We need you!

Are you interested in being on the cutting edge of something new? Are you passionate about a subject? Do you have a nugget of wisdom or a life lesson to share?

We are looking for people to present a short, “S-Talk” at the symposium on Monday, May 14th. S-Talks are short, engaging, to the point, discussions that can be about a story, a new idea, a life lesson, a deeper understanding about a subject, sharing a nugget of wisdom or making the most of each day. The talks could be about project management, leadership, life, work-life balance, or business oriented - get creative. A $250 gift card & other awesome prizes are up for grabs. Submit an idea today!

Guidelines:
- You will need to submit an idea to Theresa Cook by Wednesday, May 9th.
- All final presentations will need to be submitted by Friday, May 11th for final review.
- The presentation can not be longer than 15 minutes.
- There can be no longer than 6 slides for the presentation (but not required).
- No religion or political topics.

As a special incentive to encourage your colleagues to join the 2018 PMICAC Symposium, the chapter is offering a $50 rebate on individual registrations when 5 or more of your colleagues also register for the Symposium. That means for everyone at your place of work who is a PMICAC member and registers early, you will receive $50 back on your registration fee of $325 after the Symposium. Non PMICAC members would receive $50 back on the $400 registration fee. After April 30th and late registrants (day of) will receive $50 back on their registrations if 5 or more employees from the same company register as outlined in the fee schedule.

Keep in mind - joining the chapter is only $25 if you are a PMI global member and there are a myriad of benefits to joining PMI and PMICAC!!

Due to the threat of winter weather we have decided to cancel the meeting on January 16, 2018. If you pre-registered, your registration will move over to February, and as soon as the registration opens you should get an email notifying you that you are set up. Thank you once again for supporting the chapter and we hope to see you in February. If you have any questions, please contact vpprograms@pmicac.org.

The PMP Exam will be changing on March 26, 2018. Get more information here.

If you schedule your exam on 3/26/18 or later, you will receive an updated version of the exam that references the PMBOK® Guide – Sixth Edition.

Anyone taking the exam prior to 3/26/18 will receive the current version of the exam that references the PMBOK® Guide – Fifth Edition.

The role of chapter president for the PMI Central Alabama Chapter (PMICAC) provides insight into all aspects of the function of the chapter. For one to be voted in as president they should have served in at least one other board role and served one year as president-elect. This experience gives the president an overall view and understanding of the activities and functions of each board role. Some roles have greater responsibility than others so knowing the difference is key.
On any given day the chapter president may be involved in one or more of the following activities:

• Interacting with other board members
• Helping in decision-making
• Approving expenditures
• Managing chapter relationships
• Providing customer service to members
• Assisting at chapter meetings or other functions
• Liaising with other chapter leadership

The role does require some time and the role of chapter president probably requires, on average, 10-12 hours per month. This varies month to month but that is the average. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out.

Randy R. Johns – PMICAC President 2017
president@pmicac.org

We are starting the board nomination process for the PMI Central Alabama Chapter elections early this year. The nomination process will begin today and complete Monday, 4/30/18. Once nominations are collected, PMI Global will process the information and we will have board elections starting in June. The role of the board at PMICAC is important to guide and maintain the work that the chapter performs not only for its members, but for the community as well. I hope that everyone will take the time to think about running for one of the following positions as they come up for election this year. Please take the time to look through the position descriptions to note the responsibilities as well as an estimated time need each month to fulfill those duties. The following positions are up for election this year and will serve 2019-2020:

President-Elect
VP Communications
VP Education
VP Marketing
VP Programs
PMIEF Liaison

If you would like to nominate someone, including yourself, please send an email with the position in the subject line and a recent resume attached to Mark Rhodes, PMP.

Kupe Kupersmith
Kupetalks.com
Applying Improvisation to Your Team
“The secret skill you have been waiting for.”

To accomplish anything, you need the help of others and others need your help. Successful teams have members that are continually improving how they interact and communicate with each other. Collaboration, creativity, and results grow out of an environment that is positive and affirming.

In this highly interactive and fun session, Kupe, an improvisational actor, focuses on key improvisation lessons that will help you be a more attentive and flexible team member. You will walk away with lessons to help you stay in the present, suspend judgment, keep conversations moving forward and listen generously. These skills are needed to build positive, trust based, results oriented teams. With Kupe’s business background, he will be able to help you directly apply these skills on the job.

Rick Morris
Rickamorris.com
The Struggle Between Agile and Project Management

Agile is not a fad, it is a reality. In today’s application economy almost every company is a software company. One of the biggest misconceptions is that Agile is new. However, there is a struggle that seems to be happening between the understanding of the Agile world and the Project Management world. What does it mean to be Agile? If we are an Agile company, do we need Project Management? Is one better than the other? Can the two exist with each other? As organizations are looking to eliminate the barrier between ideas and outcomes the impacts of how to prioritize, execute, allocate funding and resources, and embrace change amplify the need to understand the roles and responsibilities of everyone. Rick will discuss real life experiences and even how his own thinking has been transformed in what will be an entertaining, enlightening, and lively discussion.

 Click here for rates and registration!

PMI Central Alabama Chapter wants to improve its presence on LinkedIn. We also want to use this professional medium to communicate upcoming events and other chapter news to a broader audience. We have created a non-profit business LinkedIn page that is open to everyone to follow.

The new page is evolving and more content is on its way. Please head over to the new page via the link below and FOLLOW us so we can get information to you faster. Please let your friends and colleagues know about this new page as well.

https://www.linkedin.com/company/pmi-central-alabama-chapter

PMI CAC is seeking volunteers to teach at least one 3.5 hour session related to the 10 PMI Knowledge Areas. These sessions are part of the PMP and CAPM exam preparation courses offered by the chapter to members and non-members of PMI CAC. The next class is scheduled to start Saturday March 4th, 2017 for 5 weeks. Subsequent sessions will be held on Tuesday/Thursday evenings.

Volunteer instructors receive PDUs for preparation and for teaching the classes. The PDUs are applied to "Giving Back to the Profession" Category. Please refer to the PMP® CCR (Continuing Certification Requirements) handbook for further information.

Minimum qualifications:

• Current Project Management Professional (PMP®) certification
• Teaching, facilitating, or presenting experience

Training materials will be provided.
If interested, please send your resume or experience/education details by Friday Feb 24th to: vped@pmicac.org