Volunteer of the Month

MAY 2023

Kaitlyn Luboff

PMP certified 2019 | DASM certified 2021 | Chapter volunteer since 2021

Volunteer Chops

Job Posting Board & Networking Calls Volunteer

When I first joined the Chapter, I was tasked with creating social media posts encouraging members to volunteer. We would spotlight several volunteer positions or projects each week. Over a couple of weeks, we solicited feedback from existing volunteers with the question, "Why do you volunteer?" The feedback was, to say the least, limited. The Chapter needs the talents and efforts of the members.

Presently, I help coordinate arrangement, editing and publishing of the monthly newsletter, PMI-DVC Connect. We have continuously improved it since it was restarted under Frank Anbari's direction in 2021.

Q&A

Why you do it…volunteer?

Communication. Lean communication.

In what aspect of project management do you excel?

I think planning is one of my strengths. I know it’s importance is obvious. But the tangibility of execution can sometimes tempt us to move too quickly through planning. So I put a lot of energy into those early stages of a project. And the discovery and learning involved in working through a plan with your stakeholders, in covering your bases and mitigating potential risks—it’s very rewarding to me.

What challenges you…from a PM perspective?

Again, communication. How individuals and groups communicate is constantly changing. I am continuously learning from my mistakes, and the needs of others, about ways to communicate better.

Cool factoids?

I recently ran 33 miles (in a row) at the Ultra Race of Champions in Stuarts Draft, VA. I also lead the Grounds Committee at my local community garden.

Most interesting place(s) you’ve visited?

Sumatra, Indonesia.

Career Notes

Primary.Health

Lead Enterprise Project Manager

As a scientist–I graduated from Temple University with a BS in Biology–I think I've always worked on projects in some form. A scientific hypothesis is similar to a Project Objective, research methods are similar to a Project Schedule, and every good researcher knows to expect the unexpected–much like managing project risks. As such, I started by working on academic research projects, and worked my way into a healthcare technology company as a Research Assistant. Via a series of fortunate events, and by keeping my eyes open for growth opportunities, I worked on larger and more complex projects. In 2019, I earned my PMP. I can honestly say I would not have landed my most recent job without my certification.

APRIL 2023

Melissa Miller

PMP certified 2018 | Chapter member since 2017 | Chapter volunteer since 2020

Volunteer Chops

Job Posting Board & Networking Calls Volunteer

Melissa is a standout member of the Chapter’s Job Posting Board team, working at the intersection of employers/agencies, job opportunities and a job candidates. She also spearheads Job Posting Board networking calls.

Q&A

Why you do it…volunteer?

What could be better than helping people link-up with promising job opportunities? I find it very rewarding. I think the same can be said for the networking calls: helping others. But, honestly, getting to know and working with so many great people in the Chapter—this is some pretty good motivation as well.

In what aspect of project management do you excel?

What challenges you…from a PM perspective?

For me, the most challenging aspect might be communicating an issue to a client. I don’t anyone really feels comfortable in these situations. But I have found that most people are comforted when you’re clear and upfront and do so in a timely manner. I feel it’s best to deliver the message in a constructive way that helps them work through the decisions they need to make.

Cool factoids?

I love to read, write, blog and have designs on publishing Children’s stories someday.

Most interesting place(s) you’ve visited?

I thoroughly enjoyed staying in Lisbon, Portugal. It was an unexpected trip and, the memories, beautiful.

Career Notes

Melissa presently works as a Business Process Consultant for Dupont, working in Continuous Improvement. She is a Chemical Engineer, with a BS from Drexel University and an MS from the University of Delaware.

MARCH 2023

Suzanne Dreitlein

CAPM certified 2021 | Chapter member since 2018; volunteer since 2021

Volunteer Chops

Social Media Lead, K-12 Outreach/Future Cities, Website Redesign

Suzanne began her volunteer journey with Chapter as a late addition to the website redesign team. Her background in website development and management proved critical in overcoming a number of structural challenges that had stumped the team for months. The Future Cities Program was the next volunteer opportunity to catch her eye and touch her heart. Today, Suzanne serves as co-direcdtor of the the Program's K-12 outreach. And if that wasn't enough, Suzanne then assumed the reins for all of the Chapter's social media channels.

