Presentation:  Amygdala Hijacks and Other Things that Cause Project Train Wrecks

This is a brief but pointed presentation about project management disasters, what causes them and things that we might do to avoid them.  It will focus on concepts that are generally not in textbooks nor taught in class, but can wreak havoc on your projects.   It will also suggest a future world where project managers learn more about, and adopt emotional intelligence concepts into their management style and plans.  Be prepared to participate, laugh a little, but think a lot about Amygdala Hijacks, The Donner Blues, Truth Changelings and other events that do happen in the real world and that are important to know in carrying our effective Project Management
Presenter: Richard Brown, PMP
Richard Brown is a freelance Project Management Consultant specializing in information technology.  His practical experience spans system development to Chief Executive Officer in a variety of companies and projects ranging from small professional teams to global assignments involving over a thousand people with budgets in the tens of millions.  A few of the companies he has worked with include Daimler Trucks North America, Weyerhaeuser,  Van Waters and Rogers,  Floating Point Systems (Cray), Interactive Machines and Pricewaterhousecoopers (PwC).  He has a BA in Mathematics and Accounting. Richard serves as the VP Programs for the PMI Inland Northwest Chapter.
 
 
Menu:                      Salmon Pear Salad, bread, hummus, dessert.
Register online to note any special dietary requests.
 
Registration:         Pre-registration encouraged! Please register by noon, Friday May 11!
Please help us get a head-count
$30 non-Chapter members with meal, $25 Chapter members with meal,
$10 without meal, students free with ID.
Register at http://pmiinw.org/registermeeting
 
Date:                       Tuesday, May 15, 2012
 
Networking:          5:30 pm networking, 6 PM dinner
Event Speaker:     6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
 
Place:                 Red Lion River Inn
                          700 N. Division, Spokane, 99202 - (509) 326-1120

Presentation:  Purchasing and Project Management – The Challenges of a Blurred Line

Presenter: Steve Lunden, MBA, C.P.M., CPSM

Steve is the Director of University Purchasing at Gonzaga University and has been with Gonzaga since 1995. Before joining Gonzaga University, Steve spent 18+ years in the steel industry in the Spokane area.  Steve received a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Eastern Washington University in 1984. He completed a MBA in 1990, completed his C.P.M. in 2001, and his CPSM in 2010. He has worked as adjunct faculty for EWU teaching the Purchasing and Materials Management classes as well as Organizational Behavior, Organizational Theory, Small Business Policy & Analysis classes at a variety of times. He has also done consulting work for small and medium businesses in the Spokane area in the areas of operations, inventory and purchasing.  Steve has also been a conference speaker at a variety of purchasing conferences in the Pacific Northwest.

Menu:                      Pot Roast with Potatoes and Horseradish, vegetable, green salad, dessert.

Register online to note any special dietary requests.
 
Registration:         Pre-registration encouraged! Please Register by noon, Friday Mar. 16!
Please help us get a head-count
$30 non-Chapter members with meal, $25 Chapter members with meal,
$10 without meal, students free with ID.
Register at http://pmiinw.org/registermeeting
 
Date:                       Tuesday, April 17, 2012
 
Networking:          5:30 pm networking, 6 PM dinner
Event Speaker:     6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
 
Place:                 Red Lion River Inn
                          700 N. Division, Spokane, 99202 - (509) 326-1120

Presentation:  Change is a constant, not a variable
Managing people through change is a growing discipline that integrates very well with project management principles and concepts. Change management focuses on initiating a prescribed methodology when the need for a change is identified.  The presentation highlights
·         Analyzing and managing the desire of stakeholders to participate and support change
·         Determining the current level of knowledge as compared to the target level
·         Identifying and resolving the ability of stakeholders to implement the change
·         Reinforcing the new change as a routine practice
The focus of these steps is people…. And making the change stick!

