Blog

Letter from the President

It’s October and the temperatures are finally starting to fall. This is typically one of my favorite months of the year. I look forward to spending more time outside and enjoying the weather that everyone to the north of us will envy come winter.

What’s happening this month.

  • We have two webinars planned on October 7th and 14th. Please check the chapter calendar and reserve your spot. These webinars are free to members and are worth 1 PDU each.
  • Our last study group of the year is underway and is full of approximately 45 aspiring PMP/CAPM applicants.
  • We have two ProjectMasters Toastmasters meetings that happen every other Tuesday.
  • We also have a partner event with IIBA on Oct. 13th on “Cybersecurity – Who needs it?”
  • PMI has a Virtual Experience Event planned for October 20th.
  • We have a Breakfast Meeting with speaker Barbara Chatzkel on “Managing Remote Teams” on October 30th.

What’s coming up.

We are busy planning for November which is Project Management Month. Typically, we do a week, but we have so many great events packed into November we decided to expand it. We have partnered with Arizona Agile for their conference and training sessions on November 3 – 13. We also have an all-member meeting planned for November 18th with a special guest speaker J. Scott, CEO of 120 VC on “Servant Leadership that Get’s Sh*t Done”.

The chapter is also busy planning for next year. We have an all-member survey that will go out on October 15. Please take the time to complete it and provide us feedback on what you would like to see the chapter doing next year.

We also are always looking for volunteers.  This chapter is run by volunteers and the ability to present programs is based on the number of people we have available to do that.  If you have the time and want to give back to the profession and earn some PDU’s then please fill out an application on the chapter website.

A few members have asked about when we will hold in-person meetings. This is being evaluated on a month by month basis by the chapter. We want to get back to the way things were just as bad as you do but we are non-essential and can meet remotely with relative ease and will continue to do so until it is safe and reasonable to meet in person.

Shane Cretacci, PMP
President
PMI Phoenix Chapter

Letter from the President

Dear Members,

This is my first letter to you in the role of President. It’s a little earlier than expected as I was not due to assume this role until the end of the year. Cory has elected to step out of the role early to focus on some health issues. Cory will move to the role of past president and will still be engaged with the chapter. Cory has been an asset to the chapter for many years and I will continue to rely on her for counsel.

We are continuing to offer remote classes and webinars to the chapter membership. I hope you have been able to take advantage of a few. If not, then you can always view the recordings on the website if you find yourself needing some additional PDU’s or just are looking to brush up on a specific topic.

I have talked to quite a few members over the last few months that didn’t realize they had not renewed their chapter membership. If you had to renew this year your membership may not have auto-renewed. PMI recently upgraded to a new E-Commerce platform and I understand that it is fixed moving forward but you may want to check your membership status at https://my.pmi.org/ to ensure that your membership is current. We have an article on this topic on the website.

We have some great events planned this month.  

  • PMI’s Virtual Experience series is free to members on September 9th with an opportunity to earn 10.5 PDU’s.
  • Ted@PMI has a two-day event planned for 9/25 and 9/26.
  • Kim Essendrup with the Kolme Group is presenting a webinar on “How Much Does a PPM Tool Cost?” on September 16th.   
  • We have our final Study Group for the year starting on September 12th. We have a few seats left open but I expect those to be filled this week.  
  • We wrap up the month with a special multichapter event with 8 global chapters with a panel book club covering 3 books on Digital Transformation on 9/25.

We also just completed the 2020 Board election. Congratulations to the new and returning board members heading into 2021. Congratulations to the following four newly elected board members:

  • Deniese Reinhardt, Vice-President of External Relations
  • Joseph Brewer, Vice-President of Technology
  • Christopher Gentry, Vice-President of Programs
  • Eileen Marin, Vice-President of Virtual Locations

Deniese and Joseph are already serving in their roles. Christopher and Eileen are new to the board and will start their transition this year.

The PMI Phoenix Chapter is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to giving back to the profession and our community. If you have time to offer even a couple of hours a month, please reach out and fill out a volunteer application.

Shane Cretacci

President

PMI Phoenix Chapter

Board Election Results 2020

Board of Directors 2020 Elections Results:

Participation of 6.4%, 152 of 2,393 eligible members voted

 

Exiting Board Members: Thank you for your service!

Mary Ryan, Vice-President of Virtual Locations 

 

Proud to announce our recently elected Board members:

Deniese Reinhardt, Vice-President of External Relations

Joseph Brewer, Vice-President of Technology

Christopher Gentry, Vice-President of Programs

Eileen Marin, Vice-President of Virtual Locations

 

Have YOU considered a Board position?

Next year we are seeking board members for the following positions:

Vice-President of Professional Development, 2 year term

Vice-President of Finance/Treasurer, 2 year term

Vice-President of Membership, 2 year term

Vice-President of Operations, 2 year term

Vice-President Marketing, 2 year term

Nominations open May 2021!

