Many of you may already know Frank Balogh, PMP since he has served PMI since the early 2000s. For those who do not, let me introduce you to our Mentoring Program Director, the June Volunteer of the Month.

Frank’s journey started when the chapter developed and facilitated our PMP boot camp, and these materials were part of the foundation of what we know of as the Study Group today. From the beginning, he was a volunteer PMP test prep instructor, academic outreach resource, and presenter on project management trends and professional development. His passion was mentoring and sharing his knowledge.

His volunteer journey initially began by accident – “I was at a company where no manager was a PMP, and a new CTO came in and asked, “why do we have all these IT PMs who are not certified?”. Suddenly, I was quite popular. My manager at the time told me that I had a knack for presentations and mentoring and the PMI chapter had opportunities to grow this skill.”
Over the years, he has been a presenter on PM topics, especially migrating one’s skills to non-traditional roles and adopting Agile and Agile at Scale practices and thinking. Frank Balogh has also worked with universities whose engineering students had capstone PM projects that needed advice from a practitioner. And he was one of the initial mentors in the San Francisco PMI chapter.When asked what has been rewarding about your volunteer service, he responded, “it’s been mostly to see people who could not initially see a path forward to their goals light up when they use something I’ve suggested, and then they can sort out a solution themselves.”
Frank Balogh’s word of advice for new volunteers. “Don’t be concerned about being perfect or an expert. Use the volunteer experience to learn and expand your knowledge.”On a personal level, he likes cruises where he can have a chance to dress up and tie a bowtie. There is no driving or flying involved—his proudest moment “was when he finished his first sprint triathlon. For years I had seen people do this and thought it was something I could never do myself, and I broke down and cried in joy and wonderment after it was over.”
An interesting bit is that he took ballet lessons. I had a traditional fencing coach in college who determined that we were not supple enough, so they sent us to classes. Years later, I joined her when my 5-year-old daughter came home from school and demonstrated a few ballet steps. Her immediate reaction was, “Daddies aren’t supposed to know these things!”

Heather Cardosi shared that "responsibility and acceptance should be considered by everyone and we should embrace our differences. It doesn't matter what race, creed, or ethic background you are, what matters is that you are not hurting others. The story of your world is what you make it, dont be a douche. We make our story, we decide, we put forth that perception out to the universe. The world is the way it is because we put it there, people always complain that this is not the way the world works but we make the world. We need to put out the effort to make if better or the way we want the world to work."

Heather's project management work supports a satelite heathcare for kidney diallis to provide better health and education so they do not get to to the medical state of needing diallis. She is an infrastructure group manager who supports the programs using a hybrid waterfall approach to shift the mindset to new ways and doing things.

Her passion is to work on envionomental issues, perhaps with a non-profit to repair the damage caused by not using sustainable practices. She has a GPM-b (Certified Green Project Manager – Level B) whidh is the foundational, knowledge-based sustainability certification that supports the commitment of those in project management to maximize sustainability within the project lifecycle, to improve the construct and delivery of goods and services produced as project deliverables, and to use measurable standards to consider and account for social, environmental, and economic impacts in projects.

Learning green project management basics and how you can apply it to any projects by not using the key points like impact should be the measure, money should not be the key metric. Profit might be less but the impacts would be thinking longterm for a better way of life like not letting our cell phones ending up in a landfill. This mindset can be applied to any project.

Heather shared that "even when you fail, you are not a failure until you stop tring." As a kids hockey coach she teaches that we are here to have fun not to win we are here to have fun and if you fall down, get back up. You are not trying hard enough." This is a good lesson for all of us.

A quick review of risk: an uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, has a positive or negative effect on one or more project objectives. —PMBOK®

 “Harry Hall states, if you say the word “risk” to ten people, each person may think of something different— insurance, threats, investments, bets, or potential loss. As we manage project teams, it's critical that you and your team members have a common understanding of what project risk means. Otherwise, people will be confused by your risk management efforts. The important thing is to obtain agreement with your team about how to define risk. Include the definition in your risk management plan.” 

