1. PMI Insights
A publication for members of the PMI Chicagoland Chapter
PMI Chicagoland Chapter • P.O. Box 1183 • La Grange Park, IL 60526 • www.pmi-chicagoland.org
Mentoring Opportunity Knocks,
PMI Chicagoland Members Answer
Members of PMI Chicagoland team opened the door on opportunities to mentor oth-
ers and grow by learning from more experienced mentors during last month’s work-
shop titled “The Agile Mentor” on January 17 at DePaul University. The workshop was
held in support of the January 2015 National Mentoring Month and it drew about 60
project management professionals.
The continuing-education session adopted the scrum team's self-organizing prin-
ciples to “lead without the title” and look for mentors in their own practice. It was part
of a long-running PMI Chicagoland program to match senior project managers with
less experienced project management professionals.
"Everybody has some type of genius," said Mark J. Carter, Corporate Event Planner,
who opened the Saturday session. "You can learn from a 20 year old, and people with
no experience in project management may know someone with an answer”. According
to Carter, mentoring provides a simple framework: As a mentor you provide advice,
support and connections. The mentee (or person being mentored) typically is seeking to
solve problems to create opportunities.
The six (6) hour workshop session included several teams that were designed to
bring mentoring principals to work in an interactive development exercise. Each work
team brainstormed an aviation system that could integrate college campuses and major
cities. The teams had 90 minutes to identify a project manager, and their team's two
biggest issues and the solutions.
After completing the assignment, in the simulation teams had to face unexpected
disruptions. Without warning, two random members from each team were transferred
to other teams. Then, the newly formulated teams were tasked with developing a
contingency emergency plan for their previous conclusion. Success required quickly
bringing the new team members up to speed on the team’s plan and listening to any
improvements the new team members might suggest.
FEBRUARY 2015
"We wanted to go beyond
mentoring in the corporate world
and in organizations like PMI.
We wanted to include an outreach
to the community.Challenging
attendees to mentorship, person
by person, we can create a huge
impact in the community."
Program Lead Bettina Davey, PMP
continued next page

2. 2
FEBRUARY 2015PMI Insights
MENTORING – continued from page 1
“What a great listener my mentor was,” said participant
Sana Mahmood. “It’s a level of attention we just don’t get
anymore.” According to Bettina Davey, PMP, Program Lead,
the National Mentoring Month workshop concept was to get
people involved with one another and participate. "Mentoring
is something you have to experience, when it works everyone
benefits, mentoring builds better communities," said Davey.
“We wanted to go beyond mentoring in the corporate
world and in organizations like PMI,” said Davey. “We wanted
to include an outreach to the community. Challenging attend-
ees to mentorship, person by person, we can create a huge
impact in the community."
According to Louisa Kim, Vice President of Membership, and Group Lead for PMI Chicagoland Mentoring Program, each year the
Chicagoland’s Mentoring Program pairs approximately twenty (20) Mentors with students and early career professionals in a six-
month formal program. They work together two to four hours a month and craft a development plan, with group meetings at the
start, midpoint and end of the program.
Participants who complete the requirements of the Chapter’s Mentoring Program, and are PMI credential holders, receive
5 PDUs (Professional Development Units). Learn more about Carter’s Mentoring Guidelines and Framework at:
http://www.markjcarter.com/mentoring.
Successful project management in today’s business environment requires
a combination of sound methodology and strong communication, team
building and analytical skills. Professionals in Northwestern’s Project
Management program emerge thoroughly prepared for these challenges
and new career opportunities. Tracks are offered for those just starting
in project management and for experienced project managers who wish
to prepare for PMP, CAPM or PMI-ACP certification. Sessions are held in
the Chicago Loop or online.
Project Management
C E R T I F I C A T E P R O G R A M
REGISTER TODAY
sps.northwestern.edu/project
312-503-0714
SPS is a registered provider for the Project Management
Institute (PMI), the world’s foremost advocate for the project
management profession.
GET CONNECTED | LEARN MORE | EXPAND YOUR NETWORK
Good things happen when you stay involved with PMI

3. 3
FEBRUARY 2015PMI Insights
PMI InsightsBuilding the First Steamship
Based on the book STEAM COFFIN, Captain Moses Rogers and The Steamship
Savannah Break the Barrier
Presenter: John Laurence Busch, Author and Independent Historian
Presentation Abstract:
Building something that has never been accomplished before requires utilizing
new technology to replace the existing established and proven technology. But how
do you put together the right team to make it successful?
