The annual PMI Region 14 Conference was held in Florida's beautiful St. Pete Beach on April 24th and 25th. Many of your PMICAC board members attended this conference which is geared toward the volunteers of the region 14 chapters.

One of the Keynote speakers included David Marquet who's presentation on Intent-based Leadership was informative and inspirational. Fortune magazine called Mr. Marquet's book Turn the Ship Around! A True Story of Turning Followers Into Leaders the "best how-to manual anywhere for managers on delegating, training, and driving flawless execution."

The other Keynote speaker, John Stenbeck, motivated participants with secrets for creating robust, self-sustaining Chapter growth ... without burning themselves or their teams out!

Did you know that your PMICAC Board of Directors consists of folks just like you? We have come from various industries, have personal hobbies and participate in community activities. I would like to introduce to a new board member each month in the President's Corner article.

Your VP of Communications is Kimberly Bennett. Kimberly believes that PMICAC has opened up doors to endless possibilities for volunteering, networking with other professionals interested in project management and mentoring. This is Kimberly's second year as the VP of Communications. Before that she did an amazing job at the Director of Website Content where she learned all aspects of managing the PMICAC website. She received her Project Management Professional Certification in 2011.

Kimberly's academic career includes earning her Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Birmingham-Southern College in 2005. She is currently enrolled in the Information Engineering Management (IEM) Executive Master's program at UAB and plans to graduate this month. In her younger years, she played the piano and violin. When she finds a little spare time, Kimberly enjoys singing,dancing and reading. She also enjoys Sci Fi movies, Lord of the Rings is one of her favorites. If she's not singing, dancing or watching movies, you can find her playing her opponents in Grand Theft Auto! She has been married for 3 years and enjoys trying new cuisines with her husband. The next time you see Kimberly at any of upcoming PMI events, be sure to ask her about her brief stint as a Zumba instructor.

Pamela Smith, PMP
PMICAC President

Did you know that your PMICAC Board of Directors consists of folks just like you? We have come from various industries, have personal hobbies and participate in community activities. I would like to introduce to a new board member each month in the President's Corner article.

Your VP Finance is Jeff Shimizu. Jeff's favorite aspect of volunteering with PMICAC is getting to support the chapter and help other project managers grow in their profession. He became a member of PMICAC in 2004 and 9 years later he's still actively involved. His past volunteer positions included serving as VP of Programs and President. Jeff earned his PMP in 2004 and is also a board member of the Collat Jewish Family Services (CJFS).

In Jeff's free time he attempts golf and enjoys clay art. He is an accomplished artist and has his works for sale at a local boutique. He also attend art festivals and fairs selling his custom clay art pieces. The next time you see Jeff at any of our chapter events, introduce yourself and ask him about how he survived an airplane crash. You'd be amazed.

Pamela Smith, PMP
PMICAC President

Let's do this!  PMICAC has kicked off 2015 with passion, determination and the know how to get things done!  This year PMICAC will continue its focus on these three Strategic goals:

• Promote Project Management & Leadership Development -  Several PMICAC volunteers will attend PMI Leadership events.  The volunteer recruitment process will be streamlined to foster retention and participation.   A promotional marketing strategy is in the works to promote project management within a variety industries. 
• Support Social Responsibility & Professional Responsibility  -  PMICAC is currently researching a Project of the Year Award program in addition to proposing partnerships with companies to bring more affordable and beneficial professional development opportunities.  
• Increase Productivity & Value for PMI Members -  One very valuable opportunity we bring to our membership is the annual Symposium.  This year's theme will be our 20th Anniversary celebration! 

These are just a few of the things PMICAC will accomplish this year.  As the 2015 President, I look forward to serving you and wish each of you a very prosperous and Happy New year. 

Pamela Smith, PMP
PMICAC President

Did you know that your PMICAC Board of Directors consists of folks just like you? We have come from various industries, have personal hobbies and participate in community activities. I would like to introduce to a new board member each month in the President's Corner article. Your VP of Programs is Randy Johns and if you attended the amazing January chapter meeting you already know what great work Randy is capable of. His favorite aspects of the VP of Programs position are coordinating chapter events and meetings, networking with interesting people and working with the board to ensure we give the membership the best overall value possible from the chapter. For 14 years Randy has been working in the project management discipline primarily in construction materials and mining. He received his PMP in December 2012 and currently works at Drummond Company as a Senior MIS Project Manager. Randy has been a member of PMICAC for three years and this is his first volunteer position. Additionally, Randy is studying for an MBA in Project Management and will earn his degree in October 2015.

Now here's what makes Randy really great. Did you know he enjoys landscaping, woodworking and tinkering with small projects? He is a lover of baseball and basketball. For seven years he has coached his youngest son in basketball and still finds time to get on the court at least once a week himself! Both of his sons play travel and school baseball which puts the Johns family on the road and at the ball park 75% of the year. The next time you are at a chapter event and you happen to see Randy, ask him about his interest in 80's pop culture and general trivia. I also understand he knows a lot about cement, concrete and coal mining. Next month, Theresa Cook, VP of Membership!

Pamela Smith, PMP
PMICAC President

A Great Year!

Hello PMI Central Alabama! What a great year we've had. In January we kicked off a year of high expectations. Some of our goals for 2014 did not get accomplished, but the majority of what we thought was significant for the chapter was completed. Among a plethora of goals, there were 3 things on my "presidential wish list" that I personally wanted to push towards completion.

#1 It had been long suggested that the chapter pursue a formal audit of finances by an independent agency and that a policy be put in place to perform an audit periodically. This year, an audit was completed and no issues were found. Now, the chapter has an ongoing process and volunteer position dedicated to internal auditing.

#2 Our Annual Symposium has long been the chapter's premier professional development opportunity. The goal for 2014 was to make it bigger, better and serve more people. This year, the Symposium was an overwhelming success based on feedback received from a large number of attendees. Plans are already underway for Symposium 2015!

#3 Members told the Board that they wanted the chapter to connect them with new job opportunities. So a special committee was created to develop a proposal to accomplish this task. The end result included some changes to our job posting policies to increase the opportunities of job seekers. But there still is a lot more that we can and will do for those seeking employment.

With a dedicated Board, 2014 was successful. In no small way, volunteers served membership and contributed their personal time and effort to ensure success. As we close out this year and prepare for a bigger and better 2015, I want to thank the Board, volunteers and members for allowing me to serve as your president in 2014.

Happy New Year!

Michael Dale MBA, PMP, CSM, MCSE
President 2014, PMICAC

PMP Preferred...

On a daily basis, I receive emails from local employers who are seeking experienced project managers to work on various projects. Among the job descriptions, I'd estimate that 9 out of 10 say "Project Management Professional Certification Preferred". Even the companies who do not have a formal project management office or a mature project management methodology now favor an applicant with the PMP credential. Hiring managers will tell you that they value the foundation, fundamentals and generally accepted practices established by PMI. While PMI does not subscribe to any specific methodology, the institution reflects standards and practices that are flexible, adaptable and easy to transfer between industries, market segments, and geographic location. As a result, employers "know what they are getting" when a project manager has gone through PMI's training and certification process. PMPs are able to hit the ground running with all of the tools and techniques that they have been tested on. Beyond the test, PMPs have on-going professional development requirements that must be met to insure that they are keeping their skills and knowledge sharp. Through academic research and best practice studies, PMI is able to offer PMPs a vast array of educational growth opportunities. Instead of hiring an uncertified candidate, employers can increase the likelihood of success when the project manager is a PMP credential holder.