2021-Q2 PMI Calumet Chapter Newsletter

President's Report

Dear PMI Calumet Members and Guests,

Welcome to the new and revitalized PMI Calumet Chapter! A special hello to all Non-Members who are receiving this newsletter as a courtesy in the Calumet Chapter direct mailing. Whether you're a Calumet Chapter Member, PMI Member in a neighboring chapter, working professional, transitioning military, student, retired or just curious about who and what the Calumet Chapter is and offerings they provide - then you are in the right place and hope you consider Joining the Calumet Chapter while exploring and maximizing your local Membership benefits. Need Professional Development Units (PDU), then Contact Us and send us an email so we can help you write a PDU Plan or recommend some easy, low/no cost ways to earn PDUs.

What a first quarter of 2021 and here are the highlights:

Board of Directors Orientation and Onboarding
Professional Development Planning and Scheduling
- 9 evening Chapter Meetings and
- 1-2 Breakfast or Lunchtime Learning meetings
Board decision to host a Professional Development Day (PDD) in October 2021 with an internationally renown and premier speaker
Region 2 Presidents meetings
An engaging February presentation on Diversity Equity and Inclusion by Calumet chapter member / professor - Dr. Nitha Nagubadi
March PMXPO symposium - the annual get 10 FREE PDUs in this virtual conference
The ALL INDIANA - joint chapters meeting in March had all 5 Indiana chapters hosting a 2 PDU session featuring Tom Dakich from Digital Crossroad on Starting a Data Center in Indiana; and PMI's Jesse Fewell with Marvin Nelson on PMBOK 7th Edition - Under the Hood
Developed the annual "Strategic Plan" of events and offerings
Renewed the PMI Calumet Chapter charter with PMI
Welcomed six (6) NEW MEMBERS to the Calumet Chapter while congratulating twenty-six (26) Renewing Members

PMI held the spring Leadership Institute Meeting (LIM) which Board Members learned the latest products and micro-certifications coming out. See below in the announcements to find out more.

If you have suggestions, please let us know. Feel free to ask a question by visiting our Contact Us page to email it to our Board. We are always looking for good ideas and glad to review and/or incorporate them. The Board looks forward to seeing all of you at our upcoming chapter meetings, meet-ups or community volunteer events this year. We are excited to keep moving forward and welcome your participation. Volunteer today!

Sincerely,

Dan Zilai, President
PMI Calumet Chapter
[email protected]

Next Chapter Meeting

Our next PMI Calumet Chapter meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 21, 2021. Networking starts at 5:30 PM CDT with the chapter meeting beginning at 6:00 PM CDT featuring Jonathan Lee presenting, "Connecting the Dots Between Digital Disruption, Project Management and Disciplined Agile." For more event information, speakers background and registration details, see the Events Page here or hit the REGISTER NOW button below to book your reservation and get the virtual meeting link. This is a FREE event courtesy of the PMI Calumet Chapter.

New Member Orientation

Learn about PMI Calumet Chapter offerings, events, partnering, volunteer opportunities and "Giving Back" to the profession. The presentation provides for a Chapter Introduction and New Member Orientation to welcome new chapter members and introduce them to the benefits, capabilties, programs and core services offered by the chapter. This meeting is a good PDU opportunity to meet our new members, share experiences and open a dialog with the Board of Directors. For more event information, see the Events Page here or hit the REGISTER NOW button below to book your reservation and get the virtual meeting link. This is a FREE event courtesy of the PMI Calumet Chapter.

