PMI-Chicagoland Chapter Steps into 38th Year
Chicago, IL (PRWEB) January 29, 2015 -- To celebrate its 38th year, PMI-Chicagoland recently sat down with James Andre who is one of the longest standing members of the PMI-Chicagoland chapter since 1994! In the interview, PMI-Chicagoland discovered how James has benefited throughout his 20-year history with the chapter.
20 years ago, the PMI group was young and had only about two hundred members. The PMI Chicagoland chapter was a joint Midwest chapter for the Chicago and Milwaukee areas and given that it was a much smaller group at the time, people knew each other on a more personal basis. This led to James’ interest in a volunteer position as the Director at Large for the chapter in 1997. This fulfilling and rewarding experience as a volunteer solidified his continued commitment to the chapter.
In the last 27 years, PMI has grown more than four times its original membership size. This growth resulted in greater job opportunities, networking and relationship-building for chapter members. Just like the chapter's growth, James’ project management career also grew stronger with each passing year.
James built his career in Project Management and thanked the PMI Chicago-land chapter for their encouragement to achieve a Master’s degree in Project Management in 1996. Even today he continues to work as a Project Management Professional and is closely associated with the chapter, currently a Sr. IT Project Manager for Regulatory, Quality and Safety IT at Abbvie Corporation.
According to James, he regularly draws inspiration from the great presentations conducted by industry leaders on key trends and topics. Networking opportunities and leadership training continue to hold significant value he cites to be the most rewarding aspect of the membership.
James never misses the opportunity to read the monthly PMI magazine, which helps him stay informed on the latest Project Management developments and trends and says he has witnessed many PMI members receive great job opportunities through networking at various PMI events.
“PMI-Chicagoland is a great organization that helps PMs network and stay in touch with one another,” James said. “My advice for aspiring project managers is to get involved, get certified and give back. There is as much learning in giving as there is in receiving and PMI has great brand value, tremendous outreach and the ability to connect people from all industries to build something unique—be it careers, companies, or leadership skills”.
Contact James:
For more details, or to reach James, email him at [email protected] or contact him via LinkedIn - http://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesandre/.
About PMI Chicagoland:
Chartered in 1977 and with a diverse membership base of over 4,000, the PMI Chicagoland Chapter is one of the largest (5th) and most active chapters in the world. Our programs are focused on serving local project management practitioners, organizations and universities by providing the tools and support needed to embrace, bring value and promote success in project management. Chapter members enjoy discounts on events, receive Chicagoland Chapter publications, certification information and benefit from resources in professional development, mentoring, networking and community outreach. If you would like to become a member of the Chapter, would like to volunteer or know of someone who would like to join the chapter, please visit our website: http://www.pmi-chicagoland.org
Erik Jensen, PMI Chicagoland Chapter, http://www.pmi-chicagoland.org, +1 (773) 860-4444, [email protected]
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