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Letter from the Board Chair

My Term as Chair ended yesterday, 12/31/22, and I will move to the role of past Chair for the next year and will still be on the board in that capacity. It has been a difficult tenure as president and different from what I thought I would be doing when I ran for office. We navigated the pandemic well and have emerged as a more vital organization. I am proud of the team that worked hard to maintain the chapter during the pandemic and all we accomplished.
The board has been jam-packed with activity in December, and we attended the PMI Global Summit as a team with many volunteers and chapter members. We have five new board members, so we have spent a lot of time training and working on a strategy for next year. We have a fully staffed board for the first time in two years, and I am excited to see what this team can do. I recognize our departing board members, Cory Smith, and Chris Gentry, for their contributions to the chapter over the last few years. Stephanie Hanko will take over the chair position for 2023, and I look forward to her leadership. Also joining the board are newly elected board members Milan Dordevic, Derick Brownell, Cynthia Ford, Danielle Lee, Jen Lang, and Pitch Balasubramanian.
As always, we are looking for new volunteers. We welcome you if you have a passion for project management and want to make a difference in the profession and your community. If you are interested, you can apply here: https://pmiphx.org/volunteer-opportunities. Stay tuned for more information from the chapter on new initiatives and upcoming events in 2023. I hope to see you at an event in the new year.

Judging for Hamilton Invitational Science & Engineering Fair 

ummary:

HISEF is the traditional science fair and is one part of the overall Chandler Innovation Fair. Judging will be conducted remotely. The Chandler Innovation Fair will be held on February 25th 2023 from 10 am- 3pm. The students who were selected as winners at HISEF will be given their award on this day.

When: February, 11, 2023 6:00AM - 11:45PM

Where: Virtual, https://www.cusd80.com/Page/97890, Chandler, AZ, 85224

Details: Hamilton Invitational Science and Engineering Fair (HISEF) is looking for volunteers to judge the elementary, junior, and senior divisions. The fair will be held virtually using the zFairs platform. The judging window is from February 11-19 and will be completed virtually as well.

Signup logistics: PMI Phoenix is requesting judges to assist with the science fair.  Judging is done virtually and all judges are provided with the appropriate judging information. 

  • Volunteers will be able to choose which division and categories they feel most comfortable with. If you are interested in helping please fill out this google form. https://forms.gle/6T4TYSk28ENxqUWKA
  • List PMI Phoenix as the organization that you are representing.
  • Send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to let him know that you are participating in this endeavor.
  • Please track the hours that you spend performing your feedback responsibilities.
  • If you do have questions regarding this, please contact Shannon Prince, CIF Coordinator/7-12 Academic Coach, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 480-224-3710

PMI Phoenix Academic Outreach is continually looking for ways to give back to our community.  This is an opportunity where we can provide educational mentoring and assistance to students so that they can get feedback from project management professionals.

 
CIF is a joint venture between the Chandler Unified School District and the City of Chandler. There were an estimated 5,500 attendees last year more are expected this year.

Volunteer Spotlight - Ken Goebel

Ken had been a Global PMI member for the past 10 years but decided to join the Phoenix PMI Chapter 2 years ago in January 2021. He joined the Mentorship team as a mentor and the Social Good team. When asked what prompted his role in volunteering, he shared that he "spoke to our chapter leadership team and felt that it was a good time to give back and with their guidance, joined both teams."
 
In October of 2020, after retiring, for the second time, I was looking to give  back to my two professional passions, STEM and Project/Program Management.  I experience great satisfaction in seeing young students, Engineers and Project Managers, who are early in their careers, learn new skills and advance their potential.  It was my time to give back to the communities and professions that provided me great opportunities during my 44-year long career.   
 
Over his career he volunteered in very diverse in capacity, with many organizations. These included, youth groups at church, marriage preparation dialog leadership, YMCA/YWCA Swim Team Official and Board Member, USA Swimming Official, International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers, PMI-Chapters, St. Joseph’s Providence Hospital Volunteer Coordinator, Organizations dedicated to Bicycle Safety and Triathlons, HOA Treasurer and Board Member.
 
When asked what has been rewarding about your volunteer service he elaborated that "I was raised by two wonderful parents who taught us all to give back to society, in the fields about which we are passionate and put our God Given talents to good use.  They set a great example, and we have followed in their footsteps.  My biggest lesson from volunteering can be summed up in saying, the volunteer receives as much, if not more, than those we serve.  I can say, with confidence, that through service to others, I have learned valuable life lessons, which carry forward in all that I do. Volunteer service to benefit others, has been highly rewarding.
 