Author and historian John Laurence Busch will dare to re-calibrate your mind
and show why the first crossing of the Atlantic Ocean on a "steamship" was met
with skepticism and fear. Steam-powered vessels represent a historical technologi-
cal advance, and the Savannah – the first steam-powered vessel to accomplish it –
served as the globalizing trailblazer of this extraordinary innovation.
John’s research has been described as “exhaustive” in search of new informa-
tion on the life and career of Moses Rogers, one of the first steamboat captains in
history. His study of the events leading to the formation of the Savannah Steam Ship
Company and construction of the steamship Savannah, resulted in the book STEAM
COFFIN, considered one of the most descriptive accounts of the saga of Captain
Moses Rogers and the steamship Savannah.
Attendees will learn:
• Why putting together the right team is essential to the creation of new technology,
• The role passionate leadership of Captain Moses played in breaking paradigms and making the impossible possible,
• How the same principles of project management we follow today led to a successful project more than 100 years
before the PMBOK.
FEBRUARY 2015 CHAPTER DINNER MEETING
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Holiday Inn Countryside
William Tell Conference Center
6201 Joliet Road
Countryside, IL 60525
5:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Price:
Members: $40
Non-members: $55
Speaker Bio:
John Laurence Busch is an independent historian who focuses
on the interaction between humanity and technology, special-
izing in the first generation of steam-powered vessels. He has
devoted years of research to discovering the true story of Captain
Moses Rogers and the steamship Savannah.
John’s careful weaving together of many disparate sources
results in a narrative that recalls both the fabric and style used
in storytelling of old. This led him to scour archives and librar-
ies from Portland, Maine to Savannah, Georgia, and across the
Atlantic Ocean to the far reaches of Europe, in search of new
information on the life and career of Moses Rogers, one of the
first steamboat captains in history, as well as the actors and
events that resulted in the formation of the Savannah Steam
Ship Company, and the construction of the steamship Savannah.
The result is STEAM COFFIN, the most descriptive account of
the saga of Captain Moses Rogers and the steamship Savannah
ever written. The foundation for such a story rests upon the
contents of never-before-published manuscripts and newspaper
articles, which provide an abundance of new details illuminat-
ing the actions and attitudes of those who participated in, and
witnessed, the creation and voyage of the Savannah.
STEAM COFFIN has received widespread praise and acclaim,
as evidenced by over twenty positive reviews in periodicals from
the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.
John’s book tour for STEAM COFFIN has taken him from
Maine to Georgia to Montana, where he has given well over 100
presentations to date before a wide variety of audiences.
Please go to www.steamcoffin.com to see all book reviews,
additional background, and a complete list of past and upcoming
events. John is available for interviews; he can be contacted at
press@steamcoffin.com.

4. 4
FEBRUARY 2015PMI Insights
The PMI Chicagoland Chapter would like to congratulate
W. Stephen Sawle, PMP, PgMP on his extraordinary achievement
in being elected to the PMI Global Board of Directors. Steve is
proceeded only by Helen Cooke and Ron Waller in the history of
the Chicagoland/Midwest Chapters to be elected to this position.
Steve is the first Program Management Professional (PgMP) ever
to be elected to the Board.
Steve began his career as an engineer for industrial con-
struction and quickly recognized that project management was
his passion. He accepted roles of increasing complexity and
responsibility in a broad range of industries including healthcare,
information systems, utilities, government and legal. He led
cross-cultural global projects as a consultant with an interna-
tional consultancy.
In 1990, Steve founded a Chicago, USA-based project man-
agement consultancy. He has since influenced the delivery of
billions of dollars of capital investment through project, program
and program management office consulting. He sets the firm’s
strategic direction, oversees the delivery of services and special-
izes in rescuing struggling projects.
