Rest In Peace: Brandon Berry (1984-2008)

BDPA lost a young legend on February 3, 2008 when Brandon T. Berry died much too soon. Brandon was born March 20, 1984 in Viscenza, Italy. He traveled all around the world. He recently graduated from Ohio State University with a Computer Science degree. He was working on a Master Degree at the time of his death.

Brandon's dream was to become an entrepreneur with computer sales and internet services business. In fact, he demonstrated his entrepreneurial skills with a business that he started in high school and continued while in college.

I served as BDPA Cincinnati chapter president in 1999-2001. I knew young Brandon throughout my 3-year team as chapter president. I first met him in 1999 while he was attending Cincinnati's Hughes High School. He served as president of the 'Future Educators of America' in high school. However, his love of information technology led him to the BDPA Cincinnati chapter computer camp that we created in 1999. His talents were self-evident during the computer camp. In fact, Brandon ended up being a member of the national High School Computer Competition (HSCC) team from Cincinnati in both 1999 and 2000.


His teammates in 1999 were Tiara Bonner, Jarelle Marshall, Kelly Robinson and Calvin Shaw, III.

His teammates chose Brandon to be their captain at the 2000 national competition held in Washington DC. The team confidently called themselves 'Team CHAOS (Cincinnati Holds All Opposition Speechless)'. Brandon and his teammates (Raven Chambers, Jarelle Marshall, Terris Poole and Stephanie Ross) in 2000 brought home the silver medal in the national competition. It remains the highest level of success for BDPA Cincinnati in over 20 years. Brandon used the Bemley Scholarship that he won in 2000 towards his educational expenses at Ohio State University.

Brandon loved C/C++ Programming and he came back in 2001 as a HSCC alumni to help coach the team that year. He served as a 'technical representative' for the Cincinnati HSCC team that traveled to the 2001 national competition held in Chicago.

Brandon Berry had an immeasurable impact on the members, supporters and sponsors of BDPA Cincinnati chapter.  He is part of our history and his impact as a role model can never be underestimated.

You can help us celebrate his life by making a donation to the Brandon Berry Memorial Scholarship Fund!

Related articles

• Testimonial: BDPA Summer Internship (Hadiya Harrigan, Cincinnati)
• Cincinnati.com, 1/6/2014 (Hadiya Harrigan)

Happy Birthday: George Williams, Past National BDPA President

Please join us in wishing a wonderful birthday to our past national president -- George Williams. I've known George since I first joined BDPA back in the late 1980s. He was a powerful figure in the BDPA Cleveland chapter before he set a record for the longest-tenured national president in BDPA history.

George has an information technology and business career background that spans thirty years of professional experience in marketing, sales and management within corporate, small business, non-profit and civic organizations. A number of major accomplishments occurred under George's leadership of the national organization in the late 1990s:

• implemented a new national Corporate Alliance program that increased annual sponsorship revenue
• implemented a comprehensive Enterprise Transformation Plan that completely reorganized the national organization
• inspired major annual conference events in Philadelphia (1995), Atlanta (1996), Houston (1997), Orlando (1998) and Atlanta (1999)
  
• signed Memorandum of Understanding to promote joint technology projects between BDPA and National Urban League

As a life-long Cleveland native, graduate of the Cleveland Public School System, John Carroll University and Leadership Cleveland, George understands the intricacies of doing business and volunteering time in the Northeast Ohio community. George was a co-founder of the Consortium of African America Organizations (CAAO). He has actively served on the Board of the Cleveland Education Fund, the Cuyahoga Community College Unified Technologies Center and the John Adams High School Vocational Education Advisory Group.

George is a father of two daughters and grandfather of four children. He is a remarkable role model for his family ... and for BDPA. I encourage you to share some BDPA-love with George as he celebrates his born-day! Happy Birthday George!

BDPA Members Honored on Veterans Day

Guest Blogger: Perry Carter, president
BDPA Washington DC

Here are some little known facts about veterans in BDPA:

Did you know?

