By Membership Selection Committee

Matthew Jenkins has served as the Director of Events with PMI Portland during the pandemic. He was nominated as Volunteer of the Month due to his willingness to lead as the organization faced new challenges of bringing high quality content to PMI’s members.

Outside of PMI, Matthew is a Treatment Specialist with Cascadia Behavioral Health, assisting individuals with disabilities get the resources they need. He recognized that he was using a lot of the skills required of a Project Manager in his role, from planning and scheduling to executing work. He reached out to PMI Portland as an organization that could provide insight into the world of project management and help grow his professional network.

When speaking about his time volunteering with PMI Portland, it is clear the care and attention he takes with each detail. As we all have learned over the past year and a half, hosting online events can be challenging. Matthew speaks of the need to do technical checks and to always be on when hosting a Zoom meeting. But, as anyone who has attended a chapter meeting over the past year knows, Matthew and his team’s preparation has ensured success for any future events.

Matthew’s favorite parts of his volunteer service have been meeting project managers and learning from the guest speakers. He profusely thanked Jody Temple-White for her leadership and excellent project management skills. He also enjoyed the talk on how to become a citizen developer by using low code/no code apps to make routine tasks simpler.

If you ever get the chance to speak with Matthew, be sure to ask him about his pet, Lizzy! She is a Peach Throat Monitor Lizard that is 2.5ft long and lives in a custom built terrarium. Lizzy likes to swim and run and is a very active pet that keeps Matthew busy during his spare time.

To anyone thinking of volunteering with PMI, Matthew’s advice is to align your needs with the organization to find something that is mutually fulfilling. He wanted more exposure to project management and has a knack for ensuring people get what they want out of experiences. His role as Director of Events is a perfect match!

By Membership Selection Committee

Throughout his 40+ years in project management, Sheldon has a compendium about project management and the PMI Portland community is lucky to have him leading the charge as our Director of Mentoring. Sheldon received his PMP in 2009 and began his volunteer journey with PMI Portland in 2016 as a mentor, becoming the Mentoring Director in 2017. 

Sheldon has been the backbone of the mentoring program for the PMI Portland Chapter, promoting professional growth for Chapter members by facilitating focused mentoring programs twice a year. Those who work with him speak about his passion for the education and growth of PMI chapter members. He always has great ideas and support for education study groups and networking.

Mentoring for Sheldon is an act of servant leadership that was instilled in him at a young age. His definition of mentoring does not stem from a teacher-lecturer relationship or know-it-all status, but from a willingness to pass on knowledge and guide and encourage those who are seeking to be and do better. As a mentor in the program himself, he has seen his mentees begin to lead on projects, work through challenges and gain international recognition for their work.

Sheldon has made sure that he and his mentor network are available as a resource to chapter members and guests during the pandemic. He adjusted the mentoring program to accommodate virtual lifestyles  for 2020, gave great feedback and support to the Professional Development portfolio team. Sheldon is humble, supportive, accountable and a great role model. 

Professionally, Sheldon is the Director of Cybersecurity for an outsourced IT firm in the Portland metro area, primarily supporting compliance. In his current role, he sees a growing opportunity for project managers to have successful, long term careers in IT security compliance management, so watch out for his future panel or lunch and learn on the topic!

In his spare time, Sheldon spends time with his grandchildren throughout the Pacific Northwest or riding his large displacement motorcycle. He also cares for a garden he inherited when he purchased his current home, which is more of a necessary project than a delightful pastime. 

If you think you could benefit from a mentor or would like further information, Sheldon says do not wait. Go to the mentoring webpage on PMI Portland and submit your application today. The Spring/Summer round applications are open now. And if you get the chance to speak with Sheldon, please be sure to thank him for his support of the PMI Portland community!

By Membership Selection Committee

Dina Wallace, PMP, is PMI Portland’s Director of Newsletters. What you are reading right now happens because of her dedication to the PMI Portland community. From deciding on content, assigning writers and editors to articles, and publishing the final work, she keeps the newsletter team organized, ensuring PMI Portland members get high-quality content delivered to their inbox.