Presenter: Mellody J Descoteaux, PMP, MT(ASCP)
Mellody is a Chapter member and Continuous Improvement Manager for Inland Northwest Blood Center. She has her BS in Chemistry/Biology from EWU, certified as PMP as well as MT (Medical Technologist), a Green Belt certification, and is a Certified Change Management Professional.  She’s currently pursuing her Master’s in Public Administration. She’s been part of the INBC family since 1980, starting in the transfusion service and moving into quality assurance, then serving as QA Director. In 2006, Mellody started what is now the Process Improvement department responsible for Project Management, Process Improvement, Strategic Planning and Change Control.

 Menu:                      Pork Chops with Honey Mustard Sauce, green salad, dessert.
Register online to note any special dietary requests.
 
Registration:         Pre-registration encouraged! Please Register by noon, Friday Mar. 16!
Please help us get a head-count
$30 non-Chapter members with meal, $25 Chapter members with meal,
$10 without meal, students free with ID.
Register at http://pmiinw.org/registermeeting
 
Date:                       Tuesday, March 20, 2012
 
Networking:          5:30 pm networking, 6 PM dinner
Event Speaker:     6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
 
Place:                 Red Lion River Inn
                          700 N. Division, Spokane, 99202 - (509) 326-1120

Update 2012-02-22: Mary's presentation is attached below,.

 Presentation:  Upper Falls Aesthetic Spills Channel Restoration  and Enhancement Project

An overview of the Aesthetic Spill Channel Restoration and Enhancement Project that was constructed in the North and South Channels of the Spokane River in downtown Spokane. Eight reinforced water diversion structures or weirs were constructed in the channels to divert or spread out the river flow from the man-made troughs in the riverbed.  The weirs create a more natural river flow over the basalt during the low flow months of the year and greatly enhance the aesthetic experience of Riverfront Park.
 
Presenter: Mary C. Jensen, Generation Production Dam Safety Engineer, Avista Corporation
Mary has spent the last four years as a dam safety engineer working for the California Department of Water Resources and Avista Corporation.  She is a registered Professional Civil Engineer in both California and Washington.  Before her dam safety career she designed roads and utilities in California, Washington, and North Carolina.  Mary graduated from Washington State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering and also graduated from the Washington State University Honors Program.
 

 Presentation:  CREATING A DYNAMIC PRESENTATION

·         Know Your Audience
·         Know Your Topic
·         Know Your Technology
·         Know Your Limits
·         Know Your Deck
Presenter: Dina Johnson
Dina Johnson is the owner of PCI Consulting. She graduated from Central Washington University with a degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Computer Science. Dina has worked in the HR field for retail, financial and non-profit industries. She has taught and consulted for over 12 years, five through the Community Colleges of Spokane. During the past 12 years Dina has worked with companies such as The City of Spokane, Union Gospel Mission, Avista Corp., Triumph, Honeywell, System Transport, Spokane Industries, Spokane Dental District Society Foundation, local churches and many others.
 
PCI Consulting offers unique services by partnering with businesses as they introduce
new software or evaluate current needs within the workplace.

 
Menu:                      Roasted Salmon with Dill Glaze and Wild Rice, salad, dessert
Register online to note any special dietary requests
 
Registration:         Pre-registration encouraged! Please register by noon, Friday Jan. 13!
Please help us get a head-count
$30 non-Chapter members with meal, $25 Chapter members with meal,
$10 without meal, students free with ID.
Register at http://pmiinw.org/registermeeting
 
Date:                       Tuesday, January 17, 2011
 
Networking:          5:30 pm networking, 6 PM dinner
Event Speaker:     6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
 
Place:                 Red Lion River Inn
                          700 N. Division, Spokane, 99202 - (509) 326-1120

Dine by the glow of Spokane’s City Lights

 “When the club house is opened it will be filled with tables and chairs where you can sip this and that and enjoy the 19^th hole. That is, if you can forget the view. The view is so inspiring you forget to talk, but possibly you would not forget to sip.”

