Steve Lundquist, PMP, PMI-ACP, M.Sc.

PMI New Hampshire Chapter President

June 2018

“May you live in interesting times.”

– Often thought to be a Chinese Curse

It has indeed been an interesting year. In researching this quote (because I thought it fit this year), I have come to find that it’s not Chinese, nor is it particularly a curse. And I agree that it’s not a curse. While people may view “interesting times” as stressful and uncertain, I see them as opportunities. Without challenging our comfort levels, how can we grow?

With that I would like to say thank you to the chapter for calling on me to lead this past year. I know that the chapter didn’t elect me to the position, but through a series of events we found ourselves lacking a person to fill the role for 2017-2018. The board reached out to appoint me as per the by-laws, and here I am. As I had not been elected this time around, I felt it best to not try to impose too many mandates or initiatives of my own design on the chapter. Instead my main goal was to provide stewardship and mentoring for the next round of leadership.

We did work on formalizing our strategic plan more. While not ready for publication, it did help us really refine a few of our existing documents and words associated with the chapter. For instance, little things like our “by line” that used to say Building Professionalism in Project Management in the Granite State now is more grammatically correct and says Building Project Management Professionalism in the Granite State. I know, it may not seem like a big deal, but it was one of many things that we as the chapter leadership worked on to better lead the chapter into the future.

The board has also filled in with many positions that had been vacant. Mark Lucas joined the Voting Board as our new Director of Governance and Sandra Hebert stepped in to the Role of VP of Membership. Elaine Jackson, Pamela Oberg, Barbara Ransom, and Henry Pozzetta joined the board as directors of many important functions of the team, and we are glad to have them aboard. Of course, there are always other positions to fill, so if you are interested in supporting the chapter, please reach out to a member of the board. We also held our annual elections, and I want to send my congratulations to John Lang, Crystal Inzinga, Abby Bosacker, Mike Otis, and Sandra Hebert. I look forward to great things.

This year the chapter offered several Professional Development events and webinars through great speakers such as Star Dargin, Jim Stewart, Eric Bloom, and David Barrett. These events were well attended, and I hope people got as much out of them as I did. I look forward to continuing to deliver these benefits to the membership.

We wrapped up the year by recognizing our membership in several ways. Our members who are celebrating anniversaries with our chapter were recognized in May. And in June we presented the PMI New Hampshire Chapter awards for the Company, Project, and PM of the Year. While our board runs the operations of the chapter, it is our membership that makes the chapter. You all deserve recognition for being members of this professional organization. Thank you.Sincerely,

Steve Lundquist, PMP, PMI-ACP, M.Sc.
President 2017-2018
PMI New Hampshire Chapter

Letter from the President

Dear Colleagues,

As the New Hampshire Chapter term begins for the 2018-2019 season, we are presented with new opportunities to learn, achieve, and serve our members.

Thank You

First, I would like to say “thank you” to those who served the PMI New Hampshire chapter during the past term.

Steve Lundquist, our out-going president, has served two terms as president and leaves a great legacy. He led the Chapter in our first, updated 5-year Strategic Plan in 10 years and has shown boundless enthusiasm and energy for volunteerism. Steve leaves the President’s position in a much better position to grow and face new challenges.

Ken Crowley (VP of Finance), Linda Sweeney (Past President and VP of Community Relations), Linda Schiavo (Director of Events and Meetings), Sushil Jaiswal (Director of Volunteers Management), and Sym Gates (Director of Roundtables) have all made significant contributions for several years in their roles. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

We begin this new term with many new Board members, some of whom have been participating in Chapter events for many years, while others are just becoming more active within the Chapter.

Thank you to those who served and those who are stepping up to support the PMI New Hampshire Chapter. I look forward to working this Board of Directors to meet our objectives for this term.

Mission, Vision and Strategic Priorities

This term is the first in many with the benefit of renewed Mission, Vision and Strategic Priorities as we move toward the next phase of the PMI New Hampshire Chapter.

Our Mission:

The PMI New Hampshire Chapter is a state-wide community of project professionals that:

• Provides member education, a forum for shared information and experiences, and opportunities for individual contribution, fostering our profession.
• Advances a wider understanding of the value of Project Management, promoting its implementation throughout New Hampshire.
• Promotes the Project Management Institute and its workings, supporting its certification programs and sharing its resources with the community at large.

Our Vision:

The PMI New Hampshire Chapter is the recognized leader for the promotion and application of Project Management and its principles, serving as a Center of Excellence throughout New Hampshire.

Our Strategic Priorities:

To guide the Chapter for the next 5 years, the New Hampshire Chapter will focus on these strategic priorities:

• Professional Development: Ensure that New Hampshire’s Project Management professionals are able to keep pace with emerging trends and changes in the field.
• Membership Development: Acquire, maintain, and engage our members through programs and benefits.
• Community Involvement: Support the New Hampshire Chapter mission to engage the state community and promote the values of PMI.
• Chapter Success: Ensure the Chapter is fostered and maintained as an ongoing institution.

President’s Challenges

This is an interesting time for Project Managers. Some organizations are newly “discovering” the benefits of Project Management, while others are laying off their Project Managers and assigning those tasks to other roles.

PMI New Hampshire Chapter is the only Project Management professional organization in the state. Today, we serve over 800 members, located all over our great State. In the survey taken in January 2018, we discovered that many of our members are seasoned, with more than ten years of Project Management under their belt. I often hear people pondering their “next steps”, whether they are looking for their next role or not.

In light of this environment, I have challenged myself to address these particular problems:

• How do we increase interest and engagement in the activities of the Chapter?  Generally, we have a very loyal group of people who attend all events. How do we engage members to share their perspectives and experience?  How can we offering what all our members need?
• How do I ensure that we, as Project Managers, are ready for how our profession is evolving?  With layoffs of Project Managers and business analysts in many industries in the northeast, how do we support those looking for their next role, explore what’s out there, and be informed of trends in Project Management employment?
• How do I ensure that the inner workings of the Chapter are effective and efficient, to attract new volunteers and face new, emerging challenges?  While some Chapters leverage paid resources, the PMI New Hampshire Chapter relies solely on the support of volunteers. How do I ensure that Chapter is runs efficiently so it attracts volunteers who may have limited time to help?

Toward addressing the above problems, I have three strategic goals for my 2018-2019 term –

1. Re-energize New Hampshire Chapter membership benefits.
2. Increase New Hampshire Chapter involvement in our communities.
3. Launch the New Hampshire Chapter forward to the next decade, and more.

With the energy of new Board members, we plan to deliver on each of these goals during this term.

What to Watch for:

Here are some new things we plan to launch this term:

• Invite seasoned members to network with new Chapter members. We are calling these “Re/New Member” Networking events. If you get an invite, please accept and plan to attend. We would love to talk to you.
• For our members who may be too far enough away to come to Chapter events:
  
  • We are now holding Chapter Meetings outside of Manchester and Portsmouth.  This year, we are in Keene and other towns. We hope you can join us there.
  • We will explore ways for you to attend Chapter Meetings virtually.
• Community Partnerships. We want to get others engaged and excited about Project Management. We have reached out to colleges to partner with us and hope they will accept.
• Networking Guests. We have invited consulting companies and colleges to Chapter Meetings to inform members of Project Management opportunities, trends in Project Management, and career options.

I am very excited to work with the new Board members to deliver a well-planned set of activities for our members. Please continue to ask for the things you would like to see and hear from us.

And, please join us as we advance Project Management in our great state of New Hampshire.

I look forward to serving you,

Nora Colliton
President 2018-2019
PMI New Hampshire Chapter

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me.