The Project Management Institute (PMI) West Virginia - Ohio Valley (WV - OV) Chapter is dedicated to promoting the practice of Project Management as a profession throughout the geographic service area that encompasses most of West Virginia and eastern Ohio and Kentucky. The Chapter seeks to overcome the challenge of its large service area with a relatively sparse population by applying modern telecommunications tools (including Webex and teleconferences) combined with traditional interpersonal networking to offer professional development opportunities to its members and member prospects.
What We Offer:
The Chapter regularly hosts program meetings via Webex. These meetings feature a brief Chapter status update, and then offer a speaker with a prepared presentation on a topic of interest to project management practicioners, with relevance to the PMI Talent Triangle. There is no charge for most program meetings. Check the Calendar on the Chapter portal for the next program meeting, and please consider volunteering to present a topic of interest.
Each fall, a dinner meeting in Charleston and a separate meeting in Fairmont offer the chance for more extended networking. Typically hosted at a restaurant or banquet facility, these meetings are not delivered via telecon, but provide a more extended opportunity to meet and greet your peers in the project management profession. We typically seek "case study" presentations describing how the application of project management techniques and tools resulted in the successful completion of major projects for member organizations. A nominal fee is charged to cover costs of the meal and incidental expenses.
Periodically, the Chapter offers PMP Examination Preparation courses. We seek "anchor" organizations willing to sponsor these professional development opportunities for 5 or more of their employees, and will work with our anchors to provide PMI-compliant training at a convenient location and on a convenient schedule. Watch the portal's Calendar for announcements of upcoming exam prep opportunities. Of those who have taken the chapter's PMP exam preparation class and subsequently taken the exam, 100% have passed.
Also, in recent years the Chapter has offered Professional Development Day events, to assist certificated members in accumulating the professional development units necessary for certification renewal. Watch the portal's Calendar for announcements of these unique professional development opportunities.
Chapter History:
The WV/OV Chapter of PMI was formerly the Tri-State Chapter, which became inactive in the late 1990's. In the summer of 2002, a steering committee was formed in Charleston, WV to reactivate the Chapter. The steering committee worked diligently in 2002 and 2003 to meet the requirements to form a local chapter of PMI. We received our charter in August 2003.
The Chapter was incorporated in January 2003, the by-laws were approved in February 2003, and the logo was approved in April 2003 (and subsequently revised and approved in 2008). The remaining goal was to attract 25 paying members. The first chapter meeting was held in May 2003, and in August 2003 the chapter met its last requirement of 25 members and was chartered by PMI.
In August of 2017, the Chapter celebrated its 20th anniversary of operation, with participation by a national PMI board member.
Chapter Governance Structure:
The Chapter's board of directors is comprised of nine members: President, President-Elect, Immediate Past President, Vice President of Finance, Vice President of Communications/Secretary, and four directors at large. The terms are for two years, with four board members being elected each year. The board is populated by a diverse and enthusiastic group of individuals from across the Chapter's service area, dedicated to the continuing growth of the chapter.
Since receiving the charter in August 2003, the Chapter has grown to include over 200 members (see the Chapter Statistics page under About Us for current membership information). The members are truly area-wide, though predominately located in the Charleston, Fairmont, and Morgantown, WV areas, and many points outside of WV including Ohio and Kentucky.
Chapter Purpose:
In recognizing the value of having a local chapter, the WV/OV Chapter organized to do the following:
- Advance the practice and profession of PM.
- Encourage and facilitate education, certification, and professionalism in PM.
- Provide a forum for discussion and examination of problems, solutions, applications, and ideas related to the management of projects.
- Disseminate information regarding developments in PM.
- Advance the general and specific purposes of PMI.
Chapter Integration with PMI:
We are an active participant in PMI Region 5, which includes 13 other chapters from Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Maryland, and Washington D.C. The region holds a monthly president's conference call, and our Chapter actively participates in region activities.
The Chapter has sponsored representatives at all of the Region 5 Leadership Conferences that have been held since our inception, including hosting the 2005 and 2013 leadership conferences in Charleston, WV.