advanced learning technologies, usability and accessibility, Ethnocomputing (Culturally Relevant Computing) and databases/data mining. He has published more than 140 articles, given more than 200 talks and obtained more than $24 million dollars in research funding. He is a Fellow of the American Association of the Advancement of Science.

In 2012, Dr. Gilbert received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring from President Barack Obama. He also received the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 2014 Mentor Award. He was recently named one of the 50 most important African-Americans in Technology. He was also named a 2015-2106 AAAS-Lemelson Invention Ambassador, Speech Technology Luminary by Speech Technology Magazine and a national role model by Minority Access Inc. Dr. Gilbert is also a National Associate of the National Research Council of the National Academies, an ACM Distinguished Scientist and a Senior Member of the IEEE.

Recently, Dr. Gilbert was named a Master of Innovation by Black Enterprise Magazine, a Modern-Day Technology Leader by the Black Engineer of the Year Award Conference, the Pioneer of the Year by the National Society of Black Engineers and he received the Black Data Processing Association (BDPA) Epsilon Award for Outstanding Technical Contribution. In 2002, Dr. Gilbert was named one of the nation's top African-American Scholars by Diverse Issues in Higher Education. In 2013, the Black Graduate and Professional Student Association at Auburn University named their Distinguished Lecture Series in honor of Dr. Gilbert. Dr. Gilbert testified before the Congress on the Bipartisan Electronic Voting Reform Act of 2008 for his innovative work in electronic voting. In 2006, Dr. Gilbert was honored with a mural painting in New York City by City Year New York, a non-profit organization that unites a diverse group of 17 to 24 year-old young people for a year of full-time, rigorous community service, leadership development, and civic engagement.

BDPA iRadio Show audience will enjoy an open discussion with Dr. Gilbert. He is a long-time BDPA member with a remarkable journey. We would like to hear his insights on how BDPA can move forward into the future.

You can follow Dr. Gilbert on Twitter - @DrJuanGilbert

BETF is happy to announce that Tramale Turner will be a guest on the January 12th episode of BDPA iRadio Show.

Tramale Turner is a senior IT professional with Nintendo in the Seattle area. 25 years ago he was a member of the 1991 National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championship team trained by BDPA Detroit. His team traveled to New York to compete in the HSCC championship. We seek to honor his BDPA legacy by talking with him about his HSCC memories as well as his thoughts on BDPA.

Tramale and his wife recently decided to become entrepreneur's as they purchased Poco Wine & Spirits - www.capitolhillseattle.com/2015/10/capitol-hill-fooddrink-a-new-start-at-poco/.

Tramale epitomizes the BDPA mantra of advancing careers of African Americans in the IT industry from the classroom to the boardroom. BDPA iRadio Show listeners will enjoy hearing his story.

Briana Abraham

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is proud to administer the Human Capital Logistics (HCL) Scholarship for BDPA Students. BDPA Greater Columbia student member Briana Abraham won the scholarship and plans to use it to continue her studies at George Mason University. The HCL Scholarship recognizes outstanding BDPA Greater Columbia student members, with an interest in information technology, who make significant contributions to society. Applicants must excel academically, show exceptional leadership potential, and make an impact on their communities through service to others. Applicants must be financially current members of the BDPA Greater Columbia chapter.

Briana seeks a computer science degree with a focus on cybersecurity. Her career goal is to become a reverse engineer. She worked the past two summers as a research intern at the University of South Carolina.

We asked her to share thoughts on her experience with BDPA.

2014 HSCC Team (Greater Columbia)

"I joined BDPA during my junior year in high school, shortly after I became interested in Computer Science. BDPA gave me a space to hone my programming skills, while also allowing me to collaborate with peers who held similar interests, and who were passionate about software development. My time at BDPA has greatly increased my teamwork skills, presentation skills, networking skills, and of course my programming skills.

