33 Years of Volunteer Impact

Debbie O'Bray is currently the Vice Chair of the Victoria Lifeline Board of Directors and Director of the Victoria Hospital Foundation, as well as a Past Chair of Food Banks Canada. Based in Winnipeg, Canada, she is a longtime PMI Volunteer, and a recipient of the PMI Fellow Award (2009). Recently, Debbie was awarded the PMI Lifetime Volunteer Service Milestone, recognizing her over 30 years of volunteer service with PMI.

  Career Development  

It was anything but a typical day in October 1969, when five visionaries formally established the Project Management Institute. On that same day, a shy elementary student on the Canadian prairies went about her business, completely unaware of this new organization and how it would impact the trajectory of her life.

I attended my first PMI conference in 1992, as a young professional working in the telecom industry. PMI’s membership had grown by then, and PMI was on a journey to further elevate its offerings as a professional organization. I set off to the conference with youthful enthusiasm and modest expectations.

Armed with a list of people to meet, I dutifully sought them out, attended their presentations, and quizzed them on the issues that my organization was grappling with. I found the experience exhilarating and inspiring. I enjoyed the subject matter, discussing the concepts with thought leaders, and the camaraderie and sense of community that was evident in this tight-knit group.

I returned from the conference with the excitement of a 6-year-old who had just gotten their first puppy. I was invited to join the PMI Standards Committee – the team that was producing the first edition of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide). My leader at work was thrilled that my growing passion for project management aligned with a …

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