Chapter Membership Auto Renewal Changes

 

  • Similar to a PMI Membership, when you complete a Chapter Membership purchase, your Chapter Membership will now be automatically opted-in for auto
  • If you are a current PMI Member (and enrolled in auto-renew), and you complete a purchase for a new Chapter Membership, then the Chapter Membership will automatically be enrolled in auto
  • Your Chapter Membership will move onto the same cycle as your existing PMI Membership renewal
  • If you wish to opt-out of the Chapter auto-renewal post-purchase, you must opt-out in your myPMI Please be advised that opting out of Chapter Membership auto-renew will cancel auto-renew for Chapter Membership only.
  • Opting out of auto-renew for PMI Membership will cancel auto-renew for both your Chapter Membership and PMI
  • Please note that Student and Retiree PMI Memberships require manual renewal. Auto-renew is not an
  • If you opt-out of auto-renew for your PMI Membership and later return to renew manually, the system should NOT automatically opt you in for auto-renew going forward. You will not be required to save your payment details to complete
  • Existing Chapter Memberships and PMI Memberships will continue to auto-renew in USD only (until December 2020).

Chapter Membership Auto-Renewal FAQs

  • Am I able to complete a purchase without opting in for auto-renew? No, you may not complete your purchase without opting in. If you wish to opt-out of the auto-renew, you may do so in your myPMI profile after
  • Am I able to opt-out of the auto-renew after purchase? Yes, you may opt-out at any point after your purchase is complete. You can navigate to your myPMI profile and cancel the auto-renew for both Chapter and PMI
  • Can I opt-out of Chapter Membership auto-renewal but stay opted in for PMI Membership auto-renewal? Yes, in your myPMI profile you can cancel auto-renew for Chapter and keep PMI Membership auto-renew. However, if you opt-out of PMI Membership auto-renew, it will automatically opt you out of Chapter Membership auto

Chapter Membership Purchase Restrictions

To prevent a customer from buying a Chapter Membership twice or purchasing a Chapter Membership for an undesired short duration, there are new rules to restrict Chapter Membership purchases and improve the Chapter Membership experience.

  • When you attempt to purchase or renew a Chapter Membership you will be restricted from purchasing/renewing a Chapter Membership if you do not hold an active PMI Membership and/or do not have a Membership product in your
  • If you are a PMI Member who is eligible for renewal (i.e. in the last 3 months of your current membership), you must have a PMI Membership renewal product in the Cart in order to purchase any Chapter
  • If you purchase a Chapter Membership after purchasing a PMI Membership, its renewal cycle will automatically align to the PMI Membership auto-renewal

Chapter Membership Purchase Restrictions FAQs

  • I already am a member of Chapter Why am I not able to purchase a Chapter Membership for Chapter B? In order to purchase a Chapter Membership, you must be a PMI Member concurrently. If you are within the renewal period for your PMI Membership, which is the last 3 months of the term, you need to renew your PMI Membership or have a PMI Membership product in the Cart to be able to purchase a new Chapter Membership.
  • Why am I being prevented from renewing my Chapter Membership? It may be too early to renew your Chapter Membership. The renewal period for your Chapter Membership is during the last 3 months of the membership term. If this is the case, since you are a current member of the Chapter, you may not renew the Chapter Membership until your eligible renewal
  • Why did I lose the contents of the Cart when I removed a PMI Membership product? If your Cart had both a PMI Membership and a Chapter Membership and you removed the PMI Membership, your Cart may have cleared if you are in the renewal period for your PMI Membership (i.e. within the last 3 months) and are thus not eligible to purchase a Chapter Membership unless you also have a PMI Membership renewal product in your

August 2020 Letter from the President

August 2020

Dear Members,

The chapter is still providing continued education with certification courses, PMP study groups, webinars, and career services. We remain here for you to provide membership support for economic hardship, transitioning military veterans, and mentoring for career growth.  

Do you have an idea that you want to be supported by the chapter or if you are leading a community service event that would be successful with more helping hands, let us know. There is strength in numbers.

If you have questions, need assistance, or have a suggestion that you want the chapter to hear, we are here to assist. We are here to serve.

What’s Happening?

The board met for a strategy refresh to discuss our 2020 goals and to see what else we can do during COVID, in the 4th quarter. We incorporated your feedback to freshen up our planning.

Check out our website calendar. Events are scheduled virtually. You should be receiving a weekly calendar of events bulletin. You can pick morning, evening, or on-demand events to fit your schedule and to keep your PDU and education journey going without impact.

If you up for a credential renewal don’t let it lapse. The chapter virtual PDU event library is growing and free to members. Grab the talent triangle class you need to renew.

Want a certification class? Check out our calendar.  We have a Disciplined Agile instructor in our region along with other REPs and ATP providers who are offering virtual instruction. Now is a perfect time to complete a personal or employer goal while you are staying cool inside.

As always, if you do not see the event you were looking for, let us know so we can explore options.  If you need assistance or have a question, reach out to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We are reachable through this service to solve problems, take suggestions, or to fill a need.