My most memorable moment in BDPA is during the 2014 National BDPA Technology Conference, when the awards were announced for the High School Computer Competition, and it was revealed that my team had placed second. That moment was filled with elation, joy and camaraderie. My teammates and I, were thrilled to see that the days spent together in preparation for the competition had paid off. We were shocked. The moment for me was particularly special, as prior to this venture, I had no experience with web development, and being able to contribute meaningfully to the team's success, was fulfilling"

HCL is owned and operated by BDPA member Phyllis Coleman. Phyllis is a long-time supporter of BDPA ... including her service as president of BDPA Greater Columbia chapter. It is wonderful to see BDPA entrepreneurs and small business owners reaching back to 'make a difference' with our young people.

We hope that other BDPA business owners will find a way to support our young people with either scholarships or sponsored memberships. Contact BETF executive director if you have questions or wish to discuss further.

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) partnered with BDPA Cincinnati chapter to submit a $20,000 grant proposal to the Interactive Intelligence Foundation.  Interactive Intelligence Foundation seeks to provide funding for 2016-2017 grant periods. It is important that the grant proposal contains the following minimum criteria:

• How well your organization’s project aligns with the mission of the foundation, which is to utilize available resources and funding to foster life improvements for at-risk youth.
• Heavier weight is given to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) projects, as well as those projects with a specific start/stop time and measurable outcomes.
• The Interactive Intelligence Foundation does not fund administrative or overhead costs, all money received from the Foundation should be appropriated to the specific project that funds were requested for.
• The demographics of age groups served by the organization should be 0 – 18 years of age.

2015 BDPA Cincinnati SITES Students & Instructors

We feel that the Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship program conducted by our BDPA Cincinnati chapter meets these criteria.    We should have an answer by mid-January 2016 on our request.

BETF seeks to work with any chapter interested in submitting grant proposals.  Please reach out to the BETF executive director if you are interested in learning more.

Brown Mackie College (Cincinnati)

Brown Mackie College agreed to renew its in-kind sponsorship of the program meetings hosted on the 3rd Wednesdays of each month for BDPA Cincinnati chapter. The monthly face-to-face gatherings are a major reason that BDPA Cincinnati is now the largest local chapter in the nation.

Monthly program meetings hosted by Brown Mackie College in 2015 included:

1. 3D Printing
2. Everything You Need to Know about the BDPA Computer Camp
3. Big Data: Friend or Foe?
4. Challenge of IT in Sub-Saharan Africa
5. Diving into Augmented & Virtual Reality
6. ePublishing
7. Financial Strategies for Small Businesses
8. Innovation and Minority Entrepreneurship
9. IT Recruiter's Roundtable
10. The Internet of Things
11. The Smart Grid
12. What Cloud Means for Business

Brown Mackie College also informs its students about BDPA programs such as:

• sponsored college student memberships - Other BDPA sponsors are willing to pay the $25 membership dues for any interested Brown Mackie College student
• recruit Brown Mackie College students interested in competing in the 3rd Annual Mobile Application Showcase
• recruit Brown Mackie College students to compete in our 14th Annual IT Showcase 
• recruit Brown Mackie College students interested in helping us train high school students at our BDPA Computer Camp

Brown Mackie College demonstrates to other organizations how important it is to find a way to work with the local BDPA chapter in your geographic area.

"Looks good and I’ll keep our students in the loop," says Julie Gabbard, Information Technology director, Brown Mackie College. "I hope they all sign up!"

BDPA seeks to advance the careers of African Americans in the technology industry from the classroom to the boardroom. We want to take a quantum leap in the number of sponsorships involving BDPA programs, scholarships and services over the coming weeks.  Please reach out to BDPA by email (corpsales@bdpa.org) or phone (301.584-3135 x108) if you have questions or wish to discuss further.

The lifeblood of any nonprofit association is its membership.  BDPA Cincinnati remains the #1 BDPA chapter in the nation for the eighth month in a row.   The chapter ... led by its president, Dalric Webb ... continues to amaze others by its consistent growth.   The chapter seeks to reach its goal of 300 members by the end of the year!

National BDPA VP-Membership Management (VPMM) Mildred Allen meets on a monthly basis with the local chapter VPMMs.    Her efforts have allowed BDPA to continue to grow.  Currently BDPA has higher level of membership then it did coming into the calendar year.   We need to work hard to keep membership growth and retention higher.