UPDATED 2011-11-19 - added Ralph's Powerpoint as attachment

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Presentation:  Applying PM practices in a large scale deployment project
Ralph will walk us through the end to end processes from Project Initiation through Project Closeout which are involved in a  mass deployment of new meters (1.2 million) for a large electric utility.  Topics will include challenges in the areas of:
Deployment Planning
Field Operations Processes
Inventory Management & Supply Chain
Safety and Training
Work Order Management system
IT & Integration
Customer Care and Communications
 
Presenter: Ralph G. Meyer, PMP, SCPM
Ralph has over 30 years of Project and Program Management experience in various industries.  Much of this experience was gained in the international workplace.  He currently heads the Project Management Office of Scope Services, Inc., a Michigan based company specializing in deployment, field service, meter reading, construction and support services for Gas, Water and Electric Utilities.
Ralph holds the following certifications:

• Project Management Professional (PMP) – Project Management Institute
• Stanford Advanced Project Management, Stanford Certified Project Manager (SCPM) Organizational Mastery, Stanford University
• Stanford Advanced Project Management, Stanford Certified Project Manager (SCPM) Individual Mastery, Stanford University

Ralph is a Past President of the Inland Northwest Chapter, PMI

 Menu:                      Beef Stroganoff with Sour Cream and Noodles, salad, dessert
                                   Register online to note any special dietary requests
Registration:         Pre-registration encouraged! Please register by noon, Friday Nov. 11!
Please help us get a head-count
$30 non-Chapter members with meal, $25 Chapter members with meal,
$10 without meal, students free with ID.
Register at http://pmiinw.org/registermeeting
 
Date:                       Tuesday, November 15, 2011
 
Networking:          5:30 pm networking, 6 PM dinner
Event Speaker:     6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
 
Place:                 Red Lion River Inn
                          700 N. Division, Spokane, 99202 - (509) 326-1120

Presentation: Negotiation for Project Managers
This presentation addresses a critical leadership competency as well as an important life skill since we constantly negotiate in all aspects of our lives. Ten fundamentals of negotiation will be covered with the emphasis on preparation for  negotiation.

Presenter: Dr. Ken Anderson, Associate Dean and  Professor of Management, Gonzaga University
Ken teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in management and human resource management at Gonzaga, now in his 26th year. Ken did his undergraduate work and his MBA at Gonzaga; his Ph.D. in business administration is from the University of Nebraska (1988). He has extensive consulting experience, particularly in the areas of negotiation, arbitration and employment law. He serves as Gonzaga's NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative.

UPDATE Oct. 20 - Dr. Anderson's Powerpoint presentation is attached.

Change of Venue:
You suggested; we listened. We are delighted to announce that this meeting will be in our new location at Red Lion's River Inn location in downtown Spokane area at 700 North Division.

Presentation:From Project Management to Leadership Come ready to make the paradigm shift from success through process to success through leadership – shifting from motivation around procedures to inspiration around vision. Mark provides thoughtful discourse on motivation, vision, excellence, influence and expectations – what moves a leader to become a leader of leaders. Mark challenges status quo thinking that moves you from what you do today to who you are tomorrow.

Presenter:Mark Michaelis, founder of IntelliTechture Mark is also a Microsoft Regional Director and MVP. He is an author of several books, most recently Essential C# 4.0 (Addison-Wesley, 2008). In addition to his well-known technical architectural skills, he is a proficient project manager and avid speaker and teacher. When not bonding with his computer, Mark is busy with his family, or training for a triathlon.

UPDATED  Oct 20 - PDF of Powerpoint presentation is attached

Updated 6/28: Powerpoint presentation and minutes of business meeting attached.
Presentation: How to Tell Your Project’s Story

Stories are an integral part of life. They are, literally, everywhere. The best stories compel us to action or inspire us to commit to achieving worthy goals. They move us in some meaningful way.

Stories are the reason we connect with books, movies and other people. Leveraging the story of your project can increase the levels of commitment and support that you must have from stakeholders and resources. Learn about why story telling is the MOST important part in today’s organizations. Learn how to craft your project’s story to engage your audience, improve understanding, and command action when needed.

Presenter: Lorrainna Sherman, PMP

Lorrainna Sherman, PMP, previously with IBM, currently works for TROI IT Solutions as a PM Consultant. Finding ways to improve communication throughout organizations and projects is a passion.

Conley's Place at the usual time.

Full details in the attachment.