The Association of IT Professionals AITP Charlotte Charlotte, NC

1. The Association of IT Professionals AITP CharlotteCharlotte, NC Developing the IT Leaders of Today and Tomorrow

2. The Dilemma for IT Professionals • IT keeps changing • The IT industry is constantly changing, which makes it difficult for IT professionals to stay abreast of all the changes and their potential impact on their career. • Lack of networking opportunities • Networking events allow individuals to share knowledge with one another, boost morale, and help uncover business opportunities. However, IT professionals often do not have networking opportunities that are standard for other professions. • Lack of respect • IT is a relatively new industry compared to other established professions, and its dynamic nature makes it difficult for the general public to understand what IT is really about, as well as its impact to businesses in terms of saving costs, increasing productivity and generating revenue. This lack of understanding has negatively affected the public’s perception of IT as a true profession.

3. What is AITP • Overview • The Association of IT Professionals (AITP) is comprised of career minded individuals who seek to expand their potential. The organization seeks to provide avenues for all its members to be teachers as well as students and to make contacts with other members in the IS field/IT industry to become more marketable in rapidly changing, technological careers. • AITP has been in existence for over 50 years dating back to 1951 when it started out as the National Machine Accountants Association (NMAA),which later became the Data Processing Management Association (DPMA) in 1962. The name was then changed to the Association of IT Professionals (AITP) in 1996 to keep pace with the changing needs of its members. • Mission • AITP offers opportunities for IT leadership and education through partnerships with industry, government and academia. • AITP provides quality IT related education, information on relevant IT issues and forums for networking with experienced peers and other IT professionals. • Vision • AITP will be recognized as the Information Technology professional organization of choice for providing leadership opportunities, professional development and personal growth.

4. The Role of AITP • IT Industry Insider • IT industry experts speak at AITP monthly meetings and regional conferences providing insight on the state of the IT industry and where it is going. • Networking Facilitator • AITP provides its members networking opportunities with peers via National and Chapter events, discussion forums, listservs and special interest groups (SIGs). • IT Pro Advocate • AITP is a nationally recognized professional association, which helps to elevate the status and exposure of IT professionals by promoting the accomplishments of its members, supporting IT training and education initiatives, and serving as a unifying voice for its members on issues that directly impact their livelihood.

5. Supporting IT Education • AITP Charlotte provides support to academic institutions by helping to set up and sponsor AITP student chapters. • Students and faculty can take advantage of mentoring, career development workshops and a number of other benefits designed to help motivate people to pursue a career in IT. • AITP Charlotte Student Chapters include: • Belmont Abbey College • Blue Ridge Community College • University of North Carolina - Charlotte

6. Fostering the Development of the Top 10 Skills for IT Managers • Leadership • Relationship Building • Learning • Business Acumen • International Cultures • Listening and Communicating • Mentoring • Project Management • Change Management • Producing Results

7. What Does it Mean to be Part of a Professional Association • AITP members follow a Code of Ethics, a standard that reminds us and binds us to the obligations that we hold as technology professionals. • AITP members also follow defined Standards of Conduct. These standards expand on the Code of Ethics by providing specific statements of behavior in support of each element of the Code. They are not just objectives to be strived for - they are rules that no true professional will violate. • AITP members are part of a global support community with a goal to help fellow members succeed throughout their professional careers and elevate the status of the IT professional.

8. AITP Membership Benefits • Training and education • Attend monthly chapter meetings and speak with top industry experts • Receive invitations to IT business and technical workshops/seminars • Participate in mentoring programs • Networking opportunities with peers • Attend national, regional and local chapter events • Participate in discussion forums, special interest groups (SIGs), and committees • Find and collaborate with peers that share your interests via the AITP membership directory • Professional recognition • Receive a certificate, membership card and welcome kit • Be listed in the membership directory • Receive credit for attending IT training events through an official IT training transcript verified by AITP • Access to exclusive resources • Download high quality IT white papers and articles • Leverage job tools in the AITP career center • Access the AITP members portal for the latest news, calendar of events, and special offers • Special member discounts on a variety of services • Continuing education courses • Group insurance plans and financial services • A host of other products and services from third-party companies

9. AITP Charlotte Portal

10. Who Should Join AITP • AITP membership is open to all IT professionals regardless of their specific field of study, technology focus, or stage of their career. • The focus of AITP presentations and resources is more on the management and business impact of IT, as opposed to the “nuts and bolts” of a particular technology. We highly encourage IT professionals that want to view more technical presentations to also join an IT Pro User Group, such as the Carolina IT Professionals User Group (CITPG) – www.carolinait.org. • People that should consider joining AITP include: • IT professionals (e.g. systems analysts, business analysts, integrators, technicians, administrators, and developers) • IT educators (e.g. teachers, professors, and trainers) • IT managers, directors and project managers • Chief Information Officers

11. How to Join • Go to https://www.aitp.org/join/profapp.jsp?c=71 to complete a membership application online • Annual Professional Association Dues: $ 155.00 • Annual Students Dues: $35.00 • Contributions or gifts to theAssociation of Information Technology Professionals (AITP dues)are not tax deductible as charitable contributions. However, theymay be tax deductible as ordinary and necessary business expenses.

12. Corporate Sponsorship • AITP Charlotte highly encourages the participation of businesses in the support of their IT staff through its Corporate Sponsorship Program (CSP). • Through the CSP, a company can sign up to be an official sponsor of AITP Charlotte, which entitles it to a number of benefits including: • Being listed on the AITP Charlotte website as a corporate sponsor • Advertising in the AITP Charlotte monthly newsletter • Speaking opportunities at monthly chapter meetings • A table at monthly chapter meetings to promote products and services • Free annual membership for IT staff (# depends on the sponsorship level)

13. Corporate Sponsorship Levels

14. Help Elevate the Statusof the IT Profession Join the Association of IT Professionals (AITP) today! www.aitpcharlotte.com

15. Contact Information • Larry Bumgardner • President, AITP Charlotte • Larry.Bumgardner@aitpcharlotte.com • Ron Gandiza • Executive Vice President, AITP Charlotte • Ron.Gandiza@aitpcharlotte.com For more information, please visit us on the web at www.aitpcharlotte.com