David Malonson

BDPA Los Angeles had a great month in November as they grew their chapter by over 25% in that single month.  As a result  the chapter moved up in the national rankings to become the 17th-largest in the nation.  The chapter president, David Malonson, has been a remarkable leader.  He shared some of his insights with us back in 2010.  BDPA Los Angeles chapter is very strong in terms of the programs and services provided for both adult members and student members. It is no accident that active efforts within a local BDPA chapter results in more members ... more members results in more membership dues ... which makes it easier to implement more consistent and effect programs and services. How are things going in your local chapter?

BDPA believes in the management maxim -- you get what you measure.  Let us assess the numbers in order to honor those local BDPA chapters who are demonstrating success in their efforts to recruit and retain members. Let's take a look at the ten largest chapters in BDPA-Nation:

1. Cincinnati - president, Dalric Webb 
2. Chicago - president, Reggie Rush 
3. Atlanta - president, Derrick Brown
4. Detroit - president, Beverly Moore
5. Philadelphia - president, Cedric Edwards
6.  New York - president, Tyrone McKinney
7. Washington DC - president, Perry Carter 
8. Indianapolis - president, Terry Morris 
9. New Jersey - president, Goldie Bonney 
10. Milwaukee - president, Carmen Giles 

The number of chapters now belonging to the 'BDPA Century Club' currently stands at six.  The benefit ofhaving powerful leadership is obvious when we see that Cincinnati, Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta, New York and Philadelphia each have over 100 members. One of the common denominators for each of these chapters is that they place a high premium on the delivery of quality programs and services to their members. These chapters work hard to ensure that there is a strong return on the $100 investment that each member makes thru annual dues.

Our national president, Pamela Mathews, recently touted the value that organizational re-branding has made on BDPA.  What are your thoughts about the value of BDPA membership?What can your local chapter do to improve the value-proposition for you on a personal or professional level?

The Rose of Education Organization [TREO], a startup game-edu-tech application developer, is proud to collaborate with the BDPA Cleveland Chapter to create programs to engage students, mentors and sponsors.

The REAAL NAMES literacy game and mobile app and Dragon's EGG augmented reality hoverboard game (in development/patents pending) will be the subject of upcoming chapter programming.

TREO will be returning to Africa in February 2016 to revisit NGO partners and schools and is seeking to collaborate with other BDPA Chapters in support of its Rose Rockets STEM Team ("We're gonna Rock IT!") initiative in Kenya, Malawi and Tanzania.

BDPA's leadership in cultivating and nurturing the success of its members "from the classroom to the boardroom", might also be applied to help students and IT professionals in Africa, who will be stakeholders in helping lead the continent's countries and economies into the 21st century.

I look forward to collaborating with each of you.

Anthony Hall, Founder
The Rose of Education Organization
"Where Education is Child's Play ad Technology is a Game"

Anthem invested in the basic BDPA corporate sponsorship package earlier this year. That investment provided them with corporate members, access to the BDPA Job Board and a banner ad on www.bdpa.org homepage. At the time, Anthem indicated a desire to identify internally what associates are members of local BDPA chapters in Atlanta, Indianapolis, Los Angeles and Richmond. The company sought sponsorship, speaking and hosting opportunities at these chapters.

BDPA Atlanta chapter presidentDerrick Brown opened up a dialogue with the folks at Anthem's corporate headquarters. He was awarded with a $2,000 investment that includes co-sponsorship of the chapter's Holiday Party.

There are remarkable opportunities for BDPA to partner with many champions in Corporate America.  Follow the example set by Derrick Brown to grow your chapter in both size and financial strength.  Feel free to reach out to the BDPA corporate sales team if you have questions or wish to discuss further.

Beleicia Bullock

Beleicia Bowdoin earned a Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship for her work on the 2015 High School Computer Competition (HSCC) team trained by BDPA Washington DC. Her commitment to leadership is exemplary. Beleicia is graduating from the Maret School, where she has had a chance to grow both academically and socially. She is involved in a variety of clubs, including the Black Student Union, Student Admissions Tour Guides, and The Woodley Leaves, Maret’s newspaper.

