Dr. Donald French of Beltsville, Maryland died suddenly from  medical complications last month.  He was the Executive Director of the National Black Data Processing Associates (NBDPA), a premier membership and training organization in the Information Technology Industry. Dr. French was responsible for the daily operation of the organization's national headquarters in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area, and worked diligently to delivering IT excellence to the organization's members and strategic partners while keeping it focused on being at the forefront of the IT industry. He was very instrumental in launching the organization's Oracle Scholars Program.

A native of California, Dr. French received his Bachelors and Masters in Public Administration from Golden Gate University, in San Francisco. He received his Ph.D. in Business Administration from Suffield University, Idaho.

Dr. French previously served in the for-profit industry for several years as a Company Controller and Corporate Treasurer. For the past twenty years, Dr. French has served in the non-profit industry, most recently, over the previous eight years as the Chief Administrative Officer of Progressive Life Center and the Chief Operating Officer of Family and Child Services, of Washington, D.C. In previous stints, Dr. French has served in Executive capacities for United Cerebral Palsy, Easter Seals, and International Technology, Inc.   Services for Dr. French were privately held in California.