This page provides a list of previous meetings held by the Hudson Valley Chapter of the Project Management Institute.

June 2010: West Point Dinner Cruise

Members and guest enjoyed a relaxing 3 hour cruise on the Hudson River, leaving from West Point. All enjoyed a wonderful dinner and lovely evening on the river.

May 2010: Product Development Management in Orthopedics

Speaker: Mike Esch - VP Product Dev Reconstructive Division, Integra Life Sciences

Abstract:
Integra Life Sciences, a world leader in regenerative medicine, is a manufacturer and marketer of innovative and cost-effective surgical implants and medical
instruments. Its products are used in the fields of neurosurgery, orthopedics, and general surgery.

This presentation will discuss the general orthopedic market with regards to size, key players, the Voice of the Customer (VOC) – both from a patient and surgeon
perspective, as well as Integra’s market focus and distribution model.

Moving into new product development, Mike will discuss its project and product management processes including how new ideas are brought forward, how the
varied teams are formed and organized, VOC methods, product design, FDA regulations and risk assessment with regards to new surgical instruments. In this
industry, the operating room is the “moment of truth”, and that is when customer evaluation and satisfaction is truly made known.

Bio:

In roles of increasing responsibility, Mike Esch has over 20 years experience in the product development and marketing of surgical orthopedic instruments.
Currently the Vice President – Product Development, Extremity Division, with Integra Life Sciences, he holds a Master of Science degree in Mechanical
Engineering as well as an Executive Program MBA. Mike has seats on the industry advisory panels for the MTU Department of Biomechanical Engineering, as
well as Orthoworld’s OMTEC/Bone Zone. He was recognized in 2006 as the highest rated speaker at the International “Issues in Orthopaedics” course held in
Berlin, Germany.

April 2010: Managing a Hydroelectric Power Plant (tour)

Speaker: Sarah Bower - Owner/Operator

Abstract:
The Wappingers Falls Hydroelectric site is located in a building built in 1830. It became the electric provider for the area in 1909 and continued to run until the 1970's. A renewed interest in energy resulted in an overhaul of the site in the 80's and it was put back on line in 1989. Our company, Windsor Machinery, was hired to operate and maintain the site. Gradually we were able to purchase pieces of the project until 2004, when we were able to make the final purchase of the turbines. Since then we have renovated the building and controls to what you see today. We are a husband and wife team that along with 2-3 part-timers operates and owns this and two other sites. We welcome you to come take a look and ask any questions you may have.

March 2010: Managing a Restaurant and being an Executive Chef in the Food Industry

Speaker: Joel Trocino - Executive Chef & Restaurant Manager

Speaker Bio:
Joel Trocino is the Executive Chef and Restaurant Manager of Amici's in Poughkeepsie. Prior to Amici's, Joel has held numerous positions in restaurants and institutions in New York and Florida. He takes great pride in: selecting the finest ingredients, in providing an excellent selection of appetizers and entrees, and in the careful preparation and presentation of each and every dish. Joel is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. See a video of Chef Joel Trocino preparing his famous "Lobster Mac & Cheese".

February 2010: Bringing the Power of Project Management to Students and Communities Throughout the World

Speaker: Diane Fromm - Program Administrator for the PMI Educational Foundation

Bio: Diane Fromm has been the Program Administrator for the PMI Educational Foundation for the past five years. Her prior experience was in marketing for IT companies including SMS and Unisys. As the program administrator she coordinates grants, scholarships, developing relationships and all of the program activities. She volunteers at the local YMCA and animal shelter.

January 2010: Preparing Watson for the Jeopardy Challenge - a PM journey in IBM Research

IBM has committed to playing a super computer against human contestants on the game show Jeopardy.  IBM showcased its industry-leading question-answering technologies in this much anticipated event.  Although the project began focused on the underlying research, it has now morphed into something much larger, demanding the skills and tools of the project management discipline. Dave spoke about the challenges of working in a Research environment as well as the specific issues of this particular "problem".

Bio: David Shepler leads the Program Management Office for the IBM Research Government Support Team at the IBM J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, NY.  The PMO provides PM support to research projects serving government clients, offering resources and services, process guidance, and tools to IBM researchers as they seek to meet government requirements under research partnerships.  David brings PM skills developed over 3.5 years in the IBM consulting practice (Global Business Services), where he provided strategy and change services to federal and state government clients.  Prior to joining IBM, he spent three years as a research assistant at the RAND Corporation and ten years in the U.S. Air Force as an intelligence officer.  He has a Master's in Policy Analysis from the RAND Graduate School, a Master's in Public Management from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a B.S. from the U.S. Air Force Academy.

