PMI founder charts winning course

A.J. Collier first became a member of the non-profit Project Management Institute when he joined the Los Angeles chapter in 1972.

A.J. Collier estimates he’s cruised to Cozumel, Mexico, at least 20 times. The trip to the island off the eastern coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula never gets old to the Clear Lake resident.

“There’s always something different to do,” says Collier.

It helps that an average 150 people also leave the Port of Galveston with Collier for a four-day cruise with the same thing on everyone’s mind.

Collier is the founder of the 350-member Project Management Institute Clear Lake-Galveston Chapter, a nonprofit professional organization that promotes and shapes the best practices for the project management profession. PMI has more than half a million members and credential holders in 185 countries.

PMI’s range of services includes development of standards, hosting conferences and training seminars, and maintaining multiple credentials in project management.

Collier joined the Los Angeles chapter in 1972 and has been joined at the hip with PMI ever since. He founded the Clear Lake-Galveston chapter in January 2000 with an initial 25 members as a spin-off from the PMI Houston Chapter.

“We still have a handful of those 25 still active in the chapter,” says Collier.

The Clear Lake-Galveston chapter has earned some bragging rights through the years.

At the 2003 PMI Global Congress, the Clear Lake-Galveston chapter won awards for best membership growth and best professional development/education among 146 Category 1, meaning the award was among PMI chapters with 25 to 299 members.

At the 2006 PMI Global Congress, the Clear Lake-Galveston chapter won the component of the year award for category 1, which was bestowed for its dedication and contributions to the project management profession.

Collier says PMI has enriched both his professional and personal life. It’s one of the reasons he looks forward every year to the four-day cruise to Cozumel. The trip is a blend of professional growth and an enjoyable time with people who’ve become friends through the years.

“I’m a people person. I was born and raised in New York and now live in Southeast Texas,” says Collier. “I love being with people and seeing if I can do something. Every person I’ve met has taught me something. Getting into PMI is a great networking and communication place, and I’ve learned a great deal today for being a member of PMI.”

ABOUT A.J. COLLIER
AGE: 67
OCCUPATION: Business development consultant and volunteer founder of the Project Management Institute, Clear Lake-Galveston Chapter
CONNECTION: Clear Lake resident
FAST FACT: Collier can’t get enough of playing the Golden Tee Golf videogame

Paul R. Kopenkoskey is a freelance writer. He can be reached at neighborhood@chron.com.