As AIPM members, we learn from and support each other, and volunteers are critical to our success, so it’s with pleasure that we recently celebrated this collegiate spirit at our International Project Management Day celebration in Hobart. We are delighted to admit as Fellows for their exceptional contributions to project
management our immediate past-president and serving AIPM Deputy Board Chair Mike King, and Bridget Nichols, who for years until her October retirement ran our events program that benefited so many members. Mike contributes to projects that daily improve the lives of many Tasmanians, including work realigning the highway ramps to the Tasman Bridge (pictured)—the highest-volume road section in the state, carrying more than 72,000 vehicles on a weekday. Mike is also working on the new link road required for the runway extension at Hobart Airport for more international flights.
We also acknowledge retiring councillors Kathy Kuryl, FAIPM and Lyndon Black, MAIPM, CPPM. Lyndon was Project Management Achievement Awards (PMAA) Chief Judge, and Kathy played a leading role in developing the Tasmanian Government’s Project Management Framework. She has also mentored many PMs. Each year we identify a worthy projectmanagement student and award them an annual AIPM membership. This year’s winner is Han Wei Lee, who graduated with a Diploma of Project Management and works for Ambulance Tasmania.
NT ROBERT FOOTE
QLD DAVID MCGUIRE
SA ELENA ZAGORENKO
As incoming Chapter President, I’m endeavouring to continue the great work done by my predecessor, Mark Dodt, to grow the chapter. We’re increasing our relevance and accessibility by allying with professional organisations such as Engineers Australia and the Australian Institute of Management so we don’t compete for our members’ scarce time and attention. We run joint events with other professional groups, speak at their forums and invite them to ours. The strategy is working with our numbers steadily rising; a fair feat considering the commodities downturn. Over the next year, our chapter council will be more active and we’ll prioritise our young and emerging project professionals who are critical to our success. We’ll also do more to promote those excellent Territory projects, such as the unique Alcoota fossil beds visitors’ centre profiled in this issue. Our members have learned a lot about cross-cultural communication by working with and in Indigenous communities that we can share with the world in best practices.
As I prepare to step into a new role as an AIPM National Director, I leave behind a chapter on a high from winning the PMAA National Project of the Year three years running. It’s largely due to the hands-on work of our volunteers who go into prospective project organisations to answer questions about the process and encourage their support. While the state project downturn affects fortunes, necessity is the mother of invention and has persuaded our members to think smart about their marketing as they hustle for work. This is something I also see in PMs who are new Australians that join our institute for the unique networking, mentoring and professional development we provide. Looking to the future, I’m especially pleased with our chapter council approach to gender parity while also attracting more up-andcoming PMs to our cause, with five councillors under 35 years of age. Our state leadership is healthier than ever, thanks in big part to the work of people such as Lachlan Waite, CPPD, who restarted our YEPP program.
As commodities prices fall and manufacturing loses steam, our national prosperity lies in being smart. And although SA faces particular challenges, these are emblematic of broader issues for the nation. The good news is PMs can arrest this decline, even if it means we must look outside our sector for opportunities. Fortunately, our skills are transferrable if we open up to possibilities. Australian project management must sharpen up and its practitioners get better at promoting themselves. The next generation of PMs is key to this vision. And what those coming up through the ranks must learn is project management is an applied profession— you can’t learn all you must know from a book. I tell my university students they must be good at stakeholder management and tap the wisdom in our chapter to help them succeed. Engaging with emerging PMs will be a major chapter focus in 2017 as we kickstart initiatives to set them on the path of professionalism and reinvigorate our ranks in this state.
TAS REBECCA GREENWOOD
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