Opening Keynote Address - Ballroom B

The Passion Effect: Unlocking Passion, Performance, and Transformation

Sebastian Terry

8:15AM - 9:30AM

Talent Triangle: 1.25 PDU Power Skills
SBA Categories: Build, Advance

Session A

9:45AM - 10:45AM

Session Abstract:
Come meet and network with people within and outside your industry in this fun and exciting facilitated session. Whether you are early in your career or a seasoned professional, you will make new connections that can benefit you in many ways. During the 2nd half of the session, the attendees will briefly discuss and collaborate with SNEC volunteers on what "SNEC Can Do For You!!!"

Objective: To meet and connect with others and help SNEC improve as a Chapter. SNEC will take all your prioritized ideas and start doing the research necessary to see how we can implement those ideas.

About Neil Weiss:
Neil Weiss is currently SNEC's Past President after serving on the SNEC Board of Directors for 8 years and volunteering for 10 years. Professionally, Neil has been an Infrastructure Project Manager for the past 7 years working at various IT orgranizations, including Pharma. Neil has spent most of his career working in the healthcare industry. Neil recently moved to Florida and is now enjoying the Sun and Fun!!!

Session Abstract:
The executive stakeholders control the project resources (i.e. money, people, and materials), project scope, and the project’s duration or implementation date. The answer to her question was in two different survey results. A survey of stakeholders reported that approximately, two-thirds of IT projects were unsuccessful and they didn’t see things getting any better. In another survey about why projects were “impaired or ultimately cancelled”, 55% of the reasons were directly related to the stakeholders’ involvement and support. These two different surveys illustrate three common problems. First, stakeholders don’t really understand project management or their roles in projects. Second, stakeholders don’t have the time to attend a one-week, project management class. Lastly, (and therefore) project managers need to sell the stakeholders on project management’s benefits and teach them about their roles in projects.

• Understand their point of view
• Manage stakeholder expectations
• Improve your negotiation skills
• Better communicate with executives
• Deal with narcissists.

About Anthony Reed:
Anthony Reed, MBA, MS, CPA, PMP is a business professional, international award winning documentary director, and two-time national hall of fame distance runner with over thirty years in project management and executive positions. He’s led multi-million dollar, international projects and departments for Fortune 500 and international companies.

His professional and athletic exploits have been featured on TV and radio programs and in major newspapers and publications including the PMI Today, Wall Street Journal, Journal of Accountancy, ESPN, Runner’s World, Southern Living, Go, Ebony, and Runner-Triathlete News.

He has six books and over fifty articles published in magazines, such as ComputerWorld, Datamation, and Runner’s World. His latest book, an autobiography, is From the Road Race to the Rat Race. The third edition of his best seller, Running to Leadership: What Finishing 100+ Marathons On All Seven Continents Teaches Us About Success, will be available this winter.

Session Abstract:
My son is starting as a freshman in college and plans to study business and then enter the business world. I was thinking about a way to share my knowledge from almost 30 years in business and consulting that would resonate with him. Like every teenage boy I know, he is heavily into video games and so I organized this wisdom into the context of playing a video game, the Business Role Playing Game. This presentation is meant to provide some insights into how to play the game of business and help the audience “level up” in their own games. It is geared towards new players in the game as well as experienced players who are looking to advance to higher levels in the game or complete their quests.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will get approaches to “know their character” and determine what kind of player they are
2. Participants will lean to “understand the rules of the game”
3. Participants will get insights into playing the game and advancing to higher levels

About Kerry Wills:
Kerry Wills has planned and executed over $2 Billion in programs, managed many portfolios as well as remediated several troubled projects. Kerry has also led the evolution of the delivery model into a Scaled Agile framework for a Fortune 100 company. Kerry is a member of Mensa and has a unique perspective on project work, resulting in eleven patents, six published books, and speaking engagements at many conferences and corporations.

Session Abstract:
Tenacity. Grit. Endurance. Perseverance. We often admire these qualities in athletes, celebrities, world leaders, entrepreneurs, mentors, or people in our lives who overcame incredible barriers to be where they are today. But how often do we look at ourselves and think, "I have tenacity and grit. I endure and persevere" ? With the challenges we face in our personal lives, identifying and pursuing our goals against all odds can feel impossible.

