July 5th, 2021 - From the President

I am writing this article on June Solstice, the longest day of the year in most time zones in the Northern Hemisphere. Solstice is a Latin word meaning “Sun stop (stand still)”. It seems an appropriate time to give you an update, to stop and to ponder over the past 6 months. And, given most people consider this day to be the mid-point of the year, it is also good to reflect on what is ahead for the remaining 6 months of 2021.

I am proud to state that we were able to carry the momentum we established in 2020 into 2021 with a plethora of events and training for our members. Regarding training, we have established a partnership with an authorized training partner (ATP), PM Guerilla, to offer a Disciplined Agile (DA) program. We have already held two DA courses this year with plans to offer at least one DA course every quarter. Based on demand, we also resumed our evening PMP certification classes to accommodate those that are not able to take four days off from work for our traditional PMP boot camp. I continue to be amazed by the diversity of events our program team offer to our members each month. They are topical to the changes that are happening in the industry and provide the skills you need to build on your career in the PM profession.

In my last letter to you, I mentioned that the board had decided to continue holding all events and training virtual until more guidance was available from the CDC and from the State of Ohio. I am pleased to announce that we are exploring options to resume face-to-face events and training. We are working to identify venues and hope to have our first face-to-face event later this summer. I am excited to announce that we will be holding our annual Professional Development Day (PDD) again at the Greater Columbus Convention Center on Friday, November 12th. The PDD team are working hard to make this the event that you have come to expect with amazing speakers, sponsors, and opportunities to network with your peers in the PM profession. Registration will open in September. Please be sure to mark this date on your calendars!

I encourage each of you to take advantage of our events and training programs. Members receive significant discounts on training. As a member, most of our events are free! For more information on our events and training programs, please visit PMICOC.org. As well, I hope you are enjoying our bi-weekly e-mails and quarterly newsletters.

We continue to be blessed with an amazing group of volunteers who enthusiastically give their time to serve our chapter and our members. It is inspiring to see their passion for the PM profession and the commitment to the chapter. We are always looking for volunteers who are interested in joining our team! Please consider sharing your time and talents to your chapter and to your profession.

Speaking of exceptional volunteers, congratulations to Deb Ducmanas, our July volunteer of the month! More on Deb in this newsletter!

I hope all of you are doing well and are enjoying the weather, summer vacations, excursions to parks, and other family activities. Please take time to unwind. Continue to be safe and to take care of yourself and your families!

Rich Schmelzer

PMICOC President