The
2007 Professional Development Summit (PDS) sponsored by the Greater New Orleans chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMI-GNO) concluded on Tuesday, 30 October after three days of speeches, professional presentations and workshops about Project Management. The 2007 PMI GNO Project Management PDS was held in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA in conjunction with the fifth annual LavaCon conference on technical communications during October 28-30, 2007. The PDS was preceded by a Community Service Day on Saturday, October 27 during which chapter leaders and PDS registrants helped build homes at a Habitat for Humanity project site.
According to
Ana Boudreaux (pictured), PMI-GNO chapter president, “The program ended with so many compliments and everyone seemed to have a smile on their faces at all times. I kept asking the attendees if they learned something and they all said yes.”
According to Ms. Boudreaux, highlights of the 2007 PDS included:
Keynote speech on Sunday to launch the PDS by
Colonel Jeffrey A. Bedey (pictured), 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. 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.
Keynote presentation by two US Airways executives on Monday.
Joe Beery, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO), and
Travis Chris, Vice President for Sales and Marketing, provided an open and frank discussion of the throes of merging two airlines and especially two airline reservation systems, IT operations and operating cultures. Of special significance was how their Project Management Office (PMO) grew into a significant leadership role and is now highly valued in the company.
Lunchtime speech on Monday by
Frank Saladis, well known PMI leader from New York City, was a huge hit. With over 35 years experience in the IT, Telecoms, and PM training environments, Frank is the originator of the International Project Management Day, for which he won PMI’s Person of the Year Award in 2006. Mr. Saladis is the author of the Project Management Workbook and PMP®/CAPM® Exam Study Guide. He was the president of the PMI New York City chapter for more than 10 years, has been VP of PMI’s Global Communications Technology SIG (Specific Interest Group), and is a former leader of PMI’s Council of Chapter Presidents.
Keynote speaker on Tuesday,
King Milling, who spoke about the importance of preserving Louisiana’s wetlands. Continued land loss in Louisiana threatens the economy and security of the entire nation, dependent on the region for natural resources, oil and gas infrastructure, shipping routes and storm protection. Mr. Milling described how the federal and Louisiana state are coming to the aid of this most important program for the future of the country.
Susan Wood from the PMI College of Performance Management, who gave an all-day and outstanding presentation on Tuesday on the US government’s requirements for earned value on programs and projects. Ms. Wood demonstrated her knowledge and expertise on the topic of earned value management.
Also according to Ms. Boudreaux, “Tuesday’s lunchtime speaker, Linda Oestrich, was unable to attend the PDS since her home is in San Diego and she did not want to leave her family with the threatening wildfires. Therefore, for the lunch time PDU session, the PMI-Greater New Orleans board had a panel presentation highlighting PMI, the local chapter and played on the newest acronym - WIIFM (what's in it for me). This highlighted the volunteer aspect of the work in the chapter and how everyone's volunteer time should not only contribute needed skills and experience but also be used as an opportunity to grow. We talked about how to step out of the box with volunteer work and do something that is not a part of your daily routine or work description. Each board member contributed their value in WIIFM.”
Individual speakers and presenters over the three days included many local, national and internationally recognized experts on project management. All speakers were well received. For information about the speakers or their presentations, visit the conference website and download the final conference brochure at www.gnopmi.com.
The LavaCon/Project Management PDS was held October 28-30 at the Astor Crowne Plaza Hotel in the French Quarter of New Orleans. The Summit included best practices in the fields of technical communication and project management, as well as innovative techniques for meeting project management challenges. The event included national and international speakers, professional leaders and project management experts. There was also a vendor exhibition that was well attended. Next year’s event should be even more successful.
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.
