Chapter News

 Our shining Volunteer Spotlight for the month of November is Leo Rogers! Leo has been with the Chapter since February 2024 and has dedicated his time and skills to serving on the Career Developnment Committee as the Mentorship Director and is now our AVP of Career Developnment!​

Q&A with Leo

1. What aspects of your involvement in this chapter bring you the most satisfaction?
Connecting with new and seasoned Project/Product/Program Managers and hearing about their journey in a ever growing field. Developing my own skillsets/competencies through projects that impact the greater PMI-LA Chapter’s initiative.

2. Considering your experience, what guidance would you offer to newcomers joining the
chapter?
Stay curious and take risks. The only way to learn and grow your career is to take part in as many events, activities, and projects possible. There’s so many talented and passionate members in this chapter that have a fountain of knowledge and networks that can help propel you much further than doing so by yourself.

3. How do you personally define the significance of belonging to this professional community?
Enriching. Every person I crossed paths with in this community has helped me understand myself a bit more as a future Project Manager while learning more about the member I connect with and their PM Journey.

4. What personal benefits do you derive from your volunteer contributions to PMI-LA?
o Having a personal sandbox to try new ideas and concepts with low risks. Learning the art and science of Project Management in a safe space has been a huge personal benefit. The support and mentorship provided has been tremendous and I look forward to adding more value to this chapter through the projects I lead out.

5. Do you have a personal quote or philosophy you would like to share?
“Leadership is not about being in charge. It’s about taking care of those in your charge.” — Simon Sinek. (I used ChatGPT to help inspire me from previous prompts I’ve asked it before but this does speak to the person I aspire to be in this chapter.) In a time where people yearn more for human connection and inspiration, I believe it’s up to leaders to focus more on the person rather than the product or process.

6. Do you have a PM Tip that you would like to share with chapter members?
As a self diagnosed introvert, networking is not my forte however be intentional with the people you connect with that benefits you not only as a professional but as a person. Networking can sometimes feel transactional so I try to connect with people that I have a genuine interest in. Whether they can support me or not is not my intent but more of “what can I learn from this person” or “how can I bring value to them in some way”? Making sure each person you connect with feels that you had a transformational experience vs transactional will definitely lead to huge ROIs. Also have fun in the process.

Thank you, Leo, for being a PMI-LA rockstar! 

About the Lee Mandley Volunteer Spotlight [formerly Volunteer of the Month]

Founding Director of the PMI-LA Alhambra Community Meeting located at DeVry, Lee was a Construction PM and a long-time member of the chapter.  He was the voice and liaison for the San Gabriel Valley members east of Pasadena.  Lee was the first director to institute round table discussions on interesting Project Management Topics when a speaker had to cancel at the last moment. Between 2012 and 2024, we presented the ‘Volunteer of the Month’ award to a key volunteer who exhibited the outstanding trait of working “outside-the-box” to ensure that chapter operations are running smoothly in their area.  This award was renamed to honor Lee Mandley and renamed again 2024 to Lee Mandley Volunteer Spolitght.