Q&A

Why you do it…volunteer?

With social media, I love getting the word out about the great things the Chapter is doing and our awesome members! With K-12 outreach, there is a real opportunity to make a difference in these kids’ lives by sharing tools and practices that will help them solve problems and meet challenges. With educational outreach, the focus has typically been on college age students. But I absolutely believe that younger students can benefit from learning project management skills in a way that makes sense for them. I observed this concept actualized while volunteering with the Future Cities competition. I’m working with the K-12 outreach team to bring this success to other programs in the Delaware Valley area.

In what aspect of project management do you excel?

Quantitatively, according to my CAPM exam results, I am above average in everything except project scope management (of which I am at target). Qualitatively, I feel like I’m a solid all-around committed project manager with a strong sense of empathetic project management, especially in the areas of communication, requirements analysis, risk management, and stakeholder engagement. That said, I really enjoy working through all the project stages and processes, being a cheerleader for the team, and an advocate for my projects. I’m an enthusiastic project manager with a lot of energy in both my professional and personal projects!

What challenges you…from a PM perspective?

I work in higher education, so budget is a big challenge, as well as trying to come up with creative ways to accomplish goals. Actually, this is a challenge pretty much across the board. Budget worries are a constant. I find the other challenges inherent to project management to be much more within my control. But budget is usually the one inflexible constraint that I face.

During graduate school, my team focused our capstone project on project communications. It seemed that communication was often at the root of the project failures that we had studied. It also factored in to the challenges we faced on our research subjects. So, as a project manager, I make sure to focus on empathetic and thorough communication throughout my projects.

Cool factoids?

I’m a time-traveler in my leisure time. I believe it’s acquired a technical name: history bounding. Mostly, this means I go to various historical-themed events like renaissance festivals, jazz age picnics, tweed bicycle rides, and colonial and regency country dances. I like to seek out antiques at estate sales as well. My house is a moderately old, row house in the general vicinity of Independence Hall in Philadelphia. So I’m in an excellent place for history.

Most interesting place(s) you’ve visited?

The Eighteenth Century. Well, sort of. My husband and I traveled to Colonial Williamsburg, stayed in one of the historic houses, and wore Eighteenth Century clothing throughout the visit. The experience has a transportive, time-travel quality to it.

Career Notes

Suzanne presently works as the Web Manager for the Drexel University College of Medicine.

FEBURARY 2023

Mark Turner, PMP

PMP-certified April 2020 | Chapter Member since 2020 | Chapter Volunteer since 2021

Volunteer Chops

Website Architect, Webmaster, MarComm Committee

Over the past year and a half, Mark brought his strategic communication and information design background to bear on one of the Chapter’s larger recent initiatives: the new website. Rather than simply migrating the old website to a new platform, Mark envisioned a bold leap forward. Lean, engaging writing. Modern design. Out-the-box thinking on content curation and new generation engagement. In tandem with program management leaders such as Kathy Lajoie Malik and Allen Hughes and countless other volunteers, Mark drove forward the gold-standard website we enjoy today. Mark now serves as Chapter Webmaster.

Q&A

Why you do it…volunteer?

Three reasons. One, I believe very much in service to others. Two, I love a good challenge and believe that many things in life can be nudged towards a state of near perfection. From the starting gate, I was chomping at the bit to tackle the Chapter website. And, three, I’m in a bit of a career transition. Being between jobs, I felt a good, meaty project would give me an opportunity to generate some work product, network with some great people, and elevate my marketability (shameless plug: I’m still looking for that next job). Ultimately, I am so grateful for the friendships I’ve developed in working with so many other dedicated volunteers. That’s the real benefit of volunteering. Life is so short. To me, people matter most.

In what aspect of project management do you excel?