Calendar of Events

Chapter Meetings & Professional Development

APR-21 "Connecting the Dots Between Digital Disruption, Project Management and Disciplined Agile" Presented by: Jonathan Lee, PMP, CDAI, DALSM / DASSM, MCSE, CSM, PSPO

APR-29 PMI Calumet Chapter/New Member Orientation

MAY-19 Adam Wittorp, PMP

JUN-16 Niel Magsombol, PMP

SEP-15 Gerry Dick - Inside Indiana Business

OCT-20 Spencer Horn, MS, CTPC

NOV-17 Robert Frost - Strategic Portfolio Management

DEC-12 PMI Calumet Chapter - Christmas Event @ Cooper's Hawk

Orientation

APR-29 PMI Calumet Chapter - Chapter Introduction and New Member Orientation will welcome new chapter members and introduce them to the benefits, capabilties and programs offered by the chapter. This meeting is a good PDU opportunity to meet our new members, share experiences and open a dialog with the Board of Directors

Symposium & Workshops

OCT-23 Professional Development Day with Spencer Horn, MS, CTPC

Virtual Experience Series

Virtual Experience Series | 2 June 2021 - Learn More

Our June virtual event will deliver 12+ hours of learning while building a virtual bridge to a growing global community. Be a part of this first-ever crossover event from PMI. Benefit from endless opportunities to broaden your perspective on project management and connect with a global community, all while earning PDUs towards your certification.

We will go beyond the theoretical to showcase real life stories of people and projects that have created change and impact in an effort to create a more equitable work environment. Programming topics will highlight strategies and solutions for building a more inclusive future. More details to come!

PMXPO | ON DEMAND - Event Highlights | Join Now
Earn 10+ PDUs
On demand registration for PMXPO 2021 is now open. Take advantage of 11 hours of learning from inspiring voices and project leaders and earn 10+ PDUs towards your certification! PMXPO is complimentary for PMI members; non-members can register for just $29. All PDU sessions are available with closed captioning in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. Available on demand through 31 January 2022.

Virtual Experience Series | 7-9 October 2021 - Save The Date

Virtual Experience Series | 7 December 2021 - Save The Date

Welcome New Members

Mariana Cervantes

Let's welcome Mariana Cervantes of Homewood, IL to the PMI Calumet Chapter. Ms. Cervantes is a Brand Manager at Carl Buddig and Company in Homewood. Additionally, she has skills as a Freelance Marketing (Specialist) / Graphics Designer. Mariana is an Indiana University grad with a BA in Telecommunications with a concentration in Industry and Management. Mariana Cervantes joined PMI in December 2020 and the Calumet Chapter in February 2021. See her leadership skills and full background on LinkedIN.

Kipp Kahlenbeck, CSMP

We would like to welcome Kipp Kahlenback, CSMP to the PMI Calumet Chapter. Kipp is a Valparaiso, IN resident, joined PMI and the Calumet Chapter in March 2021. He is a Project Manager at Solid Platforms Inc. in Portage for over 13 years. Another passion and role he served in as a Coach/Director in USA Wrestling for Team Ohio Jrs. Kipp also has our respect as a veteran serving with the US Army for over 6-years! See his leadership skills and full background on LinkedIN.

Jeffrey Negrete, PMP

Please welcome and meet Jeff Negrete from Chesterton, IN. Jeff joined PMI in 2009, received his PMP in March 2018, and joined the Calumet Chapter in March 2021. He received his MBA at the Keller Graduate School of Management @ Devry University in 2012 where he is applying his knowledge and experience as a Sr. Project Manager for Whiting Corporation since 2011. Additionally, Jeff received his Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology. See Jeff's full background and interests on LinkedIN.

John Mearns, PMP

PMI Calumet welcomes John Mearns, PMP to the chapter. John is from LaPorte, IN and is a 35-year IT professional manager working at The New York Blower Company. He joined PMI in November 2009, earned his PMP in June 2011, and joined the Calumet Chapter in March 2021. Additional education in Project Management was obtained at the University of Phoenix, the University of Chicago and the Dale Carnegie Effective Communications and Human Relations Course. John has our respect as a veteran serving with the US Air Force for over 7-years! See John's leadership and volunteer skills and full background on LinkedIN.

Vivian Diaz

Vivian Diaz is a Business Management student at Purdue Northwest in Hammond, IN and focusing on Business Analytics, Information Systems, Entrepreneurship, and Spanish. She is a Crown Point, IN resident and very interested in a career in Project Management. Vivian joined PMI and the PMI Calumet in March 2021. Welcome Vivian!