... that Dr. Jesse Bemley founded both marquee programs for National BDPA (IT Showcase and High School Computer Competition) and served in Vietnam?

... that Dr. Will Bundy, co-founder of the BDPA IT Institute with Dr. Juan Gilbert,  was a submarine driver (both diesel and nuke) and is one of the Centennial Seven African American submarine skippers who served during the first 100 years of the Submarine Service?

... that Lt. Col. Joseph Carpenter was the Marine Corps' first African American Data Systems Officer and is a Montford Point Marine?

... that Terry Halvorsen and Mark Di Francisco were Army Intelligence and Special Operations officers, respectively?

... that Joseph McMahon was a Naval Flight Officer; co-founded two BDPA Chapters and was instrumental in securing Navy leadership and involvement with National BDPA to include the Secretary of the Navy, Chief of Naval Operations, and Department of the Navy's CIO?

... that Felicia Jones and Eileen Gadsden, two of BDPA's strongest leaders are Army veteran "Black Girls who Lead and Code?"

... that Army veteran José Márquez-Leon, President & Founder of Latinos in Information Sciences and Technology Association (LISTA) was a BDPA Member when he founded LISTA?

Perry Carter - Marine Corps
August 1985

Introducing the 1st Annual BDPA Hall of Fame

Earl Pace

In 2013, BDPA will inaugurate its first members into the BDPA Hall Of Fame. Similar to other national and professional organizations, BDPA will celebrate and acknowledge members of the organization who have made very significant contributions to the existence, advancement and success of the organization.

From August 14-17, 2013, BDPA will conduct its 35th annual Technology Conference and Career Fair at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C. In addition to distribution of several organization awards, conducting numerous development workshops, networking sessions and panel discussions, this year’s Conference will also include the first Hall of Fame induction ceremony. It is expected that over seven hundred members, corporate leaders and technology professionals will attend the event.

Diane Davis

This year’s Hall Of Fame group was selected by a panel of the BDPA National Executive Council. In 2014 and beyond, nominations will be accepted from the BDPA Community and enshrines announced during the annual BPDA National Technology Conference.

The following individuals represent the inaugural BDPA Hall of Fame group.

Dr. Jesse Bemley

- Innovator, Dr. Jesse Bemley
- Contributor, Diane Davis
- Co-Founder, Earl A Pace Jr
- Co-Founder, the late David Wimberly

Please visit www.BDPA.org for more information regarding BDPA, our 35th Anniversary Technology Conference and Career Fair or this year’s 2013 Hall of Fame group.

BDPA HSCC Champion DeOnna Johnson Graduates with Medical Degree from Meharry Medical College

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is extremely proud to announce that 2004 BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) champion DeOnna Johnson received her medical degree today from Meharry Medical College! DeOnna walked across the stage of the Grand Ol' Opry in Nashville, TN to accept her diploma denoting her graduate degree in medicine. DeOnna received her undergraduate degree in Microbiology in 2009 from the University of Tennessee before going to Meharry to study for her medical degree. Our understanding is that DeOnna will do her first post-graduate residency at Children's Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Sometimes BDPA volunteers and leaders wonder if the work that we do makes a difference. We wonder if our efforts to provide meaningful science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) experiences to the young people in our community will truly get them started on the road from 'classroom to the boardroom'. It is days like today ... when we are able to smile and celebrate in the excellence of young people such as Dr. DeOnna Johnson ... that we know it is all worthwhile.

DeOnna was part of a team of high school students (Auriel Echols, Cornell Gaulmon, Brittany Middleton and Mitchell Word) who vaulted into BDPA history by winning the 2004 National BDPA HSCC championship held in Dallas. Their victory marked the fourth consecutive year that BDPA Memphis chapter took home the gold medal at national HSCC championships ... the first time such a feat had ever been accomplished!

