Project management group launches chapter

Project Management International has chartered a northern Nevada chapter, PMI-NNV.

"Sacramento wasn't serving the needs of the project managers here," says Linda Kennedy, chapter president. Kennedy and Sue Churchill, president-elect candidate, had worked to charter the local chapter for the past five years.

The hurdle: to convince the International organization that northern Nevada had sufficient people and professionalism to support an independent group.

At International headquarters, says Kennedy, "They didn't understand that there's a mountain range between the two cities. They didn't understand that I couldn't just drive over to Sacramento on a Thursday night to attend a meeting."

The chapter, called PMI-NNV, will celebrate its charter at a dinner from 5:30-9:00 p.m. on April 28 at Best Western Airport Plaza.

Speaker Beth Parthenon from Project Management International will speak on the value of project management. Information is online at nnv.pmiregion7.org

In two months, PMI-NNV has secured 53 members. Annual dues are $110 to PMI International and $30 to the local chapter.

As a service to the community, the group plans to offer courses in unemployment as a project. It will start in late spring or early summer.

And for companies, it plans a symposium of courses in project management, presented as an evening program.

While colleges now offer courses in project management, many people fall into the job, says Kennedy. And like her, they then take courses along the way to become certified.