FWPMI 30th Anniversary

Happy Anniversary Fort Worth PMI!

Fort Worth PMI was chartered in 1992 and this year – 2022 – marks 30 years of service to the project management community! In celebration of this anniversary PMI created this special “30 YEARS” celebration logo for us.

As we go through this momentous year we will reach back into history to remember historical events and hear from some of our former Board Presidents. Be sure to visit back every month to journey back in time with us!

Memories from former Board Presidents

-- Memory from Cindy Vandersleen, PMP - FWPMI Board President 2019-2020

One of my favorite early memories from my time on the board was the first time we won chapter of the year in 2011 for our chapter size class. I had the privilege of attending LIM that year and witnessing our chapter president walk up to the stage and receive the award. Then the following year (2012), in our 20^th anniversary year, we received it again! It was almost unheard of for the same chapter to win 2 years in a row. We were able to celebrate the announcement with our membership during one of our monthly chapter meetings where we gave away gifts to each meeting attendee.

-- Memory from Michele Gagne, MBA, PMP - FWPMI Board President 2017-2018

Among my favorite memories serving our community is teaching Project Management skills to the following stakeholders:

Staff at the Center for Transforming Lives and Boys and Girls Club
Students at the Young Women's Leadership Academy and Girls Inc. of Tarrant County
Gentlemen in the Prison Entrepreneurship Program and hosting one of PMI's founding members, Jim Snyder, in prison (picture --->)

-- Memory from Nikki Choice, PMP - FWPMI Board President 2001-2002 and 2013-2014

I served as chapter president twice, ten years apart. My first term in 2002 was our 10 year anniversary.

The picture is from our 10th Anniversary celebration. From left to right are other Chapter Presidents: Dale Abbott, Nikki Choyce, Russ Choyce, Jerry Adams & Ron Timmermans. My father, Russ Choyce, was one of the original founders of the chapter and also a chapter President. That makes the FWPMI chapter unique. I am not aware of another chapter that has had a father / daughter PMP combo as Chapter Presidents like the Fort Worth chapter. My next term was in 2013 when I served again as chapter president.

Thirty years ago, there was only a Dallas chapter and there was interest from the Fort Worth side of the metroplex to attend meetings but it was very challenging to get to dinner meetings. A committee was formed to see what it would take to set up another location to accommodate those living / working farther west and that was the genesis of the Fort Worth chapter. When I started attending FWPMI chapter meetings in 1997, we could all fit around one table (8-12 people) at a restaurant and more than half attending were chapter officers. Keep in mind, it required 25 people to start a new chapter, so when 12 people showed up for a meeting that translated to almost 50% of the membership in attendance!

Historical events from 1992

In August of 1992 the Mall of America opened in Bloomington, Minnesota. It had 330 stores and 10,000 employees. Think about the planning required for this massive project!