Joining PMI in 1983, he volunteered for local, regional and
international PMI roles. He participated for the last few years on
the Executive Council of the PMI Chicagoland Chapter 4,000+
membership and served as the chapter’s president in 1996. “I
can remember when we were the Midwest Chapter” said Steve,
“before splitting in 1999, our members traveled from Chicago
to Milwaukee for monthly meetings with alternating meet-
ings”. Steve contends that when the organization split, providing
Milwaukee its own chapter and forming the PMI Chicagoland
Chapter, membership for both organizations grew dramatically
spurring positive competi-
tive growth in PMI’s Midwest
region.
Steve was the first regional
representative for the PMI
Chicagoland Chapter. And,
during this period, he also
volunteered for four years as a
final judge in the PMI Project
of the Year competition. In his
new role as Director of the PMI
Global Board of Directors, Steve
joins 14 other elected Directors who govern the Institute as it
carries out the organization’s strategic plan and objectives, and
will serve a three year term.
He is a Program Management Professional (PgMP), a Project
Management Professional (PMP - #067) certification holder, and
a contributor to the 1996 (first) edition of the PMBOK® Guide.
He is credited with over 30 published papers, articles and presen-
tations, and has served as speaker at four PMI global congresses.
He is a Registered Professional Engineer and was awarded the
Certified Management Consultant distinction by the Institute
of Management Consultants. He holds BS and MS degrees in
engineering from Cornell University, and an MBA degree from the
University of Pittsburgh. Steve enjoys global travel, SCUBA div-
ing, canoeing, hiking, fishing and skiing.
On behalf of PMI Chicagoland, Past President, Mr. Greg Jones,
PMP, and Mr. Jim Karthan, President, PMP and its members, we’d
like to congratulate Steve on his remarkable and exceptional
accomplishments.
Director, 2015 PMI Board of Directors
ABOUT PROJECT MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE (PMI®)
PMI is the world's largest project management member association, representing more than half a million practitioners in over
185 countries. As a global thought leader and knowledge resource, PMI advances the profession through its global standards
and credentials, collaborative chapters and virtual communities and academic research. When organizations invest in project
management, supported by PMI, executives have confidence their important initiatives deliver expected results, greater business
value and competitive advantage. Learn more at www.pmi.org.
W. Stephen Sawle, PMP, PgMP

5. 5
FEBRUARY 2015PMI Insights
Community
Outreach
Corner
communityoutreach@pmi-chicagoland.org
Key Event this month:
Ladies of Virtue
On behalf of the PMI Chicagoland
Chapter, please join us in
congratulating the Ladies of Virtue’s
Team of the Year 2014 who presented a
spectacular presentation titled “Barbie Me Not” at the January Chapter Dinner Meeting
in downtown Chicago. These youth were remarkable in their presentation
as the organization seeks to tackle social issues such as body image and low
self-esteem among youth in their adolescence years, said Aisleigh McGann,
Vice President of Community Outreach, PMI Chicagoland Chapter.
Sixteen (16) year old Treazure Owens discussed the effects of media on
self-esteem. “This project has allowed me to step outside of my comfort
zone by speaking to such a diverse audience at the PMI dinner, said Owens,
“this is an experience that I’ve never had before”.
“Everyone did an excellent job”, said McGann, and we congratulate the
Ladies of Virtue team on their performance.
McGann added that the “Professional Association Outreach” program
advocates and promotes project management to other professional asso-
ciations and provides PMI Chicagoland members with knowledge of other
professional associations and their events.
The goals of the program are:
• To continuously establish relationships with the leadership of new professional associations
• To establish a foundation of infrastructure and processes which helps grow the number of organizations we
can support while still maintaining a quality experience for all
• To host a Professional Association fair, so our members can meet and connect directly with associations and
build their network and broaden their expertise
Anyone interested in speaking at the association events, please contact the Director of Professional
Association Outreach, Maria Astudillo at assocor@pmi-chicagoland.org, if you’re interested in volunteering in
the program, please email volunteers@pmi-chicagoland.org.
The Community Outreach team would like to wish Black Diamond Charities the best of luck with
their new veteran project management training program starting in early February. For volunteering
opportunities, contact volunteers@pmi-chicagoland.org.
For all who may be interested in building their self-confidence and public speaking skills, the PMI
Chicagoland Toastmasters club will be at the February 11 Chapter Dinner Meeting and would enjoy
speaking to interested members!