In addition to being a devoted student-leader, she maintains an unwavering commitment to community service. Currently, she is concluding her Gold Award, which is the highest award that any Girl Scout can earn. For her project, Beleicia founded Operation: GirlCode. This initiative fosters a sisterhood among girls in the male-dominated HSCC championship and has retained a record number of girls for the HSCC team trained by BDPA Washington DC chapter. In addition to her Gold Award, Beleicia also serves as a teen advisor for the National Campaign for the Prevention of Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. Here, she contributes her time to promote the Planned Parenthood and create more effective campaigns for the organization.

Many of the skills that Beleicia learned by participating in and leading community service projects, she was able to apply in the workforce. In 2012, Beleicia obtained her first internship at the Hirshhorn Museum. Here, she was the editor-in-chief of the museum’s teen newsletter and a social media intern. The next summer, she interned at the National Museum of African American History and Culture as a summer English instructor. There, she worked with youth on improving their writing skills, while also promoting the exploration of African American art, literature, and poetry. Finally, after graduating from high school, Beleicia started working at the Rock Creek Group, a global investment and advisory firm for institutional investors.

2015 Silver-Medal Winning team included Beleicia Bullock, Lauren Battle, Johnathan Legrant, Micah Moore and Zion Emanuel.

When asked to reflect on her experience with BDPA, Beleicia wrote, "After a scary introduction to computer science, I was so sure that programming was not for me. However, my mother thought that I should give it another try, so she signed me up for the HSCC. It was probably the best decision she has ever made for me. Three years later, I am looking forward to creating the foundations for my computer science career at college and really exploring all that technology has to offer. The HSCC helped to mold my thinking and trained me to think technically and efficiently. Simultaneously, I was able to learn a great deal of social skills, such as how to lead a team, take criticism constructively, and plan projects."

While she is sad to leave her life at Maret, family and friends, Beleicia is incredibly excited to attend Bowdoin College in the fall. There, she plans to double major in computer science and Arabic, as well as minoring in economics and finance.

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation is delighted to announce that Candice Peters (founder, Hello Parent) will be our guest on the March 8th episode of the BDPA iRadio Show.

Candice Peters is a successful entrepreneur having established several businesses catering to women. As the founder of Fit Mommies, she challenged moms and moms-to-be to stay active. Additionally, she also formed and operated The Body Boutique which offered classes to women of all fitness levels. Candice has over 10 years of management experience specializing in business development, social media marketing and entrepreneurial leadership.

Currently, Candice is the founder and CEO of Hello Parent. Hello Parent is a family social network that makes it simple to connect with other families and organize daily activities. Hello Parent addresses the need for privacy for families while still allowing your most cherished groups to communicate. Hello Parent is the perfect place to connect with family, classmates, teammates, neighbors and more.

Candice is the first African American female 'tech founder' in the greater Cincinnati area. She has a unique story to share with the BDPA iRadio Show audience!

You can follow Candice on Twitter --> @CandiceNPeters

Judaea Lane

National BDPA annually selects and awards the BDPA Epsilon Award to recognize and celebrate key contributions and accomplishments of its members. The 'Community Service' award is presented to individuals who have demonstrated, by meaningful results, strong partnership and collaboration with entities in the communities they reside. One of the 2015 Epsilon Award winners in this category is Judaea Lane.

Judaea Lane has been a member of BDPA New York Chapter for over 15 years. Judaea has held numerous roles within the chapter such as Student Chaperone, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer and Chapter President. Some of her key accomplishments as President were conducting Community Events such as Black Family Technology Awareness Week and Cybersecurity Awareness and distributing over $5,000 in Scholarships to BDPA’s HSCC students. Currently Judaea is the National Board Development Governance & Bylaw Chairperson.

