WELCOME TO PMI SYRACUSE!
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY
The Momentum Effect
Learning, Leadership, and Connections that Move Projects Forward.
The Momentum Effect is a one-day virtual Professional Development Day designed for project managers who are navigating constant change, competing priorities, and growing complexity. This conference goes beyond tools and templates to focus on the real skills project professionals need right now – leadership, influence, communication, adaptability, and decision-making in uncertain environments.
Through practical sessions led by experienced practitioners and thought leaders, you’ll gain fresh perspectives, actionable ideas, and techniques you can apply immediately to your projects and teams. PDU’s – 13 (6 on show day and 5 more via recordings of sessions
And here’s the big bonus: even if you can’t attend live, every session is recorded. You’ll have full access to the content for up to three months after the event, allowing you to learn at your own pace, revisit key ideas, and fit professional development into your schedule — not the other way around.
Our esteemed speakers for the day:
OCTOBER CHAPTER MEETING
The AI‑Augmented Project Manager: What Changes, What Doesn't
Session description
Every few years a new tool promises to reinvent project management — from the Gantt chart to Agile to the PMO. AI is the latest, and the loudest. But will it replace the project manager, or make great ones even better? In this fast‑paced, demo‑driven session, John Vollick cuts through the hype and shows exactly where AI earns its keep — and where the human PM is irreplaceable. Watch a real project come to life in real time as AI drafts a charter, work breakdown, schedule, risk register, and status report in minutes — and see the moment it gets something wrong, and why your judgment still runs the show. You’ll leave knowing where AI saves you hours each week, where it quietly creates risk, what changes for the PM role and what never will — plus a take‑home “AI Prompt Starter Kit for PMs” you can put to work your very next workday.
Speaker bio
John R. Vollick, MBA, PMP, is a program management leader with more than 30 years directing the cost, schedule, and technical performance of complex, multimillion‑dollar portfolios across defense, financial services, healthcare, and technology. He has built and matured enterprise PMOs from the ground up — including at AXA Equitable and Baxter International — and today advises organizations on program execution, governance, and delivery as founder of Silver Sphere Advisors. A longtime champion of the profession, John is a former President and Board Advisor of the PMI Syracuse Chapter and has taught program and project management at Syracuse University and Onondaga Community College, mentoring hundreds of PMs along the way. He holds an MBA from Le Moyne College and the PMP® certification.
NOVEMBER CHAPTER MEETING
Mega, Mini and Microcredentials: Minding what Matters Most
Presentation Description:
We are surrounded by various ways to learn new things and to receive various forms of credentials to validate what we learn and to describe what we can do. This session will de-mystify the terms, and you’ll be able to distinguish what learning opportunities would be best for you to get you to your goals. Project Management education is widely available out there, and it can be difficult for the serious PM professional to determine what really will matter most to your career trajectory. We’ll look at some examples of available PM learning resources so that you will be better informed about the opportunities, including those available at PMI and through Syracuse University.
Speaker for the event:
Art Thomas, Ed.M., Ph.D.
Art is a consultant in Experiential Learning, Microcredential Frameworks, and Project Management Education.
Art is the Co-founder and Director of the iConsult Collaborative experiential learning organization and consults in the area of microcredentials and experiential learning. A specialist in Project Management, Art co-authored the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM®) Official Cert Guide, published by Pearson Education in 2023.
Art has been teaching at Syracuse University since 2001 and was a full-time Professor of Practice there since 2009. Prior to his current role, from 2021-2026 Art had been the Executive Director of the Office of Microcredentials at Syracuse University, and a Professor of Practice and Director of the Project Management degree programs with the SU College of Professional Studies. His roles from 2009-2021 at the University had included Associate Dean for Career Services and Experiential Learning, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, the Director of the Master’s Degree programs in Information Management (IM) and Telecommunications and Network Management (TNM), all at the School of Information Studies (the iSchool).
Positions on the corporate IT side of his career have ranged from Programmer to Chief Information Officer, and on the corporate training and development side, from Trainer to Chief Learning Officer. As CEO of IT Consultancy Counterpoint Holdings, L.L.C., he has assisted numerous corporations and public school districts with strategic IT transformation.
Art earned his BA from the State University of New York College at Brockport. His Ed.M. in Curriculum Development and Instructional Media is from SUNY at Buffalo, where he also completed his Ph.D. in Research and Evaluation – Instructional Systems Design and Management.
DECEMBER CHAPTER MEETING
Maintaining Project Management Discipline in an Operational Setting
Description: This presentation is a summary of hard lessons learned while doing Project Management in Operations.
Biography:
Shafer Gaston is a PMP-holding member of the PMI Upstate NY Chapter, where he currently serves on the Board of Directors. He has held many professional roles including US Navy Submarine Officer, Nuclear Operations Instructor, Maintenance Planner, and is currently the Engineering Manager for Taylor Promotional Products – which requires competing for time and resources with operational needs in a manufacturing environment on a daily basis. By keeping the project mindset integrated with operational reality, he knows that Project and Functional managers can work together to delivery better results for their organizations!
The December Chapter Meeting will be held on Tuesday 12/15 at 6:00 PM. The link to this virtual event would be shared once you register. Come join us!
Benefits of Joining PMI Syracuse
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Create a Network of Local Syracuse PMs
Connect with project management experts from the construction, engineering, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, finance, and consulting industries who can share their experiences, tips and key learnings.
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Discover Job Opportunities
We provide a forum for nurturing professionalism in the management of projects accomplished through career development. Find a job, prep for interviews, gain knowledge, resources, and insights to empower your career.
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Further Education and Certifications
We inspire education development and support certification & re-certification efforts. If you are looking for ways to increase your knowledge and expertise in project management and would like to be recognized as a certified industry leader in this fast-growing discipline of project management, this is the place!
Get Trained and Certified
PMI professional certifications enable you to meet the demands of projects and employers across the globe.
Developed by practitioners for practitioners, our certifications are based on rigorous standards and ongoing research to meet the real-world needs of organizations. With a PMI certification behind your name, you can work in virtually any industry, anywhere in the world, and with any project management methodology.
Wherever you are in your career, we have a certification for you.
Hear From Our Members
“The local meetings are a great way to meet other project management professionals.”
Elizabeth Steciak
“PMI Syracuse gives me great networking opportunities with other local professionals and provides real-life training that’s not available in classroom sessions.”
Joe Ostuni
“As someone who recently relocated to the area, the meetings are a good way to meet local project management professionals and to learn what is good in the community.”
Scott Hauver