Before project management, Dina was a bank manager for a national bank. But, she wanted to find a job that allowed her to focus on her favorite parts of her work life: bringing various stakeholders together to drive towards a common goal and solving puzzles. Now, you’ll find her as a construction project manager at PGE. Her rise from contractor to a member of PGE’s PMO in a few short years is evidence that project management is the right career path for her. With the wildfires of 2020 and the ice storm of 2021, she has had her hands full, keeping the power on for people’s households and businesses!

If you have a love of cookies, butter, or both, you’ll want to be sure to connect with Dina at the next PMI Portland event. She co-owns Butter and Love Gourmet Cookies, delicious, stuffed round cookies that offer unique flavor combinations and happiness in a confection. When not baking, she’s traveling (hopefully again soon) or hanging out with her two mini-Schnauzers, Bowie and Pemba. 

Volunteerism is a core value of Dina’s as she volunteers with several other location organizations. Dina was a passive member of PMI Portland for several years, but after earning her PMP, she decided to take an active role. Once she did, she found out how big the project management community is in Portland and, especially over the past year, has enjoyed the sense of belonging she has found.

Dina urges anyone considering volunteering with PMI Portland to put away their hesitation and try it. She remarked it is hard to do something you haven’t done in a long time or try something new. As a volunteer with PMI Portland, you have a support network that can help you through the process. And like so many others, Dina can’t wait to welcome you in!

By Membership Selection Committee

Jahzeel was nominated for Volunteer of the Month and it's no surprise as to why. Personally, she is a self-starter and genuine person who is always ready to jump in and lend a helping hand. She has great ideas, excellent communication skills and outstanding follow-through. 

She has been excellent at finding and implementing workshop opportunities for PMI Portland members and understands our Mission of providing value to members. She arranges our paid workshop events and has single-handedly kept the Professional Development Portfolio in business. 

Jahzeel has volunteered with PMI Portland since October 2019 after a working interview at an event. Asked to step in and help “make things happen,” she was drawn by the energy and community at the event and wanted to continue to contribute. 

In her volunteer role, Jahzeel took on the challenge of crafting meaningful workshops. She notes that with the necessity to be virtual, community and connection beyond those in our personal and professional network is more important than ever.

When selecting facilitators, Jahzeel looks for individuals who can share stories of significance that resonate with members. For the virtual workshops, she also assesses a facilitator's comfort with technology and ability to navigate break out rooms, muting, chats, etc. 

Her one request of members is that they speak up about what programming they want. The most value that PMI Portland can provide to members is through relevant, impactful content. With an impressive annual goal of 10 virtual workshops with 30 or more members in attendance, Jahzeel and her team welcome all input into what you as a PMI Portland member would like to learn.

Professionally, project management found Jahzeel, not the other way around. Beginning her career consulting for Liberty Mutual and eventually as a full time project manager, Jahzeel has traveled the world, implementing national and international projects and process improvements. 

When asked what she does with her spare time, she responded that she doesn't like to have spare time. Beyond her full time job at Liberty Mutual, Jahzeel volunteers for Easter Seals, City of Lake Oswego, her UC Davis sorority chapter and the Oregon Visual Arts Institute. She also teaches business courses at PCC. Needless to say, Jahzeel enjoys making a difference wherever she chooses to spend her time. PMI Portland is fortunate to have her working for the betterment of its members.

To those interested in volunteering with PMI Portland, Jahzeel says “just do it!” The structure of PMI Portland enables volunteers to make a big impact. She notes that volunteering allows members to do good for those around them, stay current on project management trends and meet new people. So come and volunteer!

Many thanks to Jahzeel for all that she does for PMI Portland and we cannot wait to see what workshops she has under her sleeve!

By Membership Selection Committee

Dominique Bradley embodies the best of PMI Portland volunteers: belief in the good that Project Management can bring to the world and passion for delivering what the members need to meet the profession's challenges. 

She began her volunteer journey with PMI Portland in February of 2020, drawn to the amazing, diverse community of project management professionals. Her advice for those wondering if they should volunteer with PMI Portland is a resounding “Yes.” She asserts there is no better time to volunteer than right now, when we are all searching for community and connection.