November 2009: Safe Harbors of the Hudson, Inc. and Ritz Theater-Newburgh Inc.

Speakers: Tricia Haggerty Wenz, Founder and Executive Director for Safe Harbors of the Hudson, Inc. and Ritz Theater-Newburgh Inc. and Anne Kennedy, Chairperson of the Safe Harbors Board of Directors.

Bios: Ms. Haggerty Wenz started Safe Harbors of the Hudson in 2000 with the mission of “transforming lives and building communities through housing and the arts.” Safe Harbors currently owns and operates The Cornerstone Residence, a mixed-use building which includes housing, an award-winning art gallery, art studio and commercial space. In 2007 The Cornerstone was awarded the Supportive Housing Network’s “Project of the Year” Award. In 2008 Safe Harbors was awarded Orange County Chamber of Commerce “Not-for-Profit Enterprise of the Year” Award. Ms. Haggerty Wenz is in the early stages of restoring the Ritz Theater, the last historic theater in the City of Newburgh.  A graduate of William Paterson University, she is a candidate for a Master’s of Social Work at New York University. In 2004 Ms. Haggerty Wenz was awarded Orange County’s Social Justice Award and in 2007 she was chosen as one of Orange County’s “40 under 40 Rising Stars.” She is a member of the St. Luke’s Cornwall Health Systems Board of Directors and lives in Cornwall-on-Hudson with her husband John and their three sons, Nicholas, Luke and Jack.

ANNE McCARTHY KENNEDY MLS - 124 Grand Street, Newburgh, NY 12550, (PH) 845.563.3610,     (EM) kenna@rcls.org

Bios: Ms. Kennedy is a founding board member and current board chair of Safe Harbors of the Hudson, Inc.  She is committed to the development of safe and attractive affordable housing as a critical component in the economic, social and cultural well-being of a community.  This commitment is rooted in both her personal and her professional life.  A member of the Newburgh Free Library Reference staff for 16 years, she focuses on making connections between the library and the community so that all constituents have the best and broadest possible access to library materials, services and programs.  She has received several awards for community outreach and support, especially to small and minority- or immigrant-owned businesses. She regularly presents library information to the Women’s Empowerment group, a court diversion program that meets at Safe Harbors.  Presently she is working on enhancing the Library’s web presence and on placemaking. 
Ms. Kennedy is a native of Durham, North Carolina, and lives in Montgomery, New York.  She completed her AB in International Relations at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and received her MLS from the State University of New York at Albany.  In addition to her involvement with SHOH, she is a member of St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church in Montgomery where she serves on the Advisory Board and supports NetsforLife and Ecclesia Ministries.
 

About Safe Harbors
Safe Harbors of the Hudson was incorporated as non-profit in 2000 with the mission of transforming lives and building communities through housing and the arts. We believe all housing must first and foremost strive to treat all tenants with dignity and respect.
Through a grant from the New York State Office of Temporary Disability and Assistance, Safe Harbors purchased in 2002 what was once known as the Hotel Newburgh and began transforming it into safe and attractive supportive housing.
With tenants in place, Safe Harbors began making immediate positive changes to the lives of the residents. We are housing the formerly homeless, those with a mental health diagnosis, low-income working adults and artists needing affordable live/work space. In 2004 Safe Harbors received Newburgh's largest tax credit award in their history and began a 21 million dollar construction job to bring the largest economic gift to downtown Newburgh.
Completed in 2006, the Cornerstone Residence provides 128 apartments, art studio workspace, an art gallery, community space, and commercial space. Numerous community leaders joined in the celebratory ribbon-cutting on Dec. 1, 2006.
Safe Harbors has joined with many community partners including Newburgh Ministry, St. Patrick's Church, Catholic Charities, Emergency Housing Group and Mount Saint Mary College, which includes our project as part of their curriculum in service learning.
SHOH is an active member of the Newburgh community. Professional memberships include: Orange County Housing Consortium, and the Supportive Housing Network of New York.

September 2009

Topic:  Insights into Transformational Leadership in Project Management: Phase II Research RESULTS. Speaker: Suzanne Dresser.

