Thursday, October 1, 2015

Message from the BDPA Cincinnati Chapter President

Dalric Webb
Greetings!

As we begin the 4th quarter of 2015, your BDPA Cincinnati Chapter is still GOING STRONG! The leadership team has held several key strategic meetings with sponsors and supporters in the last month to build and sustain chapter operations, improve the way the chapter operates and return value to our members, sponsors and supporters. Most important, our chapter seeks to drive improvements into the programs we deliver that improve the diversity numbers in STEM “from the classroom to the boardroom”.

BDPA Cincinnati continues to sit atop of the National BDPA list as the LARGEST BDPA Chapter in the nation for its 6th consecutive month! Congratulations to all as each of you make this chapter great. I do hope you are engaged with the chapter in not only your membership, but what you desire from the chapter. We are only as strong as each of your engagement efforts – so let us know how we can help you get more engaged!

Speaking of engagement, I hope you are planning to show your support by either attending our upcoming Education Banquet on October 24, 2015 at Receptions Conference Center.  Our keynote speaker for the evening will be LISNR chief executive officer Rodney Williams. You can purchase a ticket or buy an ad in our program booklet. Brenda Hogan (Duke Energy) is again leading our annual recognition ceremony highlighting the students who committed themselves to over 28 weeks of hands-on training EVERY SATURDAY and went on to compete in the National BDPA National High School Computer Competition championship held a few weeks ago in Washington DC. Also, we take some time at this education banquet to recognize the hard working volunteers who make this chapter so successful! Please be a part of this celebration. It is a great night of networking and appreciation for our efforts at making a difference in the lives of many in our communities. I hope to see you there.

As we turn towards the fall, the BDPA leadership team is planning ahead for 2016! Under the direction of Vice President, Strategy and Planning, Norman Phillips (Procter & Gamble), the team has scheduled the 2016 Strategy and Planning meeting for October 25, 2015. At this planning session, the team will put together the short and long-term planning that will take the BDPA Cincinnati Chapter to the next level of impact in our community! Under the careful leadership of our President-Elect Na'Shawnda Peterson (GE Aviation), our chapter is poised to increase the impact of our operations in 2016. All are welcomed to attend, however your RSVP is required to properly account for food. If interested in attending, please send me an email to confirm your attendance.

Another engagement opportunity is the program meeting which happens the 3rd Wednesday of every month at Brown Mackie College in Woodlawn. This month, we have the honor and pleasure of hosting Vince Kilian  (Marxent) to discuss 'The Future of Augmented and Virtual Reality' on October 21, 2015. Marxent is the leader in virtual reality and augmented reality product visualization for sales and marketing. This promises to be a VERY exciting and engaging networking opportunity you do not want to miss! Register today as these events are expected to sell out. Oh, and when you come to the program meeting, BE SURE TO BRING YOUR RESUME! There are always two or more recruiters in the room ACTIVELY seeking candidates for employment. Attending a program meeting could be just the game changing activity you have been looking for!

Finally, how are you feeling about your membership? Did I mention that YOUR local chapter is the largest in the nation out of 47 chapters? Did you receive your most recent issue of Diversity Comm at your home address? Have you had a chance to read through some of the articles? Which article struck a chord with you? Didn’t get your copy? Reach out to our VP-Membership Management to make sure we have your correct mailing address in the database. Do you know the Vice Presidents for your Chapter? Do you know how to reach any of the board members? When was the last time you visited the National BDPA website at www.bdpa.org? Do you like the changes you see? Do you have any recommendations on how to improve the site or provide more information to our members? We need your engagement!

Everyone has something they can contribute to making our chapter even better! Have a little time (less than 5 hours per month) on your hands? Consider joining the board. There are still a few openings available and we can certainly use your help. Take a look around the chapter home at www.bdpa.org/group/ci and read some of the job descriptions for the available leadership positions. You will find we are a fun group of professionals committed to making a difference in our local communities.

Looking forward to seeing you at one of our upcoming events!

Sincerely,
Dalric Webb, President
BDPA Cincinnati Chapter

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