Another important factor is the project success criteria which refers to measurable terms of what should be the outcome of the project that is acceptable to the end user, customer, and the stakeholders. In other words, the project success factors consist of activities or elements that are required to ensure successful completion of the project. In order to deliver project value, the success criteria should be well defined. Make sure that the documentation of the criteria is done at the start of the project. Also, make sure that the success criteria are properly communicated to the team. The criteria should also reflect on the project deliverables through effective project planning and at the end of the day, the success criteria should not be regarded as a set-in-stone. Instead, the manager should strive to go beyond the success criteria and exceed the expectations of the clients. This is a sure-fire way to project success.

Tom’s words of wisdom as a leader are the “first step is to understand the tools and techniques. Build your toolset up in both areas. I then assist them with guidance but i do not solve the problem for them. They need to work with the stakeholders and solve the problem for themselves. Keep the stakeholders informed, they need your project to succeed. Be transparent and do not hide stuff. You need to have the confidence to walk into the c level suite and have the conversation since they are normal people.”

“i mentor and coach on risk management it is a different beast - this goes to all team members not just the project management office, it is a team effort. Execute risk management throughout the project not just at the start of the project. If the risks are not reviewed and each project team is at the same place on the projects, then elevate the company to continually assess risk. Risk management is often ignored or done at a lower level and not at the enterprise level. Challenge is to get stakeholders to spend time and money at assessing risk to save money proactively. Train your teams on risk management.”

What you don’t know about Tom Wilp is his motto to play as hard as you work. He enjoys fishing, golfing, exercising and spending time in the outdoors. He is at the point in his career that he passes on his knowledge to develop the junior PMs, project expediters, and project coordinators “I will work until I stop having fun or stop enjoying it.”

While cost management is viewed as a continuous process, it helps to split the function into four steps: resource planning, estimation, budgeting, and control. They are mostly sequential, but it’s possible that some resource changes happen midway through the project, forcing the budgets to be adjusted. Or the variances observed during the control process can call for estimate revisions. —PMBOK®

Skye Sandoval started volunteering the summer of 2020 for the study group after being a member of the chapter for five years. The areas he enjoys most is cost, managing the money and risk. His goals with volunteering are to meet people and to retain the PMP certification knowledge. He likes mentoring the small study group and was a trainer and mentor for the past ten years.  Skye is currently a mentee for scrum master and shared that “both the mentor and mentee gives knowledge in both directions like the hands of a watch. Skye describes himself as a visual learner so when he mentors, he tells them, shows them, and lets them try it. Basically, using all three types of learning to get the concept across. His emphasizes that “we are here to help each other. Together we can make a beautiful world if we all work together.”

If you take the PMP journey, remember you must be like Steve Jobs, stay hungry and stay foolish. If you fail it will help you learn how to do things right. Skye shared that it can be painful, but it makes you strong. Everyone gets discouraged but keep going and don’t stop.

I asked Skye how he manages projects, and his approach is to divide things into four like a box. The left side of the box is the most important, the right side is the backlog. I move things around in the box quadrants as the work and priority shifts. The bottom two boxes are to keep them in the forefront. “The box keeps it simple so I can build it like a pyramid and so I can see my day.”

If you meet up with Skye Sandoval, you will realize that he is a free spirt and has a hippie mentality at heart. To relax he does yoga several times a week. He credits his mom, a geologist who took him to visit geological points around history for helping him realize that “it takes time to build something just like our 15 billion years on earth.” To sum him up he shared that “he has never met a stranger. I have traveled all over the globe and aways find something in common with them"

For the second year in a row, the project was virtual which enables the judges to focus on the detailed materials while still being interactive and engaging. The Chapter Future Cities program offers a service that other chapters do not, feedback to the participants so they can develop their project management skills. The observations provided assist in better project outcomes.

