In this Email:

• Message from the President  

• Chapter News

• Member News

• Upcoming Events: September - November
  
  Sponsored by:
  

Message from the President 

Dear Chapter Members,
 
Our profession continues to grow and nowhere is that more apparent than in our Professional Development Days (PDD). It is an opportunity for those engaged in various aspects of project management to gather, learn new things and achieve great things together. For folks just entering the profession, it is also an opportunity to take classes in preparation for the PMP® and CAPM® exams. Project professionals continue to master new skills, set global standards for good business practices, and enhance their company’s portfolio and balance sheet. This year’s PDD is bigger than ever, while continuing to offer new ideas and opportunities for past attendees. I look forward to seeing you there!
 
Employment nationally continues to be strong (95.6%) and even stronger in Minnesota (96.2%). If you live in the metro area, the news is better yet (by a few 10ths of a percentage point). For those of us in the non-metro areas, that minor difference means the whole state is doing very well. North Dakota has also done well, achieving 97.3% employment. Like Minnesota, ND metro areas perform marginally better (our Fargo -  Moorhead Outreach gets the best of both states!).
 
Strong employment underscores mention of our profession in the Federal Times article “Bureau of Labor Statistics recognizes the importance of project managers”. The article reports on the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) decision last year to begin reporting "Project Manager" as a “Standard Occupational Classification” category beginning in 2018. That is in step with the Program Management Improvement and Accountability Act (PMIAA), legislation that was signed into law last year. The new legislation strengthens accountability and encourages leading project and program management practices throughout the federal government.
 
A shortage of workers, a fast growing profession, and a changing business and economic environment. Hmmm, what could that mean for you? As Terri Kimball, 2016 Chapter President, pointed out last year, “A shortage of workers means that project professionals have more options available when contemplating a change in job status.” Not to mention the new opportunities available at the entry level. So take advantage of your PMI Global and local chapter membership by using our job board - login to the PMI-MN.org website to access the Members-Only area. You’ll find job openings for Agile Scrum Masters, PMO Managers, Schedulers, Business Analysts, and more. Visit the Sponsors pages on our website to view companies and institutions with a big presence in project management. And remember, PMI Global now offers a large variety of certifications, illustrating the many areas and opportunities for career advancement.
 
Join our Chapter LinkedIn group to make professional connections; attend our free, monthly career networking events – and land your dream job. Hopefully, you’ve already signed up for this fall’s biggest networking event as hundreds of project professionals and local company representatives gather for the PDD Symposium Day at St Paul RiverCentre!

Chris Doyle

President & CEO, PMI-MN

Chapter News

Chapter Volunteer Fair

PMI-MN Chapter Fall Volunteer Fair is scheduled starting from 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM on September 18th before the Chapter dinner. Toasted Wine and Spirits are sponsoring several raffle prizes! To win the prizes, all you have to do is either be a volunteer, or attend the dinner event. Anyone who visits a table at the Volunteer Fair or talks to one of the Chapter Committee representatives about volunteering with the Chapter can enter the raffle. Let's win some prizes!

Chapter Board of Directors Elections

This summer, the PMI-MN Nominating Committee has been working diligently to solicit nominees for the chapter board for the year 2018.  We’re very excited to have these excellent candidates who will be running for the 4 elected positions. Read the bios here.

Qualified candidates have all of the following :
 
1.) A chapter member as recorded by PMI
2.) Attended 3 chapter events or volunteered a minimum of 40 hours in the past 16 months
3.) Is in good standing in accordance with PMI International policies

Voting will start September 15! 
 

PMI-MN's 2017 Profesional Development Days! Sept. 25 - 28

Time is running out for registering for PDD!
Classes are filling fast!

Education Days - Sept 25 to 27
This year's conference offers three days of educational classes and workshops -- 28 classes in half-day, one-day, and two-day sessions -- covering topics as diverse as emotional intelligence, team cohesion, culture change, Kanban, accountable leadership, risk, innovation, and the list goes on. 

PDD Speaker Reception @ Patrick McGovern’s - Sept 27
Come meet up with your peers and PDD speakers at our Speaker Reception for complimentary appetizers, great conversation, and networking. This event is free with a cash bar. You need not be a PDD attendee to join us.  Advance registration is required. Details and Register

Symposium Day & Vendor Fair - Sept 28
Join hundreds of fellow project professionals on Symposium Day and pick from 25 one-hour sessions in six tracks. it's a buffet of 24 one-hour sessions where you can mix and match from six tracks on Leadership, Strategy, Technical Skills, Change, Applied PM, and Agile with an extra on Team Building.
The Vendor Fair is Symposium attendee’s opportunity to connect with over 48 business community leaders who serve the needs of your project professional community.

