Dinner Meetings
Growing Montgomery With Technology Innovation
Mayor Todd Strange will be speaking on leadership, and growing Montgomery with an emphasis on TechMGM, a collaboration between local industry, educational and government entities working together to connect and leverage Montgomery's unique technology assets to include the Montgomery Internet Exchange (MGMix), the city's open data initiatives, efforts supporting hackMGM/Code for America Brigade, and efforts to grow/foster technology innovation. The goal of TechMGM is to maximize the community's technology talent pipeline and promote the city as an emerging and innovative technology hub to enhance the workforce and grow the regional economy.
Mr. Todd Strange became the 56th mayor of the city of Montgomery on March 10, 2009, and was sworn in on March 23, 2009.
Strange graduated from Murphy High School in Mobile, Alabama and received a B.A. degree in Political Science from the University of Montevallo. Prior to becoming mayor, Strange served as chairman of the Montgomery (Alabama) County Commission for nearly five years. He also served as former president, CEO and co-owner of Blount Strange Automotive Group where he managed hundreds of employees.
As former director of the Alabama Development of Commerce (formerly known as the Alabama Development Office), Strange collaborated many efforts that brought major industries to Alabama, including the Hyundai Manufacturing Facility in Montgomery. He also served as former senior vice president of Administration, Blount International, Ltds., former president and CEO, Blount Development Corporation and several leadership roles with South Central Bell Company (now AT&T).
Strange’s extensive involvement in the community includes chairman of the Capital City Club, member of the Board of Directors and former vice-chairman of the Montgomery Business Committee for the Arts, and chairman of the Board of Trustees at University of Montevallo. He was also former chairman of the University of Montevallo National Alumni Association, former president and campaign chairman for Montgomery Area United Way, former chairman of the Board of Directors for the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, former president of the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind Foundation, former board chairman of the Montgomery’s Riverfront Development Committee, and former Chairman of the Montgomery Riverfront Alliance.
Strange has received numerous awards and honors for his visionary and progressive leadership. His awards include Business and Professional Women Boss of the Year, March of Dimes’ River Region Citizen of the Year, AUM Outstanding Community Leader Award, and Time Magazine’s Quality Dealer Award for Alabama.
Event Date | 10-12-2017 5:30 pm |
Event End Date | 10-12-2017 7:30 pm |
Cut off date | 10-11-2017 11:55 pm |
Individual Price | $21.00 |
Location | RSA Plaza - Corner of Washington and Ripley |
How to Mature Your PMO: Moving Beyond Operational Metrics
Charles “Chuck” Latham is currently the Director of Shared Services Operations at Alfa Insurance Company. He is responsible for creating the corporate Project Management Methodology, designing and facilitating the Project Governance process, overall Project and Portfolio Management. He is skilled in metric development and both strategic and tactical approaches to Project Management Office (PMO) operations. He established the first dashboards and created a robust Resource Management process and capacity metrics from the ground up. His oversight pushed the Alfa PMO maturity from 1.5 to 3 on the Gartner PM Maturity Assessment Scale in just two years. Before joining Alfa, Chuck served as a Senior Project Manager and Scrum Master at ProAssurance Company, a liability insurance provider. He was key in building the PMO from the ground up and authoring the first PM Methodology.
Chuck was also an IT Director, PM Vice President with Colonial Bank and served as a Project and/or Program Manager for EDS (now HP), IBM, and PricewaterhouseCoopers along with managing several large conversion projects with Wells Fargo. His clients included: Massachusetts and Alabama State Medicaid, US Department of Education, US Army, Texas and Alabama State DMVs, and authored proposals for the US Mint, US Postal Service, and NASA. In addition to his expertise in managing and maturing PMO’s, Chuck has a passion for mentoring and training. He served as the Professor of Aerospace Studies at two different universities and as an Adjunct Professor in Business Management for several colleges and universities. He is a volunteer instructor in religious studies at a federal Prison and has written two books. Chuck is a retired Air Force Officer and a veteran of Operation Desert Storm.
Chuck is a PMP and CSM and holds a BS in Business Management from St. John Fisher College, an MBA from Chapman University, and a Master’s Certificate in Project Management from the George Washington University.
Event Date | 11-09-2017 5:30 pm |
Event End Date | 11-09-2017 7:30 pm |
Cut off date | 11-08-2017 12:00 pm |
Individual Price | $21.00 |
Location | RSA Plaza - Corner of Washington and Ripley |
Project Management and Innovation: Are they Related?