Abstract: The effects of stormy economic weather are bound to be felt deeply and for an extended period of time. This has created unprecedented opportunities for Project Managers who have the right tools to excel in tough environments. This challenge is actually an opportunity Project Managers to step up and take a more strategic leadership role in their organization’s future performance. Those who do will be well positioned for more senior roles in their career while helping driving more immediate and future value to the business. Now more than ever, it is critical for Project Managers to demonstrate strategic business acuity and engage others to get things done. In this powerful, practical session, Suzanne Dresser, of Insights, presented the newly released 2009 Insights into Transformational Leadership research results conducted with hundreds of project/program managers and business analysts throughout the US. She discussed the top challenges and key leadership competencies that research participants identified as critical for success.

Bio: Suzanne Dresser is the Senior Director of Enterprise Solutions for Insights Learning & Development. Suzanne is currently leading the global research project on Transformational Leadership in Project Management for Insights. She works in partnership with Fortune 100 clients to transform organizations, leaders, individuals and teams. She is passionate about unleashing the potential of leaders and teams in organizations. Suzanne was a Senior Manager with the firms of Arthur Andersen LLP and Ernst & Young LLP, where she managed global programs and projects. Prior to joining Insights Learning & Development Suzanne was the General Manager of New Horizons Computer Learning Center of Hawaii where she led the organization to the #1 training provider position in Hawaii, tripling sales in four years. New Horizons was voted Top 25 Women-Owned Businesses in Hawaii 2005 and 2006 by Pacific Business News. Suzanne has a BA in Training Design & Development from the University of Michigan and is actively involved in the PMI Silicon Valley Chapter.

June 9, 2009
Title:  Beacon Institute For Rivers and Estuaries Process
Link: The Beacon Institute.
Speaker: John Cronin, Director and CEO of Beacon Institute For Rivers and Estuaries

Abstract: The Beacon Institute, with offices in Beacon (Dutchess County) and Troy (Rensselaer County), New York, is a not-for-profit environmental research organization with the mission to create and maintain a global center for scientific and technological innovation that advances research, education and public policy regarding rivers and estuaries. The Beacon Institute implements its mission through a multi-disciplinary focus on science and technology, education and policy. Teams of scientists, engineers, educators, historians and policy experts take an integrated view of how communities and ecosystems interact as they create new mechanisms through which humans can gain a more sophisticated understanding of rivers and estuaries for the benefit of public health, economic development, restoration of ecosystems and quality of life.

With the Hudson as its operational base, the Institute is committed to developing a cadre of scientists, engineers, educators and policy experts whose collaborative work will focus on some of the most important and endangered bodies of water in the world.

April 8, 2009
Speaker: Mr. David Wanetick, Managing Director at IncreMental Advantage
Leadership Lessons of the World’s Most Successful Executives
PMI Meeting - April - Incremental Advantage charts available here (PDF)...

In this exciting presentation, David Wanetick shared fifteen years worth of research into the common denominators shared by the world’s most successful people. The presentation revealed the traits that separate world leaders from the second place finishers.

PMI members learned specific actions and concrete ideas about how to advance their careers. They obtained valuable insight into how to achieve and sustain momentum in pursuing goals and how to leverage small advantages to achieve disproportionate gains for their businesses and career.

Topics included:

• Winning Clients Away from Your Competitors
• Best Metrics to Measure Your Success and Progress
• Time Management Techniques
• Managing Your Team
• Merits of Conducting First-Hand Research
• Distilling Information
• Objective Decision Making vs. Vulnerability to Persuasion
• Detecting and Deterring Deception
• Winning Negotiating Strategies and Tactics

Fifteen years of research and interviews with CEOs and other leaders in a vast array of industries ensured that Mr. Wanetick’s presentation was thorough, well supported and beneficial even for professionals who are already highly successful. And, unlike other programs that simply emphasize the value of good leadership and smart business decisions, this presentation provided a wealth of powerful historical examples that illustrated how the smallest of margins have changed the course of history.

Brief Biography: David Wanetick is Managing Director at IncreMental Advantage, a highly regarded and internationally known research firm based in Princeton, NJ. Mr. Wanetick leads all the firm’s research efforts and is the author of The Power of Incremental Advantage: How Incremental Improvements Produce Dramatically Disproportionate Results as well as two other unique books on the topic of investing. He has lectured to senior executives and institutional investors all over the United States as well as in Toronto, Montreal, Singapore, Kuwait, Israel, Hong Kong and Malaysia. He has been a guest on CNBC and CNNfn and has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Barrons, Investors Business Daily and many other newspapers and magazines throughout the United States.