In 2008, Judaea was recipient of the MetLife Foundation Volunteer Service Award for the BDPA New York chapter. The award honored MetLife associates who have made a difference in their communities through volunteer work. For over 8 years, Judaea has been a member of Central Nassau Club of National Association Negro Business & Professional Women Club (NANBPWC). She is a member of the National Technology Team where she provides help desk support to senior members. Recently Judaea participated on a panel at the United Nations, where she demonstrated how to use technology as part of disaster preparation. Other key accomplishments were planning, organizing and managing the club signature events such as the NANBPWC’s Annual Luncheon and Women’s History Month Program.

Judaea serves on the Executive Board of Nassau Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. In 2014 Judaea received the Outstanding Community Service Award from National Pan Hellenic Council of Nassau/Suffolk Counties. Last, Judaea’s biggest passion is conducting digital literacy awareness to seniors for her church. Inspired by God’s word, her favorite scripture is Proverbs 16:3 “Commit to the Lord whatever you do and he will establish your plans.”

Judaea receives Epsilon Award from BDPA founder and national president.

Due to Judaea’s strong leadership skills and compassion for volunteering in the in the community, she is worthy recipient of the BDPA Epsilon Award for Community Service.

You can follow Judaea on Twitter:  @jeytechconsult

Christ Church Cathedral

BDPA Cincinnati Chapter is pleased to announce that it won a $15,000 Christ Church Cathedral grant award for its Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program. The funds will be used to sustain the interest of disadvantaged young people in science and technology. BDPA introduces computers and basic software programming to underserved young people in the Cincinnati Public School system and local colleges and universities. 80% of the US jobs created in the next decade will require math and science skills. The average salary of STEM employees is 70% higher than all other occupations. Student interest is simply too low in science, technology, education and math (STEM) areas. 84% of middle school students say that they would rather clean their room, eat their vegetables, go to the dentist or take out the garbage than learn math or science.

BDPA will use the Christ Church Cathedral funding to respond to these troubling statistics with the SITES program that teaches advance computer science and community responsibility to students from disadvantaged communities. The centerpiece of the SITES program is the High School Computer Competition (HSCC) that is taught at the BDPA computer camp on Saturdays. BDPA is reaching out to 8th-12th graders to participate in the computer camp. Youngsters are encouraged to apply online at www.bdpa-camp.org and attend the orientation session on Saturday, January 9, 2016 at Cincinnati State.

“BDPA Cincinnati Chapter is extremely grateful to Christ Church Cathedral for their $15,000 grant in support of the BDPA mission to improve the number of minorities interested and engaged in technology within greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky,” says BDPA Cincinnati chapter president Dalric Webb. “Christ Church Cathedral has been a long time supporter of the BDPA mission and through their support, the BDPA Cincinnati team of volunteers has been able to make a positive impact on engaging youth and professionals within our community to more opportunities in the technology field”.

2015 BDPA Cincinnati SITES Students

The 2016 SITES students will participate in a 30-week computer camp program and become eligible for the Brandon Berry Memorial Scholarship. Out of the program, five students will be selected to represent Cincinnati in the National BDPA HSCC championship held on August 10-13, 2016 in Atlanta, GA.

1BDPA is the premier organization for African American professionals in the information technology industry. For more than 25 years, BDPA Cincinnati has fulfilled its mission and worked to bridge the digital divide by providing career growth opportunities for its members. BDPA Cincinnati is the largest and fastest-growing of the 47 chapters that exist around the nation.

For more information on the SITES program or BDPA Cincinnati chapter, call (513) 549-6991 or email cincinnati@bdpa.org.

National BDPA annually selects and awards the BDPA Epsilon Award to recognize and celebrate key contributions and accomplishments of its members. Nominations are accepted across five categories and they are evaluated by a team of National BDPA members. One of the categories is Career Achievement. This honor is reserved for highly experienced professionals who have significant career accomplishments or contributions throughout their career.

BDPA is pleased to announce that Linda Clement-Holmes has won the 2015 Epsilon Award for Career Achievement. Linda is the Chief Information Officer for Procter & Gamble. In this expansive role, Linda is responsible for building capability within the Company’s Information Technology (IT) function and providing IT governance oversight. Among her responsibilities, Linda is responsible for P&G’s global IT infrastructure, driving enterprise architecture; corporate applications; maintaining compliance and effectiveness of information security; leading IT innovation; and ensuring a best-in-class employee and workplace experience.

