Business Professionals of America

Business Professionals of America (BPA) is a career and technical student organization that is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. BPA aims to develop leadership, academic, and technological skills in the workplace among students and leaders within the community. BPA's colors are navy blue, tan, and red.[1]

Business Professionals of America
MottoGiving Purpose to Potential
Formation1966 (1966)
TypeYouth organization
Legal statusIntra-Curricular Non-profit organization
HeadquartersColumbus, Ohio
Region served
United States
Membership
Over 45,000 (More than 2,300 chapters) in 23 States and Puerto Rico
National Presidents
Ryan Nkongnyu (Secondary National President) and Sophia Pearson (Post-secondary National President)
Staff
9
Websitehttp://www.bpa.org
Formerly called

Officers

Every Business Professionals of America chapter has presiding officers for the national organization, state associations, and local chapters. They all share and carry out similar tasks at all levels.[2]

  • President - Ryan Nkongnyu (Delaware)
  • Vice President - Ashley Lin (National Virtual Chapter)
  • Secretary - Elijah Sorensen (Idaho)
  • Treasurer - Rhyan Goodman (Ohio)
  • Historian - Jayla Neal (Ohio)
  • Parliamentarian - Robert Skrzypek (Florida)

National State Officer Leadership Team, Post-secondary Division (2020–2021)

  • President - Sophia Pearson (National Virtual Chapter)
  • Vice President - John Lucas Guimaraes (Massachusetts)
  • Secretary/Treasurer - Kyle Bennett (Florida)
  • Parliamentarian - Vacant

Types of awards

BPA rewards members in three categories:

  • Competitive Events: Members are rewarded for high placement in competitive events using the Workplace Skills Assessment Program (WSAP), preparing students for success in the business world by developing skills in areas such as finance, IT, and computer applications.[3]
  • BPA Cares Awards: Members can apply or nominate others for awards in the areas of Service Learning, Special Recognition, and Professional Awards.[4]
  • Torch Awards: Members are rewarded for excellence in seven categories such as "Patriotism," "Leadership," "Love, Hope, and Faith," "Knowledge," "Cooperation," and "Friendship".[5]

Leadership conferences

There are several levels of competition held at conferences and competition advancement is sought at each level in events referred to in the awards section.

  • Regional Leadership Conference (RLC) or District Leadership Conference (DLC)
  • State Leadership Conference (SLC)
  • National Leadership Conference (NLC)

Many regions, districts, or states opt to also arrange Fall Leadership Conferences in which there is no competition. These conferences are usually less formal than at RLC/DLC, SLC, and NLC instead often focusing on workshops over areas such as social media etiquette, proper professional dress, public speaking, etc.[6]

National Leadership Conference

Every year BPA hosts a National Leadership Conference (NLC) with nearly 6,000 students from across the nation. At NLC, students compete in over 71 competitive events with students from across the United States. BPA will host the 2021 NLC on May 5-9th in Orlando, Florida [7]

Coronavirus' Impact on the 2020 National Leadership Conference

On March 13, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the BPA Board of Trustees had decided to cancel the 2020 National Leadership Conference. It was scheduled to be on May 6–10 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center located in Washington, DC [8]

Past National Leadership Conference Locations

Year Location Dates
1967 Green Lake, Wisconsin
1968 Des Moines, Iowa
1969 Kansas City, Missouri
1970 Fort Worth, Texas
1971 Indianapolis, Indiana
1972 Columbus, Ohio
1973 Albuquerque, New Mexico
1974 Minneapolis, Minnesota
1975 Chicago, Illinois
1976 Topeka, Kansas
1977 Houston, Texas
1978 Detroit, Michigan
1979 Cincinnati, Ohio
1980 Minneapolis, Minnesota
1981 San Antonio, Texas (Secondary)
Corpus Christi, Texas (Post-Secondary)
1982 Nashville, Tennessee
1983 Chicago, Illinois (Secondary)
Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Post-Secondary)
1984 Indianapolis, Indiana
1985 Houston, Texas
1986 Columbus, Ohio
1987 Des Moines, Iowa
1988 Louisville, Kentucky
1989 Dallas, Texas
1990 Minneapolis, Minnesota
1991 Orlando, Florida
1992 Cincinnati, Ohio
1993 San Antonio, Texas
1994 San Francisco, California
1995 Nashville, Tennessee
1996 Phoenix, Arizona
1997 Orlando, Florida
1998 San Antonio, Texas
1999 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2000 Minneapolis, Minnesota
2001 Anaheim, California
2002 Chicago, Illinois
2003 Dallas, Texas
2004 Cincinnati, Ohio
2005 Anaheim, California
2006 Orlando, Florida May 10–14
2007 New York City, New York May 9–13
2008 Reno, Nevada May 7–11
2009 Dallas, Texas May 6–10
2010 Anaheim, California May 5–9
2011 Washington, DC May 4–8
2012 Chicago, Illinois April 25–29
2013 Orlando, Florida May 8–12
2014 Indianapolis, Indiana April 30 - May 4
2015 Anaheim, California May 6–10
2016 Boston, Massachusetts May 5–9
2017 Orlando, Florida May 10–14
2018 Dallas, Texas May 9–13
2019 Anaheim, California May 1–5
2020 Washington, DC Cancelled (Formerly May 6–10)

