Communications

The Communications department develops and distributes communications to BDPA members. Communications serves as a channel to promote activities to encourage member and community engagement. This department partners with National and Local Chapters to synergize and leverage communication best practices. The Communications Team utilizes the various communication avenues (mailing, phone, email, Internet, social networking and newsletter) to communicate to BDPA members, including providing updates to the chapter website.

Information Technology

This department maintains all chapter computer equipment. They are also responsible for developing and maintaining our databases and other applications, as well as web development.

Marketing

This department handles both marketing and public relations efforts. Marketing means letting people know what BDPA-Chicago Chapter is all about, and how to join our ranks, or become involved in our programs. The Marketing Team is responsible for developing and maintaining the BDPA Chicago Chapter Brand. This Department is responsible for giving BDPA Chicago exposure in radio and print media announcing programs and activities.

Member Services

The Member Services Department is responsible for member recruitment, processing applications and maintaining an accurate membership database (locally and nationally). This includes collecting fees, coordinating transmittals of new/renewal members and database changes to the National BDPA office. As new members join BDPA, the Membership Department conducts New Member Orientations and makes sure that new member packages are distributed. This department also hosts presentations to employee groups recruiting new members. In June of each year the Member Services Department hosts our New Member Reception.

Professional Services

Monthly Program Meetings help recruit new members and help retain the current membership. For many members the Program Meeting is their primary BDPA activity. For this reason, presenters are carefully selected to offer interesting and insightful information on current issues and trends in information technology. The Professional Services Department arranges for facilities and speakers. The Professional Services Department is also responsible for hosting seminars, workshops, and certification study groups to ensure that BDPA meets its mission of strengthening the expertise of minority members of the Information Technology Industry. For example, the Professional Services Department was instrumental in forming a Web Programming Study Group that allowed members to develop and utilize web page design and programming skills. In addition to technical seminars and training, the Professional Services Department hosts career nights, resume writing and other workshops to help members develop their "soft skills". Since seminars and workshops are open to the general community, this helps fulfill the BDPA Chicago mission of "broadening the Information Technology knowledge of the minority community as a whole".

Student Member Services

The primary responsibility of the Student Member Services Department is to manage the Summer Internship Program. This involves soliciting resumes from college students through contacts at college campuses and other affiliations. Training is also provided to teach resume writing and interviewing skills. And once students are hired, buddies and mentors are assigned to ensure the success of their assignments. Each year the student development department works with students and corporate supporters to make sure a resource pool of new entrants into the Information Technology Industry persists. This helps fulfill the BDPA Chicago mission of offering expertise to those minorities evaluating, data processing for future career/business potential.










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