Riley Sedam has worked for the government and spent ten years in the Navy. His mentors provided the insight to take a risk and that you have more to lose by not going for it. Riley currently works for Valley Wise Healthcare and his many projects have helped him identify that he could make a positive impact on the less fortunate, his community and to the patients.  Riley’s peers would describe me as “fun to work with, always willing to jump in and help since there is no I in team, organized and willing to mentor and share knowledge.”

 I spoke with Riley and asked him what inspired him he gives credit to his ten years in the Navy. “I was able to see the direct impact I could make for others. “He thrives on providing service to others, mentoring whenever he can. “Life keeps going on and when I think about my purpose, it motivates me. “Riley’s hobby is to continually foster the mindset of becoming a better person by reading self help books to improve mental resilience and self-confidence. “He wants to become his best self and a strong attitude enables you to weather any storm.”

Riley loves to travel and see new places. His time in Japan, Bali Indonesia and Hawaii fed this passion. Riley Sedam now wants to explore Europe. His spare time is spent outdoors, and he loves spending time at the lake with his family.

His word of wisdom is to share your knowledge with others. Use the resources PMI offers and volunteer. “We are all here to help each other and utilize our community. So be ready and willing to help each other. Take the time to volunteer, it enriches your life and those you help.” Riley shared that he has learned a lot from the community, and they won’t let you fail.

Why did Alex engage as a volunteer? It was twofold, to give back and get something for himself as a lifelong learner. Alex Green shared, “I enjoy learning from the diverse and extensive experience of the other volunteer facilitators, and I wanted to contribute in an impactful way to assist PMP candidates to master the material and pass the exam. Getting to meet experienced project managers and learning how they’ve utilized PMBOK methodologies into their projects throughout their careers, has been invaluable.” Alex wants to build up his base and explore other industries and how they operated projects, so he has more tools in his toolbox. Alex looks to his hero mother for inspiration, Carolyn Green who is a seasoned PMP. He chose to become a second-generation project manager. He is amazed by witnessing her energy which is produced if you love are doing what you love what you are doing. His proudest moment to date is on presenting a communications project which helped overcome his fear of speaking, his recent marriage since he had to publicly speak his memorized vows and improving his verbal communication skill in general. He clearly is working on improving his perceived weakness by volunteering as a study group facilitator.  Alex Green’s long-term goal is to “find a way to repay the universe for all of the fortunate people and things that I’ve been blessed to have in my life.” 

Which causes keep Alex passionate outside his career? Ensuring that LGBTQ and youth are empowered. “I was very fortunate to have supportive friends and family in my personal journey and feel everyone deserves to develop in a safe and compassionate space.”

Communication as a skill was the theme of our conversation. It is difficult to herd cats to communicate a problem from the bottom up. A key component is to find out how departments interact and build a bigger picture of where you or your project fit and then to guide decision making based on functional areas of knowledge.  Alex wants to encourage others in my circle to pursue something, to continually learn and grow so you don’t get left behind by being complacent. The value you bring by personal learning and growing for your own growth to see if you can improve your value is immeasurable.  Finding out why are you unhappy is more of an art than a science, there is always growth and balance. School teaches you crazy skills but lack the science of the human skills. It is a factor in the great resignation, we need more of work life balance and personal time. So many people testing the waters to find that balance. “Corporate culture needs to support that balance rather than on the bottom line. Its not about money if all your needs are met - will that bring happiness to your life. If employers don’t adapt, they could sink.” 

Alex Green’s advice to members who are on the certification journey, “The PMI Phoenix Chapter can be a great learning and networking resource for current and prospective PMPs with just a little time and commitment.”

It is no secret that our chapter runs on the hard work and effort of our volunteers. Every month we highlight the impact our volunteers have on our chapter and the Project Management profession. This month's volunteer spotlight is no different. 

Alyssa Stricklan is an excellent example of how the PMI Phoenix chapter supports the success of its members and how quickly our volunteers can make a difference in our community. 

