Written by Valerie Williams-Ndikintum, PMP

PMI Atlanta Toastmasters conducted its second meeting of October on Thursday the 23rd. The meeting consisted of 21 attendees in total including 4 guests. Guests included professionals, as well as students most of which were PMI Atlanta members.

The theme of October 23rd’s meeting was ‘Changes’, facilitated by Toastmaster Shannon Kraiger, CTM, CC. Three speech projects were delivered, all of which were presented to satisfy speech 2: Organize Your Speech, from the Competent Communication manual. A Table Topics session was also conducted.

The goal of project 2: Organize Your Speech, in the Competent Communication manual, is to deliver a speech as an outline allowing the audience to easily follow and comprehend the speech topic. The speech is expected to transition from message to message appropriately, presenting a clear and concise message all within the timeframe of 5 to 7 minutes.

Congratulations, Carolyn Toomer! Carolyn, who serves as VP of the Education Committee, was awarded Volunteer of the Month for November. Over the past three years, Carolyn has dedicated her time to growing a volunteer team that teaches project management skills to the Atlanta area middle and high schools by participating in programs like Junior Achievement and providing PM workshops.

Carolyn encourages all PMI Chapter members to volunteer and give some time back to the profession during their careers. She adds, “Volunteering is a very rewarding experience and project management skills can make a difference in the lives of many people. “

Written by Glenn Boylan

The September PMI Atlanta Technology Forum featured a fascinating talk about big data by Rich Wise.

Steve Kruger welcomed everyone and thanked our hosts, Hewlett-Packard. Excellent food this month. This month’s announcements included the fact that HP has a job opening for a Technical Accounts Manager, and that the chapter can always use additional volunteer help. (Speaking of which, don’t forget that being a speaker at one of the Forums will get you three PDUs towards your PMP!)

The chapter has many events coming up – lunches, dinners, forums, and networking events. The chapter website at pmiatlanta.org has all the details.

Nancy Berlin introduced Mr. Wise. Rich, who is a Software Architect and Professional Services IT consultant, has over 25 years of experience in the Information Technology industry. The title of his talk was "Why Big Data ... How We Got Here".

Congratulations, Carolyn Toomer! Carolyn was selected as the November PMI Atlanta Volunteer of the Month. She serves on the Education Committee and was selected based on her efforts to increase awareness of the PM profession to colleges and high schools. We caught up with Carolyn to learn more about her PMI Atlanta experience.

Q. What has been your favorite or most rewarding volunteer experience with PMI Atlanta?

A. Receiving the enthusiastic emails for the scholarships recipients. The Chapter scholarships had not been awarded in a number of years and it was great to get the program back on track and to begin the education program with the metro area high schools and universities.

Q. What leisurely activities do you enjoy? Is there a little known fact that you’d like to share?

A. I am a musician and love to share my music. Currently, I am playing the Bass Clarinet with the Georgia Perimeter College Community Wind Ensemble

Q. Is there anything else you would like to share about volunteering , PMI Atlanta or your professional experience?

A. I encourage all PMI Chapter members to volunteer and give some time back to the profession during their careers. Volunteering is a very rewarding experience and project management skills can make a difference in the lives of many people. My PMI Atlanta Chapter experience has ranged from participating in the Atlanta Project for a Day event each year, assisting local universities by providing speakers, project management mentors, workshops, and project management expertise to students and faculty.