BITPRO

April 25 Dinner Meeting Tuesday, April 25, 2006 ~ Jim 'n' Nicks ~ 220 Oxmoor Rd. in Homewood ~ 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Maurice Myers Infrastructure Operations Maurice is an AITP Past President and Information Technology professional with more than 20 years of progressive IT Operations and Production Management experience. He has worked in large scale and diverse multi-regional environments. His education includes a Master of Management Certification from the University of Alabama School of Continuing Education (2006); a B.A., Liberal Arts/Humanities from the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL and a Special Associate of Science Degree (B.S. Equivalent), Computer Science/Engineering from the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL. He has been employed by AmSouth Bank (Assistant VP, IT Change Control / Manager, IT Production Control), Post-Secondary Education Assistant Corporation (PEAC), Birmingham, AL (MIS Director), Bradley, Arant, Rose and White Law Firm, Birmingham, AL (Network Manager), and Sirote and Permutt Law Firm, Birmingham, AL (Network Administrator).
President's Message	return to top
First off, I would like to Thank Martin Alvarez on his presentation about ‘E-Banking’. The time and technology involved was amazing. I couldn’t believe the number of months from conception to installation. Martin really has a passion for this project. I hope everyone is doing well. I feel like I have been running a marathon and coming up for air every now and then. I am the first to say ‘Amen’ when I hear how busy people are. I just wish everyone felt the same way I do about AITP. I know I’m preaching to the choir, but please take the time to be involved. To our founders and more seasoned members, I would like you to think back to the reasons you built this chapter and why we have student chapters. Our students need your expertise and support. For our newest members, we need your enthusiasm and ideas to keep up to date and moving forward. Let’s do this thing right. See you at the dinner meeting Chapter President
Minutes - April 18, 2006	return to top
The meeting was called to order by Barbara Shook at 5:35 p.m. Also attending were Ted Hagler, Maurice Myers, and Paul Stewart. Barbara opened the meeting with a discussion of Tech Birmingham and how we can participate in a meeting scheduled for May 18 where some 20 other technology organizations will be represented. Maurice discussed how, with 19 active members on the roster, we cannot close our chapter. Maurice indicated that Tech Birmingham gets some funding from the City of Birmingham and the State of Alabama. A discussion of each board member and their area of responsibilities followed. Barbara suggested having the May board meeting at lunch time to make it possible for more board members to attend. Barbara will check into scheduling the May dinner meeting with Tech Birmingham on May 18 between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Maurice suggested that we meet “as a group” when attending Tech Birmingham. Barbara indicated how much she wants to keep AITP active. The speaker for April is expected to be from the Birmingham Fire Department or Maurice Myers will be the speaker. Barbara discussed the desire to continue the annual donation to a charity that usually occurs in November. We also discussed the annual scholarship to college students. The board members thought it would be appropriate to have a scholarship ready to disburse by the first of the year. A discussion of student chapters followed. There is a need to make contact with each advisor of each student chapter. Ted discussed the May membership drive where there is a $25 discount off the membership fee. Also, the $15 one time processing fee has been permanently discontinued. The meeting was adjourned by Barbara at 6:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted. Paul Stewart
AITP Region/Association	return to top
The Information Technology (AITP) National Collegiate Conference (NCC) event, Dallas March 30-April 1, was a huge success. Pre-Audited attendance was 820 with 86 colleges and Universities represented. The numbers are a little higher than the NCC Conference last year in Atlanta which is a good sign. The Robert-Half/AITP 2006 $2,500 scholarships recipients were Tim Bondurant (sophomore) attending The University of the Redlands in California and Michael Knudson (junior) attends Texas A&M University, Congratulations to each of these recipients for a job well done and a wish for future success. Please visit the National AITP web-site to get the complete details on all the contest winners. In last month’s article, I stated that our chapter is losing in all respects. The membership is not growing but is getting smaller each month, below twenty members. Barbara has been doing the job of several committees and does not appear that anyone is willing to pitch in to help with the task. If this Chapter is going to survive, it needs some help from the membership. One or two can not keep this chapter going much longer. Has anyone got any suggestion or will anyone step forward to help a sinking ship? Please, once again, I ask, each one think about what AITP (DPMA) has meant to you and let’s get the ball rolling. Please bring a new member or visitor to our Chapter meeting this month. We as a Chapter need to encourage Birmingham IT to come and find out what AITP is all about. See you at Jim N' Nicks, Tuesday April 25. Chapter Liaison

Board of Directors
	President Barbara Shook - bshook@regionsbank.com Executive Vice President Ryan Reeves -- rreeves@uspipe.com Past President Steve Romine - sromine@mdicareers.com Regional Director / Liaison Ted Hagler - ted.hagler@motion-ind.com
Publicity Maurice Myers - mmyers@amsouth.com Secretary/Treasurer John Barnhart - jbarnhart@acipco.com Student Chapter Julio Rivera -- jrivera@uab.edu Newsletter Paul Stewart -- pbs@uwa.edu	Awards Chair Gaddis Key -- gkey18@alltel.net Program Chair Andrea Simmons -- jarvischristian@aol.com Membership Attendance/Acquisitions Charlie Cook - ccook@uwa.edu

Deadline for articles submitted for the next BITPRO is the first of each month. The editor reserves the right to edit for clarity, accuracy, and length. All entries for publication should be submitted to by email.


A newsletter of the Birmingham Chapter of the Association of Information Technology Professionals