Linda Clement-Holmes

Linda joined P&G in 1983, becoming a global “executive of firsts” across several disciplines. She was the first African American senior vice president in the IT function, and the first female African American senior vice president, and now president, within P&G. She led the first vision and strategy for P&G’s e-mail system, led the partnership with HP to provide core information technology services, and spearheaded delivery of broad business and employee services to Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa. As Chief Diversity Officer, Linda crafted the first company-wide diversity and inclusion strategy and established P&G’s first Global Inclusion & Diversity Council, significantly elevating P&G’s Diversity Inc. and Working Mother Magazine rankings.

Linda is widely recognized for her leadership and business acumen. Recent honors include Purdue University’s Krannert Business Leadership Award and Purdue Old Master, American Business Awards’ Female Executive of the Year, Working Mother’s 'Working Mothers of the Year', YWCA’s Career Woman of Achievement, the First Tees Values award, the Howard University Global Visionary Leadership Award and the Diamond Leadership Award from the IT Senior Management Forum. She has been listed among Computerworld’s Premier 100 IT Leaders, Uptown Professional’s Top 100 Executives and Black Enterprise magazine’s Top Executives.

Linda remains active in community, business, and service organizations, many holding Board of Director and Officer positions. As a role model for IT leaders, African Americans, and Women, Linda exemplifies Career Achievement.

You can follow Linda on Twitter: @lwch

Pamela Mathews

Hello everyone!

I pray that each of you experienced a wonderful and safe holiday season. As we come to the close of 2015, I am excited and reflective about what WE were able to accomplish through strong teamwork, communication and collaboration. Here are my top three for the year:

1. BDPA celebrated 40 years of taking our members from the classroom to the boardroom.  We are the oldest and largest minority technology organization in the world and we are well-positioned for the next 40 years based on the momentum we have generated this year.  Please enjoy the 40th anniversary memories from one of our BDPA pioneers, Dr. Jesse Bemley.
2. Established a critical, mutually beneficial partnership with CompTIA. One of our key goals for this year was to increase our member value proposition. This partnership provides greater accessibility to resources that will strengthen and enhance our members current and future career opportunities; and
3. Elected a very strong team of leaders for 2016-2017. The incoming leadership team possesses the drive, experience, vision and tenacity required to build on our current momentum. I encourage everyone to read/listen intently, act expediently, share the good news about BDPA and support this team moving forward.

Mike Williams (2016-17 president), Pamela, Donna & Earl Pace

We have incredible momentum as we move into 2016. In January, your leadership team will meet to review and agree upon the tactics that will be employed to live out our strategy and fortify relationships that will be critical to our overall success.

Another imperative in 2016, will be furtherance of the regional organizational structure. While the national organization is here to support the chapters, the regional teams are the ears, eyes and legs that ensure the national strategy is understood and carried out locally and that our chapters are healthy, growing and sustainable. We have much work to do here and I am confident that our incoming Regional leaders are up for and will succeed with this challenge.

A few reminders:

• Please remember to renew your membership as soon as possible to ensure you do not miss out on existing and new member services. Please log in to your account, via www.bdpa.org, to check your status.
• Register for the 2016 Conference (Atlanta, GA) as soon as possible. Visit the Conference site via www.bdpa.org for more information. The early bird registration will be extended until the end of January to ensure that everyone can take advantage of this incredible discount.

I would also like to recognize our outgoing National Executive Committee, Board of Directors and Chapter Leaders for another successful year. Finally, THANK YOU again for the privilege to serve our great organization as President. Please feel free to contact me at pamela.mathews@bdpa.org if you have any questions or comments.

Sincerely,
Pamela Mathews, president
National BDPA

National BDPA annually selects and awards the BDPA Epsilon Award to recognize and celebrate key contributions and accomplishments of its members. Nominations are accepted across five categories and they are evaluated by a team of National BDPA members. One of the categories is Outstanding Technical Contribution. This honor is reserved for individuals who have pioneered new or leveraged existing technology to solve a critical business or technical problem.

