A message from the President: PMI MN Chapter Members!
Hello PMI Minnesota Chapter Members
Now that the kids are back in school, they are all looking forward to Halloween which means “Trick or Treat”. Getting tons of candy, and eating it without much disapproval from their parents’. If you are a kid that’s SWEET 😊. You may or may not know that October is a crucial month for the migration of wildlife in North America, but I bet you know that October marks the beginning of pumpkin flavored everything. Pumpkin spiced lattes, pumpkin pies, donuts …yum! Let’s not forget pumpkin carving and anything spooktacular for Halloween. For me the thing I look forward to is the fall foliage which is at its peak in October. Walking through the trails feeling and listening to the sound of the fallen leaves; there is something peaceful about that. A sense of being in tune with nature.
PMI MN Membership committee will be sending out a survey to get your feedback on how the Chapter can best serve your needs. Provide us feedback on the programs and courses you would like to see offered. Please be on the lookout for the survey. We would also like to use this opportunity to ask that you let us know if you are interested in volunteering with the Chapter. This is a great way to gain leadership skills, build your network and give back to the community. If interested in volunteering, please send us an email to chairvolunteers@pmi-mn.org
As we move into the fourth quarter, we have several important meetings planned, the Annual Member meeting coming up in November 20th, please be sure to join us to hear what the Chapter has accomplished this year and what it is planning to accomplish in 2024. Our leadership team, Board and Operations Committee are meeting on Saturday November 4, 2023, for The Annual Strategy Meeting. Please make sure to take the survey as we will utilize your feedback to develop 2024 calendar of events. We will also be welcoming our new board members. Excited to be working with such an amazing group of leaders elected by you. 2024 is set to be a great year for our chapter as we have a diverse board poised to deliver value to our members.
2023-2024 PMI MN Scholarship Application: If you are pursuing a degree in project management or know someone, we encourage you to apply for our scholarship award. The deadline to apply is November 30, and the tentative scholarship award date is January 31st, 2024. Please click on the link for more details. PMI-MN Scholarship | PMI Minnesota
I would like to share with you a thank you note from one of the recipients of our scholarship award: Best,
Geraldine Marks, MBA, PMP®, CSM® CSPO® PMI MN President, CEO
2024 Board of Directors Results
The 2024 Board of Directors elections results are in! Please congratulate the following candidates who will be joining the board:
Isiuwa Tanimojo - President Elect Girima Anderson - Director of Finance Katie Hopper - Director-at-Large Miriam Monono - Director At-Large
Thank you to all of the candidates who ran and to all members who participated in the election. October Board Member Spotlight This month, we spotlight our Director of Governance Matt Mehring, MBA, PMP, ACP, SAFe
Matt Mehring has been a PMI and PMI MN member since 1998. Matt’s PMI MN roles are Director At Large (Governance) in 2023, PMI MN IT Project Manager 2022/2023, Director At Large in 2021, Director At Large in 2018, Past President in 2011, President in 2010, President Elect in 2009, Director At Large in 2008, Partner Program and Community Outreach Chair, Membership Project Manager, Volunteer Services team member. Matt has been awarded PMI-MN: Volunteer Strategy Team Award in 2015, Colleague Award in 2010 and W. Bruce Sandison President Award in 2006. Matt is currently a Manager for the Non-Functional Testing team for FRFS for Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. He has over 43 years of professional work experience, 25+ years of project management, 10 years professional experience in the Financial industry and 25 years professional experience in the Medical Management Industry. Matt currently enjoys cycling on the trails in Minnesota, riding his Wahoo bike trainer, cycling tours in the USA and abroad.
MATT’S LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPY: ENERGIZER: charismatic, inspiring, connects emotionally, provides meaning PROVIDER: action oriented, confident in own path or methodology, loyal to colleagues, driven to provide for others HARMONIZER: reliable, quality-driven, execution-focused, creates positive and stable environments, inspires loyalty PRODUCER: task focused, results oriented, linear thinker, loyal to tradition
Thank you Matt for all your contribution and hard work for PMI MN Volunteer of the Month: Melissa Merchant
The PMI MN Chapter is honored to present Melissa Merchant as our October 2023 Volunteer of the Month.
Melissa started her career as an Office Manager. During her first job she managed accounting, finance, human resources, payroll, contracts, licensing, regulatory compliance, and community relationships. She went on with her career at Northstar Capital Market Services working as a Business Analyst. In this position she resolved complex data discrepancies for multiple financial institutions and collaborated with stakeholders to create processes improving accuracy and efficiency. She worked as Chief Operations Officer Guiding organization of 30-40 associates and workflow strategy of all essential business processes. Reviewed and improved efficiency of current business functions, and updates to daily operations. Prepared and presented reports to stakeholders in collaboration to meet objectives. Melissa has been working as a Manager for PMI MN Mentorship Program!
Thank you, Melissa, for all of your enthusiasm, time and energy for this role and project! OUR UPCOMING FALL EVENTS
Oct 28 Project Management Skills for Life - Basics Nov 04 Conflict Resolution for Project Managers Nov 07 Prosci: Change Management Certification Program Nov 27 Certified Scrum Master (CSM®) Certification Class Nov 29 Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO®) Certification Class
Dec 01 Lean Six Sigma Courses Dec 29 CAPM Certification Prep Class Dec 29 PMI-ACP® Certification Prep Class PMI ® Global Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion PMI, as a global organization, has established a position about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. This statement is posted on the PMI website:
As a global leader enabling individuals to create a positive impact through projects, PMI champions a diverse, inclusive, and equitable community – one that serves our millions of stakeholders, including staff, volunteers, members, credential holders, and the profession at large. We embrace and celebrate our differences, and work to create an environment of respect, trust, integrity and fairness in our words and actions. We commit ourselves to empower individuals to do their best work. We aspire to act as a catalyst to bridge cultures, geographies, and differences, and to enable people and organizations to positively impact society.
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