Project management is often seen as a business practice that stifles creativity with its focus on scope/cost/schedule. In fact, the Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBoK) highlights that a good PM delivers exactly what is in the project's scope and no more, providing added value is not something project managers are encouraged to do. While innovation is seen as almost the opposite of project management, it is creative, freewheeling and designed to provide far more than what could be put in a project's scope statement. While project management and innovation appear to be near opposites, this presentation explores how they are related and should combined to produce business value.
US Air Force Col (retired) Eric Pierce is currently the Director, Service Delivery for Integrated Computer Solutions Inc. (ICS) leading a team of Project Manager and directing the execution of multiple Federal contracts. Prior to retirement from the US Air Force, Col Pierce served in multiple roles to include the Director of Communications and Chief Information Officer, Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Agency in San Antonio TX; Combat Commander of the 380th Expeditionary Mission Support Group, at a combat location in Southwest Asia; and Director of Cyberspace Policy and Enterprise Services, Joint Staff Directorate of Communications and Information, in the Pentagon. His major military awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, and the Honorable Order of Saint Barbara for outstanding service to the nation in US
Army/Marine Corps field artillery.
Event Date | 01-11-2018 5:30 pm |
Event End Date | 01-11-2018 7:30 pm |
Cut off date | 01-10-2018 12:00 pm |
Individual Price | $21.00 |
Location | RSA Plaza - Corner of Washington and Ripley |
The Journey from Bureaucrat to Entrepreneur Means Going the Extra MILE
Organizations are constantly asking their employees to be more entrepreneurial. You do not need to start your own company to operate your project or program like a business owner. In this interactive discussion, we will discuss four key areas that differentiate the entrepreneurial employee versus someone who is stuck in the status quo. Using the MILE framework (Mindset, Innovation, Learning, Engagement) will give you and your team a common language for improving your organizations performance.
Zack Jourdan, Ph.D. is the founder and principal consultant for SZJ Solutions, LLC and an Associate Professor at Auburn University at Montgomery. Zack is a focused thinker who develops custom strategies and solutions to help you develop leaders that are the envy of the competition. He is the President of the South Alabama Chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMI).
Event Date | 02-08-2018 5:30 pm |
Event End Date | 02-08-2018 7:30 pm |
Cut off date | 02-07-2018 12:00 pm |
Individual Price | $21.00 |
Location | RSA Plaza - Corner of Washington and Ripley |
Brian Hastings, Director, Alabama Emergency Management Agency
Topic: “Humble, Credible, Approachable—A Transition Story”
Director Hastings discusses events in his first five months of State Government that highlight his thoughts on leadership that all leaders can use.
Bio:
Brian Hastings was born in 1968, in Germany, to a U.S. Army officer, however most of Brian’s youth was spent in the Chicago metropolitan area. It was there, while attending public school, that he developed his desire to learn, serve others and give back to those in need.
Brian’s passion for service led him to enter the United States Air Force Academy in 1986 and serve in the United States Air Force from 1990 until he retired as a Colonel on 1 September 2017. Prior to his retirement, Brian served for two years as Commandant of the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base and previously served as the Commander of the 47th Flying Training Wing. During his military career, Brian earned two Legion of Merit Medals, the Bronze Star for his service in Afghanistan, three Meritorious Service Medals, and served as a flight instructor. He was a command pilot with more than 2,600 hours in attack and training aircraft. He held a variety of positions, including Battalion Air Liaison Officer and Chief of Standardization and Evaluation.
Brian has a Bachelor of Science in Applied Physics. He also earned a Master’s of Aeronautical Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a Master’s of Science in Resourcing National Security Strategy from the Eisenhower School, National Defense University.
In August 2017, Governor Kay Ivey named Brian as the Director of the Alabama Emergency Management Agency and he started his service on September 5, 2017. In less than one week, the State Emergency Operations Center activated for Hurricane Irma to receive and shelter more than 250,000 evacuees from Florida while caring for the needs of Alabamians. The impact of Hurricane Irma resulted in a Presidential Emergency Declaration from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and strengthened enduring partnerships with Florida and the Virgin Islands.
Regardless of Brian’s noteworthy career, which includes being a former A10 pilot, he will quickly tell you his greatest accomplishments are at home with his beautiful wife Eileen and three sons—Sean, Jake and Luke. The Hastings also have two additional family members Sophie and Chuy, the family dogs.
Event Date | 03-08-2018 5:30 pm |
Event End Date | 03-08-2018 7:30 pm |
Cut off date | 03-07-2018 12:00 pm |
Individual Price | $21.00 |
Location | RSA Plaza - Corner of Washington and Ripley |