As we approach our 25^th Anniversary in 2020, we have been sharing stories from our chapter presidents.  SteveTunmore liked this idea so much that he wrote his article in December 2018 as he was beginning his term as our President-elect.  We planned to publish this article in December 2019, but have decided to publish it now in his memory. 

Steve Tunmore, President-Elect 2019

Over the past 5 years I have held the positions of Director of Marketing and Communications, VP of Marketing and Communications, and will be going into 2019 as the President Elect for 2020.  I can truly say this organization from the board to its members are a special group of people who continually drive me to stretch my limitations, think outside of the box and grow as an individual.  PMI Global offers me opportunities to continually grow and develop my skills as a leader both for the chapter and as an individual.  I am looking forward to the next 3 years to continue my journey with PMI Buffalo and looking forward to developing a stronger foundation for the chapter to grow in the years to come.     

We won't have Steve to lead us over the next 3 years, but we will work as a board, as a volunteer group, as a chapter, to honor Steve's memory and to do our best to achieve his vision of a stronger foundation.

Steve Tunmore

It is with a sad heart that we share some tragic news with you today. On the evening of July 10^th, PMI Buffalo Chapter VP of Marketing and President-elect Stephen Tunmore was involved in a serious accident while riding his motorcycle and passed away. Steve was the driving force behind our marketing strategy, our social media presence and a strong advocate for project management. As President-elect, Steve was poised to lead our chapter into 2020 and beyond. Those accomplishments pale in comparison to his generosity, kindness and the quiet strength he shared with everyone who came in contact with him. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family during this difficult time.

  2019 Annual Survey  

The T’s have been crossed and the I’s have been dotted!  The PMI Buffalo Annual Survey is now ready for you to complete.

Please take a few minutes to respond to this very important survey.  Without your input and ideas, PMI Buffalo would not exist – so take a few seconds to tell us what you think, like, don’t like, and would change about PMI Buffalo. 

The PMI Buffalo Board wants to hear what you have to say!  This survey is a way for us to hear from you, help us to determine what your needs are, and adjust our strategies to fit those needs. The Board and Directors of PMI Buffalo thank YOU for YOUR participation!

PMI Global Celebration of Service

Join PMI Global in its Celebration of Service Initiative.

PMI Global has pledged 50,000 hours of service – you too can be involved by pledging hours.  Pledging is open to members, chapters, volunteers, and any individual or organization.

For more information and to pledge, follow the link and pledge today! 

As we approach our 25^th Anniversary in 2020, we will be looking back at some of the people who made this chapter what it is today! 

This month we feature Mark Kwandrans, President from 2010-2013 ! 

Before I joined PMI, I worked at Praxair (2001-ish). Several of us were studying for the PMP exam. When we passed the test, we were treated to a celebratory lunch and professional development for all of Praxair's PMPs. There must have been 100 people there! I had no idea I was in such good company. Someone suggested that I attend a PMI Buffalo dinner. I joined the Chapter and started attending dinners. Brian Griffin introduced himself as the President. At the time, all attendees sat around one table (Sean Patrick's stands out). Brian asked me to help Mitzi with the Fall Professional Day. I volunteered to coordinate the Project of the Year Award. That eventually turned into a term as the VP of Conferences. In 2007-08, Joanne Boehm and I returned from the LIM and Global Congress in Atlanta with ideas for how to transform the Board. We presented our ideas to Jackie and I was voted in as the first VP of Outreach. A conversation with Jackie led to my election as the President-Elect and then President from 2010-2013. Since then, I've been volunteering on PMI's Ethics Review Committee, including just finishing a year as Chair.

My favorite Chapter accomplishments have to be the "Buffalo 500" (a membership drive to get us to 500 members), our Seminar on the Slopes (a conference at Peek'n Peak attended by members from 10+ chapters), our first Chapter of the Year Award, and our Community Advancement Award for PM4NP (Project Management for Nonprofits), one of the first efforts coordinated through PMIE in which a chapter completed a program and then made the materials to other chapters to be replicated.

Along the way, we started analyzing our member data and looking for pockets of project managers in the area who didn't know about us. We also started conducting our strategic planning with other chapters so that we could all learn and build on what the others were doing. We started reminding expiring members to renew their membership. Our website was transformed into the form it has today. My absolute favorite memory is setting up a tabletop display about our chapter at the national conferences and having our handouts disappear because people couldn't believe everything that we were doing and wanted to do themselves. It was a source of pride in everything that our volunteers accomplished (did you know that we have twice as many volunteers as any other chapter our size?).

I joined the Chapter to network with other project managers and to get PDUs. I volunteered because I wanted to help my colleagues. I stayed because I wanted to give back to my profession. I would encourage any member to talk to a Board Member, looking for ways to help. But be careful when you talk to the Chapter President, because there is always something that needs to be done!