Articles

Vice President of 

Career Development

Vice President of Events

Vice President of Marketing

Vice President of Operations

Surender Duggirala

Nick Howell 

Jens Huelsermann

Raj Kakani

Julia Ode

Dillon Mitome

Surender Duggirala

Background: 

I have been affiliated with the Sacramento Valley chapter since August 28, 2014, and I obtained my PMP certification in the same year. Over my 18 years of IT experience, I have contributed to various initiatives and played pivotal roles in strategic projects. These roles include test lead, project lead, integrated planner, scrum master, product owner, environment and conflict management specialist, developer, DevOps consultant, strategic planner, and performance principal. My overall experience encompasses a decade as a contractor and another 8 years as a full-time employee within a non-profit healthcare organization. During this tenure, I successfully managed medium to large-sized projects by applying diverse methodologies and practices that I acquired as a PMP professional. Additionally, I actively engage with PMI’s webinars to stay informed. As an avid learner, I have pursued and completed various certification and PG diploma programs from premier institutes while maintaining my full-time IT career.

Qualifications: 

Since 2014, I have actively maintained my PMP certification with a commendable standing. Additionally, I have earned micro-credentials related to Agile metrics and Organizational Transformation. My expertise extends beyond PMP, encompassing a range of certifications in Information Technology. These certifications cover critical areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Microsoft Cloud, Oracle, and Salesforce ecosystem. In non-technical domains, I hold certifications as a Scrum Master, SAFe Release Train Engineer, POPM, and other agile-related qualifications. As a committed lifelong learner, I consistently seek knowledge to remain well-informed about industry trends and technological advancements. I achieve this by engaging with research articles, attending webinars, participating in instructor-led training, and pursuing self-paced learning opportunities. Furthermore, I actively mentor several team members and junior staff, guiding them along their career paths and assisting with professional development planning. My dedication to learning, sharing, and training has been a cornerstone of my career, allowing me to foster knowledge retention and inspire others through my passion. As a candidate for the Vice President position in Career Development, I am committed to driving the chapter’s growth and success by fostering a vibrant community of project management professionals and collaborating with other board members and volunteers to contribute to the chapter’s vision.

Background: 

I have been a member of PMI since 2017 and most recently volunteered with the chapter as an academic liaison for CSU Chico. I am an experienced project manager and have maintained my PMP and PMI-ACP certifications while also completing other courses through PMI and various other project organizations. I knew I was meant to practice project management after I enrolled in my first course as part of the Project Management bachelor’s degree at Chico State. Paired with my project management education and experience background, I also have a Master of Arts in Leadership with an emphasis in coaching and learning. I have leveraged this education and experience to bring project management “refresher” courses in my companies PMO, and to help share project management career paths with college students

Qualifications:

My vision is for the SVC Chapter to create career development programs that meet our members where they are at in their project management journey. This would involve creating learning communities for members to enhance their knowledge and resume through PMI and other project management certifications, coaching programs to help members better define their professional goals, and connecting members with opportunities for experiential learning through volunteering or internships. I hope to light the same passion for project management in others that I have, and to provide avenues to pursue a successful career project management practice.

Jens Huelsermann

Background: 

I am a business leader and transportation expert specializing in railways. Over the past 20 years, I have lived in Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore, leading international teams in railway development, construction, engineering, and operation projects across Europe and Asia, delivering successful projects that have enhanced transportation infrastructure. In 2023, I relocated to California to contribute to the transformative California High-Speed Rail project. With 16 years of project management experience and my PMP certification earned in 2023, I bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise. Previously, I have been a PMI chapter member in Taiwan and Germany. After moving to California, I joined the PMI-SVC chapter to continue my engagement with the PMI community. I am dedicated to professional growth and development, aligning with PMI’s mission to empower project professionals and drive positive change. My vision is to create opportunities for members to advance their careers through high-quality programs and events.

Qualifications:

The theme of PMI, empowering project professionals to drive positive change, guides my contributions both within and outside PMI. Helping colleagues organize projects and maintain high technical and ethical standards is central to my extracurricular involvement at work, including ongoing workshops on project management principles and technical topics. Since December 2023, I have served as PMI-SVC's Academic Liaison with UC Davis, bringing UC Davis to our annual job market and contributing to the UC Davis Project Management Advisory Board to shape future courses and programs.

My vision for the chapter is to enable closer physical and mental connections among members. As VP of Career Development, I will be foundational to this approach, striving to develop ourselves and the chapter. Building on existing programs, I aim to provide meaningful, high-quality support for our members and others interested in our chapter. My vision includes offering more in-person events, emphasizing personal experiences and shared stories. In addition to current Career Development Forums, the Mentor Program, and Professional Development Events, I plan to introduce PMP (and other certification) prep classes, job fairs, resume and LinkedIn workshops, personal career coaching, industry panels, networking events, online learning resources, and mentorship circles.