Join us for a talk on re-engaging personal vision and a sense of purpose in the midst of the challenges we face every day, aligning work with your personal “why.” This content can apply for your personal journey, your team, or the clients and customers that you work with. Through a mix of examples, brief group discussion, and practical next steps, you will walk away with at least one nugget that can propel you along your journey.

Participants will:

1. Reflect on their personal journeys, sense of purpose, and passions
2. Explore ways they are currently working from a sense of purpose (or not), and identify opportunities to further align their passions and sense of purpose in their work
3. Reflect on ways to support team members and customers who are on their own journey of pursuing purpose
4. Explore how to apply an equity lens to support team members and customers from all walks of life

About Elisabeth Michel:
Elisabeth Michel, MPH is passionate about engaging innovation and community voice to advance health equity. With a background in health behavior, health administration, and digital health, she operates at the intersection of creativity and collaboration in healthcare. Currently, she is the Equity System Transformation Manager at Hartford HealthCare, where she leads the advancement of system-wide health equity initiatives towards improving health outcomes and addressing inequities. Elisabeth is the former Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Canopy, which built digital tools to help people discuss, document, and share their end-of-life healthcare decisions. Elisabeth holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Michigan School of Public Health, and she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Policy Studies from Duke University.

Session B

11:00AM - 12:00PM

Session Abstract:
Rachel will discuss the current state of AI and Project Management, who is using it, and where. Then she will discuss and show examples of how most commonly used Project Management tools have incorporated AI. Robin will go on to show and discuss further how else we as Project Managers and teams can leverage AI in our daily work/or tasks outside of the tools, to increase our productivity, and in turn less long hours and in turn less stress. She will then talk about building an AI Future ready mindset.

Learning Objective: Attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of the integration of AI in Project Management, including its current applications, how AI is embedded within popular Project Management tools, and strategic ways for them to further leverage AI beyond these tools. They will also explore strategies for fostering an AI-ready mindset for the future. Audience Benefit: Participants will walk away with practical insights and actionable strategies to implement AI in their daily Project Management tasks, leading to enhanced productivity and reduced stress. Through real-world examples and interactive discussions, they will learn to apply AI creatively, not just within their existing tools but in broader aspects of their work. This knowledge empowers them to stay ahead of technological trends, optimize their workflows, and position themselves for success in a rapidly evolving field.

About Rachel M. Keyser:
Rachel M. Keyser is a Program/Project Manager, Sr.
Healthcare Consultant and a Digital Solutions Marketer &
provider to Healthcare Entrepreneurs.She is a Speaker that talks about: Project Management, Digital Healthcare & Marketing Solutions, business, entreprenuership, and Health & wellness. She is a Project Management Coach-Consultant, that also likes to give back as she mentors others.

Session Abstract:
It’s no secret that project managers must deliver projects that fulfill the triple constraint of budget, schedule, and scope. Yet, without a solid context for the project’s impact on the strategic intent of the organization, projects are just projects. To be truly effective, project managers must also be equipped with an understanding of business acumen. In fact, according to the Project Management Institute (PMI), one of the three elements that comprise the Talent Triangle® is business acumen. In this talk, Steven Haines, founder of Business Acumen Institute and author of the book Business Acumen for Project Managers will facilitate a lively conversation, along with some fun activities, to enhance your understanding of business acumen and how you can focus your professional development efforts that help you build business acumen to excel in your career.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn a simple definition of business acumen and its importance in project management.
2. Learn why external perspectives (customers, market) can help you relate more effectively to your projects.
3. How to align your work with the strategic intent of the organization where you work.