As Assistant VP of Outreach, she has planned, coordinated, and produced 6 virtual outreach ZOOM events for the PMI Portland chapter, creating over 700 high-quality community interactions with over 125 non-PMI member engagements. Her administrative, marketing, and technical prowess enabled PMI Portland to successfully deliver the 1st ever virtual chapter meeting to its members.  

Dominique is a tireless, dedicated professional committed to providing the greater Portland Project Management community with the highest quality professional development opportunities, social interactions, and professional networking. She has the ability to keep a cool head under pressure and handle anything that comes her way. 

Her one ask of members is to provide feedback on events and programming. She takes the customer service aspect of her volunteer role seriously and reviews all of the surveys. So, next time you are given the opportunity to provide feedback to PMI Portland, know that Dominique is listening!

By Membership Selection Committee

What does a seasoned volunteer look like? Look no further than January’s Volunteer of the Month, Jerry Young, for that answer.

In 2008, Jerry began volunteering with PMI Portland and his efforts primarily focused on marketing and sponsorship. Although completely capable of executing any task assigned to him, Jerry's passions lay in networking and helping others find work. The volunteer position quickly morphed into a recruiting role that included hosting job fairs, assisting in resume writing, speed mentoring, networking, building up a massive job board, and much more.

After retiring from corporate work last year and being bored, Jerry realized that his time would be best spent doing the same type of recruiting work he has done as a volunteer for the Portland chapter. Now, as COO at a staffing company, Jerry spends his days tutoring, mentoring, and putting his skills to good use.

Jerry offers up two points of advice for those looking or thinking about changing jobs. First, employers are looking to fill multiple positions with a single hire. There is likely no reason to hire a software engineer and a separate Scrum coach with budgets tightening. If a person can speak to both skill sets, they would be the ideal candidate. Jerry notes that "Generalists have more tools in their toolbox and are therefore more desirable to hiring managers." The second piece of advice, "do not take the shotgun approach and apply everywhere." If you're looking for a job in Portland, it's a surprisingly small city. Hiring managers across industries talk to one another about their needs, and your resume may come across their desk. Apply authentically for a job you want. Don't make yourself out to be someone else. Be honest about your qualifications.

As far as Chapter responsibilities go, Jerry envisioned, coordinated, and moderated the Outreach panel discussion titled "A Day in the Life" held last November. This event chronicled expert panelists representing Project, Program, Product Management, a Portfolio Director, and a Scrum Master/Agile Coach and drew over 135 registrants. It's no surprise that all heralded his execution of the event in attendance.

So when he's not hiking or playing tennis or helping someone land the perfect job, Jerry continues to focus on providing dynamic, relevant, and engaging content to help others with their professional networking and career growth. Well played, Jerry!

 By Membership Selection Committee

PMI Portland is proud to announce the December Volunteer of the Month winner, April Chapman.

April joined the PMI Portland Chapter in October 2019 but didn’t begin volunteering with the Membership Portfolio until April 2020. In the early months, as Covid-19 restrictions and challenges began, the Membership Portfolio experienced its fair share of turnover. Even without an official title, April was happy to join as a “team member” and be of use wherever needed.

As an informal team member, April noticed a gap between members who had official representation within the portfolio and ones that didn’t. The portfolios generally communicate via Google Drive and a plethora of Google Docs. Unfortunately, those without a formal title aren’t afforded the luxury of such repositories. Instead of letting this sway her involvement or interest, April implemented the use of SAS application Trello as the hub for Membership team activities, community involvement and collaboration. She not only set up community boards for the members, she also taught the team how to administer various boards, developed standard use guidelines and established “Trello Talk” training opportunities during weekly meetings to help the team optimize the tool usage and stay current on pending tasks. Now the de facto representation of current initiatives, Trello is a thriving success in the Membership Portfolio thanks to April.

In her ideal scenario, April would love to take a more central and leading role as Director of Volunteer Recognition. Being able to recognize volunteers and make them feel appreciated and valued are April’s passions. She has been instrumental in moving the volunteer program forward and recognizes volunteers are the core and soul of the Portland Chapter. In the words of her nominator, “April has been the glue to the team as others have come and gone” and that persistence and consistency is key to growth and success.