Raj Kakani

Background: 

• I have been a member of the PMI SVC chapter from 2021, after I moved to this area from San Jose. Prior to that I was part of the PMI Silicon Valley Chapter from 2016 – 2021.
• I do have a PMP certification in good standing that I obtained in 2010.

I have over 20 years of experience in the IT industry across Program, Product, and Engineering roles. I have extensive experience in managing teams with a great customer focus, leading enterprise-wide cross-functional strategic implementations, leading PMOs, & cross-functional Programs. Deep experience across Retail, eCommerce, Membership, Subscriptions, Digital, HCM, Governance, PMO, and Strategy

Qualifications:

I would like to make the events more beneficial to the members and to the potential members in a way that connects to their needs and aspirations. I plan to closely collaborate with the rest of the PMI SVC chapter leadership group in building a clear roadmap for the events along with a value proposition. I will use my industry knowledge that I have gained over the years to effectively create a strategy that meets all the needs of the members and in line with the overall PMI Strategy.
I am also part of the PMI Global Volunteers team and part of the Standards Insight Committee. I will use the exposure that I gain from being part of that to help with the operations of the chapter.

Julia Ode

Background: 

After a 12-year career as an elementary school teacher and instructional mentor, I wanted to transition to a career in project management. In October 2023, I became a PMI SVC member and passed the PMP exam. 

I now do a hodgepodge of things including owning a coaching business (specializing in supporting neurodivergent solopreneurs, job seekers, and career transitioners) and working as a freelance project manager and content creator. After co-founding a new business and starting my own solo-business, I have learned a ton about marketing and content strategy. I love that I get to tap into both the creative and analytical sides of my brain.

Qualifications:

In the next two years, my vision for our Chapter is to implement strategic processes that increase member engagement, with a specific focus on increasing overall membership and engagement of new members and career transitioners.

I plan to create a solid content strategy, focused on how we create, publish, and distribute content that supports the chapter’s goals and increases visibility and engagement. I’ll help deliver valuable and relevant content by utilizing different communication channels to ensure members feel connected and informed. 

Although I’ve only been a Chapter member for 7 months, my fresh perspective allows me to see what’s working well and identify areas for improvement.

I love to create and learn new things as often as possible which has allowed me to become a Canva whiz and a LinkedIn content and engagement expert.  Recently, I’ve helped several solo-business owners with their marketing strategies and have developed content and resources for job seekers and aspiring project managers, including a digital PMP study guide that has helped several professionals pass the exam!

I’m committed to driving growth, building strong communities, and fostering a supportive environment for all members. I look forward to the opportunity to serve as your VP of Marketing.

Dillon Mitome

Background: 

My name is Dillon Mitome. I have been a chapter member of the PMI-SVC since November 2023. I don’t have a PMP but do have plans to obtain the certification this year. Currently I am supplementing my knowledge through other foundational certifications, like Coursera Google Project Management and the CAPM certification.

The bulk of my experience is in the public sector. I am currently a program analyst for CalOES, working under the recovery branch regarding the VAYGo program. As part of the program, I am responsible for the management, processing, and forensic auditing of projects that fall in California’s Inland Region.

Prior to working at CalOES, I worked at the EDD’s Human Resources and Services Division as an administrative analyst. My primary responsibility was physical and virtual asset management, invoice and contract management, and serving as the liaison for the division for branch and enterprise-wide efforts and projects.

Qualifications:

I have a secretarial background in volunteer organizations through my work with the IRC, Sacramento City College’s Student Senate, Region II, and work with the college’s classified senate and clubs. I hope to apply this experience and developed knowledge of procedures, bylaws, and operations to further improving and more explicitly streamlining PMI SVC’s own operations. 

Within the next two years, I hope to expand active outreach and involvement towards local community colleges, state colleges, and UC’s to broaden PMI SVC’s reach with student populations and graduates. I also look forward to expanding PMI SVC volunteer opportunities, as well as potentially connecting businesses with latent talent pools across colleges to deepen the charter’s commitment to the region: promoting project management as a profession to the community. 

My interest in project management developed fairly recently after my involvement with Sacramento State’s international MBA program. As a recent graduate who has just begun to pivot towards this field and recognize how intertwined project management is with all fields, I look forward to contributing and making a positive mark on the local community, applying grit, a passion for learning, and a proven record of adaptability and administrative coordination towards PMI SVC’s mission and vision.