Adam Wittorp, PMP

We would like to welcome Adam Wittorp, PMP as a member to our Calumet Chapter. Adam is a Gas Control Manager for NIPSCO since October 2013 and resides in Crown Point, IN. Mr. Wittorp received his MBA from the Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University as well as his Masters in Educational Technology. Adam is an experienced speaker and will presenting to the chapter in May 2021. He joined PMI in February 2018 and PMI Calumet Chapter in February 2021. Adam enjoys volunteering for Junior Achievement and also is a Friend of Indiana Dunes. See Adam's leadership and other power skills on LinkedIN.

Thank You Renewing Members

Vark Kalluri

Marc Glick

Vasil Dimovski

April Linton

Christopher Wacnik

Amy Zajac

Lynne Mikulich

Ray Burbee

Joe Thompson

Mark Alsop

Una Aletha Charley

Venkat S. Poddutur

Kimberly Jackson

Clinton Jolliff

Kelly Milosavljevich

Leslie Curry

Lissa Hisson

Eli Schott

Alicia Stanley

Lon Sullivan

Jerrid Yankauskas

Daniel Blue

Joanne Decamotan

Jermaine Thomas

Milissa Marra

Sonja Streuber

Donald Bull

Robert Heibel

Ryan Magil

Mark Zaberdac

Lisa Ruddell

Community Service

PMI Calumet Events Coming in 2021

by Kelly Milosavljevich, Vice President of Community Outreach

As Vice President of Community Outreach, Kelly Milosavljevich is planning 2021 events where PMI Calumet Chapter members can volunteer, network and share our skills in the community. In the past few years, we've partnered with the Foodbank of Northwest Indiana and we will continue this partnership this year. In addition to packing and sorting events at the Merrillville Food Bank and a financial donation to support those experiencing food insecurity, this year we are planning to expand into Mobile Market events. Other 2021 events being discussed include volunteering at the Gary Urban Farmer's Initiative and Stewart House Urban Farm, Rotary Club and Salvation Army.

Depending on scheduling and safety guidelines this summer, we may also be able to network in person at the Griffith Central Market. This has been a favorite event in the past for members and families to have fun getting to know each other. Stay tuned for more details and dates coming soon! Contact Kelly at [email protected] any questions or ideas.

Academic and Educational Outreach

Don’t Knock It ‘Till You Try It

by Sonja Streuber, Vice President of Academic and Educational Outreach

How did you become a Project Manager?

Maybe, like so many others, you were a beginning mid-career professional, newly in a team leadership position when a string of projects suddenly landed in your lap — and you had no idea where to start. Call it intuition, call it genius (no reason for false modesty!), you clawed your way through them; you won some battles, you lost others, and… here we are. That’s the project management school of hard knocks.

Wouldn’t it have been nice, back then, if you had had a good understanding of what projects are, what they do, and best of all, how to keep your triple constraints, your stakeholders, and your quality in check That’s what Educational Outreach is all about: Solid project management training before, or while, new, or not-so-new, Project Managers grapple with scope, budget, schedule, velocity, estimation, resources, contracts, quality… you name it.

Here at PMI Calumet, we’re reaching out to the next generation of Project Managers while they’re still in college, or in graduate school, through building relationships with local educational institutions such as Purdue Northwest, Ivy Tech Community College, or Valparaiso University. Whether it is to equip our future leaders with the project management tools to dream up the first city on Mars, engineer the first solar-powered railway, or to help them bring the development of a cure for cancer in on time and on budget, we are here to introduce them to sound project management practices and the wealth of knowledge that PMI offers for any professional field and industry. For that purpose, we regularly invite faculty to offer their students extra credit for attending our monthly talks, and we show them what’s new at PMI and would work well in their classrooms, such as the brand-new 45-minute online “Kickoff” training that PMI has developed for project managers at all stages of their careers (https://kickoff.pmi.org). And we work with career centers to ensure that those interested in a career in project management have a great idea where to start.

