Message from Atlanta Chapter President

Derrick Brown

On Wednesday January 15th we turned up the heat!

It’s been pretty cold in Atlanta so the need to bring the heat was more than appropriate. The evening was all about what BDPA Atlanta would be doing in 2014 and how those activities might actually do something rewarding, like putting money in your pocket.

Now, as I have said time and again it is not about me putting my own personal money in somebody else's pocket. It’s not about a prospective member showing up and expecting to get paid off the cuff. No, it’s about engaging in activities that will give a member the ability to go and find that money where it is accumulating in the industry and grab their share of it, and of course, put it in their pocket, savings account, investment account, whatever is appropriate and best.

We are embarking on an ambitious program of professional and technical development in order to add value for our members. We took the time to walk through this plan with our members and they were more than pleased.

Our approach to 2014 will be holistic in nature. We’ll be providing critical information about personal branding, the image you maintain for yourself as well as the image you present to the world, and why it is critically important. We’ll be talking about the importance of networking and how you do it well. DON’T HOLD THE WALL! Get off the wall and shake someone’s hand. And once you’ve pressed flesh follow up with conversation about what you do, why you do it, and how you do it differently, which clarifies why you do it better. Remember, build a network, leverage a network, create an opportunity.

With the effective elevation of soft skills our members will be ready to engage people from a position of confidence, assured that they have the requisite skills necessary in order to communicate effectively.

In addition to soft skills we will promote our Technological Superiority Themes. These themes are centered around some of the most innovative and hottest areas in technology. The year will cover mobility applications, hybrid clouds, smart machines, and 3D printing. Moreover we will not just offer an introduction. We will provide our members the means to actually get involved with these technologies. We will give them the information they need to make a choice. Do they want a career in one of these areas? If they do, we’ll help them find out who they have to talk to, what they have to read, what certifications are available, and who is hiring.

Tie our professional development efforts with our efforts in technology and we are providing our members with the tools they need to go out and Lock The Job, and in turn build a supremely satisfying and rewarding career.

But that’s not all.

As ever BDPA Atlanta will maintain the organization’s motto, ‘From the classroom to the boardroom’. We will continue to improve our efforts with our Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program. We will field a winning High School Computer Competition (HSCC) team to compete in the 2014 National BDPA HSCC championships being held later this year in Indianapolis.

In addition to all this, we will address the issue of getting our youth engaged in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). We recognize this is a cultural issue, and we will address it by hosting our first-ever BDPA Atlanta STEM Forum for students and their parents. We will put STEM at the forefront of our community and in so doing, maintain the trust that is implied in our motto. We are dedicated to the community and the task of getting us engaged in technology for the benefit of all.

The Aspiring Critical Thinker
Derrick 'D.S.' Brown, president
BDPA Atlanta Chapter

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• Where Are They Now? BDPA Atlanta Chapter Presidents
• Message from BDPA Atlanta Chapter President
• Tech Expresso Cafe': BDPA Atlanta Chapter Kickoff for 2014 Computer Camp
• Tech Expresso Cafe: Derrick Brown (BDPA Atlanta)

Tech Expresso Cafe: Derrick Brown (BDPA Atlanta)

One of the fastest-growing media outlets for BDPA information is the Internet radio show, 'Tech Expresso Cafe'. This show is hosted by BDPA members Jacqueline Sanders and David Blackman. Our blog is pleased to promote the good works of Tech Expresso Cafe whenver possible.

BDPA Atlanta chapter president Derrick Brown was the featured guest on the January 16, 2014 webcast. Derrick laid out the programs and services being offered in 2014 by the BDPA Atlanta chapter. A major part of the agenda this year will be focused on providing tangible return for BDPA members and sponsors by leveraging the technology wave to create opportunities which will put money in your pocket. The webcast provided a great opportunity for BDPA members and sponsors to ask questions to Derrick on a wide variety of topics ... and it gave Derrick a chance to share some tips and techniques for getting a piece of the STEM and technology fortune that is out there!

Check Out Motivation Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with Tech Expresso Cafe on BlogTalkRadio

What was your 'greatest learning' from this webcast?

Message from BDPA Atlanta Chapter President

Happy New Year from BDPA Atlanta

A Sneak Peek of What's to Come

Derrick Brown

On behalf of BDPA Atlanta chapter I'd like to wish you a Happy & Prosperous Holiday Season!

As we move into another year I'd like to give you a quick look at what's happening in 2014 and extend an invitation to you so that you can be a part of the excitement!