PMI Phoenix VOTM and Intel Supply Chain guru, Alyssa Stricklan

If you want something done right the first time, you better call Alyssa. The first in her family to attend college, Alyssa continued the streak, accepting a job offer as a supply chain analyst with Intel immediately after graduating from ASU. Not one to stop learning, Alyssa then moved on to her next challenge – the PMP exam. "I'd be a lifelong student if I could.", Alyssa says as she starts to describe her experience studying for the PMP. It seems she has an order, "I enjoy the process and the focus on documentation and orientation towards detail."  

She took her PMP training to heart. "Even while I was still studying for my PMP, I knew I was going to volunteer in some facet. I love giving back to the organizations and groups that help me." Then, in August, everything fell into place. "I kept an eye out for opportunities, and once I read about the academic content manager position, I know that's what I wanted to do!"  

Alyssa joined the Academic Outreach team, where she was tasked with developing content for the Future Cities competition. As it turns out, Alyssa enjoys teaching as much as she does learning. The sole content creator for @Alyssa_SCM, a TikTok channel that teaches Supply Chain tips to other professionals, Alyssa used her skills to develop a simple presentation to teach 8th graders basic Project Management skills.  

"I am so happy to have already been able to make tangible material that is being put to use and know that more is needed and will make an impact in the community. I am also overjoyed to be a part of helping teachers and universities learn and teach about project management to the next generations." 

So what's next for the laser-focused chapter volunteer? She's currently transitioning to her new role as Supply Chain Solutions Engineer at Intel, something that seems perfect for a person with a passion for learning and acute attention to detail. She also likes to travel and find good reads to her home library of over 200 books. "I read a couple of hours each day." “I am constantly reading multiple books and buying more books. If there’s a bookstore, I’ll find it and come out with my arms full.” Her latest favorite? Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes.  Favorite travel destination? Italy.  “It’s the first place I went overseas, and I haven’t stopped thinking about every moment of being there nearly 10 years later. My love for travel and experiencing the world started there. Plus, the food!”

Alyssa on the hunt for books while on vacation in Italy!

Speaking of Year of Yes, Alyssa believes that everyone could find their volunteer opportunity with PMI Phoenix. "Absolutely do it! There are so many types of help needed and each person really can make a difference not just for the Phoenix chapter, but for PMI as a whole. The future of PMI is so exciting, and you could be a part of building and expanding that future."

Here is to the bright future of one outstanding PMI Chapter member and volunteer! Thank you, Alyssa!

Aaron started his journey to become a project manager from a developer path and feels strongly that his technical skills, along with learning the project management skillset led to his nickname, “the fixer.” His colleagues would describe him as the person to call for help.

Non-technical pms were causing a lot of noise amongst the development team and he came to the realization that it is hard to figure out technical problems while managing a project. “I got to a crossroads, it is very difficult to have a dual role, software developer and project manager. I did not want to water down both professions, so I chose project management. Fast-forward, my department saw the value of approaching problems from a technical perspective and I received more complex projects and the roadblocks led me to a formal PMP.”  Aaron expressed he would have been perfectly okay not taking the PMP and happy where he was at, but the study groups opened his eyes to the new tools in my toolbox and allowed me to be more preventative.

“The Chandler study group instructors who I most admired were, John Robertson, who used his knowledge on how to study and then Tom Wilp, an expert on the risk management process opened my eyes to be more proactive to consider risks so you have multiple options and plans you can put in place.” “I liked that I was in a classroom sharing styles and sharing of industries and was impressed that you could have the answers before a problem surfaced by using the risk management process so I could think of these things beforehand.”

Aaron Jang is happy to share his project management tips and is approached often with questions for but if they really knew what I was most proficient in they would ask me for cooking tips!

To learn more on how to successfully integrate ERP systems, you need to explore project management from the perspective of Dev Ops and what it takes for project results, a current trend in corporate information technology.

“Skills required for executing DevOps projects require you to be all in one, in technology and show good communication skills, leadership skills, collaboration skills and lead the team and also be a team player. However, the most important skill areas are dedication, interest, and passion,” Star Agile.