BDPA is pleased to announce that Dr. Michael Boykin has won the 2015 Epsilon Award for Outstanding Technical Contribution. Dr. Michael Boykin is worthy of the Outstanding Technical Contribution award for repeatedly demonstrating the ability to position organizations to seize competitive advantage and enhance operational synergies through the modernization, integration and deployment of IT solutions. Evidence of Dr. Boykin’s contribution is reflected in his technical leadership of IT-enabled business transformation and mergers and acquisition. Recently, Boykin led the technical program for a $4B spin-off of a consumer goods company. As part of this effort, he developed the complete strategic technology plan and services to be used at company start up. The comprehensive modernization plan supported a 50% reduction in IT spend and facilitated the successful launch of the new company which saw nearly a 120% increase in stock price the first year.

Dr. Michael Boykin

As the Professional Services Director for Spyne, a Cisco-certified professional services firm, Boykin oversaw and led the technical infrastructure planning and execution for a major international pharmaceutical company. This effort helped Cisco obtain the Supplier of the Year award from the customer. As an enterprise architect with Alcoa, Dr. Boykin played pivotal architecture roles in the Common Infrastructure Initiative that paved the way for a modernized corporate ledger solution that enabled Alcoa to be one of the first companies on the Dow to report monthly performance figures to Wall Street.

Today, Dr. Boykin is a Distinguished Technologist and member of the HP Chief Technologist Office assigned to the Consumer Goods segment and is one of only a small number of minorities in this role. In this capacity, he engages with some of HP’s largest and most strategic accounts to establish forward-looking strategies, roadmaps and governance forums. He is the first African American, Alcoa Fellowship holder and Division-1A varsity football player to earn a Ph.D in computer science from the University of Pittsburgh.

The Epsilon Award nomination for Dr. Michael Boykin was submitted by Jambey Clinkscales, chair of the HP Black Employee Leadership Council.

Job Description

We are seeking a  .NET Developer/Solution Engineer for a 3-6 month contract role with possibility of full-time hire.  We will pay for online Oracle training program.  Candidate must be on-site in Cincinnati, OH.

Job Requirements

• .NET (VB.Net/C#), JavaScript, HTML
• 2+ years experience with web and Windows Forms development
• 2+ years experience using Visual Studio
• 2+ years experience using MS SQL Server
• Must be able create/modify Stored Procedures, etc.
• Troubleshooting and Enhancing code
• Requirements gathering and Architecting Software Solution
• Preferably has worked in a manufacturing environment
• Preferably has Salesforce.com experience
• Candidate MUST be on-site in Cincinnati, OH

http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobseeker/jobs/jobdetails.aspx?APath=2.31.0.0.0&job_did=J8Q3T065PQL46RTP38S&showNewJDP=yes&IPath=ILKV0D

Greetings!

BDPA is looking for technology professionals that want a chance to make their voice heard and to effect change for the betterment of the technology profession. If you are one of those individuals or know someone who is passionate about driving BDPA to higher level, please consider joining the National BDPA Board of Directors.

In accordance with the National BDPA Bylaws (dated August 20, 2015) Article 5 Section 4.1.2, nomination for the following national office must be submitted no later than midnight March 1, 2016.

* Vice President of Finance

According to Bylaw Article 5, Section 3; candidate for office must meet the following eligibility criteria;

* The office of Vice President of Finance shall be restricted to members in good standing of a chapter in good standing.
* All officers, whether elected or appointed, shall be restricted to members who have the skills and qualifications for the positions as determined by the NBOD.
* All elected officers shall be bonded.

Use the following links to review the online forms and information.

National BDPA Bylaws: http://www.bdpa.org/?page=Bylaws

Nomination Form for Special Election: http://www.bdpa.org/?page=EBC_02

If you should have questions or concerns, please contact me via BDPA Office at 301.584.3135 or via email at ebc@bdpa.org.

Respectfully,

Judaea Yarde Lane, Chair
Board Development Governance and Bylaw Committee