TreazureOwens

6. 6
FEBRUARY 2015PMI Insights
PMI ChicagolandVolunteer Services
Volunteering is the backbone of the PMI organization.
The PMI Chicagoland Chapter values and appreciates
each volunteer for their time, efforts and expertise.
The Chapter Volunteer team will be running a series of
Volunteer Spotlights to acknowledge and share indi-
vidual’s perspective on volunteering with the Chapter
and giving back to the profession. This month’s
Spotlight is on Jim Karthan (Chapter President) who
has been a member since 1995 and served for 9 years
across several leadership roles for the chapter.
The team had the opportunity to interview Jim on
his many years of volunteer service, and here are the
highlights of the conversation…
Ura: Why do you choose to volunteer?
Jim: I have had the privileged to see first-hand the progression of project management
from “just another task” to a fully-fledged professional career. As a volunteer, I have
had the opportunity to be a part of that journey to establish project management as a
profession, and really enjoy being part of such a successful and growing organization.
Ura: Why is it so important to you to be a volunteer leader?
Jim: In the first half of my career, I was in learning-mode and took advantage of the
offerings of the chapter to grow my skills. I was a ‘taker’, but now I am in a position to
‘give back’ and really enjoy helping our members leverage the Chapter for their career
pursuits. In turn, I hope to motivate others to volunteer and give back to the Chapter
and our profession.
Ura: What is your most rewarding volunteer experience?
Jim: In my role, as Chapter President, I have the privilege to speak about our Chapter,
PMI and the Project Management profession at organizations and events around our
community. Recently, I was invited to speak at “YearUp”, an organization that trains
low-income adults to position them for college and internships. It is a high expecta-
tion environment that molds these students for their next steps in life. It was one of
the high-points in my volunteering to share our profession of Project Management with
them, and help them in their journey.
Ura: What suggestions would you offer volunteers new to the Chapter?
Jim: Don’t over think it, just jump in. The rewards are endless in this organization, which
is one of the largest professional associations in the world.
Ura: If you had one volunteer wish; what would it be?
Jim: I am a big fan of trying new things and bringing innovative opportunities to our
members. And all of our new services and events were due to volunteers that made
them happen. So, my wish, would be to have more ideas with passionate people to drive
them.
To find out more about the PMI Chicagoland Chapter volunteer opportunities, please
contact Ura Puranda, the Director of Volunteers at volunteers@pmi-chicagoland.org.
Volunteer Today! Good things happen when you get involved with PMI!
Jim Karthan, PMP, President
Make the Most
of Your Membership
• Take advantage of local
face-to-face networking with
other project professionals
• Gain knowledge from our
exciting programs and services to
advance your career
• Access excusive “members only”
benefits and valuable resources
• Collaborate and practice project
management skills through
volunteer opportunities
LEARN MORE
Explore PMI Chicagoland Chapter:
www.pmi-chicagoland.org
Upcoming Events
Chapter Dinner Meeting
Wednesday, February 11
PMP/CAPM Exam Prep Course
February 21 - March 14
MS Project Best Practices
February 24-25
10th Annual Leadership Forum
May 8
More information about
these and other events can be
found at the Chapter website:
www.pmi-chicagoland.org

7. 7
FEBRUARY 2015PMI Insights
Guiding Organizations Through Change
• Interactive!
• Apply tools to real project
challenges!
• Best practices!
• All you need to successfully
implement change!
Call 513-354-9503 to register or
go to www.changeguidesllc.com
Organizational
Change Management Certification
Learn to Manage the People Aspects of Change
May 12-14th, 2015
Chicago, Illinois
$1,895 (before April 13th)
$2,095 (after April 13th)
Earn 24 PMI PDUs
» Learn cutting-edge project management methods
for successful projects
» Build highly effective communication and
leadership skills
» Identify and apply best practices
» Prepare for PMP® and CAPM® certification
CLASSES BEGIN IN FEBRUARY AT DEPAUL’S LOOP,
NAPERVILLE AND O’HARE CAMPUSES.
To register, call (312) 362-5295 or visit cpe.depaul.edu/pm.
