June 2020

Dear Members,

Our world might be shaken up, our routine changed, staying safe, and avoiding large gatherings which are the category our face to face events fall into so for the foreseeable future, 2020 is shaping up to be the year of the virtual.

Our mission remains the same to serve you as your go-to for continuing project management education at an affordable price. The board is taking this time to focus on our core and to return to basics to improve the quality of our chapter.

I am focused on building the leadership team for 2020 and 2021. We are still here for you as virtual smiling faces and we are connecting and available.

What’s Happening?

Check out our website calendar. Events are scheduled virtually through September. 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.

Want a certification class? New classes have been scheduled virtually for the ACP, PMP and PgMP boot camp. Exams are now scheduled virtually by PMI Global.  If you want a certification, now is the time.

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, make suggestions, or to fill a need.

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

April 2020

Dear Members,

Our world might be shaken up, our routine changed but there is one constant, to strive to be our best self.  Typically, our community service team organizes an event for us to collectively give back. While that is not possible at this time due to crowd gathering constraints, I still challenge you to serve. What can you do as a highly-skilled professional compassionate human?

I found something; our neighborhood has organized a library to share material to keep our boredom at bay. So, I encourage you to find a little something that you can do to contribute and stay positive.

What’s Happening?

Check out our calendar. Events are scheduled virtually to accommodate the national and state executive stay at home orders. You can pick morning, evening, or on-demand events to fit your schedule and to keep your PDU and education journey going without impact.

Want a certification class? New classes have been scheduled virtually for the ACP, PMP and PgMP exams to meet the application education requirements. Turn the absence of commute time into an educational opportunity.

If you do not see the event you were looking for, let us know so we can explore options.  Continue to submit surveys, they are actioned and appreciated. It is your voice and your chapter.

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

Dear Members,

PMI Global is transforming and announcing changes frequently. The Chapter is changing as a result of these changes rolling out to us as new requirements. Not all answers are known, but we continue to research, question and evaluate the information.

If I question why it remains our mission to provide education to maintain our skillset while maintaining our sense of community. The volunteer base continues to focus on relevancy for the here and now and our future.

Resources continue to be a challenge, and more are needed. The daily challenge of work, commuting across our area and keeping our balance with requests for our time remains constant.

The board has been focused on going back to basics and our core processes to improve quality to maximize our potential. Continue to call us out, question and let us know your thoughts.

What’s Happening?

Looking for PDUs? Attend a breakfast meeting, networking, educational meeting or write an article on your area of expertise.
If you do not see the event you were looking for, let us know so we can explore options. You do not have to wait for a survey, there is a suggestion box on the website and the board receives your suggestions or concern with a direct email. It is your voice and your chapter. Together we can raise the bar and stay relevant.

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

So, what does 2020 bring for the chapter…. A quality plan of action for virtual events, we recognize that we can do better with sound and streaming. We are making execution of events a priority with more robust testing and continuing to replace/improve equipment with a focus on quality of our technology platform of our aged assets. We are also building a dedicated AV team, so event logistics are improved.  There is volunteer opportunity if you have background in this area or are willing to spend time learning.

The board has been working hard to plan 2020.  Every month is planned, and specific event details will be published on the website, your go to place for information.

What’s Happening?

Looking for PDUs in January? Attend a breakfast meeting or write an article on your area of expertise.

We are still seeking local speakers for our events, so we have a broad range of topics and industries to grow our knowledge. Let us know if you want to learn more or be a part of the Speakers Bureau volunteer team.

If you do not see the event you were looking for, let us know so we can explore options.  You do not have to wait for a survey, there is a suggestion box on the website and the board receives your suggestions or concern with a direct email.  It is your voice and your chapter. Together we can raise the bar and be relevant.

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

EOY 2019
Dear Members,
As the year wraps up, it is a time for reflection. First off, let me say thank you for being members, volunteers, and partners in our Chapter, a volunteer organization and supporting the year of change, 2019.
It is the volunteers working diligently to bring you, the membership, the value you expect and have come to know from the chapter. So, what did 2019 bring for the chapter…? New technology to improve quality of events, new website functionality and a focus on the Military Outreach program to serve the Veterans in our community.
The following words are not new and in the spirit of Deming, I want to emphasize…continuous improvement is an organized approach to identifying opportunities for improvement that can help an organization meet its goals for sound financial liquidity, reducing costs, and accelerating innovation. The approach is also used to enhance the quality of a product or service, and to continue our Chapter vision and mission on education. We take this approach and will strive to improve our implementation at the organizational level. PMI Global wants our strategic goals to focus on customer value, and the members are the customer.
If you attended the All Member meeting, you saw our 2019 and 2020 goals with metrics. We will continue to reduce waste and review activities for value and lower costs, enhance customer satisfaction, and upgrade product quality with our investment resources.
The new board for 2020 is in place, they created goals and a strategy from your member survey and the PMI Global leadership direction. We will continue the continuous improvement journey next year.
Continue to submit suggestions they are actioned and appreciated. It is your voice and your chapter. Together we can raise the bar and be relevant in 2020.
Cory Smith, MBA, PMP, CSM
President
PMI Phoenix Chapter