Past 25 Years

PMI Puget Sound 25th Anniversary Event – Sustaining Growth through Innovation 

  • Did you know the Chapter started in 1984 with just 37 members?
  • Did you know the Chapter has grown to over 2,500 members?

As part of this 25th Anniversary event, we asked past Chapter presidents and Board members the following question: What has been the biggest change in project management in your career?

Their responses are below and you can join the conversation in LinkedIn:

Project Management Changes

1) “This is a big question! In the early 1990’s the focus of a PM was pretty much limited to individual projects and performance. Software was helping the PM understand the complexities of the project and to lead others to achieve the projects goals. Now the focus is on the Enterprise and the strategy for accomplishing projects aligned with organizational goals. We moved from the tactical to strategic.”– Sam Huffman, Board Member, 1997

2) “One of the big changes for me has been the advancement of remote teaming technology. I spent over 15 years implementing networks and network upgrades, which required team members, including sponsors, to reside at remote locations. When I started managing remote teams, I had to develop new ways to run meetings and help the team share ideas across miles (and oceans). Fax machines and email type applications were in their infancy. Video and voice conferencing were still not readily available. Now we have a number of meeting workspace and file sharing applications, wikis, blogs, speed-of-light transfers, and other ever-expanding technology for virtual teaming.”– Paula Williams, Board Member, 2003

3) “The implementation of the PMO, and the executive understanding of the value of strong project/program management.”– Noah Van Loen, Board Member, 2007

4) “Recognition of professionalism in project management and evolution of project management principles to serve software development.”– Richard McNeill, Board Member, 1998

5) “The biggest change is attitude.  In a number of situations, senior management has had some experience with project management as they rise on the ladder.  These experiences are helping the profession.  The shortfall is that the certification program has not met the status of a CPA or PE." – Thomas Fawthrop, Board Member, 1994