PROJECT
MANAGEMENT
CERTIFICATE
Member News
Congratulations to Our New PMPs
Welcome New Chapter Members
Christopher Adams
Ruben Agosto
Mohammed Ahmed
Abraham Alemu
Allyson Alston
Kavitha Amudhan
Katherine Assell
Dana Barnett-Owens
Michael Bender
Hanna Buchan
Jennifer Buehrer
Kimberly Butler-Brooks
Jeffrey Butzow
Mark J. Carter
Pavan Chalamala
Stuart Clark
Michael Costantini
Robert Cramer
Robert Crane
Paris Davis
Erica Dini
Qiang Fitzgerald
Nick Foster
Nirmalya Ghosh
Anand Girap
Sanda Hadzisabic
Maria Hall
Megan Hansen
Elizabeth Hoffman
Linda Ierardi
Fahad Jafri
Kristine Kitts
Sheila Kozin
Hubert Lubowicz
Mike Maginity
Joseph Mahoney
Kenya Martin
David Martin
Debora Martins
David Mason
Amanda Mazzola
Laura Merrigan
Joya Miller
Diane Moran
Sheryl Motton
Neil Nelson
Bob Parr
Michael Petrella
Senthil Rajarathinam
Eric Rogers
Edith Roman
Robert Ronayne
Cassaundra Rouse
Ignacio Saldivar
Eric Schmidt
Margot Schwamb
Linda Sloma
Scott Smith
John Stephens
Heather Sternberg
Anne Stirparo
Randy Struzik
Kristin Sudholz
Shaheda Taji
Jamila Trimuel
Kimberly Tucker-Romero
Michelle Vang
Mandy Warford
Carolyn Wood
Sherrie Wright
Matt Zulkowski
Mark Ackerman, PMP
Michelle Beckemeier, PMP
Puneet Gupta, PMP
Jessica Hartman, PMP
Nicholas McWilliams, PMP
Rita Popovich, PMP
Vivek Varma, PMP

8. 8
FEBRUARY 2015PMI Insights
Chapter Leadership
The Leadership Team consists of two groups. There is an elected Executive Board made up of the President, Past President and Vice
Presidents. The primary function of this board is to set the strategic plan for the chapter and to oversee the execution of that plan
by the Directors and their volunteers. The Directors are appointed by the Executive Board and are responsible for the execution of
the strategic plan through the tactical day to day operation of the chapter. The Directors coordinate the efforts of chapter member
volunteers to accomplish the activities of the chapter. If you are interested in serving your PMI Chicagoland Chapter, contact our
Director of Volunteers for more information.
President
James Karthan, PMP
Past President
Gregory Jones, PMP
VP Technology
Malcom Culbertson
Director, Advertising
Donna R. Liotta, PMP
Director,Technology -Website,
Christopher Nieves, CAPM
Director, Social Media
R. L. JELE
VP Community Outreach
Aisleigh McGann
Director, AcademicOutreach
Tasharia Gardner
Director, ProfessionalAssociation
Outreach
Maria E. Astudillo
Director, SocialOutreach
Tjuan Smith
VP Business Outreach
Stefan Lorincz, PMP
Director,CorporateOutreach
Jose Matuk
Director, ExecutiveOutreach
Robert Chakrabarty
Director, Public Relations and Marketing
Erik Jensen
VP Operations
Lawrence Witham, PMP
Director, Logistics
Lucyna Jewulski
Director, Registration
Gwendolyn Nichols-White, PMP
VP Membership
Louisa Kim, PMP
Director, MemberAnalysis
Michelle Vant
Director, MemberCommunications
Annette Harris
Director, Member Relations
Sameer Khaja
Director, Mentoring
Louisa J. Kim, PMP
Director,Volunteers
Ura Puranda, PMP
VP Education
Ravikumar Avasarala, PMP
Director, Programs
Wilfred Hegg
Director,Certification
Jerome Rowley
Director, Knowledge Sharing
Cynthia Anderson
Director, Professional Development
Peter Novicki
VP Finance
Michael Malinowski
Director, Procurement
Michael Malinowski
Attorney at Law Certified Public
Accountant
Mary Alice C. Strzalka
Board Administrator
Anne W. Clark
Publications
Carolyn Schiffner
The PMIChicagoland LeadershipTeam is made up of dedicated volunteers who constantly strive to add value to the
membership and to forward the best interests of the chapter. Please feel free to contact any member of the Board or
Directors with any questions, concerns, or suggestions you may have.