CHARLES SEYBOLD agrees that the days of the siloed project manager and “skilled” development team are becoming a thing of the past, thanks to the increasing complexity of dev projects.  That said, project management doesn’t happen magically, and it would be foolish to assume that just because someone is a skilled developer, they know how to manage a project. The most critical skills needed for this type of project are:

• Estimation and Scheduling, the estimation of a completion date triggers many other teams to perform their functions across the company and you need to sequence the work in the correct developmental order. A work breakdown schedule is essential
• Critical Communication, as a team, it’s essential to keep the lines of communication open for project updates. This includes having strong interpersonal skills, namely the ability to maintain clear team communication across the technical development and collaboration; complete document reviews and have succinct interactions about project deliverables and expectations. Ensure document sharing with searchable capability so team updates are enabled, and so there are no excuses for missed or mixed messages.
• Problem-Solving of issues still need to treat problem-solving as a skill that should be continuously strengthened so they can be dealt with efficiently before a situation spirals.
• Risk Management is another key to being proactive with agreed upon options that can mitigate the issue if an event occurs. It allows for the most realistic planning possible, requiring each team member to take accountability for precise timelines for their piece of the project. These timelines then roll up to the greater project plan and provide a more accurate estimation of completion date and potential pitfalls.

Kyle joined the chapter in 2014 and has been a volunteer since 2017. He is part of the team that has integrated and developed our technology tools so that we can focus more of our volunteer time on getting things done rather than on the mundane administrative operational tasks.

A little bit about Kyle, did you know that he was a police officer and deputy. His proudest moment was when his mom pinned on his badge. The people who know him describe him as a person with good intentions which makes sense since he has served his community.

Kyle identifies himself as an engineer and a gear head on his Mustang convertible so basically, he likes to fix things and make it work.  He thrives and is driven due to his family, his motivator. Kyle's greatest joy is taking his wife and grandkids on a car ride enjoying nature and letting time stand still. His advice to others, "keep things simple, or at least make complex things simple for others. It makes more of an impact than most people think it will." Continue to try new adventure, Kyle embraces being a grandfather and playing with the kids while teaching new things, like caring for the environment so the planet remains beautiful. "Educating youth makes me feel good - it is a connection to the new generation to get kids interested in cars and while making memories and it’s a cool thing to share." Kyle worries about the younger education quality. Everyone needs to focus on being educated and about their impact your personal world to make things better.

As an engineer he identifies with is analytical side and grew up with the arts. Kyle's heroes is his parents who taught him to mix technology and creativity, he was given the technical edge and found a way to merge technology and art. His other hero, Kyle's wife who is a teacher forming young minds so youth have a strong foundation to grow.

Kyle's personal motto is a quote borrowed from Teddy Roosevelt, “do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” It is a message he would like to pass on to prospective volunteers, there are plenty of opportunities with work to be done and feels it is important to help the chapter since it is volunteer led. It is important and fate led me to be a member of the technology team.

Kyle feels fortunate and likes his journey. "I am happy with my journey and am right where i want to be. I feel blessed."

Cedrick has been a PMI member for the past nine months; after obtaining his PMP, he decided it was time to give back and, in March of this year, started volunteering with the Phoenix Chapter.   

I had the pleasure of conversing with Cedrick Woodard and quickly learned that he is challenging to read from a first impression and guards his words carefully but embraces lifelong learning. Associates regard him as always reliable and a natural leader. If you establish a rapport with him, you quickly realize he is deeply passionate about providing socioeconomically disadvantaged communities and folks opportunities to obtain sustainable wealth and education (in perpetuity). 

Cedrick’s words of wisdom, “ you need to learn, learn to be humble, how to network to get the resources to make a solution happen. Network to be better and share your strengths and talents with others. If you are not ready to learn, you are not ready to live. Share the story, and the process will make you better.” 

