WMPMI's monthly lunch meeting is a one-PDU event features a speaker that presents on a topic from the PMI Talent Triangle for 45 minutes and allow 15 minutes for questions. Also included is an excellent lunch buffet and the company of your project management peers. 

Location: University Club - 10th Floor of the Fifth / Third Building - 111 Lyon St NW # 1025, Grand Rapids

Speaker:  Allen Gradnigo

Topic:  Project Governance

Description:  This presentation will describe some ways that functions (and resources) could be used to provide project governance (oversight) within an organization and throughout a project's life cycle. The concepts discussed could provide project managers and teams with ideas, regarding ways to implement structure, processes, and decision-making tools for managing projects. These ideas could assist the project manager with supporting and controlling the project for successful delivery. During the presentation, the presenter will explain some repeatable means for requirements definition, requirements documentation, and reliable communication. 

PDU:  Technical 1.0 

Speaker Bio:  A former Air Force officer with 23 years of active duty military experience, Allen served worldwide in roles related to cyberspace operations, international relations, and higher education. In his primary role as a civilian, he currently has responsibility for the Cisco Technical Knowledge Library platform with more than 26,000 annual subscribers and comprised of a web and mobile app platform, a $1.2M annual operating budget, and a 16-member team located in India and in California. A doctoral candidate, at night, he serves as an adjunct faculty instructor in the Department of Economics at Grand Valley State University.

Agenda:

Doors open at 11:15 AM.

The lunch buffet begins promptly at 11:30 AM.

After 45 minutes of networking, the program will begin at Noon and end promptly at 1 PM.

Tickets:

$22.00  WMPMI Members
$27.00  Non-Members

WMPMI's monthly chapter meeting is a two-PDU event featuring two presentation sessions linked by networking time and a buffet dinner.  

Location: The Pinnacle Center - 3330 Highland Dr, Hudsonville, MI 49426 

Session 1 Speaker:  Kevin Casey

Session 1 Topic:  Leadership

Description:  This will be a discussion on problem solving using the Army Design Methodology and ensuring that the correct problem is addressed.

Army design methodology is a methodology for applying critical and creative thinking to understand, visualize, and describe problems and approaches to solving them.

Key concepts that underline the Army design methodology include —

• Critical and creative thinking
• Collaboration and dialogue
• Framing
• Narrative construction
• Visual modeling 

PDU:  Leadership 1.0 

Speaker Bio:  Kevin's information is as follows:

Experience:
2016 - Present: Whirlpool Global Information Systems Project Management Office Manager
1985 - 2016: United States Army - Lieutenant Colonel (retired) - 5 Combat tours (Iraq x 3, Afghanistan x 2)

30 years of Engineering and IT Portfolio & Project Management experience

Education:
BS Mechanical Engineering, United States Military Academy
MS Information Management, University of Southern California
MS Strategic Studies, The Army War College

Certifications: PMP, PMP-ACP, ITIL - Service Design

Key Military Awards: Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Defense Meritorious Service Medal 

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Session 2 Speaker:  Steve Van Horn

Session 2 Topic:  What is Your Sponsor Thinking?

Description:  As a PM, have you ever walked out of a meeting with your project sponsor wondering ‘what are they thinking!?! If you have, it’s probably because you and your sponsor are looking at the same project through very different lenses; the good news is that knowing those differences can help you find ways to communicate more effectively with your sponsor. 

PDU:  Leadership 0.5, Strategic & Business Management 0.5 

Speaker Bio:  Steve grew up in NJ but wanted to see the world so he got the Navy to accept him on the third try. After graduating from Northwestern University with a degree in Civil Engineering, he was commissioned an officer and served in the Persian Gulf and off Yugoslavia during their breakup wars. He wound up in Washington DC where he completed his MBA at George Washington University.

Leaving the Navy nine days before his first son was born he worked in construction management for Home Depot. Later he moved to Booz Allen Hamilton as a management consultant working first in process improvement and later in project management. When Booz Allen decided to experiment with regional offices across the country Steve came to
Indianapolis to build a team. Somewhat unexpectedly he came to love Indiana and decided to stay. Today he works for Anthem, Inc. as an Innovation Architect, pulling together improvement opportunities that cut across organizations and geographies.

Steve is a Project Management Professional (PMP), Program Management Professional (PgMP) and is working towards his Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP) certification. He and his wife Stephanie live in Carmel IN where their three boys keep them busy with sports, scouts, and school. He recently coached his 175th youth sports game. In his free time he tries to keep his two dogs out of the vegetable garden while perfecting his recipe for Chile Garlic Hot Sauce.

Agenda:

Doors open at 4:45 PM.

Tickets:

$30.00  WMPMI Members

$40.00  Non-Members  

Registration Closes on Thursday Noon, of the week before our meeting. A late fee will be added after this date.  ***WALK IN REGISTRATION is available the day of at 4:45pm.

$25.00 GR Full-Time Student Guest curr. 12+ cr hrs - Pinnacle Center
$30.00 after 5:00 pm November 10

$30.00 WMPMI Member Meet @ Pinnacle Center
$35.00 after 5:00 pm November 10

$40.00 Non-Members Meet @ Pinnacle Center
$45.00 after 5:00 pm November 10

WMPMI's monthly breakfast meeting is a one-PDU event featuring a speaker that presents on a topic from the PMI Talent Triangle for 45 minutes and allows 15 minutes for questions. Also included is an excellent breakfast buffet and the company of your project management peers.

Location: University Club - 10th Floor of the Fifth / Third Building - 111 Lyon St NW # 1025, Grand Rapids

Speaker:  Jay Richards

Topic:  Applying Financial Analysis to Risk Management

Description:  PMI recognizes the need, as articulated by leading Executive Thought Leaders, that project managers require business skills in order to be successful in the current and future business environments. And while we have been competent in estimating costs for projects and managing those projects to their approved budgets, the ability to financially justify a project before it is initiated, with respect to competing options, is a business management and often strategic competency that traditionally has not been part of the PM skill set.

This presentation will offer a method of estimatingthe return on investment for project proposals via Net Present Value analysis. Specifically, an example will be offered of financially quantifying
the risk to a regulated organization as a means to derive the ROI for a project proposal designed to achieve regulatory compliance. 

PDU:  Strategic & Business Management 1.0

Speaker Bio:  Jay Richards’ eclectic career has included roles as an internal auditor, analyst, manager, senior project manager and PMO manager in logistics, retail, banking and technology industries. He is currently a production manager/scheduler for Belfor USA. He holds an MBA from the University of Texas and a BA from CMU. Jay also served in the US Army as an Airborne Ranger, troop leader, and in various operations assignments, culminating his 28-year military career as adjunct faculty for the US Army Command and General Staff College with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. In his spare time he teaches reading and writing improvement in an area prison.

Agenda:

Doors open at 6:45 AM.

The breakfast buffet begins promptly at 7:00 AM.

After 45 minutes of networking, the program will begin at 7:30 AM and end promptly at 8:30 AM.

Tickets:

$20.00  WMPMI Members
$25.00  Non-Members