PMFORUM Breaking News
Breaking News in the Project Management World
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
PMI GNO Professional Development Summit in New Orleans opens with Keynote from Commander of Hurricane Protection Office
The 2007 Professional Development Summit (PDS) sponsored by the Greater New Orleans chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMI-GNO) was successfully kicked off on Sunday, 28 October with a keynote speech by Colonel Jeffrey A. Bedey, Commander of the Hurricane Protection Office for the US Army Corps of Engineers in New Orleans. Col. Bedey addressed a crowd of approximately 300 attendees on Sunday morning, providing a summary of efforts underway in the multi-billion dollar infrastructure development and hurricane protection program that he is managing on behalf of the US government.
The 2007 PMI GNO Project Management PDS is being held in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA in conjunction with the fifth annual LavaCon conference on technical communications during October 28-30, 2007.
Using the main topics of PMI’s Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) as a basis for discussing rebuilding efforts, Col. Bedey described some of the major projects underway in the New Orleans region. He also discussed some of the challenges that his office faces, including their race to prepare for any new hurricanes. A copy of Col. Bedey’s presentation will be made available by the PMI GNO chapter after the PDS.
According to Ana Boudreaux, PMI GNO president, “Everyone appreciated Col. Bedey’s presentation. His program affects everyone in New Orleans and throughout Louisiana, so he certainly had my attention. The fact that he referenced the PMBOK was great!”
Col. Jeffrey Bedey assumed the position of Commander of the Hurricane Protection Office (HPO) in New Orleans on June 1, 2006. Under the auspices of Task Force Hope, the coordinated efforts of the Protection Restoration Office (PRO) and HPO undertake one of the most massive civil works programs in US history – construction of the federal hurricane protection system that protects the City of New Orleans and southeast Louisiana. The major focus of this multi-billion dollar program is improving hurricane protection structures damaged during Hurricane Katrina and the construction of new structures and pump stations to protect the area in the future.
Col. Jeffrey Bedey commands a $3.1 billion operation charged with repairing and storm proofing existing pump stations; building permanent gated pump stations along the outfall canals; and building or improving levees, floodwalls and armoring in various locations throughout the system. Before his assignment in New Orleans, Col. Bedey was the Omaha District Commander and District Engineer in Omaha, Nebraska. He has a Master’s degree in construction management from Colorado State University and a Bachelor of Science degree in construction engineering from Montana State University. Col. Bedey’s awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal with Six Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with three Oak Leap Clusters, the Army Achievement Medal, and a Humanitarian Service Medal. He is a native of Hamilton, Montana, USA.
Other speakers on project management related topics on Sunday included:
The luncheon speaker was Andrea Ames of IBM, who spoke on how to advance from technical lead to manager. All speakers were well received. For information about these speakers or their presentations, visit the conference website and download the final conference brochure at www.gnopmi.com.
The LavaCon/Project Management PDS was being held October 28-30 at the Astor Crowne Plaza Hotel in the French Quarter of New Orleans. The Summit includes best practices in the fields of technical communication and project management, as well as innovative techniques for meeting project management challenges. The event will include national and international speakers, professional leaders and project management experts. For more information about the 2007 PMI GNO PDS, visit http://www.gnopmi.com/PDD2007/PDD%202007%20Index.html.
With 250,000 members in more than 160 countries, the Project Management Institute (PMI®) is the world’s leading membership association for the project management profession. The PMI Greater New Orleans (PMI GNO) chapter serves PMI members in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama with project management programs and educational events. The President of the PMI GNO Chapter for 2007 is Ana Boudreaux, PMP. For more information on the PMI Greater New Orleans chapter, visit www.gnopmi.com.
The 2007 PMI GNO Project Management PDS is being held in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA in conjunction with the fifth annual LavaCon conference on technical communications during October 28-30, 2007.
According to Ana Boudreaux, PMI GNO president, “Everyone appreciated Col. Bedey’s presentation. His program affects everyone in New Orleans and throughout Louisiana, so he certainly had my attention. The fact that he referenced the PMBOK was great!”
Col. Jeffrey Bedey assumed the position of Commander of the Hurricane Protection Office (HPO) in New Orleans on June 1, 2006. Under the auspices of Task Force Hope, the coordinated efforts of the Protection Restoration Office (PRO) and HPO undertake one of the most massive civil works programs in US history – construction of the federal hurricane protection system that protects the City of New Orleans and southeast Louisiana. The major focus of this multi-billion dollar program is improving hurricane protection structures damaged during Hurricane Katrina and the construction of new structures and pump stations to protect the area in the future.
Col. Jeffrey Bedey commands a $3.1 billion operation charged with repairing and storm proofing existing pump stations; building permanent gated pump stations along the outfall canals; and building or improving levees, floodwalls and armoring in various locations throughout the system. Before his assignment in New Orleans, Col. Bedey was the Omaha District Commander and District Engineer in Omaha, Nebraska. He has a Master’s degree in construction management from Colorado State University and a Bachelor of Science degree in construction engineering from Montana State University. Col. Bedey’s awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal with Six Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with three Oak Leap Clusters, the Army Achievement Medal, and a Humanitarian Service Medal. He is a native of Hamilton, Montana, USA.
Other speakers on project management related topics on Sunday included:
- Archie Messersmith, Paula Marca & Laura Williams on “Taking Your PMP Certification to the Next Level”
- Tim Johnson, PMP, on “What Your Project Team isn’t Telling You”
- Gabe Munoz, PMP, on “Five Essential Leadership Skills”
- Greg McCormick, PM, on “Project Planning: The Key to Success”
- Yanping Chen, PhD, on “The Added Value of Project Management”
- Meryl Natchez on “Preventing and Recovering Troubled Projects”
- Dwight Davis, PMP, on “Project Planning and Estimating Workshop”
- Adrianne Bush on “Critical Chain Project Management”
- Ron Sklaver, PMP, on “Portfolio Selection and Prioritization”
The luncheon speaker was Andrea Ames of IBM, who spoke on how to advance from technical lead to manager. All speakers were well received. For information about these speakers or their presentations, visit the conference website and download the final conference brochure at www.gnopmi.com.