March 11, 2009
Topic: Update on Walkway Over the Hudson. Link to Website...

Over thirty members of the PMI Hudson Valley Chapter met on Wednesday, March 10th at River Station in Poughkeepsie to hear an informative update about the progress of the Walkway Over the Hudson project.  Presenter Fred Schaeffer, a local Attorney and Chairman of the Walkway Over the Hudson group, gave a very interesting multimedia update.  River Station was a perfect setting for this meeting because we were able to see the cranes on the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge from the dining room windows.  Fred showed pictures of the construction progress and future views of the finished product. The Walkway over the Hudson will be the world's longest pedestrian bridge,   The project has made excellent progress since Fred visited our Chapter 2 years ago.  Extensive planning and excellent funding support have allowed the project to move toward the goal of opening to the public the weekend of October 2nd.  With 200 days to go, the project is on schedule.  The success of the project has been driven by enthusiastic local, state and federal support and the dedication of the project team.   The project team is meeting weekly to review issues and revise plans as needed.

Fred's passion for the project was evident as he described the positive benefits for our community.  The Walkway over the Hudson project is the premier event for the New York Hudson Quadricentennial celebration.  The long term goal is to focus attention on the Hudson Valley to boost tourism and share the rich history of the area.  Fred told the group that there are still many volunteer opportunities to help complete the Walkway and for the opening weekend of October 2nd.  All are welcome to sign up on the website.  Link to Walkway on the Hudson Website...

Bio: Fred Schaeffer is resident of Pleasant Valley in Dutchess County. He has been a practicing attorney in the Poughkeepsie area for over 30 years. He is a bicycling enthusiast who has promoted cycling in the area by organizing group rides and by encouraging Dutchess County to publish bike maps advertising the county as being bicycle friendly. He has also been a leading advocate of the construction of the Dutchess Rail Trail. In January of 2004 he became Chairman of the Walkway over the Hudson organization, a non-profit group, formed and dedicated to converting the abandoned railroad bridge over the Hudson River into a walkway and bike way.

Date: February 10, 2009
Topic:  Deep Blue
Speaker:  Dr. Murray Campbell
Abstract:  Dr. Campbell discussed Deep Blue, the chess playing computer, which beat the Reigning World Chess Champion in 1997.  He discussed Deep Blue including its origin,  the participants in its creation,  what it did and how it did it, and how the team managed the development of the world's best chess playing computer.
BIO: Murray Campbell is a Senior Manager in the Business Analytics and Mathematical Sciences Department at the IBM J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, NY.  His group focuses primarily on the application of optimization, forecasting, probabilistic analysis, and expertise sharing to problems in business analytics and workforce management.  His research interests also include the application of surveillance and early warning approaches to areas such as public health and petroleum production.  In 2008, Murray was named an Association for Computing Machinery Distinguished Scientist.  Previously, Murray was a member of the team that developed Deep Blue, which in 1997 became the first computer to defeat the reigning world chess champion in a regulation match.  For this work, Murray was awarded the Fredkin Prize and the Allen Newell Research Excellence Medal.  Murray received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Computing Science from the University of Alberta, and his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University in 1987, and has been with IBM Research since 1989.

Topic: "Managing Nuclear Projects in a Total Matrix Organization" - 1/21/09
Speaker: Tom Cole from Entergy Nuclear Northeast - Indian Point Energy Center
Location: Greenbaum & Gilhooley's

Abstract: Tom Cole discussed the initiation, planning, and installation of plant upgrade projects at Indian Point Units 2 and 3. As control systems, electrical components, and mechanical equipment evolve, Indian Point Energy Center aggressively pursues upgrades to plant systems to ensure safe, reliable, electrical generation. Discussion covered the project management organization, project teams, installation methods, and interactive discussion of performing projects in a total matrix organization.

Bio: Tom Cole is a project manager for Entergy Nuclear Operations at Indian Point Energy Center and has been in projects there since 1997. Tom began project management in 1991 at the decommissioning of Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant on Long Island, NY. In 1994 he moved to Indian Point in the outage management organization and has been in engineering, maintenance, and operations. His background is in industrial construction having worked on fossil power plants in the 70’s and nuclear power plant construction in the 80’s in Missouri, Kansas, North Carolina, and Texas.

