Fall 2026 Professional Development Day

Join us for our Fall Professional Development Day and earn 8.25 PDUs!  A continental breakfast will be served, including pastries, gluten-free pastries, coffee and tea.  Lunch will be buffet style and will include dessert.  

Registration is now OPEN!  

♦ Keynote & Workshop

We are excited to welcome Darren Mann as our keynote speaker.  He will lead an engaging workshop titled: Rise Above Routine: Embracing Life Beyond Your Comfort Zone.

Bio: Darren Mann is a keynote speaker, leadership coach, trainer, and John Maxwell Certified Coach, Speaker & Trainer who helps leaders and teams build the confidence, communication skills, and resilience needed to thrive in today's workplace. With more than 15 years of experience leading complex, high-risk initiatives across higher education, healthcare, insurance, and the public sector, Darren brings practical leadership experience and actionable strategies to every presentation.

A former senior project management leader, Darren has led multimillion-dollar projects, developed high-performing teams, and helped organizations strengthen collaboration, navigate change, and improve results. He has delivered keynote presentations, workshops, and leadership training for organizations including Emily Carr University of Art + Design, Simon Fraser University, Los Angeles Pacific University, YMCA BC, McKay CEO Forums, and more than 10 Project Management Institute (PMI) chapters across North America.

Known for his engaging storytelling, practical leadership tools, and interactive presentation style, Darren equips audiences to lead with greater confidence, embrace change, overcome fear, and build stronger relationships. Whether speaking on leadership, resilience, courageous communication, or high-performing teams, he inspires people to move beyond their comfort zones, take meaningful action, and rise above routine to achieve lasting personal and professional growth.

Presentation: This workshop challenges project professionals to break out of predictability, reframe fear as a catalyst for growth, and strengthen courageous leadership habits. Participants will gain practical tools to enhance confidence, communication, and influence through change.

Participants will learn to:

1. Identify routines and limiting beliefs that hold them back from reaching their potential.
2. Reframe failure and setbacks as opportunities for growth and resilience.
3. Develop strategies to step beyond their comfort zones with confidence.
4. Build daily habits that create lasting leadership growth and meaningful results.

♦ Afternoon Speakers

Two of our chapter members, Arthur Hall and Nemo Dighe, will present in the afternoon.

Bio: 

Presentation: Visualization and Graphs: Extra Tools to For Project Management

Bio: Nirmayee “Nemo” Dighe is a Data & AI Strategy expert passionate about translating technology into human-centered impact. From the initial data strategy to full-scale deployment, she gets to be part of every step, solving real-world problems and making a tangible impact on businesses. In her current role, Nemo leads Data & AI initiatives where she has designed self-service analytics tools, conducted AI readiness assessments, and guided cross-functional teams through digital transformation. Her focus is on helping organizations leverage data in smarter ways to increase efficiency, innovate, and stay ahead in today’s fast-paced world.

Presentation: Why AI Investment Isn't Matching AI Adoption
This presentation examines why organizations can invest heavily in AI yet struggle to achieve sustained adoption and measurable business value, particularly in legacy financial institutions. The talk identifies five common causes of the AI adoption gap:

  - Starting with technology rather than business problems
  - Lacking a shared business language
  - Misalignment between business and technology teams
  - Insufficient data and governance foundations
  - Treating adoption as a final rollout activity

It then introduces a practical five-step framework: build pain-point literacy, create a business-language taxonomy, assign ownership of the business-to-technology translation layer, establish an AI-capable operating foundation, and design trust-based adoption from the beginning. You will leave with a practical approach to connect AI investments to clear workflows, accountable decisions, reliable information, and meaningful human participation.

♦ Project of the Year Awards

We will close the day with the Project of the Year awards and presentations from the winners.