PMIWDC President’s 2025 Year-End Message

As we close out an extraordinary year, I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the entire PMI Washington, DC community. Serving as your President & Chair in my first year has been both an honor and an energizing experience. Every day, I am inspired by the dedication, generosity, and leadership that define our chapter.

To our Board of Directors, I say thank you. Your commitment to leading our functional areas, investing your time, energy, and expertise, and championing our chapter’s mission has been nothing short of remarkable. PMIWDC’s success is powered by leadership that shows up with purpose, serves with heart, and consistently delivers excellence. I am deeply grateful for the partnership, collaboration, and strategic guidance you provide.

PMIWDC remains a volunteer-led and volunteer-centric organization. Everything we accomplished in 2025 is a direct reflection of the passion and service of our volunteers across the chapter. From event coordination to program delivery, from communications to member experience, your work strengthens our project community every day, and we remain committed to investing in your growth and in the future of our profession. 

This year, our Local Communities continued to shine as an extension of PMIWDC’s mission, activating engagement and delivering value to members across the region. Your commitment to creating local, accessible, high-impact programming has amplified our reach and enriched our chapter in meaningful ways. Thank you for representing PMIWDC with such professionalism and pride.

Guided by my leadership pillars, Engage, Empower, Educate, 2025 was a year of momentum and meaningful progress.

We strengthened engagement through new networking experiences, expanded event participation, and two new Communities of Practice that brought fresh opportunities for learning and connection.

We empowered our members and volunteers by elevating leadership pathways, expanding support channels, and creating more spaces for innovation and collaboration.

We educated our project community through workshops, programs, and a highly successful 2025 Annual Conference, where we welcomed more than 350 attendees for impactful learning and professional development.

This year also marked exciting university collaborations. Through our partnerships with several institutions, we strengthened our commitment to building and inspiring the next generation of project managers. We also hosted a NextGen Summit for high school students to expose them to project management and empower them as they truly are our future. Investing in emerging talent is at the heart of our mission, and I am proud of the groundwork we are laying for the future.

Looking Ahead: Strategic Growth & Transformation in 2026

As we prepare for the new year, two priorities will guide our work:

Strategic Growth and Transformation.

In 2026, we will focus on:

• Expanding our engagement and partnerships across multiple industries
• Elevating career development and leadership programming
• Enhancing the member experience through modernized processes and strategic innovation
• Strengthening our digital presence to match the scale and impact of our chapter
• Supporting our Local Communities and continuing university partnerships that build the talent pipeline of tomorrow, and strengthening our social impact.

We are ready to step into 2026 with a clear vision and a renewed commitment to serving our members at every stage of their professional journey.

Mark Your Calendars: PMIWDC 2026 Annual Conference

I’m excited to share that the PMIWDC 2026 Annual Conference will take place:

October 2–3, 2026 | J.W. Marriott, Washington, DC

You do not want to miss it. Mark your calendars now, and stay tuned for more events throughout the year that will continue to bring our community together.

As we enter the holiday season, I hope each of you finds time to rest, recharge, and reflect. Thank you for making 2025 an unforgettable year for PMIWDC. I am incredibly proud of what we accomplished together and excited for the growth, impact, and transformation ahead.

Wishing you a joyful holiday season and an inspiring start to 2026.

With appreciation and gratitude,

Tareka Wheeler, PMP

President, Chair

PMI Washington D.C.