ANNUAL MEMBER'S GENERAL BUSINESS MEETING and Holiday Dinner at
COSIMOS TRATTORIA, 120 DELEFIELD STREET, POUGHKEEPSIE, NY

HOLIDAY DINNER & SILENT AUCTION BENEFIT OF PMI MEMBERS RELIEF FUND

Our annual Membership Chapter meeting was held on Dec 10 at Cosimos in Poughkeepsie, NY.   Bob Nasser, Chapter President,  briefly reviewed some business items and announced our new board members who will begin their 2 year term in 2009: VP of Finance: Judy Walters,  VP of Programs: Elaine Gifford and VP of Education: Tom Gezo.  On behalf of the entire board, Bob expressed thanks to Phil Sommers (outgoing VP of Education) and Nick Raccioppo (outgoing VP for Programs) for their teamwork and outstanding contributions to the chapter.  This was our third year that we held our silent auction to raise monies for the  PMI Members Disaster Relief Fund .
(http://www.membersdisasterrelief.org/).
All of our donated items were very popular this year yielding over $250 for this worthwhile cause. Thanks to all who made this possible!  

NOVEMBER CHAPTER MEETING: - "Runway Ready"

Radley Cramer, Director of Marist College Fashion Program
Richard Kramer, Senior Professional Lecturer Fashion Art History
Location: Greenbaum & Gilhooleys, Route 9, Wappingers Falls, NY

Meeting summary from Ann Paleveda: Twenty-five members of the PMI Hudson Valley Chapter met on Tuesday, November 11th at Greenbaum & Gilhooley's in Wappingers Falls to learn what it takes to be "Runway Ready".  Presenters Radley Cramer, Director of the Marist College Fashion Program, Richard Kramer, Senior Professional Lecturer for Fashion and Art History, and Kristen Bursic, a Junior fashion major at Marist College and the 2009 present the annual Marist Silver Needle Fashion Show and Awards production.  Using a multimedia presentation approach, the presenters provided a fascinating look into the Marist Fashion Design and Merchandising curriculum, including many insights from current students.  It was apparent that while learning the skills required to be "Runway Ready", the students build a strong core of planning and management skills.

The presenters described the planning and project management required to produce the Silver Needle Fashion Show and Awards event.  They reviewed an outline of the 16 month plan that drives the event.  All major milestones, from the selection of the concept for the event to the running of the event day are included in the plan.  Specific tasks are defined for each major area of the production.  A "Fashion Show Production" course is provided for 14 hand picked students each year.  These students, from all major production areas, become the leaders for the many different teams required to make the event happen.  The leaders drive a project team of over 300 Marist students, filling positions as models and dressers as well as designers.  The presenters stressed that the intent of the fashion show is to allow the designers to explore new techniques and technologies that could become fashion trends in the future.  The Silver Needle Fashion Show and Awards event provides the students with real experience in both the creative aspects of the fashion industry and the planning required to turn vision into reality.

The informative presentation concluded with Mr. Cramer, Mr. Kramer and Ms. Bursic answering a steady stream of questions.  The group was interested in all aspects of the fashion curriculum, planning for the event, selection of themes and music, and the future careers of the students.  The 2009 Silver Needle Fashion Show and Awards event is scheduled for May 8, 2009.

Speaker bios...

Joanne Rathbun, PMP, Manager, Workplace Solutions, IBM Corp. - IBM's ON DEMAND WORKPLACE (internal Web site).

Meeting summary from Ann Paleveda: Twenty members of the PMI Hudson Valley Chapter met on Tuesday, October 14 at Greenbaum & Gilhooley's in Wappingers Falls to hear Joanne Rathbun, Manager of Workplace Solutions, IBM Corp. present an overview of IBM's On Demand Workplace Linux on System z and Portal 6 Migration Project. This large migration project is an example of IBM's drive to "go green." The green initiative is a program geared toward moving all internal IBM servers to the more powerful and more energy efficient System z servers running Linux. Joanne provided an excellent technical overview of the project, explaining the size and complexity of the effort. The On Demand Workplace portal is the single point of entry to the IBM intranet. It is used daily by IBM employees around the world to perform basic business functions. The portal contains over 100 business solutions. To illustrate the challenges contained in a migration project of this magnitude, Joanne shared statistics about the portal and solution usage showing that there is a constant demand for high availability and excellent performance.

