October 2025 Newsletter

Welcome to October! As the leaves turn and the year winds down, our chapter continues to thrive with energy and collaboration. From the success of PDD 2025 to exciting outreach initiatives and a look ahead to PDD 2026, this month’s newsletter is packed with updates, opportunities, and ways to stay connected. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, give back through mentorship, or simply stay informed, there’s something here for everyone.

The President's Corner

President’s Blog: Celebrating the Success of PDD 2025 – Thanks to You!

Professional Development Day 2025 was a tremendous success, and in his latest blog post, Chapter President Rodney shared a heartfelt summary of the event’s impact. With strong attendance, engaging sessions, and vibrant networking, PDD showcased the strength of our project management community. Rodney emphasized the vital role our volunteers, speakers, and members played in making the day memorable and meaningful.

Looking ahead, Rodney encourages continued involvement through volunteering, mentoring, and upcoming events—reminding us that our chapter thrives through shared experiences and active participation. Thank you for helping make PDD 2025 a standout moment for PMI Madison/South Central!

Read the full post here!

Become a Mentor. Make a Difference. Shape the Future of Project Management.

Are you a practicing project manager with a few hours to spare each month? You already have what it takes to be a mentor—and your experience could be the key to someone else’s success.

The PMI Madison Chapter Mentorship Program is calling on professionals like you to step forward and guide the next generation of project managers, whether they’re just starting out or looking to grow in their careers.

Why Mentor?

Empower Others: Help mentees gain confidence, skills, and direction.
Grow as a Leader: Mentorship sharpens your communication, coaching, and leadership abilities.
Give Back: Share the lessons you’ve learned and make a lasting impact on someone’s journey.
Minimal Time, Maximum Impact: Just 3 hours or less per month can change a life.

Two Ways to Get Involved:

Professional Mentorship: Support fellow PMI Madison chapter members.
Academic Mentorship: Guide students from UW Madison’s Project Management Certificate program or Madison College’s Intro to Project Management course.

Ready to mentor?
Apply Now!

Apply Now: PMI Madison Executive Board Applications Now Open

Executive Board service offers a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact, expand your professional network, and grow as a leader—all while helping advance a cause you care about. Your experience, leadership, and commitment to project management could be valuable contribution to the Madison/South Center WI chapter's strategic direction and long-term success. As a board member, you would play a vital role in:

Guiding our mission and vision
Supporting key initiatives and giving back to the project management community
Growing professionally in a leadership position
Expanding your network

The below positions are open for the 2025 Election. Terms start January 1, 2026.

President (1-year term)
VP of Finance (2-year term)
VP Professional Development (2-year term)
VP Membership (2-year term)
VP Governance (2-year term)

To learn more about these elected positions go to https://pmi-madison.org/roles-and-responsibilities and click on the positions of interest.

To apply for a position, go to https://volunteer.pmi.org/ > choose Madison/South Central Wisconsin Chapter > find the position and click Apply Now.

Apply by October 24, 2025. Election ballot will be open November 10 to November 21, 2025.

PDD 2025 Recap & Save the Date for PDD 2026!

Professional Development Day 2025 was a tremendous success, and we’re grateful to everyone who made it possible! Held at Monona Terrace, this year’s theme—“The Human Side of Technology: Fostering Collaboration and Engagement”—brought together project professionals for a full day of learning, networking, and inspiration.Attendees earned up to 6.5 PDUs through sessions on strategic business analysis, AI in action, human-centered communication, and more.

📅 Looking Ahead: PDD 2026 – Save the Date!
We’re excited to announce that PDD 2026 will return to Monona Terrace on September 21–22, 2026! That's right: new for 2026 is a 2-Day Event! Day 1 will follow a symposium model, consistent with how our PDD has been traditionally structured. On Day 2, we will hold half-day workshops allowing for deeper dives to build critical skills on key strategic focus areas.

The theme will be “The Hidden Powers of Project Success: The Magic of Leadership”, and we’re thrilled to welcome back Hans Eckman—a standout speaker from PDD 2025—as our keynote presenter.

Stay tuned for more details on speakers, sessions, and registration in the coming months. In the meantime, explore volunteer opportunities, mentorship programs, and upcoming chapter events to stay engaged and make a lasting impact.

Thank you for being part of our vibrant PMI Madison community!

Strengthening Community Connections: Outreach Highlights

We’re proud to share key achievements from our ongoing outreach efforts in South Central Wisconsin. Now in our second year of deepening relationships with active companies and organizations in the region, we’ve seen exciting momentum and collaboration.

Our Strategic Advisory Board includes four dedicated members from leading organizations: Exact Sciences, UW–Madison, Sub-Zero, and UW Health. Their insights and engagement have helped shape meaningful initiatives that reflect the needs and ideas of our broader PMI membership.

At our most recent meeting, we gathered input from members and developed several promising next steps to be refined and finalized at our final 2025 session:

Proposed Initiatives:

Facilitated Roundtables at Chapter Meetings
Host short, focused discussions using real-world case studies. Each table will have a PMI facilitator to guide conversations on topics like interdependent project tracking, retrospectives, and early discovery.
Mentorship Programs
Pair experienced project managers with emerging professionals. Organizations like Sub-Zero are already leading the way in mentorship excellence.
Tools & Frameworks
Share practical templates and guides that PMs can apply immediately in their work.
Learning Resources
Offer a series of non-certificate classes on change management, leadership without authority, and stakeholder engagement.
Communities of Practice
Support cross-industry or internal knowledge-sharing groups during working hours to boost participation. Provide structure through clear objectives, facilitation guidance, and guardrails.

These initiatives reflect our commitment to building a stronger, more connected project management community which is one that thrives on collaboration, shared learning, and real-world impact.

November Chapter Meeting

Behind the Scenes at UW Health’s

EastPark Medical Center

Thursday, November 13

5:00 - 7:00PM

EastPark Medical Center, Madison, WI

Members: $25, Non-members: $30

Join us for a special PMI Madison chapter meeting where project managers from UW Health will share how they helped bring the new East Park Medical Center to life. At 469,000 sq ft, this state-of-the-art facility represents a massive collaborative effort, from construction and technology to change management and governance.

Attendees will gain insights into real-world healthcare project management and earn 1 PDU toward maintaining their PMI certification. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from a high-impact project that’s making a difference in our community!

Stay connected with us for upcoming events and programs, and let’s continue to make 2025 a year of learning, growth, and success together!