Chapter News

Our shining Volunteer Spotlight for the month of September is Steve Marlin​​! Steve has been volunteering with PMI-Los Angeles for more than 20 years and is currently a volunteer for the Marketing Committee.

Volunteer Spotlight Interview with Steve - conducted by Di Song

Di: When did you start volunteering with PMI LA?  

Steve: I was trying to remember and even looked back through Better Impact and the website, but neither had my start date. If I recall correctly, it was 2004—so over 20 years ago! I had become a member in late 2003, and at a flagship meeting, then-president Gene Takano encouraged me to volunteer. In January 2004, I attended the volunteer recruitment meeting and joined the communications group as an editor. I’ve been volunteering continuously ever since.

Di: What aspects of your involvement in this chapter bring you the most satisfaction?

Steve: I get a lot of satisfaction knowing I contribute meaningfully to the chapter’s operations—especially through the weekly newsletter I edit and proofread. Ensuring members receive accurate and timely information about our events, both upcoming and past, is important to me, and it’s rewarding to play a part in that.

Di: Considering your experience, what guidance would you offer to newcomers joining the chapter?

Steve: Maybe the most important thing I can think of is be ready to pivot almost at a moment's notice, if necessary, and be ready to have an opportunity to step up to do something that maybe is a little outside your experience or comfort zone and always be ready to pivot. 

Di: How do you personally define the significance of belonging to this professional community?

Steve: Well, in general, professional community membership, whether it's this one or any other, is always going to be important to one's career. Certainly, because it gives you opportunity to meet and mingle and network with other similar professionals. And also, it gives you many opportunities to advance your knowledge in that particular career and advertise that advancement by way of things like certifications.  It's a good way to keep abreast of the status and developments in your profession.

Di: What personal benefits do you derive from your volunteer contributions to PMI LA?

Steve: Well, the principal one is that I call myself informally retired. 

And in informal retirement, membership and contribution to the chapter is a way to still stay professionally involved and engaged. Even though I'm not working for a paycheck anymore. 

Di: Do you have a personal quote or philosophy you would like to share?

Steve: One of the two most important things I think I came away from engineering school with is to always start with the basics or never lose sight of the basics. And in project management, I think that probably does apply because in any project, the most important basic is the end of the project. You must always keep in mind what is the end goal of this project. So start with the basics or never lose sight of the basics. Always align your actions and activities with the end goal of the project.  

If you're a programming team on a project, and there's a really neat, I'm gonna call it bells and whistles. If there's some really neat bells and whistles that could be incorporated on the project that the customer has not asked for, if you can figure out a way for those additions to benefit the customer, then by all means bring it up and offer it.

Di: I do have a personal question, Steve.  What motivates you to work with PMI LA for 20 years? Although we've seen so many presidents come and go? 

Steve: Before retiring, I was an online instructor at American Intercontinental University, where I taught IT and business. I was assigned to teach project management—something I had never studied before—and it was a revelation. I found it fascinating and rewarding to teach. That experience introduced me to PMI and later to the LA Chapter.

When the university downsized in 2003, I was already a member of PMI-LA and simply continued my involvement. Volunteering gave me a way to stay connected and contribute to the profession, and it still motivates me to this day.

Di: Wow, it sounds amazing, and that brings us to the end of our interview, thank you so much for your time, Steve!

Steve: Well, thank you very much, Di!