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President's Letter

September 2006 - Letter from the President

Letter from the President

It has been a event-packed summer! I hope that you’ve had an enjoyable one and that you’ve taken time to beat the heat by the beach or pool with a favorite book or participation a favorite activity…and not just work! The Board is busy getting geared up for our chapter’s fall programs. It is going to be a great fall season!

The most exciting thing is our upcoming election. This year we will be voting for our Board of Directors using a web-enabled election service for the first time in our history! I believe this to be a fantastic development…it opens the pragmatic ability to vote to our entire membership! Our previous elections, while open to all members, required that you be physically present at the October chapter meeting to participate. This will no longer be the case. This year’s election will be open for three weeks starting Friday, September 22nd (Friday after the September chapter meetings) and close Friday, October 13th (Friday preceding our October meetings). Look for more information to come shortly.

Secondly, the West End committee presented its report on the West End Pilot to the BoD at the August 2nd BoD meeting. The report was very positive. They’ve done a great job…really showing flexibility and a great sense of ownership when at the July meeting the power went out! Consequently, the BoD has decided to continue having West End meetings through 2007. This is a great opportunity to volunteer and make a difference for our chapter. If you have any questions or would like to participate in this or other programs please contact our VP, Programs: Sally Deering, PMP at vp.programs@pmicvc.org or our VP: Volunteerism, Tilithia Brown, PMP at vp.volunteerism@pmicvc.org.

Lastly (for this letter) the BoD has approved and baselined our chapter’s updated general policies. It has taken a lot of work and I’m proud, as should you, of the effort and thought that each of the board members put forth in crafting, reviewing and approving this document. We’re working right now on how to make this document readily accessible to all our members. The board is looking at our options, including possibly developing a members-only section on our website. Obviously, creating a new members-only area would involve significant effort. However, the board is committed to being transparent with the membership and, as such, will be working quickly to make this document readily available to the membership. Look to the website for more information in the following weeks. If you have any immediate questions please contact either me at president@pmicvc.org or Sharon Robbins at president.elect@pmicvc.org.

Best regards,
Jim

Jim Hayden, PMP
President, PMI Central Virginia Chapter

A Special Message from the Presient

Get with the Program!

Who say’s you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?!

Hey everyone, if you hadn’t noticed the world of technology is going through another evolution and there are some great opportunities for learning that are emerging. Podcasts are one such learning venue I’ve discovered recently. I love the freedom and flexibility of my iPod and have it with me constantly. You may too. Recently, I’ve found that there are some great podcasts that allow me to stay current on professional and business subjects and make great use of my time.

Here are four that I’ve subscribed to that you might find interesting as well:

• Manager Tools by Michael Auzenne and Mark Horstman ( http://www.manager-tools.com/ )
• Jerry Manas’s Project Management Series from PMThink! ( www.pmthink.com )
• The Project Management PodcastTM by Cornelius Fichtner, PMP ( http://www.thepmpodcast.com/ )
• Controlling Chaos: Project Management by Dina Henry Scott and Lee Scott ( http://www.controllingchaos.com/ )

There are a huge variety of Podcasts available on almost any topic (including business) and most are free. PMI Category 2 PDUs allow for self-study and I’m sure that Podcasts on current project management topics would qualify (obviously not 60 PDUs but you could certainly claim some). Try them and or explore for others. If you don’t have an iPod or MP3 player most sites will also allow you to download directly your computer or allow you to listen directly on-line.

In any case, there are lots of opportunities for professional development that are there, free, if you just look. Take advantage and “Get with the Program!” (podcast program that is).

Best regards,
Jim

Jim Hayden, PMP
President, PMI Central Virginia Chapter