If you are considering volunteering, Ken feels that you should "just do it, get involved.  Become a volunteer, either at PMI Global or our Phoenix Chapter. You will dive in, learn much about yourself, your profession and enjoy the process of giving back." 

Ken Goebel has always been a Strong believer in Servant Leadership.  If you want to advance your career, first learn to serve the team and others.  In the right organization, this will be valued and appreciated.  “The first and most important choice a leader makes is the choice to serve, without which one’s capacity to lead is severely limited.”  -  Robert Greenleaf

 

IPM Day Online

 

$89 Registration also includes access to:

·    5 other keynote videos including topics on Brain Health, Perception and Communication, and a must see NASA panel on Knowledge Management.

·    18 + other fantastic video presentations

·    2 complimentary on-demand courses (Instructions are in the "Resources" area)

·    Earn up to 26 PDUs and 26 SEUs

·    On-Demand access through February 2, 2023

Pricing:

 

Price: $89 per person

If you cannot make Dec. 15, it will be recorded, and you can access all of this amazing content at your own convenience through Feb. 2, 2023.

 

 

You may qualify for a discount:

 

Check if you are eligible for a corporate, government, healthcare, non-profit, or

education discount.

 

Unable to view or access links? copy and paste these links in your browser, or try viewing off of your corporate network/VPN. Firewall settings may be blocking these pages.

 

Do I qualify for a discount? 

https://form.jotform.com/IILGlobal/ipm-day-discount-eligibility

 

Learn more and register:

https://www.learning-center.iil.com/courses/international-project-management-day-2022-8143

 

Submit a question for Pierre:

https://form.jotform.com/IILGlobal/clone-of-questions-for-pierre-le-ma

 

Curious?  Please contact me This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.to learn more or to request group rates for your team. I hope to see you online. 

 

Supporting Special Forces Green Berets Dinner

Special Forces Charitable Trust is excited to extend an invitation to PMI Phoenix Chapter members to the Bellator Heavyweight Champion Ryan Bader's Words with Warriors Event.    This evening is an excellent opportunity to connect with local professionals while supporting Special Forces Green Berets and their families. Kick off the holiday season with a warm heart, full belly, and get your picture with our tactical Santa early! Come donned in your best (and maybe tacky) Christmas gear and get to celebrating the best time of year.

                Event Date:  December 1, 2022 at 6:00 pm

                Tickets available at:  https://www.classy.org/event/baders-words-with-warriors/e439051

For more information on Special Forces Charitable Trust, click the link below:

https://www.specialforcescharitabletrust.org

Judging Opportunities for First Lego League (4th – 8th grade)

First Lego League is looking for judges to participate in the upcoming tournaments. The focus this year is “Superpowered: Explore where energy comes from and how it is distributed, stored, and used to work to innovate for a better energy future”. PMI Phoenix Academic Outreach is continually looking for ways to give back to our community. This is an opportunity where we can provide educational mentoring and assistance to students so that they can get feedback from project management professionals.

Judge Responsibilities

As an Innovation Project judge, you will interview FLL teams (made up of 4th to 8th graders) and assess their process and documentation for developing a project solution.
Teams will:

  • identify and research a problem related to improving the energy journey (where energy comes from and how it is distributed, stored and used)
  • design a new solution or improve an existing one based on their selected idea, brainstorming and plan,
  • create a model, drawing or prototype of their project solution,
  • test and iterate their solution by sharing with others and making improvements based on feedback

Before teams leave the room, judges also serve as mentors to provide feedback to the team by communicating team strengths and areas that can be improved.
Interested participants also need to complete the required youth protection background screening. In the event selection, there are several FLL tournaments to choose from. The specific tournaments needing volunteer judges are:

  • 12/3 “Robotics Is For Everyone” at Chandler High School, 350 N. Arizona Avenue
  • 12/10 at Metro Tech High School, 1900 W. Thomas Road
  • 12/10 at Red Mountain High School, 7301 E. Brown Road
  • 12/17 at Mesa Academy for Advanced Studies, 6919 E. Brown Road

Logistics

Volunteers should sign up via the link: https://www.firstinspires.org/ways-to-help/volunteer/how-to-register?hsCtaTracking=4ed829f0-bfa9-4ba8-ad1a-7e3a471f7471%7C921f31dd-192e-466f-935c-1a284382f43b

  • Please note all judges and volunteers will need an account and acknowledge privacy and youth protection screening.
  • Reference the “Volunteer Registration User Guide” available on the site.
  • Send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to let him know that you are participating in this endeavor.
  • Track the hours that you spend performing your feedback responsibilities.
  • Feel free to contact Nancy Okabe, Arizona Regional Judge Advisor (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) with any questions.