I would say it would be a tie between communications and stakeholder management. For the bulk of my career, writing and information design have been my bread and butter. I really enjoy penning and designing a clear, persuasive message with an economy of words. Edward Tufte—a guru of information design—refers to this as the data-ink ratio. As for stakeholders, I simply love working with others. Each one unique. I find that when you get past the surface and really get to know a person, the work product becomes sharper. I work very hard to build those deeper working relationships.

What challenges you…from a PM perspective?

Scope creep. I am eager for challenges and love to be of service. Sometimes I find it hard to say no when a request for additional work appears. I have to remind myself that the project charter is gospel and that changes and additions need to be handled with scrutiny and discipline.

Cool factoids?

In 2017, I walked 1000 miles over the course of six months. All of it in Valley Forge park, typically between 4:00 and 8:00 in the morning. It began on a lark, something of a mobile mediation exercise. But as the numbers began to increase (I used the Stepz app on my phone), the clean target of 1000 became a mission. I also have a screenplay in the works and a collaborator in New Orleans. Maybe I’ll have a little more time for it now that the Chapter website is up and humming.

Most interesting place(s) you’ve visited?

The Swiss Alps stay with you. I hiked the Alps a lifetime ago and the pristine landscape, the grandeur of the mountains, and cleanliness of every village—it’s really something special. However, the place that surprised me the most (defied my expectations, so to speak) is Milwaukee. It struck me as such an interesting blend of old and new. And the proximity to Lake Michigan is a wonderful plus.

Career Notes

Presently looking for my next career opportunity. I’m a Strategic Communication professional. Writing, information design, communication strategy…my wheelhouse.

If you have a lead on an opportunity, mturner@pmi-dvc.org.

JANUARY 2023

Jessica McBride

MBA, PMP, LSS Green Belt, CPBPM

PMP certified April 2016 | Chapter Member since 2016 | Chapter Volunteer since 2021

Volunteer Chops

Job Posting Board Committee, New Website Committee

Jessica has been a double-duty Chapter volunteer since the summer of 2021. As a member of the Job Posting Board team, Jess works with recruiters to showcase job opportunities on the Chapter board, contributes to the job-search focused Career Connections Newsletter and Chapter-driven networking calls. On the new website team, she’s played a pivotal role as advisor, content editor and functionality/work-flow guru.

Q&A

Why you do it…volunteer?

I graduated from business school in May of 2021 and my tenure on the board I was serving on was complete in late 2020. So I was looking for a way to give back with some time I found in my schedule. I was lucky enough to get on the job board immediately and was able to contribute right out of the gate. So it kind of stuck! Soon thereafter, I was recruited for website duty, which was also fun and gave me way to apply some skills I’d gained recently doing a very similar project at work. Overall, I’ve enjoyed meeting new people and expanding my network.

In what aspect of project management do you excel?

I think we excel at what we are naturally good at and for me, my favorite part of PM work is communicating and bringing stakeholders on the journey from idea to successful implementation. I’ve been told I’m a good communicator/interpreter, with fluency in both IT and engineering. I also really like building out the process for how things “should” be done. In my current role, I built out how prioritization would work for competing priorities.

What challenges you…from a PM perspective?

For me, where I excel and what challenges me—one in the same. Humans are difficult. Being one is hard and navigating biases, competing agendas and egos is extremely challenging. Perhaps that’s why it feels so good when we have a success in this area. I also find celebrating wins challenging. It’s not that I don’t like them – It just doesn’t come naturally for me to think about having a pizza party at a key milestone completion. I’m lucky enough to be surrounded by a team that fills in this gap for me because I think celebrations are really, really important for motivation – especially on multi-year projects.

Cool factoids?

I am an amateur photographer—indulging when my busy life allows. I am an animal lover. Picture that crazy dog lady you see on social media and in memes. And I have 6 nieces and 1 nephew—all under the age of 10. I love to be the fun aunt and take them on adventures.

Most interesting place(s) you’ve visited?

Travel is a huge part of my life. It fills my cup. My dream trip to the Galapagos Islands comes to mind as far as most interesting. But I think I learned the most on my trips to Morocco and Nepal. And, as a special PM note, I find travel is good for communication skills and to learn about other cultures—especially if you work on international projects.

Career Notes