He established and volunteered for over seven years with Paideia Kids Program, designed to strengthen the community stewardship ethic and deepen learning through volunteerism and civic involvement. Cedrick’s focus was on the program that serves youths from K-12 and adults 18 and older. Services were offered to all ethnicities, with the understanding that certain minority groups are predisposed to certain health conditions due to lack of physical activity, poor dietary habits, and lack of health education. The program targets community members of all ethnicities and age groups underperforming in those categories and others. The program emphasized lifelong health disease conditions caused by poor eating, an adverse impact on families and society, and a lack of access to affordable, healthful foods. In strengthening our communities, we help address and reiterate advocacy, community impact, community need, community partnerships, diversity, sustainability, student achievement, youth voice, and reflection. 

Cedrick Woodard’s advice to others who are thinking about volunteering with the chapter is, “embrace the opportunity to sacrifice and use the opportunity to network. Use your resources and strengths to make a difference in human life.” Do not be selfish; treat people how you want to be treated. Cedrick has a healthy respect for fearless people and for doing what they say they will do. 

If your paths cross, take a moment to get to know Cedrick. You might leave the conversation with a changed outlook on what you can give to the world if you only share yourself in solving a problem for your community. 

Marissa Akins works as a project manager for ASU and has led the peer network. What has kept her inspired is her many influencers and she feels strongly that "variety is the spice of life and you can draw your inspiration from a multiple of sources. Keep trying it and do something differently so you dont get stuck. Avoid the delimina of not exploring everything, analysis paralis, so just pick something and try it knowing it might not work out. You will have something you can use and keep adjusting until you get closer to the ideal in your vision."

What prompted her to volunteer? Marissa attended study group three times. Once in-person, once at the start of the pandemic before the life of teaching children at home with virtual learning and then a final time since she postponed her test which she passed in September 2020. Marissa enjoyed this the facilitation role because connecting with people who are interested in the same path I decided on is exciting. There is SO much to share and prepare for and there’s likely someone in the same situation that you are in that may really benefit from connecting with you. Marissa Akins words of advice, "just do it! You’ll never regret helping to support someone achieve their goals."

In getting to know Marissa, you will find that she is passionate about fitness and hiking, both allow her to free her mind of concerns, enjoy nature and to grab some me time. She is also passionate about spending time with her family and enjoys their social time. arissa's personal motto is say what you mean, mean what you say, and do what you said you are going to do.

Marissa is currently reading, Courageous Cultures. It’s a great read, but be ready to make waves in your organization if you take this one on; otherwise, you may just end up discouraged. She looks up to people who do the hard things for inspiration and as her heros. Why? We’re all at different places in this journey so find yours and build a network.

Her colleges would share that Marissa is committed to their well-being. She always has the project objectives in mind, but if you take care of your team, they’ll take care of the project. Marissa's business advice, "just try it! A lot of times we spend so much time deliberating over something or delay by discussion and we can really take that time and energy and put it towards a small-scale prototype of what we’d like to accomplish and learn from that experience."

Robert retired from the State of Arizona, DES where his projects centered around empowering employees with disabilities. He applies his skill to his Phoenix Chapter volunteer work. His philosophy, "do what you can to contribute to others' lives in[1]stead of just increasing your own and corporate wealth. Do your best at the work you do and keep your attitudes aligned to support priorities at work. No one on their death bed wishes they spent more time at work. Keep the real priorities in focus." Bob leads by Christian example and has adopted the motto, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you".

So who is Robert Gates? He is a passionate FAA approved Powerplant and Airframe mechanic, who was influenced by Billy Mitchell who was a United States Army general who is regarded as the father of the United States Air Force. Mitchell served in France during World War I and, by the conflict's end, commanded all American air combat units in that country. Bob Gates currently maintains a 1943 B-25 bomber, which is a WWII veteran of 15 missions, for the Commemorative Air Force Airbase Arizona in Mesa, AZ. When on volunteer duty, he also flys on the aircraft as the flight crew chief. Bob is also a RVer who follows the temperature of below 85 and above 45, to locations around the country.

