# PMI Memphis — Professional Development Day 2026 (PDD26)

> Project Leadership Beyond AI: The Human Advantage. The PMI Memphis Chapter's annual full-day professional development conference for project managers and PMO leaders across the Mid-South.

## Event
- **Name:** Professional Development Day 2026 (PDD26)
- **Theme:** Project Leadership Beyond AI — The Human Advantage
- **Date:** September 11, 2026, 7:00 AM – 4:30 PM (Central Time)
- **Venue:** FedEx Institute of Technology, 365 Innovation Drive, Memphis, TN 38152
- **PDUs:** Earn 7 PDUs toward your PMI credential
- **Host:** PMI Memphis Chapter (Project Management Institute)
- **Website:** https://pdd26.pmimemphis.org

## Who it's for
Project managers, program and portfolio leaders, and PMO professionals across the Mid-South — exploring how to lead projects in the AI era and sharpen the human edge no algorithm can replicate.

## Registration
Register on the PMI Memphis event page: https://pmimemphis.starchapter.com/meetinginfo.php?id=401&ts=1780456970
One rate for everyone: $300 per seat, full-day registration. Registration closes when the room is full.

### Pricing
Every registration type costs the same $300:
- PMI Memphis members: $300
- Non-members: $300
- Students: $300
- Groups of five or more: $300 per seat, registered together as one booking on the same event page

You pick your registration type on the PMI Memphis event page; the rate is the same either way.

## Agenda (subject to change)
- 7:00 AM — Registration & networking breakfast
- 8:15 AM — Welcome & opening remarks
- 8:30 AM — Remembering September 11th — a tribute on the 25th anniversary
- 8:45 AM — Soft Skills: The Keys to Success in AI Environments — Anthony Reed, CPA, PMP (Keynote · 1 PDU)
- 9:50 AM — Leading in the Age of AI — Mei Lin (1 PDU)
- 10:55 AM — Crisis Compass: Communicating When It Matters Most — Michele Ehrhart (1 PDU)
- 11:50 AM — AI in Project Management — Wendy Harris (1 PDU)
- 12:30 PM — Lunch & networking
- 1:20 PM — How to Track Your PDUs & CEUs
- 1:30 PM — A Legacy of Leadership & Service — Cato Johnson (Keynote · 1 PDU)
- 2:25 PM — Project Management Certification Success Series — Tamara H. Brown & Britney Thornton (1 PDU) — a launch event celebrating graduates who passed the CAPM®, PMP® and PMI-CP™ exams through Duvoll Education's prep workshops, and a first-of-its-kind initiative bringing PMI certification training to Shelby County District 10. Powered by Duvoll Education, PMI Memphis's Authorized Training Partner.
- 3:30 PM — What's Your Default? That Default Defines the Leader You Are — Jana Cardona (1 PDU)
- 4:25 PM — Closing remarks

## Speakers
Eight speakers are confirmed for PDD26.

- **Anthony Reed, CPA, PMP** — opening keynote. Fortune 500 technology executive, author and award-winning documentary director. Session: "Soft Skills: The Keys to Success in AI Environments" — why interpersonal skills (negotiating, accepting criticism, storytelling, transfer of learning) are the true differentiators between successful and failed projects, even as AI enters the toolbox.
- **Mei Lin** — AI & digital strategy leader, author of "AI Project Power". Session: "Leading in the Age of AI" — how AI is reshaping project delivery, and why the human leader's judgment, empathy and communication remain the deciding factor.
- **Michele Ehrhart** — SVP & Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, University of Memphis; best-selling author of Crisis Compass. Session: "Crisis Compass: Communicating When It Matters Most" — three decades of high-stakes communications, from FedEx global crisis response to university brand leadership.
- **Wendy Harris, PMP, CSM** — Chief Information Officer, Allworld Project Management; previously IT Director for the City of Memphis, where she led the city's technology operations after directing its IT Project Management Office. Session: "AI in Project Management" — a CIO's view from more than two decades of public- and private-sector delivery.
- **Cato Johnson** — afternoon keynote. Executive VP of Strategic Partnerships, YMCA of Memphis & the Mid-South. Session: "A Legacy of Leadership & Service" — a Memphis civic and healthcare leadership perspective on trust, influence and community impact.
- **Jana Cardona** — certified personal & professional development coach (ICF) and author. Session: "What's Your Default? That Default Defines the Leader You Are" — the automatic question every leader asks when a project goes off the rails, and the culture-first mindset behind teams that deliver.
- **Tamara H. Brown, PMP, PMI-CP, CSM, CAL** — session host. Program Director, Duvoll Education; Immediate Past President, PMI Memphis; PMI-CP Global Construction Ambassador. Session: "Project Management Certification Success Series" — one of Memphis's most respected voices in project management education and community leadership, she leads Duvoll Education, the region's Authorized Training Partner (ATP) certification program, in partnership with the chapter.
- **Britney Thornton, LMSW** — special guest. Former Shelby County Commissioner, District 10; sponsor of the Shelby County Workforce Development Grant for PMI Certification Training. Session: "Project Management Certification Success Series" — she served District 10 through August 2026, securing a legacy investment in community workforce development; her sponsorship funded the District 10 PMI Certification Prep initiative, and she joins the session to introduce and formally launch it.

## Sponsorship
Put your brand in front of 300+ project leaders and decision-makers from across the Mid-South (TN, MS & AR) for a full day of face-time — visibility, lead generation, and on-stage presence, shaped around your goals. Request sponsorship info at https://pmimemphis.org/sponsor.

## FAQ
- **How do I register?** Use the Register for PDD26 button in the pricing section — you'll be taken to the PMI Memphis event page. You pick your registration type there; the rate is $300 either way. Registering five or more? Book them together as one registration.
- **What's included with my ticket?** Full-day access to keynotes and expert sessions, lunch, networking, and 7 PDUs toward your PMI credential.
- **How many PDUs will I earn?** 7 PDUs toward your credential across the full day.
- **Do you offer group or corporate rates?** Register five or more together as one booking on the PMI Memphis event page. Every seat is $300 — the same rate whether you register as a group or as individuals under your organization.
- **Is there a student rate?** There is one rate for everyone this year — $300 per seat. Pick the student registration type on the PMI Memphis event page.
- **When does early-bird pricing end?** Early-bird pricing ended August 11, and the standard-rate window has closed since. Every ticket is now $300.
- **Where is PDD26 held?** The FedEx Institute of Technology, 365 Innovation Drive, Memphis, TN 38152, on the University of Memphis campus.
- **Is parking available?** Yes — parking is included for the entire event at no extra cost.
- **Can I volunteer or speak?** Yes — volunteer and speaker passes are available. Reach out and we'll point you to the right form.

## Contact
PMI Memphis Chapter — info@pmimemphis.org — https://www.pmimemphis.org