The 15 month migration project was a success due to the dedication of the team and to diligent use of project management principles. The extended project team fluctuated depending on the project phase with over 200 team members at some points. The team was global, allowing work to continue around the clock. The use of the global team drove the need to focus on communication and documentation as well as clearly defined tasks in all project plans.

Joanne provided a list of Lessons Learned that are very useful for all Project Managers. Included in her discussion she:

Joanne closed with this set of "Words of Wisdom for Project Managers": Think, Remember, Use all resources, Show leadership by example, Thank your team. She stressed that these actions will build the TRUST that is essential for Project Manager success.

Larry Cooke, PMP, MBA of the Westchester Chapter, spoke on "Quality Beyond the PMBOK". Larry provided the revolutionary changes which have taken place since the last three PMBOK’s were published. He introduced tools that may be new to most PMI members, but touched upon some misunderstood quality points that may well be on the PMP exam. Most of his examples were taken from the service and finance industries, instead of from metal manufacturing usually presented.

The June meeting featured a presentation and live demo of Infobrella Software, which allows you to store information about projets, tasks, or references all in one place, either by link or copying them in.

On May 13, 2008, Dr. Katherine Betz presented a very interesting and hot topic of SCRUM and it's use in rapid application development. This method consists of several sprints at the end of which a useable tested component of the software is available to end users. This allows the user to realize what they "might have" asked for in the requirements, before it's the end of a two year project and it's too late or too expensive to change.

On April 8, 2008, member Larry Kirwan PMP presented a very interesting story of how project management was and is being used to rebuild certain areas of Iraq after stability is established. Larry pointed out areas where there are good stories of things that are occuring in Iraq, showed several photographs of areas restored, and described several restoration projects where standard PMI project management processes were used.

On March 19, John Bassler, Ph. D, presented Pitfalls of New Product Development to a group of approximately 20 members. For the full presentation with speaker notes, please contact Nick Raccioppo.

On February 27, Timothy L. Johnson PMP, author of "Gust: The "Tale" Wind of Office Politics" and "Race Through the Forest: A Project Management Fable", spoke to 27 members on the topic of "What your project team isn't telling you." Timothy made signed copies of his two books available to members at a discounted price. The books are also fo sale at Amazon.com. Check out Timothy's Web site at www.carpefactum.com where he mentions his trip to New York City and to the Hudson Valley Chapter meeting.

On January 8, John Wargo spoke to a group of 18 members at Greenbaum & Gilhooley's.

The December annual membership meeting was held at The Ship's Lantern in Milton NY. Elections were held for three open board seats.

Election Results
President - Bob Nasser
VP Membership - Ahmad Katnani
VP Communications - Donna Von Dehsen

A silent auction was held, raising $115 for the PMI Members Helping Members Fund.

Robert Prol, PMP presented the "Project Complexity Scoring Model" or Picksum, to 21 attendees at Greenbaum & Gilhooleys. Robert is Senior Director in the Business Transformation Office for Gartner, Inc. in Stamford, CT.

Twenty two members enjoyed a talk given by Rob Zanfardion, a Senior Project/Program Manager on "What do you do around here?"

Twenty three chapter members and some of their guests enjoyed a gourmet meal at the Caterina de Medici at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park.

Steven Lynn, a PMI HVC member, presented the results of his PhD dissertation based on research he did analyzing the results of a survey in which PMIHVC members participated. The paper was a very interesting study on the impacts of certain best practices on the value add of project management. The abstract was published in the July issue of PMI's PM Network magazine and the in the July issue in the Stakeholder delivery section.

Fred Shaeffer spoke on the "Walkway over the Hudson" project. This is a project to convert the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge into a walkway between Poughkeepsie and Highland. Fred is the chair of the board of Walkway Over the Hudson. Visit their website at Walkway Over The Hudson for contact information, interesting information, and upcoming events.

Stewart Dutfield, a member and professor of integrated studies at Marist College, gave an interesting talk about using project management outside the workplace. He also gave us an update on the PMI Education Foundation and how it is promoting project management in schools.

Our January meeting was held at Greenbaum and Gilhooley's. The speaker was Ron Sauers and he brought the attendees up to date on the Beacon Revitalization. Ron showed many slides of the Beacon waterfront projects going on including a hotel and new ferry dock. He also passed out literature on various organizations working to build the Beacon waterfront area.