When asked what has been rewarding about your volunteer service, Bob stated. "Helping others prepare for the exam, paying back for those who invested in me to help me pass my PMP. Bob attended three study group sessions before testing for the PMP." His words of wisdom to new members or others considering volunteer work for the Chapter? Volunteering is one of the most fulfilling things you can do with your life. From a more self-serving standpoint, it takes the focus off of your own challenges in life and is the best way I know to reduce life's worries and cares. From a more social responsibility stand[1]point, you are making a significant difference in another’s life. Adding a PMP and/or maintaining a PMP through PDUs significantly contributes to that person’s financial security and increases their skillset and job fullfillment."

Bob Gates approach was new to the facilitators as well. He encourages the team of facilitators to utilize their own style and source materials to provide students of the CAPM/PMP a wide range of materials so they can help determine what style of learning will work best for the student, rather than the standard bootcamp model of reviewing the 35 hours of continuous education so the student can subbit met the application to sit for the exam. Bob states, "that he is the cheerleader and works with each facilitator to become successful at delivery." Gone is the bootcamp approach, each student is empowered to develop their study plan and to form an alternate study buddy group which meets on other days of the week.

If you get the chance to meet Bob at a study group session, get him to talk about airplanes, you will quickly engage in a spirited conversation.

His journey started when he attended a chapter evening meeting in 2016 and asked a volunteer, how can I could get involved? His goal was the thought of increasing his network. The volunteer guided him through the volunteer application process and he became a volunteer. Abhijit has been serving the Volunteer Management team since day 1.

How does the volunteer application process work? Once a volunteer submits an application, their credentials are validated and they are assessed for the best fit and connected with the teams of their choice and in some cases they are helped in choosing a team based on the applicant's interest and skills. The placement team interviews them and conveys the tasks that are most in need at the time. If the role is of interest to the applicant they are onboarded. Once onboarded they receive access to the Chapter tools needed to complete their duties and an email address which they use to conduct correspondence for Chapter business.

Abhijit Ganguly is most passionate about learning and adapting to stay relevant until the last day. His inspiration is doing the right thing and helping others in need. He is an honest and amiable person, one whom I have had the pleasure of being acquainted with for many years at American Express and the Chapter. Abhijit loves international travel and hopes to sky dive one day. His proudest moment, his son has his pick of military academies and settled on the Naval Academy. A proud Dad moment and its no surprise that he was a role model in paying humanity forward, even when no one is watching. You will see him in the community as he often supports veteran events and childhood cancer.

What has been rewarding about your volunteer service? Abhijit Ganguly shared, "I have an oppor-tunity to help volunteers onboard and set a connection with the Phoenix Chapter. I have made some great friends, increased my professional network, opportunity to learn from other PMPs, earned PDUs to manage my three PMI credentials and access to PMI Global Leadership forum. I feel I have developed and sharpened skills like leadership, collaboration and team-building." What would you say to new members or others considering volunteer work for the Chapter? Abhijit conveyed, "knowledge shared is knowledge gained, volunteering for the chapter is a great way to share and learn from fellow Project Managers. You not only get the required PDUs but have access to great resources like morning breakfast sessions, evening sessions, opportunity to build professional networking. There are various groups in the chapter to volunteer for catering to individual preferences."

He is being honored for his work on his most recent project of the past two years, Future Cities. Future Cities is a reoccurring social good project that the chapter supports, year over year, supporting local high school students. They mentor project management skills, interview and judge students across Arizona.

His colleagues often tell John that he is organized, creative, and a team player. Helping him through his daily work is his sense of humor. John Chico recently went back to his career roots of accounting and applied the project management principles to his work. His attention to detail is serving him well as an SRP Auditor. John's philosophy is that in challenging times, success comes to those that demonstrate focus and flexibility.

John Chico enjoys music and travel and hopes to make it to Northern Italy. John is a centered family man whose passion revolves around his wife, children, and grandchildren. His proudest moments were their births that continued his family legacy.
From a career perspective, John Chico's proudest moment of his professional career was when he worked for an airline that had fatalities on 9/11. John was asked to be part of a project to help victims' families. "Getting those families through events that were so sudden and tragic made me feel like I had made a difference when it was most needed."