April has consistently shown her strengths of attention to detail and persistence. She looks forward to finding ways to bridge the gap between all members of the PMI Portland community to promote cross-collaboration and drive results. For someone self-motivated and quick witted, this is a challenge April is happily embracing.

And if all that wasn’t enough, April spends whatever time is left in the day, hiking, video gaming and baking bread. The “Solace in the Gorge” profile photo is indicative of her persistent spirit and drive to conquer whatever lies ahead.

By Membership Selection Committee

What does it take to get a personal shout out in a monthly newsletter from the current Chapter President, Ric Ferrin? Probably a little tenacity, sprinkled with great attention to detail and a massive pinch of work ethic. Scott White has them all and that’s why he’s November’s Volunteer of the Month.

When Scott worked as a Consultant for what is now Bridgewell Resources, Scott was constantly pinged to be the lead on projects. The trust that others put in him allowed him to develop the project management skills that made him invaluable to his organization. After getting his PMP and taking on managerial and business analyst roles, primarily focused on IT, Scott became an IT Director and never looked back.

Much of what drove Scott to succeed in his professional career also paved the way for his onboarding at PMI Portland. When he was a member, he noticed the experience was more passive than interactive. It wasn’t until he began volunteering in 2016 as a Web Administrator that things really changed. Not known to be the gregarious type, volunteering allowed Scott to get involved, network and connect. Interaction created intent and that paved the way for collaboration. He noticed an immediate change in his professional network. He could now seek advice and quality feedback, positively impacting both his day job and volunteer work.

Scott recommends anyone who is on the fence about volunteering to take the next step and get involved. Not only has it made relationships more profound, it has given value to shared experiences and circumstances. For example, when he began his consulting career in 2002, Scott says there used to be job openings aplenty. Anyone with a PMP would be hired off the street without question due to incredible demand. Even prior to Covid-19, the market has drastically changed for those looking for work. Individuals with multiple accreditations after their name are having to compete in the same tight job market. Volunteering brings networking and community building to the forefront for those needing assistance. And for those happily employed, it affords the chance to give back and celebrate those successes together.

When he’s not at work or on-boarding new volunteers to PMI Portland, you can find Scott fly fishing in John Day, or the Clackamas or Sandy Rivers. Next weekend, he’ll be in Iowa, spending some family time with his son and future daughter in law. This much needed rest and relaxation is well deserved for a person who gives so much to others.

PMI Portland is proud to announce the October Volunteer of the Month winner (VoM), Lily Fitzpatrick.

Lily holds the title of Assistant Director of Technology Support and is devastatingly deserving of the Volunteer of the Month title. With a vacant Webmaster position, Lily has been instrumental in assisting the Operations portfolio with onboarding new members, providing them with tools and access to make their transition a smooth one, implementing the Go-To-Meeting solution to keep virtual learning afloat, all whilst providing unyielding mental support and guidance throughout the pandemic.

Lily admits that although the work looks very similar to that of 6 months ago, the amount of dedication and personal connection has grown immensely. Embracing the challenge of working remotely and understanding that not all are “technologically savvy,” Lily is more mindful of being fluid and providing extra attention to those needing it most. She’ll be the first to tell you that the title of VoM should go to her entire department and that she’s only a small contributor. That work ethic and selflessness is why she’s chosen for the high honor.

After relocating from the Maryland area 4 years ago, Lily had her eyes set on contributing to the PMI community on the West Coast. She had already been a member of the Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Guatemalan chapters. Joining PMI Portland was a seamless transition to share her experience and give back to an organization that has made her grow and thrive. When she’s not volunteering or giving time to her 4 children, Lily is continuing to expand her professional development. As if a BA in Computer Management wasn’t enough, Lily is actively transitioning from the MA in Engineering Management from Portland State University to follow her love for neuroscience and how it affects technology at OHSU. “At the end of the day, it’s about sharing your knowledge to serve others. This is the legacy I want to leave.”

Lily Fitzpatrick is your October’s Volunteer of the Month because she places the needs of others first and works hard to ensure the success of PMI Portland.