One great place to start, of course, is any kind of study group that prepares you for the CAPM or PMP exams, or any of the other PMI-sponsored exams, such as the PgMP or RMP, or … and how you’re curious, aren’t you? How about heading over to the PMI website yourself and checking out what’s new in the certification world? You might discover some exciting new educational opportunities for yourself. Or how about getting in touch with us, and through us, with other PMP aspirants? Our Educational Outreach can turn your school of hard knocks into a comfortable learning experience. For more information, reach out to us at [email protected].

Volunteering

Call For Papers for PDUs

by Leticia Muse, Vice President of Volunteers

Are you looking to get out of your comfort zone, take a lean into discomfort for that project transparency, do something different or just seize the opportunity to share acquired knowledge well we’re looking for you for CFPfP? Yes, CFPfP the joy of acronyms. This is our volunteer “Call for Papers for PDUs” giving back to the profession is a unique opportunity for you to expand your knowledge and skills while growing personally and professionally. The papers or articles shared can earn you PDUs while expanding your horizons as well as helping the Calumet Chapter sustain a collaborative momentum. Contact us at [email protected].

Announcements

PMI Rolls Out New Products

PMI held the spring Leadership Institute Meeting (LIM) on April 10, 2021 which Board Members learned the latest products and micro-certifications coming out from PMI that include:

PMI 2.0 Products setting up for PMI 4.0 Strategy
Organizational Transformation
PM Ready
Kickoff
Citizen Developer
Wicked Problem Solving
PMIStandards+
Disciplined Agile
Micro-Cert: Agile Hybrid Project Pro

Check out the latest developments at PMI, or detail within the links above to find out more on these new PMI product offerings. If you have questions or comments, Contact Us and we'll see if we can help or put you in touch with the right resource at PMI.

Corporate Ambassadors Program

Calumet Chapter Members – Get your 5 FREE PDUs available – join our Corporate Ambassadors Program

Benefits to your organization:

Enhance Project Management expertise
Access free resources including tools and templates
Develop a Community of Practice

For more information, contact us at: [email protected]

Call for Papers / Call for Articles

Call for Papers / Call for Articles to present at our monthly Chapter Meeting, we can submit your paper or article for publication on PMInsights, PM Journal, PM Network, PMI Today, Pulse of the Profession or ProjectManagement.com; possibly a trip to the PMI North America Leadership Institute Meeting this fall. These are great PDU earning possibilities. Contact us at [email protected] to get started.

Chapter Leadership

The Calumet Chapter leadership team consists of an elected Executive Board of Directors made up of the President, Past President and Vice Presidents. The primary function of this board is to set the annual Strategic Plan for the Calumet Chapter and to oversee the execution of that plan by the Directors and Volunteers. The Directors are appointed by the Executive Board and are responsible for the execution of the strategic plan through the tactical day to day operation of the chapter. The Vice Presidents work with the Directors which coordinate the efforts of chapter member volunteers to accomplish the activities for the Calumet Chapter.

Visit the PMI-Calumet website to get to know the dedicated volunteers who make up the Calumet Chapter Leadership team. Feel free to contact any member of the Board of Directors with questions, concerns, or suggestions via our Contact Us page. If you are interested in serving your PMI Calumet Chapter, contact our VP of Volunteers for more information.

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PMI Calumet Chapter Officers

Dan Zilai, MS, PMP, LSSBB
President

Jermaine “Jay” Thomas, PMP
Vice President of Administration

Jason Romero, PMP
Vice President of Finance

Jonathan Harris, PMP
Vice President of Membership

Jonté Robinson
Vice President of Technology

Leticia Muse, PMP
Vice President of Volunteers

Kelly Milosavljevich, PMP
Vice President of Community Outreach

Sonja Streuber, PMP
Vice President of Academic and Educational Outreach

Karen Teeter, PMP
Vice President of Professional Development

Joe Mays, PMP, LSSBB
Past President

Jim Karthan, PMP
Region 2 Mentor

Toby Utermohlen
Chapter Operations Analyst