I was struck with my realization that John Chico pauses in his life journey to smell the roses. His motto is to be kind, appreciate the environment around you, and say thank you. Yes, like all project managers, he works hard, but this was also instilled by his grandfathers, who were immigrants. They taught him to work hard and to be kind to others. The message of kindness and the practice of gratitude resonated with him. For those of you who might not be familiar with the concept of the practice of gratitude, it is noticing the small things when you are fully present. If you string the small things together, it promotes well being, positivity and over time, creates a feeling of well-being, which helps alleviate our stress in our daily life of being a project manager.

Giving back to youth and others resonate with John Chico. His passion was apparent, and the chapter is proud to award him the February 2021 volunteer of the month award.

Paul Bartal, PMP started volunteering in 2007. His personal motto is most appropriate, “the point of the journey is not to arrive by Neil Peart” He has led the Northwest Breakfast meeting for 13 years. But then came COVID-19 and Paul stepped up as the AVP of the Breakfast Program. Typically, the breakfast meeting was in person, but we could not gather so Paul led the way in taking this meeting virtual. It was tough, how do you network, advertise that you are a job seeker or job supplier and engage with the speaker while not talking over everyone? The best part of leading the breakfast meeting to Paul is to form friendships with the regular attendees. His joy is to hear that an attendee found a job as a result of their networking at one of the breakfast meetings.  

Paul’s words of wisdom to a new volunteer or peer, “just go for it. Just please take it seriously. It makes things tough for the team if you do not honor your commitments. He feels the same way about his work peers, “treat your coworkers exactly how you would like them to treat you. Respect their time and deliver whatever you commit to.”

A little bit about Paul, did you know that he has played the drums for 40 years and is a member of a rock band, Radio X?  

He tries to live life to the fullest, travel and appreciate others. His guilty pleasure is to off road in his jeep of the Arizona trails. I have known him for years after meeting at the Northwest Breakfast Meeting and did not know these tidbits. I just thought of him as a nice person, always positive and that he cares about others. You might see Paul Bartal in the community, he is an avid, Toastmaster, and feels this had led to his personal leadership and public speaking growth. He also supports the American Cancer Society and the Alzheimer’s Association. He gives back and is a stellar example, of a Volunteer of the Month.

Certified Nonprofit Accounting Professional (CNAP), PMP, CSM

Mary Ryan started volunteering in 2013 as a financial liason on the finance team while studing for her PMP.  Mary then served as an Associate Vice President and was appointed and later elected to the VP of Finance Role. Her journey continued and served as a VP of Professional Development and later as the Vice President of Virtual Locations which ended at the close of 2020. Mary is currently serving this year as an episodic volunteer. The director at large role is a non voting board position that can act as a mentor, guide and leader of special projects. This role is often used by past board leaders who want to continue giving back but allows the flexibility of scaling back volunteer hours or increasing hours to complete a project.

When I asked her what made her a successful volunteer, it was her skills obtained from running a business which provided the breadth of knowledge to make the projects successful. Mary stated that she is “most proud of her work done as VP of Finance to which helped to stabilize the chapter by using good business acumen and running the chapter as a business.”  

I received so many personal benefits by being involved in the chapter and there are so many positive things that come out of your giving back. Mary expressed, “you get back exponentially when you give your time. We have come so far in the last ten years for the next generation of the chapter. You are able to connect with people on a different level. It’s different types of engagement, professional, friend, teammate, leader and peer.”  Volunteers set goals together, support each other and by achieving goals together, you demonstrate caring for others and watching your peers grow in confidence. As a volunteer you practice servant leadership.

When I asked Mary what she is looking forward to it was the face to face in the future and continued engagement. It is fun to make the connections and friends over the years. It comes from giving back and caring for each other.

Successful project management requires collaborative leadership skills, clear communication, and courage to embrace constant change. I grew these skills in volunteering and helped the chapter evolve to support the next generation leader.

The world and the chapter are changing for the better. Life is a project, make the most of it.