Below are some of our talented PMI Portland Chapter volunteers.  We'd love to feature you on this page!  If you are interested in joining this illustrious group, growing your skills and your network, see the Volunteer Opportunities web page.

Richard Zernickow, PMP, Director of Mentoring 

zernickow richardRichard Zernickow has been a PMI Portland chapter member since 2017 and is an alumni of the mentorship program. He holds degrees in biomedical engineering, received his PMP certification in 2015, and has experience leading teams in various industries. Richard currently works at S2insight, providing product development consulting and project management training to medical device and life sciences companies. In his free time, he gets outdoors and enjoys running, biking, and paddling around the Pacific Northwest.

Loie VanDenBergh, CAPM, Director of Programs Support 

Isabella Baldez, Assistant Director of Technology 

Nicolas Van Tulder, PMP, Director of Technology

Destiny Billington, CAPM, Director of Newsletter

Nicholas Teed, CAPM, Assistant Director of Workshops

Paula (PJ) Duckhorn, Director of Annual Conference Registration

Nicole Nowlin, PMP, Director of Annual Conference

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Nicole Nowlin is a certified Project Management Professional with over a decade of experience in project and program management, though if you ask her, that's been her default working mode since high school. She enjoys being the facilitator for her teams to get their puzzle finished, regardless of the industry she is working in. An overcommitted volunteer with an extensive nerdy wardrobe, Nicole is proud of her multitasking superpower, her recent kidney donation, and her bachelor's degree in International Business/Japanese from Pacific University. Her latest volunteer endeavor is Assistant Director of Logistics for PMI PDX's annual conference in the fall. 

Jennifer Ellis, CAPM, Director of Annual Conference Finance

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Jennifer comes to us with a variety experiences in management, project management and coordination, as well as practice management in a health care setting. She has a BS in chemistry, a MS in Bioresource engineering and is a Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM).

In her spare time Jennifer enjoys baking, backyard bird watching, reading, and live performing art shows (theater, dance, story telling, etc). She can often be found planning an outing with friends or family and enjoys walking in her neighborhood and the occasional hike or bike ride. She lives with her husband and two teenage sons.

Paul  Bunn, PMP, Director of Annual Conference Operations

Billy Shanks, CAPM, Director of Annual Conference Logistics

Elizabeth Reed, Director of Annual Conference Speakers

Naznin Akter, PMP, Assistant VP of Marketing Communications

Naznin_Akter_Headshot_pic.jpgNaznin Akter is a highly accomplished professional with a strong background in Electrical Engineering and Project Management. She holds a Ph.D. and MS degree in Electrical Engineering from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Florida International University.  She is currently working as a TD Module and Integration Yield Engineer for Intel Corporation.
Naznin's commitment to professional development led her to obtain the Project Management Professional (PMP®) certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI). Leveraging her engineering background, she seamlessly combines her technical prowess with her passion for project management. With over 3.5 years of experience in project management, Naznin firmly believes that engineers can excel as project managers and effectively bridge the gap between technical teams and project stakeholders. In her quest for continuous growth, Naznin has actively contributed to the South Florida PMI chapter as a Marketing Content Developer during her two years (2020-2021) of volunteer experience. Currently, she holds the esteemed position of Assistant VP of Marketing Communications in the Portland PMI Chapter. Through these roles, she has honed her communication and leadership skills, effectively drove marketing initiatives, and fostered strong professional relationships. Furthermore, Naznin's leadership abilities extend beyond PMI chapters. Within the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), she holds multiple leadership positions. Her dedication to serving the engineering community and driving innovation has been widely recognized.
Naznin aspires to consistently push outside her comfort zone, embrace new challenges, and learn something new every day. She believes that by continuously improving her leadership and management skills, she can deliver exceptional results and inspire her teams to reach  new heights.

Sean McNiff, PMP, PMI-ACP, Director of Education

Molly Chitwood, Director of Annual Conference Marketing and Director of Social Media

Jade Shillingford, PMP Assistant Director of Annual Conference

Stephanie Moen, PMP Assistant Director of Annual Conference Customer Experience

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