Stay safe, engage your voice so we can hear you in our virtual world, our current reality.

Cory Smith, MBA, PMP, CSM
President
PMI Phoenix Chapter

2020 Phoenix Chapter Board of Directors Candidates

Below outlines the candidates for the upcoming 2020 Board of Directors election for the Phoenix Chapter.  The election begins on August 1, 2020. These candidates, if elected, will serve as Board members starting in 2021 through 2022. Details of roles & responsibilities can be found here in the Board of Directors Roles and Responsibilities document. 

 

Candidate for VP of External Relations

7a2b5f7f 87af 461e 96b9 54b77f12eea2

Deniese Reinhardt - Deniese earned a B.S. Degree in Accounting from Brescia University, and continued her studies by pursuing Masters level courses at Ball State University. She obtained her PMP in 2005 and holds an ITIL V3 certificate and an Executive Leadership certificate from Cornell University.

Deniese has spent most of her career in IT project management, working on projects in Healthcare and Fortune 500 Enterprises. She has won numerous awards for Project Management Excellence and leadership at these companies and currently works as a Lead Project Manager delivering IT projects within a PMO for a Public Utility.

Deniese has been actively involved with the PMI Phoenix board since 2019. She began volunteering for PMI in Jan 2015, and she took over the AVP Corporate Relations in 2018. She currently serves as the VP of External Relations.

Deniese hopes to bring her passion and broad expertise in project and program management, including Agile methodology to the board. She is also passionate about Animal Welfare and Environmental Health. She loves learning, volunteering, and making a difference. She wants to ensure PMI continues to be a leading source of career and project management guidance.

 

Candidate for VP of Technology

e31529b5 6f11 4076 9d11 f579ec330d14

Joseph Brewer - Joseph has a rich 30-year history in Technology and Project Management.  He holds an MBA from George Fox University, and dual B.S. degrees in Project Management and Leadership & Organizational Design.  

He presently works as a Sr. Business Consultant for a company supporting Infrastructure and IT projects for a Global Company with teams in the US, London, Dubai, India and Asia.  

He brings extensive technical resource knowledge to the chapter including video conferencing, streaming, Office365 management, and more.  In his free time, you can find Joseph usually doing something with his two children and wife, or fulfilling this extensive travel bug and bucket list Internationally.

 

Candidates for VP of Programs

ded129c4 ed1c 42a3 a803 3dad2df9b11a

Christopher Gentry - Christopher is a career, 14-year project program management professional, and PMP instructor. Over his career, Christopher has been a multi-industry senior project manager, senior program manager, PMO creator and leader, and consultant for top 500 fortune companies and governmental agencies. 

He brings a wealth of program knowledge coming from PMI Austin, where he served a term as Director of Programs. 

Christopher is currently pursuing a Doctor of Business Administration in Project Management from Northcentral University. He plans to continue to teach and educate the next generation of project managers combining his academic and professional accolades in the classroom.

4307c4cd bbc0 4983 905d 8784869b7a6a

Ejiro (EJ) Obayomi - Ejiro Obayomi (EJ), is an experienced Enterprise Project Manager who is skilled in directing the flawless delivery of large-scale enterprise solutions while providing stellar leadership in leading teams and expediting technology-based products to a diverse client base.

EJ has over 10 years of experience in the healthcare industry both as a direct patient care clinician and a project manager. EJ has been strategic in the successful implementation of several organizational systems and ambulatory clinic builds at HonorHealth.

With a Master of Science Degree in Healthcare Informatics, EJ is also a Project Management Professional (PMP), a Certified Professional in Health Information Management Systems (CPHIMS), and a Certified Scrum Master (CSM). Over the course of her career, EJ has been able to use her expertise in project management to help small to medium size companies establish a project management framework.

EJ’s passion for project management and dedication to excellence drives her to consistently deliver unmatched value to all her customers and clients.

 

Candidates for VP of Virtual Locations

b355369f 6130 4119 929a 330d8298019b

Eileen Marin - Eileen is a New York native, hailing from wonderful Brooklyn, NY. It will be 10 years this October that she has lived here in Arizona. Eileen graduated from Fordham University with a Bachelor's in Information Systems. 

Prior to moving to Arizona, she held a position with a company where she worked for almost 10 years; with the last five years being a Director of Client Services. Eileen has been a Phoenix Chapter member since 2017. Eileen obtained her PMP certification in 2018. She currently holds the position of Senior Project Manager at a company where she has been for the last nine years. 

Off hours, Eileen spends time with her family. She has a 5-year-old little boy and they conduct dinosaur experiments almost daily. These experiments really consist of digging up the backyard and sandbox. Eileen also loves to cook and bake and her son is her Sous Chef in the kitchen. She makes sure he knows how to be independent. 

Eileen loves working with people and believes this position will allow her to help be a voice for the members as well as participate in the Chapter's future goals. She is grateful to be nominated for the VP of Virtual Locations position.