Please join BETF and the rest of BDPA-Nation in sharing some love for DeOnna and her family as they truly enjoy the fruits of her educational labors. I look forward to hearing DeOnna talk with a new generation of BDPA youngsters as time permits. DeOnna is the 'future face of technology' in the medical field. Her story and her success are cause for rejoicing!

Happy Birthday: Diane Davis (Past National BDPA President)

Today is the birthday of past national president Diane Davis!

Diane Davis will be one of the charter members of the BDPA Hall of Fame when it is created. I went to my first BDPA program meeting in 1988 while living and working in Detroit. Diane Davis was president of the BDPA Detroit chapter. She sat up in the front of the meeting and shared her insights on BDPA. I was hooked. I joined BDPA that day ... attended my first national conference later that year in Chicago. Diane appointed me as Program Committee Chairperson for the BDPA chapter ... and recommended me for National BDPA Membership Director a few months later. BDPA Detroit chapter won back-to-back Chapter of the Year Awards under her leadership. Suffice to say I think Diane is a major part of the BDPA story...

Diane has over 25 years experience in the technology industry. Her work as a consultant with Hewlett-Packard’s Managed Services Division utilized her knowledge of local and global engagements in the manufacturing, government, and health care industries. She advised C level management teams of Fortune 500 corporations on infrastructure support practices, organization design, and the implementation of strategies, technology and principles to meet their specialized business requirements. Before this position, Diane was a Program Manager for multi-million dollar worldwide accounts and served as the CIO for a major automotive supplier.

Diane has lived and traveled throughout the United States, Canada, and South America as a software engineer and consultant in the design and implementation of management systems. Her technical career began developing robotic systems for the automotive industry. Later, she led the artificial intelligence development and implementation teams responsible for the support of corporate executives with “state of the art” technology including voice activation and annotation.

In 2003, Diane established her own consulting firm that provides strategic, organizational, and leadership services. In 2004, she expanded her business to include a robust Wellness Program established to help people improve their health, quality of life, and become financially independent. Diane has volunteered her time and supported several professional, community based, and educational organizations during her career, including BDPA. She has worked as an instructor at University of Detroit Mercy, led numerous strategic, leadership, quality, and team building workshops internationally for both profit and non-profit organizations.

Diane Davis was ol' school BDPA. Please share your remembrance of this powerful sister if you have time or inclination to do so.

Coram Rimes Steps Down as BDPA Regional Director

I've always referred to Coram Rimes as one of the hardest working members in BDPA. It saddened me to know that he was stepping down as the BDPA Northeast Region director. Coram built a remarkable legacy in BDPA over the course of the past 18 years. He has been a member of the BDPA New Jersey chapter for most of its existence ... serving in a variety of chapter leadership roles including two terms (2003-2004 and 2008-2011) as its president. Coram received the highest award that BDPA gives out to individuals -- the Epsilon Award -- in 2007 for his outstanding community service. He was elected as the first-ever regional director in the nation's history in 2011.

Coram personally supported me in both BDPA and the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF). I've been a keynote speaker at his invitation for a chapter banquet as well as a guest speaker at one of his chapter's program meetings. Coram has been making regular donations in support of BDPA programs, scholarships and services over the years. In fact, he leveraged his own personal donations with a 100% matching gift through an employee-giving program offered by his employer, Prudential.

Coram is one of the few BDPAers in history to be elected to public political office ... serving as both a city councilman and housing authority commissioner for his community. In addition to his IT career with Prudential, Coram uses his entrepreneurial skills every year for a growing tax service business.

Coram's active leadership will be missed by BDPA on a local, regional and national level. But, our loss is somewhat tempered by the fact that he is a lifetime member of the organization that he loves.

I am sure that the entire BDPA nation wishes him the best in his retirement from the regional post and in his new adventures. We hope he will still find time to visit BDPA at local chapter events and the occasional national conference over the coming years!

Sincerely,
R. Wayne Hicks, executive director
BDPA Education and Technology Foundation

Wordless Wednesday: BDPA Philadelphia Chapter Presidents (1991-2011)

SOURCE: BDPA Foundation Flickr Photostream