October 2019 Newsletter


In this issue: Oct Meeting Recap \| Nov Chapter Meeting \| PMI 50th Anniversary \| PMI Global Conference \| O2O Recap \| CAPM Scholarship \| Call for Speakers \| Volunteer \| Claim PDUs \| Our Sponsor
October Meeting Recap We had a great time at the monthly dinner meeting with Cindy Lewis. The first part of the meeting she shared with us some really cool tips when using Microsoft 365, Microsoft Project, and PowerPoint. The beginning of the meeting dealt with accessibility. What does accessibility mean to you? Depending on who you are, this means something different to almost everyone. Could be location, time zone, language, speech, sight, mobility, etc. Did you know that newer versions of Microsoft products have ways to get past some of these challenges? Word can speak to you! It can also translate for you to another language. How about being able to do research while working on a document? PowerPoint can attempt to make you a better speaker by listening to your presentation, making suggestions, how many times have we all been told that um’s, yea’s, uh’s etc. kill a presentation? This will count those annoying bad habits for you, time your presentation, tell you that you are talking too fast or too slooooowww. After the break, members had the opportunity to share their own little secrets. Great meeting! Please be sure to provide your feedback on the October dinner meeting by completing the electronic survey. Your feedback is needed so that we can continue to improve! November Chapter Meeting The November chapter dinner meeting is going to be exciting. We are expected record crowds for retired USN Capt Paul Rinn's presentation worth 2 strategic PDUs. Please make your reservation for the November 18 meeting early: PMI 50^th Anniversary Please join us on Monday, December 9, for our holiday social and PMI 50^th Anniversary Celebration. Lots of networking and social time, games, appetizers, and cash bar. Bring a friend or significant other and get to know some new friends! $10 early bird before Dec 2 $15 starting Dec 3 $20 at the door If you are interested in getting involved in the PMI 50^th Anniversary, here are some suggestions: Attend one of the scheduled events. Make a donation to the PMI Educational Foundation to help make a difference in the lives of youth and communities around the globe. PMI Global Conference Some of our local NE Florida chapter board members attended the global conference held in Philadelphia at the beginning of October. From all of the pictures posted on the PMI site, it looks like everyone had a great time. Did you all know that there is a new logo or notice the new logo or website color scheme? What do you think? It has caused quite a stir on social media! Meanwhile, here are some faces that may look familiar to you: It wasn't all fun and games though. Here are the most exciting things Shelon Pounds, VP, Military Relations, PMI-NEFL, learned. How social media is a golden opportunity for a grassroots outreach effort to military community. Many chapters utilize various social media strategies to specifically engage current chapter members, which can also nicely transfer into successful outreach results. The changes to the certification exams launching mid-year 2020, especially the PMP, to make the exam more interactive and agile relevant. The keynotes were special and significant highlights, the best being from Eric Wahl and his artful way to challenge us all of us chapter leaders to be courageous enough to breakthrough norms and previous conditionings as we lead our stakeholders. My connections with other chapters’ leaders from around the globe was truly enlightening. To dine and exchange ideas with other chapter leaders from Singapore, Brazil, China, Ireland, South Africa, Mexico, France, India, Costa Rica, and most states in the U.S. greatly expanded my context of the profession of project management and also PMI’s reach, values, and impact worldwide. O2O Recap Also in October, VP of Military Relations, Shelon Pounds, MBA, MA, PMP, taught the Project Management Foundations class for the 4^th time this year to transitioning veterans and spouses enrolled in Onward to Opportunities (O2O) 15^th cohort. The class was held at the Wounded Warrior Building on Jacksonville’s Southside. She said it was a privilege and honor! The students, from varied military service and professional specializations, participated in lively learning and discussion of project management from a business context. They learned how their in-demand skillsets developed during service transfers effectively into business organizations. Much appreciation goes to the O2O JAX leaders, Patricia Piazza and Anthony Bush. Also thank you to fellow PMI NEFL Military Liaison, Bravell “Joe” Dodd, Jr., MBA, PMP, for his continued support of our veterans and event! And from all of us we thank everyone for their support of our country! CAPM Scholarship Awarded Congratulations to our next CAPM scholarship winner! Your 50/50 raffle funds at work! John Luker presented the check to Mr. Uche Onyibe at our October chapter dinner meeting. Call for Speakers Do you know or work with a local professional, senior PMP colleague, or community/business leader that you would want to hear give a presentation on project leadership, skills and techniques, or a specific knowledge area within the project management profession? If you answered “yes,” we would love to hear from you! Please fill out our Call for Speakers form online or email Larry Flowers at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the subject, “I Know a Speaker.” If you are interested in speaking at a PDU + Networking event or would like to support by volunteering, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. PDU Claims If you have attended previous chapter events, remember to claim your PDUs! Find a list of PDUs from previous events here. Find out how to claim your PDUs here. Thank you to our sponsor, Nova Southeaster University - Jacksonville Campus!		Emily Godsey Christopher Fisher Dawn Salisbury Christopher Bleau Jason Dillaberry Brandon Ashby Forrellina Williams Jolie Levene-Pryor Julie Diperna Fay Kercher Shannon Sarkees Chris Gawlik Michelle La Duca Teresa Vickers Joseph Martinez Susan Aldridge Kathryn Garrison Kenneth Belshe Brian Gidley Amy Moreland Ralph Page Ravi Munnirpallam John Guiliano Carla Boyce Graham John Wisdom Rina Chowdhury Brenna Demetree Paul Salevski - PMP Tanya Kacsan - CAPM Renee Rose - PMP Susan Bortzfield - PMP Beth Fagin Jennika O'Brien Partner With Us The PMI North Florida Chapter is seeking long-term partners to sponsor events, including Dinner Meetings, Cocktail & Learn Seminars, and the 2019 Quarterly SkillFest recruiting sessions Does your company want brand exposure in a growing market and access to a professional and diverse membership? We would like to hear from you. We are also looking for volunteers in a Director role to act as an Account Manager for each partner. Responsibilities will be to engage at periodic intervals and ensure the value we provide exceeds their expectations.Our new VP of Sponsorship, Juan Ocharan, will manage this program. Please contact Juan for more details at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Mentoring Want to give back to our profession but do not have time for a VP or Director-level position within the Chapter? We are looking for volunteers in a Mentoring Program to generate experience for PM Rookies.If you are an experienced PM looking to help or new to PM-ing and need a leg-up, please contact Eddie Sumner at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Interested in Volunteering? Have you thought about volunteering with PMI NEFL? Here are some of the key benefits of volunteering: Gain skills and knowledge outside of your day-to-day tasks at work Strengthen and build your network Work closely with other PM Professionals Earn PDUs Have impact and make a difference within the Chapter and the NEFL community. It takes a lot of hard work to support the PMI NEFL Chapter throughout the year. We need creative and energetic members that want to create a rewarding experience for the NEFL Chapter members. We have lots of opportunities for you to build on your experience and share your passion. Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or sign up on our website.

Follow us: