PMI Baltimore Chapter

The Project Management Institute Baltimore Chapter (PMIBC) is pleased to announce Elom Tuani as the 2011 recipient of the Bishop/Kloch Memorial Scholarship. Since 2003, this annual scholarship award provides funding to qualified students who wish to earn a degree in project management or a directly related field of study.

A second year graduate student at Morgan State University, Elom is pursuing a Master of Science degree in Project Management. In 2008, Elom earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Urban Planning from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana. It was his background in urban planning that inspired him to pursue a career in Project Management. We asked Elom to offer some insight regarding his affinity toward Project Management:

“I come from an urban planning background where most program and project decisions were based on intuition and the relative experience of the employees. This method resulted in huge costs and schedule over-runs, duplication of tasks, complex changes to initial requirements, unplanned risks and no measurable indicators for project performance. My initial insight into project management methodology was that of bewilderment. I had not been exposed to the daily organizational traits and procedures. By coordinating daily tasks and activities using project management tools and techniques, my projects could be delivered with optimal efficiency while fulfilling all of the principal objectives.”

When asked how Project management principles and techniques might help him reach his career goals, Elom added:

“These principles and techniques will enable me to be more responsible and honest in all my work engagements. Project management principles will also allow me to exercise fairness and respect for and with fellow project managers, the project team, my organization and society at large. Project management will help me to develop accurate project schedules, track resources, anticipate risks, deliver projects on time and keep projects within budget. It will also help me to develop team building skills, confidently develop project success criteria and methods, among many others. In the long term, it will assist me in becoming a more valuable contributor to my organization and enable me to successfully manage teams across organizational and global boundaries”.

Elom envisions himself progressing as a project manager with one of the United Nations’ sub‑organizations in Ghana. His five-year plan includes the following goals:

“Redefining my strategic and management skills and proving myself as a dependable project manager. I also desire to be referenced as a leading expert in project management while consulting in the areas of non-governmental organizational management and urban issues”.

Elom also added a nice compliment for PMIBC:

“PMIBC has provided me the opportunity to network with project managers who briefed me on the opportunities and challenges in project management. These network colleagues motivated me to pursue a PMI certification and I now have obtained a Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)”.

Elom is a member of the Project Management Association (PMA) at Morgan State University; his hobbies include soccer, reading, table tennis, attending seminars and conferences. He expects to graduate in May, 2012.

Congratulations Elom!