About Steven Haines
Steven Haines’ ideas and books have contributed to corporate growth strategies for more than two decades. His enthusiasm and focus have contributed to best-selling business books that include The Business Acumen Handbook, Business Acumen for Project Managers, How to Create a Winning Strategy, How to Create a Business Case, and The Product Manager’s Survival Guide (2nd ed.). Steven is the founder and CEO of Business Acumen Institute, a global training and advisory services firm focused on building business acumen excellence for emerging leaders and managers. He’s also the founder of Sequent Learning Networks, a product management training and advisory services firm. Steven is based in New York City and can be reached via email at [email protected].

Session Abstract:
This session will use storytelling and an interactive activity for conference participants to learn about and practice using project management concepts and tools. The premise is for project managers to make project management appetizing to those who prefer more informal ways of working. We will explore how to explain project management tools in digestible ways to team members who have no project management training. The secret sauce is using food as a common point of reference. Attend the presentation and feast on some new useful skills for your work environment regardless of the type of organization where you work.

The objective of this presentation is for developing and experienced leaders to understand how to integrate project management in their day-to-day efforts. Project managers must engage with others who may not want to adhere to the rigor of a project management professional. Leaders must leverage technical skills, communicate, and promote teamwork to achieve organization goals for successful projects. The audience for this session will hear examples and have an opportunity to solve one of their own business problems by embedding project management skills in a situation where the value of formal project management may not be recognized.

About Ellen Belitzky:
Ellen Belitzky is Lecturer, Department of Economics and Business Analytics and Coordinator, BS in Business Analytics, University of New Haven. A Ph.D. in Technology Management, she has significant industry experience in business intelligence and information technology for the consumer-packaged goods industry. Dr. Belitzky is a certified Project Management Professional and a Certified Manager of Quality/Organization Excellence.

Session Abstract:
Lessons learned & pearls of wisdom from speaker’s experience in leading a healthcare EPMO through COVID pandemic, the Great Resignation, a reorganization & reduction in force, current economic & political instability, and the rise of generative AI in the workforce. The speaker will discuss both general leadership strategy/tactics & more specific project management considerations. There will be group participation and individual reflection work in addition to the discussion.

Participants will leave with: Understanding of successful and unsuccessful approaches to leading teams through crisis, instability, & significant change Team leadership strategy & tactics to employ based on the type and scope of circumstances encountered. A wireframe action plan for a real or potential scenario in a project and/or team environment.

About Mary Jane Lawton:
Mary Jane has been the Director of the EPMO at Hartford HealthCare since March 2020 and has personally lead her PMO team and multiple project teams successfully through the crises events noted above. Despite major challenges & obstacles, her team has transformed the way they work and is leading the design of the future of Project, Program, and Portfolio management within their organization.

Session C

1:15PM - 2:15PM

Session Abstract:
AI holds great promise, but with this also comes the need to make sure we have trust in the systems we are using. We'll explore common fears and concerns people have around AI why a Trustworthy Framework is needed.

We'll go over the 5 layers that need to be addressed in a comprehensive Trustworthy AI Framework with "ripped from the headline" examples of what happens when AI best practices are not followed. It just takes one bad headline to ruin trust...make sure your organization doesn't fall on the wrong side of Trustworthy AI.

About Ronald Schmelzer, Managing Partner and CPMAI Certified Lead Instructor:Ron is Managing Partner and Founder of Cognilytica. In conjunction with Kathleen Walch, Ron developed the CPMAI methodology, iterating and evolving prior approaches to AI & data project management given the realities of the rapidly changing AI environment. Adopted by dozens of multinational organizations, dozens of government agencies, and NGOs, CPMAI is quickly becoming the standard methodology for AI project management best practices. Ron is CPMAI Certified and is a Lead Instructor on CPMAI courses and training.urity.

About Kathleen Walch, Managing Partner and CPMAI Certified Lead Instructor:
Kathleen is Managing Partner and Founder of Cognilytica. In conjunction with Ron Schmelzer, Kathleen developed the CPMAI methodology, iterating and evolving prior approaches to AI & data project management given the realities of the rapidly changing AI environment. Adopted by dozens of multinational organizations, dozens of government agencies, and NGOs, CPMAI is quickly becoming the standard methodology for AI project management best practices. Kathleen is CPMAI Certified and is a Lead Instructor on CPMAI courses and training.