Future National Leadership Conference Locations

Year Location Dates
2021 Orlando, Florida May 5–9
2022 Dallas, Texas May 4–8
2023 Anaheim, California April 26–30
2024 Chicago, Illinois April 25–29
2025 Orlando, Florida May 7–11
2026 Nashville, Tennessee May 6–10

[9]

History

Business Professionals of America was formed in 1966 as the Office Education Association (OEA).[10]

Year Event
1963 Vocational Education Act was passed. The need for a student organization for students enrolled in career/technical office/business programs was recognized.
1964 American Vocational Association conducted a study of 43 states indicating that 67% of the state vocational education supervisors wanted a career/technical youth group for students in office/business programs.
1965 Another study confirms the ’64 study findings; State supervisors meet to develop guidelines.
1966 In July, the Vocational Office Education Clubs of America (VOECA) was formed by the states of Iowa, Kansas, and Wisconsin. In August, VOECA convened a meeting of youth group representatives to decide the most effective means to implement the office occupations youth group. After intensive effort, articles of incorporation were filed for the Office Education Association (OEA). The first three states to affiliate were Iowa, Kansas, and Wisconsin.
1971 A national office was established for the Office Education Association in Columbus, Ohio, and the Board of Trustees approved the Alumni Division.
1973 The first full-time Executive Director of OEA was employed.
1982 The present National Center at 5454 Cleveland Avenue, Columbus, Ohio was purchased.
1983 Dedication ceremonies for the new National Center were conducted in July.
1984 Board of Trustees commissioned the Market One firm of Columbus, Ohio to do a marketing study of the OEA. The resulting long-range marketing plan recommended reform of the national image of the OEA.
1988 Image reform recommendations of the marketing study were implemented—the OEA became Business Professionals of America.
1992 The National Center is paid off and the mortgage is burned in a ceremony at the National Leadership Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio.
1998-2002 Delaware, Florida, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas pilot a New BPA Middle Level program.
2002 The Middle Level Program was approved by the Board of Trustees.
2003 The Middle Level Program was approved by BPA Corporate. The BPA Middle Level Division is born.
2004 Middle Level Division members participate in the National Leadership Conference.
2006 BPA celebrates its 40th birthday.
2009 The first rescheduling of a National Leadership Conference was in Dallas, Texas. This rescheduling was due to the H1N1 Influenza.
2010 The BPA pledge is changed from “We are met in a spirit of friendship and goodwill as we prepare for productive lives in business and office careers...” to "We are met in a spirit of friendship and goodwill as we prepare for careers in a world-class workforce...”
2012 First Walk for Special Olympics held at the 2012 National Leadership Conference in Chicago, IL.
2013 National virtual competitions introduced online.
2015 First BPA Day of Service held at the 2015 National Leadership Conference in Anaheim, CA. Over 3,800 service activities were completed during this event.
2016 BPA Celebrates five decades of student achievement with its 50-Year Anniversary in Boston, MA.
2017 The 2017-2018 National Officer Team created BPA United, a project and donation system that provided support to those members that were in regions devastated by major hurricanes.
2018 During the 2018 NLC in Dallas, the National Showcase Business Panel is officially adopted featuring a Q&A session with high-profile business partners, including Google, Hewlett-Packard, Social Assurity and Precision Exams.
2019 BPA Unveils New Logo: This is the first major brand refresh for BPA in over 30 years and helps guide the organization into the 21st century. The updates include a new logo, tagline, design approach and brand colors. The new elements will be present on the BPA website, social media channels, communications and marketing.
2020 Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, BPA had cancelled the 2020 National Leadership Conference, which would have taken place in Washington, DC. This was the first time in BPA's history that the National Leadership Conference had been cancelled.
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References

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