APMP Pacific Northwest

August 4, 2009 -- In September of 2008, there was no chapter that focused on the Pacific Northwest. So, in
October, Lee Hendrickson (FLIR Systems) queried APMP Headquarters and got a list of people who lived in Oregon and Washington. A blanket email went out to the list and the responses clearly indicated that a Pacific Northwest Chapter was needed.

On February 7, 2009, eight people gathered in Olympia – with two more checking in by telephone – and they all began planning the new chapter. Present at the meeting were Lisa Duplessie and Kelly Barnard of Regence, Ed Feeley (HEITTE Associates), Vicki Griesinger (then with BD-Institute International), Thomas Bonin (RFx Consulting), Alice Snyder (Consultant), Mary Langen (GE Healthcare), and Lee Hendrickson. Attending by telephone were Karleen Brown (Verizon Business) and Kim Swentik (MSE Technology Applications). The telephone connection was poor, but the enthusiasm was palpable!

Discussion topics ranged from Chapter goals and meeting topics to meeting times and locations. In addition, a draft Chapter Charter was circulated and critiqued. Based on that discussion, the draft was revised and the results ultimately presented to the APMP Board of Directors for their consideration.

We heard through the grapevine that the Board read through the petition, pronounced our request a “no-brainer,” and gave us a thumbs-up to begin operating as a Chapter. That was March 19, 2009. We were pleasantly surprised by what happened next: several people in Alaska affiliated with the Chapter! Clearly, this was going to be a “virtual chapter.”

Less than one month after approval of our petition, we had our first meeting on April 14 with 24 out of 29 affiliated members, nine of whom were in Alaska. We were off and running!

Our first meeting used the GoToMeeting web-based meeting service so that our presenter, Lisa Payne of XRSolutions, could give her presentation from New Hampshire. Alaska participants got together in one location and participated from there; several of us met in the Portland area to do likewise; and the rest checked in from all over Oregon and Washington.

The first meeting gave prospective officers a chance to talk to the group. We subsequently elected our first slate of officers using more web technology (Survey Monkey) and the results were announced by email two days later.
The first officers — Lee Hendrickson, Chair; Delight Rose, Vice Chair; Thomas Bonin, Treasurer; Ed Feeley, Treasurer; Vicki Griesinger, Strategic Initiatives; Kelly Barnard, Membership; Jeff White, Webmaster; and Karleen Brown, Publications — began monthly meetings to provide firm up the

organizational structure and prepare a draft set of bylaws for membership ratification at the September meeting.
By July, we had 41 members, including two from California, one from Hawaii, and one from Vancouver, BC. We knew this chapter would grow over time, but we had no idea it would grow so quickly. As we progress through the remainder of the year, we will work hard to provide for the needs of the current members and encourage others to join.

Of course, this is just the beginning. As we progress, we will add to this historical document so that it provides a running account of the Chapter history.