Session Abstract:
Why should project managers care about change management? The unfortunate truth is that even a successfully implemented project will ultimately fail if no one uses the deliverables. In this presentation, we’ll see how the discipline of change management addresses this problem, overcoming resistance to change to ensure adoption. We’ll examine the basics of organizational change, a few popular change management models, and how to create a change management plan, as well as some current trends in change management.

The purpose of this course is to give project managers an overview of the change management field so they can work with change managers (or, if there are no designated change managers in the organization, so they can incorporate change management into their own toolkits and advocate for it with senior executives).

About Deborah Ketai:
Deborah Ketai is passionate about helping people and organizations face and embrace change. She became interested in change management during her early career as a consulting project manager, after seeing a number of successfully implemented projects fail to yield any benefits because of lack of adoption.

Session Abstract:
Come meet and network with people within and outside your industry in this fun and exciting facilitated session. Whether you are early in your career or a seasoned professional, you will make new connections that can benefit you in many ways. During the 2nd half of the session, the attendees will briefly discuss and collaborate with SNEC volunteers on what "SNEC Can Do For You!!!"

Objective: To meet and connect with others and help SNEC improve as a Chapter. SNEC will take all your prioritized ideas and start doing the research necessary to see how we can implement those ideas.

About Maria Hulbert:
Maria has been a member of PMI for 13 years and an active volunteer with SNEC-PMI Chapter. Previously, she served as the VP of Operations and currently runs our election cycle and this year, took on the role of leading our Day of Event activities at our 2023 SNEC-PMI Conference. Maria is a Sr. Technical Project Manager at Optum Insight Technology (UnitedHealth Group) leading infrastructure projects in both waterfall and agile methodologies. When not tackling work issues, Maria is out and about networking through various activities including Golf and Pickleball.

Session Abstract:
Do you want to transform your team to high performing team, start improving the Agile key building block, the USER STORY. This interactive session will guide you through the INVEST Characteristics techniques for effective user story creation. Drawing on his extensive hands on experience for 25 years and over 200 sprints, with Agile coaching, Salah Jaber will use case studies to empower you with how to create a better user stories techniques that will transform your team to high performing Agile team.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn how to write better User Stories
• Learn how to create a good Agile backlog
• Improve release planning
• Enable executive and leadership make informed decisions

About Salah Jaber:
Salah Jaber is an executive leader in Product Management with over 25 years of experience in the Software Industry, establishing product vision and world-class product portfolio. He is an Agile transformation leader, a Certified Agile Coach, SCM, and PMP with over 300 sprints of hands-on experience in Scrum. An expert in industry methodologies such as Agile, SAFe, Kanban, Waterfall, Iterative, LEAN, and CMMI. He has a Master's in Computer Engineering with distinction. He is an expert in the entire Software Delivery Life Cycle and onboarding acquisitions. A strategic thinker, establishing world-class best practices with a proven track record of providing value and increasing efficiency. He enjoys playing soccer, skiing, and traveling.

Session D

2:30PM - 3:30PM

Session Abstract:
Many organizations are struggling to implement AI with success. Despite the buzz around AI and its potential to revolutionize industries, a surprising 70-80% of AI projects fail.

Why do so many AI initiatives, brimming with promise and potential, end up falling short? In this talk we explore the top reasons for these AI project failures, through real-world experiences and “ripped from the headlines” examples. We’ll share why these AI projects failed, and the practical ways to navigate these challenges for AI project success. Furthermore, we’ll explain how emerging approaches to Trustworthy AI are helping to address a wide range of ethical and responsible AI challenges.

As a way to avoid these common AI project failures, we’ll present the emerging best practice for AI projects leveraged by successful organizations, the Cognitive Project Management for AI (CPMAI) approach. Attendees will learn how to do AI right by applying a step-wise approach/methodology for AI projects, including an AI project template that gives you a straightforward way to adapt CPMAI methodology to your AI projects.

