The PMI Atlanta Dinner Meeting, The Project Management Event of the month, features networking, two presentations, and dinner.
Newcomers Meeting: 5:00pm - 6:00pm
If you are a new member to PMI Atlanta, you do not want to miss this opportunity to hear how PMI Atlanta can help you achieve your goals and meet members of the leadership team.
Professional Development Session: 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Introduction to your new Professional Growth Committee and Discussion on Upcoming CCR Changes for PDU Reporting
Keynote Presentation - 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Why Veterans Make Great Project Managers & What You Can Learn From Them!
Special Thanks to Our Sponsor:
Date: Monday, November 9, 2015
Time: 5:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: The Westin Atlanta Perimeter North, 7 Concourse Pkwy NE, Atlanta, GA 30328
Earn up to 2 PDUs while building your professional network, viewing new products and services, and enjoying dinner. Earn 1 PDU for attending the Professional Growth event and 1 PDU for attending the dinner meeting.
Please Note: Early Bird Registration ends Monday, October 19th. Read More About the Policy Changes Here
Change Management is all around us, but how many of you apply these skills to your career? How many of you have found yourself back in the ‘job search saddle’ again and again with limited security or plans for your future?
Come learn how to navigate and advance your career in Project Management! And, in honor of Veteran’s Day, our speakers include some of the best skilled, educated, traveled, disciplined and productive individuals you will ever meet – all courtesy of our US Armed Forces! These Project Management Professionals who have successfully made the transition from serving our country to life in corporate America will share tips with you on embracing change. They understand the need to be leadership-ready at any level, and we can learn from them! This dinner meeting is dedicated to the topic of succeeding in our profession – starting with how to get your foot in the door, learning how existing professional skills translate into what employers are seeking and then how to market those skills!
The presentation will share how to manage entry and advancement in Project Management, as well as offer guidance and tools for your transition, regardless of whether you have been in the military or not. We’ll discuss the importance of mentorship and answer questions about how to have a successful career transition.
A staffing representative will discuss why Corporate America seeks returning service military and which skills are valued and need to be marketed most.
Key Meeting Objectives:
• PMI Atlanta’s Annual Meeting – a brief status update and financial overview of the 3rd largest chapter in the world!
• Sought after skills service members have and how your skills compare
• PMI Mentoring Programs for Military and Civilians
• Why certifications are an important differentiator and the new focus on Risk Management (RMP)
• Which Atlanta-based companies seek out former service members and why
There are 2.2 million troops that serve in the U.S. Military. Georgia is home to ~73,000 – look in your network and bring a vet to this meeting!
Biographies:
Mike Williams, PMP is a 26 year Navy Career rising through the ranks from Enlisted E1 to Commander. Mike flew in Patrol P-3, F-4 Phantom, and F-14 Tom Cat aircraft.
- Deployed on two aircraft carriers
- Attended North Carolina State University and received a BS in Computer Science (1973)
- Attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Received a Masters in Business Administration. (1988)
- Worked at the Navy Air Systems Command and the office of the Chief of Naval Operations (1985-1992)
- Attended the Defense Systems Management Collage
- Mike worked for three software companies as an Implementation Manager, SW Development Manager and Project Manager. (1994-2015)
- Earned his PMP Certification in 1995
Dave Harrington, PMP joined the army infantry in1986 as a second lieutenant. After graduating Infantry Officer Basic Course and Ranger School, 2LT Harrington served on the DMZ in Korea, and later in the Seventh Infantry Division, participating in the Panama Invasion in 1989.
Having served his four-year obligation to the army, Mr. Harrington entered the commercial sector during the 1990 recession. A background in the Infantry did not readily translate to a job in the civilian sector. Through a Junior Military Officer (JMO) recruiting company, Mr. Harrington went to his first civilian job in front line leadership.
Attaining his MBA and later PMP and CISSP, Mr. Harrington is now an IT professional and retired from the military after a combined 25 years in the Active Army, Army Reserves, and National Guard. Mr. Harrington served in Afghanistan in 2002, and Iraq in 2010 as a mobilized reservist. He has commanded infantry, anti-armor, and armor platoons; a Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Warfare Company; and two different battalions. Bouncing back and forth between active duty deployments and civilian has yielded important lessons.
What companies needed then is what they need now - people who are action oriented and know how to get things done, either as an individual contributor or through others. The military prepares people to do both. What the military does not prepare its members for is the culture of Corporate America. The military culture is comparatively harsh and direct; the major transition to Corporate America where soft skills are very important can be difficult.
Mr. Harrington has worked with and hired many people in his 30 year career, and some of whom were recently released veterans. Veterans tend to be adaptable, disciplined, and reliable. As a coworker and manager it is important to coach them as with any other employee, being sensitive to the fact that recently released veterans have often been in a vastly different environment.
Veterans make an important contribution to a diverse and effective team. Like anyone else, they need opportunity, challenges, and to be part of something bigger than themselves. Mr. Harrington has made the transition on several occasions, and appreciates the value of veterans. We should all keep in mind that veterans are an invaluable resource to any organization that needs leadership, teamwork, and people with a 'get it done' mindset.
Craig Bergwall, PMP, is a retired Lieutenant Colonel from the U. S. Army having served over 21 years of active duty in assignments ranging from Platoon Leader to Division Chief of Staff in numerous state-side and overseas assignments as a Logistics Officer and certified Operations Research Systems Analyst (ORSA). Craig earned his PMP certification in 2013, in preparation for his active duty retirement in January 2014 and transition into the private sector. He currently resides in Marietta, GA and works as a Senior Project Manager for the Garden Division of Central Garden & Pet in Atlanta, leading the commercialization of new product development through the Stage & Gate process by managing a cross-functional team of marketing, sales, engineering, R&D, packaging, procurement, operations, regulatory, finance, quality and transportation. Craig holds a BS in Chemistry from Clemson University and a MS in Management from Troy University. He and his wife Kathy have two children (a college freshman and high school senior), and two crazy poodles.