2014 Agenda

• BDPA is accelerating its involvement in STEM for our youth in cooperation with Morehouse
• BDPA will be partnering with other IT organizations in the Atlanta area to bring more dynamic information for your personal benefit. ex: Wireless Technology Forum (starting with Wearable Technology in February)

Professional Development 

• Shifting Your Personal Brand
• Why You Should Improve Your Interview Skills
• The Business of Being Professional

The Executive Development Series

• The Fun Work of Networking
• How to Win Over Your Boss
• The Incredible Power of Conflict
• How to BE the Executive

“What’s HOT in Technology” - Technical Topics

• 1st Quarter – Mobile Apps & Applications
• 2nd Quarter – Hybrid Cloud and IT as Service Broker
• 3rd Quarter – Smart Machine
• 4th Quarter – 3-D Printing

Community Service

• Atlanta Food Bank
• Atlanta Food Bank Garden
• Back To School Drive
• Christmas Family Adoption

Using IT to Put Money In Your Pocket

• BDPA will discuss the critical nature of Information Technology in the New Age and how it must be leveraged to create sustained wealth. 

 We had a successful turnout of volunteers in 2013 and we are hoping to achieve the same momentum in the New Year!

Hope to see you there!

Sincerely,
Derrick Brown, president
BDPA Atlanta Chapter

Tech Expresso Cafe Podcast: BDPA Atlanta Chapter President Derrick Brown (Dec 5, 2013)

Derrick Brown, BDPA Atlanta chapter president, was the guest on the Tech Expresso Cafe podcast produced by BDPA members David Blackman and Jacqueline Sanders. The discussion focused on the vision that Derrick has for BDPA Atlanta chapter as it enters into the new year. BDPA Atlanta chapter is the 4th largest chapter in the nation and it has some remarkable programs, scholarships and services. Enjoy the podcast:

More Technology Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with Tech Expresso Cafe on BlogTalkRadio

We invite all BDPA stakeholders to enjoy the podcast!

Message from BDPA Atlanta Chapter President

Derrick Brown

Once again, BDPA Atlanta delivered. On November 14, 2013 Felicia Jones cemented her era as BDPA Atlanta President in an elegant and professional manner at our Annual Awards and Recognition program. It was the capstone on the Jones Era, which created a foundation of growth for BDPA Atlanta.

She passed the torch of leadership to myself, Derrick S. Brown, and in the doing highlighted what we do and why we do it in a moving and informative presentation.

BDPA Atlanta is committed to living up to its motto, 'Learn, Grow, and Achieve'. We firmly believe that as volunteers we are committed to living out this mandate, and positively impacting the lives of others. We are committed to growing our youth through the efforts of STEM in our various youth programs. We are committed to helping college students through the work we’ve done in our Success Alliance programs and collegiate outreach. We are committed to helping adults through our Professional Development Bootcamp and the Learn By Doing program. We are committed to showing examples of leadership and celebrating success in our Annual Minority Information Technology Forum.

BDPA Atlanta has been and will continue to be an engine of innovation in social and technological uplift. In 2014 we will continue to build our network, leverage the connections we create, and generate new and exciting opportunities for our members.

If you weren’t with us last week, if you weren’t with us last year, if you haven’t been with us in years, if you have never been with us … then the time is now. Membership has its privileges. Come learn how to network. Come learn how to interview. Come learn how to actually put money in your pocket in the diverse and exciting world of IT. Come learn what’s new and hot and cutting edge. Come learn how to communicate with your boss for a just reward. Come learn how to be the consummate professional. Come learn how to lead. We are doing all this and more in 2014. Come … join us … join BDPA Atlanta!

D.S. Brown, president
BDPA Atlanta Chapter

Message From BDPA Atlanta Chapter President

D.S. Brown

Earlier this month, BDPA Atlanta presented thoughts and ideas that were centered on personal career growth. Where are you on your career life path? Have you asked yourself the right questions to continue forward? Are you doing the things necessary to get yourself to the next level?

Mike Williams, Senior Vice President, Enterprise Technology Services at FIS spoke to us about the Turning Points. He explained to the audience the premise that in all our lives we will encounter moments and lessons of criticality, moments and lessons of choice where the resulting decision will ultimately alter the trajectory of our lives. It was a powerfully clarifying and motivating hour of exposition and dialogue.

Mike Williams

Mike took the time to talk to us about the turning points, and explained to us why they matter, for example knowing if you are too comfortable, you probably aren’t growing, or don’t just talk to your neighbor, talk to everyone. This last point is very near to me, as one of my personal sayings is build a network, leverage a network, create an opportunity.

