PMI Northern Nevada Chapter

Feeling stuck in your career? Whether you're a new professional trying to break into project management or a seasoned PM ready for a bold change, the secret to your next move isn't just your experience — it's how you tell your story. In a job market shaped by layoffs, AI disruption, and evolving roles, your career brand is your most powerful tool. This dynamic session will show you how to shift from looking backward at what you've done to looking forward at where you're headed — and how to bring hiring managers along for the ride. Walk away with practical strategies to refresh your resume and LinkedIn profile, reframe your PM skills for any industry, and confidently own the interview.

About our Speakers:

Marie Spark, MBA, PMP, is a project management educator, career coach, and Strategic Advisor for the PMI SF Bay Area Chapter who has guided adult learners and career-changers to success for over a decade. She brings hard-won credibility to this topic, having reinvented her own career twice — from journalist to 15+ years in banking and IT project management, then again into higher education. Marie knows firsthand that a pivot is possible at any stage.

## Why Should You Join?

PMI Northern Nevada invites project professionals across the region to attend the 2026 Professional Development Day (PDD) on April 17, 2026, at Aces Ballpark in Reno. Attendees also receive tickets to the Reno Aces vs. Las Vegas game that evening.
This year’s theme, The Modern Project Manager: Skills, Leadership, and Value in Practice, reflects PMI’s expanded definition of project success—focused on value delivered and impact realized, not just schedule and budget performance.

## Event Speakers and Topics - Aligned to PMI's Evolved Focus on Product, Agile, AI and Value Delivery

The full-day program features interactive sessions led by experienced practitioners, with areas of knowledge that will help you expand and deepen your Project Management expertise:

### Branding your PM Career: Unleash your power skills in the age of AI

#### Marie Spark, MBA, PMP + Mohan Vemulapalli, CAPM, CSM

Your PM leadership skills are your superpowers - and they are in high demand. While the rise of AI and the ever-changing business environment may feel like a career threat, they actually offer new opportunities to project managers. This session focuses on reframing professional narratives, strengthening power skills, and positioning project professionals for expanded influence in an AI-enabled workplace.

### Getting Projects Back on Track: Leading with Empathy, Clarity, and Action

#### Angelique Kuhn-McNeal

This session presents a practical five-step recovery approach: Spot the Signs Early; Listen and Learn; Tell the Truth Clearly; Reconnect the Team; and Get Agreement to Act. It emphasizes a people-first recovery mindset and provides a structured framework for restoring alignment, rebuilding trust, and reestablishing forward momentum when projects encounter disruption.

## From Project Manager to Value Stream Owner: How AI is Redefining the Future of PM

#### Lori McDaniel, PMP, CSM

This interactive workshop uses hands-on exercises and group discussion to explore how AI is reshaping the role of the project manager. Participants develop a mini value-stream map, identify AI leverage points within delivery workflows, and outline a practical roadmap for expanding from traditional project oversight to value stream thinking.

### The Product Dance (Remote Session)

#### Victoria Griffin

This session provides an overview of how project managers can develop a holistic understanding of what a product is and how product thinking connects to their role. It examines the broader product lifecycle, value realization, and cross-functional alignment, helping project professionals understand how delivery efforts contribute to sustained product and organizational outcomes.

### Generative AI Governance for Project Managers (Remote Session)

#### Steve Daniel

This session explores how project managers can incorporate generative AI governance principles into overall project and risk management practices. It addresses responsible AI use, governance considerations, and practical risk controls, enabling project professionals to integrate GenAI tools while maintaining sound management discipline and organizational oversight.
The event is open to both members and non-members. PMI membership is not required to attend.

### Are You a Student, Veteran or Active-Duty Military or Currently Unemployed? A Limited Number of Free Passess Are Available

Free passes are available for students, active-duty military, veterans, and professionals currently unemployed. Contact Linda Militano at linda.militano@gmail.com to request a pass.

### Are you interested in sponsorship?