About Ronald Schmelzer, Managing Partner and CPMAI Certified Lead Instructor:Ron is Managing Partner and Founder of Cognilytica. In conjunction with Kathleen Walch, Ron developed the CPMAI methodology, iterating and evolving prior approaches to AI & data project management given the realities of the rapidly changing AI environment. Adopted by dozens of multinational organizations, dozens of government agencies, and NGOs, CPMAI is quickly becoming the standard methodology for AI project management best practices. Ron is CPMAI Certified and is a Lead Instructor on CPMAI courses and training.urity.

About Kathleen Walch, Managing Partner and CPMAI Certified Lead Instructor:
Kathleen is Managing Partner and Founder of Cognilytica. In conjunction with Ron Schmelzer, Kathleen developed the CPMAI methodology, iterating and evolving prior approaches to AI & data project management given the realities of the rapidly changing AI environment. Adopted by dozens of multinational organizations, dozens of government agencies, and NGOs, CPMAI is quickly becoming the standard methodology for AI project management best practices. Kathleen is CPMAI Certified and is a Lead Instructor on CPMAI courses and training.

Session Abstract:
There's a simple (though not easy) way to avoid much of the requirements/scope creep that is the main cause of project overruns and disappointments. Contrary to mistaken conventional wisdom that creep is unavoidable, it’s actually a repeatable predictable outcome of the inadequate way requirements are defined conventionally. This interactive session explains why and describes powerful better techniques that can dramatically reduce creep yet actually take less time and effort.

• Why projects keep missing the REAL requirements
• Guiding the project with the powerful Problem Pyramid™
• Crafting scope statements that don't creep

About Robin Goldsmith:
One of few with legitimate Project Management, Business Analysis/Requirements, and QA/Testing credentials, Robin Goldsmith works with and trains business and project professionals to get right results right. Author of Discovering REAL Business Requirements for Software Project Success and the forthcoming Cut Creep—Write Right Agile User Stories and Acceptance Tests.

Session Abstract:
Every project manager knows they must wield the power of communication to great effect. The manner in which we present our ideas is critically important when interacting with our team, our stakeholders, and our vertical chain. The most effective project managers are masters at crafting project narratives that are compelling and memorable. Data heavy presentations just won't cut it. The most compelling and memorable presentations include stories.

At the conclusion of my session, my audience members will take away the following valuable insights:

• Why a story must support your big bold idea
• Why your brain loves stories and hates data
• What are the six elements of a memorable story
• What is the structure of an effective story

About Seth Greenwald
Seth B. Greenwald, PMP, MID is a best-selling author, keynote speaker and communication coach for project managers, engineering leaders and other technical professionals. Having served as a design lead and senior project manager for some of the largest engineering and construction organizations in the U.S., Seth's expertise extends beyond the world of words to the realms of action and strategy.

Session Abstract:
How does a busy project manager at mid-project quickly reframe the project’s parameters? By using the strategic reframe to correctly set boundaries for a detailed revision of scope, schedule, and cost. The strategic reframe is flexible. It works on projects as small as a two-week Agile iteration or as large as a two-year DOD contract. A handy spreadsheet tool, REFRAME, will be made available to everyone who participates.

This talk will enable the participant to solve the following problem: Your client wants the project done on time with full scope and will pay for it. The project plan calls for 120 staff-months of work to be completed by 10 professionals working full-time for 12 months. At the end of 6 months, the original team has worked 65 staff-months and completed 54 staff-months of planned work. (Can you show that the additional staff you need for month 7 is 3.2 persons?)

About Jack Nevison:
John M. (Jack) Nevison, PMP (Retired), was President of New Leaf Project Management, a premier project management training and consulting company. He is the author of six books and numerous articles on computing, project management, and system dynamics. Nevison has built and sold two businesses, managed projects, managed project managers, and served as both an internal and an external management consultant. He has been featured in articles in The Wall Street Journal, and his comments have appeared in Science, Time, and The Project Management Journal.

Closing Keynote Address - Ballroom B

Reaching Your Next Summit: Vertical Lessons to Lead with Impact

Manley Feinberg

3:45AM - 4:45PM

Talent Triangle: 1.0 PDU Power Skills
SBA Categories: Build, Advance