He continued to expose us to his ideas on personal growth by sharing his I.D.E.A.L model of individual identification, I is for Influencers, D is for Distractors, E is for Enablers , A is for Achievers, and L is for Leaders. He continued to explain this model by providing examples of it in action.

The audience engaged Mike on these points as well as asking him about his personal journey and how he managed to achieve his level of success. It was a very informative dialogue. If this is the kind of information you crave, if you would like information that would help you achieve your goals, then come out and join BDPA Atlanta chapter. We are the group you need in IT in order get where you need to go.

The Aspiring Critical Thinker,
D.S. Brown, chapter president
BDPA Atlanta

Tech Expresso Cafe: 'BDPA Atlanta Chapter Under New Management (8/29/2013)

BDPA Atlanta chapter increases BDPA brand awareness on many different platforms ... including Tech Expresso Cafe, co-hosted by Jacqueline Sanders and David Blackman. This is an Internet radio show that focuses on business, technology and leadership.

The August 29th episode focused on two things. First, a number of BDPA Atlanta chapter leaders including Derrick Brown (chapter president), Felicia Jones (past president and incoming BDPA South Region director) and Josephine Reed (HSCC coordinator). They shared their experiences and observations from the recently concluded 2013 BDPA Technology Conference held in Washington DC. There was also information shared about the transition of leadership between Felicia and Derreck.

Here is the archive version of the show for your listening pleasure!

New Technology Internet Radio with Tech Expresso Cafe on BlogTalkRadio

Message from BDPA Atlanta Chapter President

D.S. Brown

Cross-posted from The Aspiring Critical Thinker's Era.

The 2013 National BDPA Technology Conference was August 14-17 in our nation’s capital Washington D.C. If you were not there, you should have been. Let me take but a minute to explain to you, share with you the great moments you missed, share with you the moments of personal clarity, and why I think the goals of BDPA should be the goal of every man, woman, and child in this great nation of ours.

The convention was held at the Washington DC Hilton, the same place as the White House Correspondents Dinner. Walking through the lower halls of the hotel behind the main conference room I observed the lined pictures of First Ladies, and settled on the picture of First Lady Michelle Obama.

Her image evoked a moment of thought in me, something so very appropriate to consider in this year, the 50th anniversary of the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. I was here at the national convention for the Black Data Processing Associates, the dream of BDPA Founder Earl Pace, which itself is a dream only realized through the arduous but incomplete realization of Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream of a better America, a dream given voice through a lifetime struggle of dreams deferred, realized in the March on Washington which was the brainchild of the duly agreed upon Dean of Black Leadership, A. Philip Randolph.

In my musings I realized the history behind my solitary moment in front of the First Lady’s portrait. I am but a commoner, a citizen in this great nation, but my dreams though they be minor, truly are only realized through the efforts of giants, men and women who have made a small space on their shoulders for me to stand. I was grateful. For this reason alone I was proud to be at the conference. You should have been there too.

In the evening I was reminded by one world famous Roland Martin that those of us in technology must make use of the gifts we have been provided. He admonished us to speak to the young people of our nation and explain to them in their own language, the language of bling, ballers, and big dollar shot callers that STEM was the means and the way, the path to the future that far too many of them do not realize they can achieve. We must show them in word and action. This was a proud moment, as the tone he set permeated the room. We felt the energy as the kids gathered there stood and were recognized.

The children in the BDPA High School Computer Competition and the Youth Technology Camp firmly exhibited the motto of BDPA, “From the classroom to the boardroom.” They are the future, and they are excellent.

I must also add that as I looked around the room I was proud to see that BDPA in name exhibited the spirit of minority excellence as opposed to the representation of one ethnicity. In this, in my opinion, it adhered to a fine tradition. The room was filled not just with African-Americans, but people of every ethnicity, open to minorities of all kinds of ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds, fully supported by the gifts from forward-thinking corporate organizations that realize the economic tomorrow of America is firmly rooted in the efforts of today, strong efforts being made by organizations like BDPA.

These same corporations supported workshops and seminars, many being offered at better than competitive prices. Why should you come to the BDPA National Technology Conference? Why should your company sponsor your trip to the 2014 convention in Indianapolis? Let me make it plain by telling you what was available in Washington D.C.

The BDPA Technology Conference offered an opportunity for you to receive your SCRUM certification (If you’re in IT you know what this is). There were experts presenting on Microsoft Sharepoint, Cloud systems, Mobility, Cybersecurity, and Personal Development. The week was packed, and there was so much to offer you could not conceivable get it all in. Looking for a new opportunity, there was a Career Fair. The convention offered all this and more, including outstanding entertainment in intimate concerts, poetry readings, and cocktail parties … and did I mention the food?

