CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — October 29, 2020. On October 23, 2020, for the first time, local NC, SC and VA Project Management Institute (PMI) chapters merged all of their annual Professional Development Day (PDD) Conferences into one, large virtual conference. Mavendog was honored to sponsor and present. The conference (including our local PMI Metrolina chapter) offered eleven sessions in total, all designed to enable participants to uncover new ways to adapt in an ever-changing environment. Each session was aligned to “talent triangle components” — technical, leadership, and strategic or business management. It also provided up to eleven Professional Development Units (PDUs) and rich networking opportunities for its 600 attendees.

“As a project management specialty company, it would be hypocritical not to support PMI and its annual PDD,” said Jon Vordermark, Mavendog President. “Despite the challenges of 2020, this virtual forum provided Mavendog exposure beyond Charlotte to PMI members across Virginia and North Carolina. Hat’s-off to Angela Miller, Lynn Davis, Jim Milnthorpe, and the rest of the Sponsorship Team.”

PDD leadership also invited Vordermark to speak. He shared his talk on Project Manager career advancement, entitled, “Don’t Get Stuck! – Project Management Specialization and Organizational Leadership”. The talk highlighted how in some companies, a Project Manager role is unfortunately diminished, especially in “weak-matrixed” organizations. “For someone who wants to make project management a career,” Jon explained, “he or she has to be careful to not get stuck in organizations with too low a project management ceiling. As large and prestigious as some of these organizations may be, their project ‘leadership’ roles never go beyond administration, coordination, or at best, middle management. There is no path for true advancement or skill mastery.

“In the Mavendog world,” Jon continued, “the project manager is positioned as an executive or strategic interface for a project or program. Over time project management can become a specialized skill and career. But you need to find the environment and project portfolio that allows you to master your craft. Plus, you may have to educate your organizational leaders. Many do not know what such a PM career arc should look like, or how “specialization” can strengthen the organization as a whole.”

If you would like to invite Jon as a speaker for your organization or event, please contact us.

Stay tuned for next year’s Professional Development Day conference and other virtual event opportunities. Also, please visit the Project Management Institute website for more information.

Mavendog, LLC is a project leadership firm headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. We are a team of specialized, flex delivery leaders who help clients evaluate, plan, and drive project wins. Our services span Strategic Portfolio Development, Program Leadership, and Project & Change Delivery. We provide expertise for large program initiatives, as well as tactical support for short-term and part-time project needs.