PMINYC

Greetings PMINYC Members,

“Building Bridges” is the 2009 guiding slogan for the PMI New York City Chapter.   The economy continues to give us challenges.  PMI Corporate recently cited that there was only 4% of its membership unemployed.  At the June Chapter meeting, we held a straw poll.  Among 194 respondents, 37% were not concerned with unemployment over the next 12 months, even though the current unemployment rate is at 19%.  Twenty-three percent were concerned about employment over the next 12 months.  With these concerns in our membership base, we will continue to respond with opportunities for our members to make new connections and build bridges toward new relationships and new career opportunities. 

We have had our regular monthly Breakfast Round Table, Career Development Network, and Chapter meetings, our Neighborhood Outreach activities, plus Special Events, such as the seminar on Communication hosted by Credit Suisse, a combined Networking event with the LIC chapter, and the Career Transition event hosted with CUNY.   Thanks to Hannah Avery (Program Manager), Rich Phelan (VP Programs), Karen Fox (President Elect), Fred Stein (Program Manager) and the entire Community Outreach team for great work on these events!

Our Chapter has also been busy building a relationship with the Mayor’s Office.  Through our Community Outreach initiatives and specifically with the personal assistance of John Hancock and Karen Fox we were invited and attended the wonderful event that Mayor Bloomberg hosted on April 20th in the Washington Heights Armory.  It was here that he announced “NYC Service Initiative,” a new approach to building up New York City through several programs, which include:  Strengthening Communities, Helping Neighbors In Need, Education, Environment, Health, and Emergency Preparedness, many of which dovetail nicely with our own 2009 strategic platform.

We also have some exciting news on the Academic Outreach front.  Claudia Colbert (Program Manager) has been busy.  We recently participated in PM Career Fairs at Saint Francis and Brooklyn College, conducted a professional development presentation to 60 HYC high school teachers, and recently completed the process and paperwork to partner with the Department of Education on a High School Mentoring Program, the kick off is set for fall 2009.  Make sure you look for those fabulous opportunities for mentoring in the NYC High Schools.  We can make a difference with teens of NYC.  

Our Neighborhood Outreach continues to flourish under the direction of Christine Rizzuto (Program Manager) with more than 700 LinkedIn members and monthly events designed to give back to NYC.  Please come be a part of wonderful events, you will be glad you invested your time.

Our PMP Study Groups with volunteer Martin Flank are active as the date approaches for the PMP Exam change to accommodate the new PMBOK standard.  And the Professional Development Day volunteer team is hard at work under the guidance of Program Managers Bill Muskopf and Steve Nosal.  Remember to hold October 2nd for this full-day event filled with expert presentations, workshops, exhibition hall and lots of networking opportunities all centered on the theme of “Transformation for Success.”  The keynote speaker will be Ricardo Vargas, Chairman of the PMI Board, all agenda details and registration will be available on our website within the next month!

Another bridge that continues to grow is our relationship with our Diamond Sponsor, IIL.   The first annual virtual conference will be held in July so be sure to check out the details provided in this newsletter.  Rally Software is our Gold Sponsor and we appreciate their partnership and support. (There is still room for other sponsors Platinum, Gold and Silver – see the notice for this also in the newsletter.)  There are additional sponsorship opportunities for our Professional Development Day. 

We’ve had a busy spring!  Although our meetings will be on summer hiatus, rest assured that the “behind-the-scenes” activities at the Chapter will continue.  We are busy assessing how we can address member needs more directly through our website, how we can work more closely with our sponsors to address member interests, and which special events and learning opportunities will best meet the needs of our community.  If you are among those challenged with the job-related economic burdens, consider these tips to continue to build your bridges personally and professionally:

1. Attend all NYC Chapter meetings, and be ready to meet people! Check our schedule for upcoming events.
2. Be prepared with a business card and your 30-second “elevator speech” when you introduce yourself.  Make sure these two critical items set you apart from the pack; this could be the bridge you build to your professional future and possibly the connection to your next job.
3. Volunteer.  We have so many opportunities with the chapter where you can add value.   Use this time to hone your PM skills on one of our fun and challenging projects.  Contact Jack Davis , our VP of Membership.
4. Keep a balance.  If you are looking for a job or a career transition, make this your full-time job.  Have a plan and work that plan.  Make sure to include fun and family time too.
5. Re-tool.  If this is a “down time” for you, use it to learn something new, hone a skill, or mentor others in the accomplished skill you already have. 
6. Invest in you.  This may be the year that you want to not only attend the NYC PMI PDD , but also the annual PMI Global Congress in Florida this October. 
7. Network, network, network! Reach out to other chapter members, “have coffee and talk,” meet new people at the PDD and Global Congress, and build your bridges to your future!

Beth Ouellette, PgMP, PMP
Chapter President