BDPA Atlanta HSCC Team

When it was all said and done, BDPA put on a spectacular showing. The kids that competed in our competitions left winners, every last one, for this represents an opportunity unlike any other. We adults left the conference buoyed by our participation in their success, enlightened by the knowledge we gained in the seminars, emboldened by the prospect of making change through STEM, and motivated by Roland Martin’s words telling us to BE that motivation and make it happen.

Consider all I’ve said critically and if you would be intrigued and positively moved to help build the future, then be like Cisco executive Michael Younkers, a highly energetic Caucasian man attending the conference in a sponsorship capacity who was so moved that he joined BDPA on the spot! This is who we are. This is what we are doing. Join us.

The Aspiring Critical Thinker,
D.S. Brown, president
BDPA Atlanta

BDPA iRadio Show: May 14, 2013 (Khalia Braswell, Craig Brown and Derrick Brown)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is very proud to be the creator of the BDPA iRadio Show. You can listen to the archive version of the show using the widget shown in the right-hand sidebar of this blog. FREE download from the iTunes Store is also available for our listeners!

Listen to internet radio with BDPA on BlogTalkRadio

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The guests on the May 14th show:

Khalia Braswell - 2007 HSCC Alumni, BDPA Charlotte Chapter - Khalia competed in the 2007 national BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championship as a member of the team trained by BDPA Charlotte chapter. Her team finished in 6th place. Khalia earned a Eli Lilly Scholarship for BDPA Students in 2008. She used that scholarship to help offset the costs for college studies at North Carolina State University (NCSU). She plans to graduate with a Computer Science degree in 2013. She can share some excellent insights in the impact that BDPA had on her college and career choices. It is worth noting that BDPA and Eli Lilly are accepting applications for the 2013 Eli Lilly Scholarship right now. Also, Khalia was recently featured for her work at NCSU. Her twitter handle is @KhaliaBraswell.

Dr. Craig Brown - Vice President, National BDPA - Dr. Craig Brown was elected to be National BDPA Vice President (2012-2013). He works with national president Monique Berry and the regional officers to ensure that BDPA is moving towards its vision. Dr. Brown has a 25 year career serving as an expert systems and database architect within leading technologies like Oracle, Oracle-PeopleSoft, SAP, IBM and Microsoft. His experiences are more particular to the Enterprise Resource Planning, Decision Support and Relational Database Management Systems technologies. He earned over 20 certifications within these technological areas and currently provides implementation and integration expertise along with a variety of other technological disciplines. He holds a BS in Computer Science as well as a Master's in Business and a Doctorate in Management Information Systems. He has over 1 million followers on Twitter and thousands of followers on his Facebook page. Dr. Brown should be able to share with our iRadio Show audience his vision for the future of BDPA. His twitter handle is @craigbrownphd.

Derrick Brown - President-Elect, BDPA Atlanta Chapter - Derrick Brown is the president-elect of the BDPA Atlanta chapter. As such, he has been part of the leadership team in Atlanta that has rocked the BDPA-nation over the past two years with its new programs, new energy and remarkable new results. Derrick is poised to take on the chapter presidency in 2014-2015. Our listeners will be intrigued to get the inside scoop on the magical journey of BDPA Atlanta chapter from one of its architects.. His twitter handle is @DSBrown3000.

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We hope you enjoy the insights and commentary on the show from each of these guests. Please take a moment to post a comment to let us know that you care!

BDPA Atlanta Chapter Board of Directors (2013)

I tend to believe that BDPA Atlanta is a frontrunner for the 'Chapter of the Year' award that will be given out on August 17, 2013 in Washington DC. If it happens then it will be the result of some remarkable volunteer leaders. Please share some love with the 2013 BDPA Atlanta chapter board of directors!

• President: Felicia Jones (Macy's Inc.)
• VP, Business Management: Derrick Brown (Macy's Inc.)
• VP, Marketing and Public Relations: Sharnecia Williams (Macy's Inc.)
• VP, Education and Professional Development: Jacqueline Sanders (Quintiles)
• VP, Technology: Alphonse Porter (Lockheed Martin)
• Director, Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship: Josephine Reed (Evans Technology)

Please share some love with the 2013 BDPA Atlanta chapter leadership team. Heck, support the chapter by making a secure online donation towards a college scholarship for next year's HSCC team. Doable?