D.C. Tech Community?and H.O.P.E. Project Alumni Mourn the Loss of Michael C. Smith, Legendary I.T. Coach and Mentor

WASHINGTON—Homegoing services for Michael Craig Smith were held Saturday, July 17th, 2021 in Clinton, Maryland. "Coach" or "Smitty" is legendary across the National Capital Region's tech-inclusion, cyber workforce, and community development initiatives.?Nearly 1,000 students he trained and mentored eventually launched exciting new I.T. careers while earning CompTIA ITF+, A+, Network+, Security+, or Microsoft MTA certifications.

Mr. Smith was born in Tampa, Florida. He attended and played varsity baseball at Coffee High School in Douglas, Georgia.?He enlisted in the United States Army after graduation and successfully attained the rank of Sergeant First Class with numerous awards and commendations. After his U.S. Army retirement, Mr. Smith continued his Information Technology (I.T.) career with Lockheed Martin. In 2010, Mr. Smith met Mr. Raymond Bell, Founder, H.O.P.E. Project, where Mr. Smith continued to follow his passion initially as a volunteer coach, mentor, and IT Instructor. In 2016, Mr. Smith received the President’s Community and Technology Award from National BDPA's Greater Washington, D.C. Chapter (BDPA-DC).

(L-R) Raymond Bell, Jr., H.O.P.E. Project Founder, with Dean Cook, Michael "Coach" Smith, and David Reid.

BDPA and D.C. Tech communities share our deepest sympathies and prayers with the Smith Family and we thank Mr. Smith for his service to our country and selfless community dedication toward "Helping Other People Excel" (H.O.P.E.) and "helping other people eat."

#WeLoveMrSmitty!

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About H.O.P.E. Project D.C. | https://www.hopeprojectonline.com

The H.O.P.E. Project ("Helping Other People Excel") is an information technology (I.T.) training program dedicated to providing technical training and development for young adults. H.O.P.E.'s I.T. training programs are designed to prepare students for entry-level positions as helpdesk and application support professionals. The H.O.P.E. Project's mission is to empower young adults to reach their potential by providing a comprehensive information technology training program, uniquely designed for students out of high school or returning citizens at least 18 years of age. The H.O.P.E. Project offers these services in professional, diverse, and caring environments. H.O.P.E. helps many, or one by one, through dynamic programming responsive to industry and economic development needs of local communities. The H.O.P.E. Project is committed to helping young adults to regain hope by offering pathways directly to technical career opportunities through I.T. training.

About BDPA | https://bdpa.org

Founded in 1975 and formerly known as "Black Data Processing Associates," BDPA is an international and professional trade organization with a very diverse membership of professionals and students at all levels in the fields of information technology (I.T.), computer science, cyber, data science, and related STEM fields. Members are actively engaged in serving local communities through outreach programs and HBCU/MSI engagements while charting futures of information and communications technology (ICT) industries.