Certification Preparation PMP® Class: Are you Certifiable? - Sept 25 to 27
Take the plunge to become PMP® certified. Register for the 3-day PMP® exam prep boot camp during PDD at RiverCentre. The PMBOK® Guide Fifth Edition exam is being replaced by the Sixth Edition exam which begins in early 2018. Learn about Project Management best practices and new skills to help you prepare for the PMP® exam.
This is the final class for PMP® Certification Exam by the chapter for PMBOK® Guide Fifth Edition. After this training, the chapter will be updating its curriculum for the Sixth Edition in 2018. Register now for this class while seats are still available! 
 
   
Pictures from Saints Game

 
 

Volunteer of the Month
The PMI-MN Chapter is honored to present Anastasia Demehin as our August 2017 Volunteer of the Month. Anastasia stepped up to the coordination of the chapter's Career Networking Group (CNG) that is offered before every chapter dinner. She has diligently worked to secure quality speakers and presenters for our chapter members to learn from and gain new insights. Anastasia has also added 2 volunteers into her group to create a fun, and lively professional team—it’s a team you’ll want to learn from through their spot-on engagement.  Congratulations to Anastasia for making the CNG so successful after 2 years of leadership!

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Member News

PMI-MN schedules events for project management professionals (members and guests) throughout the year at the following locations: Minneapolis-St. Paul; Duluth-Superior; St. Cloud-Waite Park, Mankato in Minnesota & Fargo-Moorhead, Bismarck-Mandan, Grand Forks in North Dakota.

Check our PMI-MN Events Calendar on the Events tab at pmi-mn.org for ongoing details and registration for upcoming events.

New Members for the Month of July

New Certifications for the Month of July

Save the Date - Register and Save 

The chapter schedules events for project management professionals (members and guests) throughout the year at the following locations: Minneapolis-St. Paul; Duluth-Superior; St. Cloud-Waite Park, Mankato in Minnesota & Fargo-Moorhead, Bismarck-Mandan, Grand Forks in North Dakota.

Check our PMI-MN Events Calendar on the Events tab at pmi-mn.org for ongoing details and registration for upcoming events.

• September 18 - Chapter Dinner "Step Into Your Spotlight" presented by Patty Matthews | 5:00-8:30pm – Bloomington, MN (1.0 PDU)

  REGISTER

• September 20 - Webinar "Step Into Your Spotlight: Make Great Things Happen" presented by Patty Matthews | 12:00-1:00 pm  (1.0 PDU) No Registration Necessary.
   
• September 20 - Outreach "Grandma’s Marathon: Contingency Planning"  presented by Greg Haapala and Shane Bauer 5:30 - 8:00pm  (1.0 PDU)

  REGISTER

• September 25-28 - Professional Development Days PMP® Certification Prep Course

October Events:

• October 10 - Chapter Breakfast "The How of Tough Conversations"  presented by Carolien Moors | 7:00-8:50am Bloomington, MN (1.0 PDU)

• October 12 - Outreach  "Lunch and Learn"  presented by Kathy Schwalbe | 12:00 pm  Minneapolis, MN (1.0 PDU)

  REGISTER

• October 16 - Chapter Dinner "Bulletproof Business Cases: 5 Critical Things Every Project Proposal Needs"  presented by Richard Larson | 5:00-8:30pm Plymouth, MN (1.0 PDU)

  REGISTER

• October 17 - Seminar "Consulting Skills to Solve Business Problems"  presented by Andrea Brockmeier | 8:00 am -4:30 pm (8.0 PDU)

• October 25 - Webinar  "Bulletproof Business Cases: 5 Critical Things Every Project Proposal Needs"  presented by Richard Larson | 12:00pm (1.0 PDU) No registration necessary. 

• November 14 - Chapter Breakfast "The Innovative Mind"  presented by Jane Schuette | 7:00-8:50am – Plymouth, MN (1.0 PDU)

• November 15 - Webinar "Projects: How to Make Matters Worse"  presented by Christine Moore | 12:00pm (1.0 PDU) No registration necessary. 
   

• November 20 - Chapter Dinner "Let Your Management Abilities Shine!"  presented by Julie Soderlund | 5:00-8:30pm – Bloomington, MN (1.0 PDU)

• November 28 – Seminar “Intro to Kanban” presented by Rand Eaton | 8:00 – 4:30pm  | Minneapolis, MN (8.0 PDU)