“It’s Your Chapter – Volunteer!”

Tom Kroupa, PMP

President

This is the time of the year that the Nomination Committee begins to vet candidates, who self-nominate themselves to take on a Board position. The Nomination Committee, who will be selecting the Board slate for the July 2010 - June 2011 term, is made up of the following fellow Chapter members: Jon Palmquist, Ellen Lehnert, Robert Cheever, Fran Boehme Mackin and Hank Kurtz, and is chaired by myself. By March 27 these Chapter members will have completed vetting candidates through a series interviews focused on individual goals, leadership and volunteer accomplishments. They will also consider the Board mix of experience, not only for the coming year, but projected for the next couple of years. This is especially important since the President is always chosen from a current Board. Last year's Nomination Committee also proposed to the Board slate actions that they would like the new Board take on behalf of the Chapter members. Candidates will be interviewed in the order of current Board Officers, Directors who would like to be on the Board, and Chapter members. By the time you are reading this article, the interviews will be well under way - but it will still not be too late for any Chapter member to self-nominate themselves. Current VP at Large, Srinivas Saineni, did not nominate himself until the March dinner meeting last year. Former VP of Education and Executive Council member Joe Norton self-nominated himself without having any specific Director experience. The opportunity to be on the Board is open to all Chapter members.

While I have made announcements at Chapter dinner meetings, if you still wish to self-nominate yourself for this year's Board slate, please fill out a self-nomination form that can be found on the Chapter web site and send it along with your resume to me at President@PMI-Chicagoland.org by no later than Friday March 12. Please specify "Self-nomination" in the Subject line.

If you are looking for a different type of challenge, a self-nomination process will soon begin for Director positions for the same term as the Board slate. While there is a ‘soft' deadline of June 12 for the coming 2010-2011 year, anyone can self-nominate any time of the year for a Director position. With the ever-changing life of the volunteer, positions unexpectedly open, or new opportunities unfold as the Chapter continues to mature. In addition Directors also need volunteers to assist them with their duties. Volunteering to work with a Director is a good way to verify where your passion lies in serving your Chapter.

However trite it may seem to say, volunteers are the lifeblood of a non-profit organization. As an example, consider the tasks - volunteer leadership and personal development opportunities - required the next time you attend a dinner meeting. Your current Board dedicated a Saturday in February to the topic of effective use and development of volunteers. Volunteering for your Chapter is a door that opens up to you an excellent opportunity to learn more about your Chapter, while challenging yourself to practice new skills in a safe environment. During your volunteer journey through your Chapter, you just may learn more about yourself, too. This door is open for all. It is open to you. It's your Chapter.