Real experience.
Practical learning.

Beth Ouellette, PMI Fellow and CEO of The Ouellette Group, works with global teams to implement value-added Disciplined-Agile approach to Portfolio, Program and Project Management best practices. Her unique blend of business management and technology skills has successfully enabled executive teams with organizational strategy, alignment of programs to that strategy, and outlining processes to best implement those strategies. Whether the methodology is traditional, agile or hybrid, the best approach and practices which fit the organizational needs will be discovered, outlined, and implemented with Beth’s guidance and a Disciplined Agile Way of Working. She has experience in partnering with senior executives across the globe, she has hands-on experience in the following industries: Banking, Finance, Insurance, Retail, Utility, Telecom, Manufacturing, small business, Academia, US Government Agencies, and the entertainment/luxury industry.

Her presentations and writings are global and varied. She presented since 2009 at PMI’s Leadership Institute Meeting, PMI National Congress, PMI Chapter Events (Poland, France, Sweeden, Canada, Peru, and more) multiple Project Zone conferences, Program Management Forum, PMINJ Seminar@Sea, Delivering Project Excellence, CIO Forum, Enterprise Application Strategy Conference, IT World Congress, Women in Technology, and Women in Computing. She has been published in Brazil, Canada, India and USA.

Beth is an active PMI Global volunteer; with PMI since 2006 she contributes to the PM Community globally. She received the prestigious PMI Fellow in October 2018. She also received the “Component Leadership” of the Year Award in 2010 for work with the PMINYC chapter and the “Distinguished Contributor Award of the Year” in 2009 for the Content Integration Analyst work on the PMI Standards Teams. She has served on the DAMA NYC Board of Directors in varying capacities since 1999.

She is an adjunct professor at the CUNY Graduate Program and School of Professional Studies where she provided the content and partnered in the initiative to create a Project Management Certificate Program. She led the creation of this multi-course program which was approved by the NY State DoE in 2008 and is an ongoing program for the CUNY SPS and Graduate Center Programs since then.

Beth holds a Finance MBA from NYU’s Stern School, a BA in Education from Eastern Michigan University, and an AA in Computer Programming from Greenville Technical College. Her professional certifications include: PMO. PGMP, PBA, CDA, DALSM, CDAI, CDAC. She’s the 36th person to achieve the Disciplined Agile Coach DAC) designation and the only DAC and PMI Fellow in the world.

Joe D. Launi, PMP has over 30 years of experience and has worked tirelessly to develop a solid reputation for delivering successful projects and improving project management competency. Mr. Launi is a proven project management executive with progressive experience encompassing project management office (PMO) leadership; development and management of PMO policies, best practices and methodologies; development and presentation of project management training; implementation of project management software solutions; information technology project and program oversight; research and development into motivation and morale building programs; and profit and loss management of various consulting practice areas. Mr. Launi has published numerous works in areas such as software implementation, project planning and team motivation and morale building.

Alan Zucker has over 25-years of experience managing projects and project organizations in Fortune 100 companies. He has managed major, multimillion-dollar strategic initiatives and led PMO organizations with over 150 project professionals. He has practiced Agile project management for over 20-years and played a leadership role in an enterprise Agile and DevOps transformation. Mr. Zucker is a college instructor, a keynote speaker, publishes regular articles on project management and leadership, and has appeared as a podcast guest.

Luisa Villegas is a Project Management Instructor and Consultant with over 25 years of experience leading complex projects across more than 30 countries. She specializes in delivering high-impact training programs that blend real-world application with globally recognized standards, including PMP®, Agile, and hybrid project management approaches.

A PMP®-certified professional, Disciplined Agile Scrum Master (DASM), and Scrum Fundamentals Certified (SFC), Luisa brings a well-rounded perspective that bridges predictive and Agile methodologies. She is also a PMI accredited instructor who has designed and delivered training for corporate, government, military, and nonprofit organizations worldwide. Her expertise spans project leadership, stakeholder engagement, risk management, and compliance-driven environments, particularly in international development and large-scale transformation initiatives.

In addition to her work in project management, Luisa has a strong background in instructional design and digital learning. She integrates practical frameworks with engaging, learner-centered methodologies, helping professionals not only pass certification exams but also apply project management principles effectively in their day-to-day work.

Luisa is also actively exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence and project management, incorporating emerging tools and strategies to enhance project outcomes and future-ready skills.

Consistently highly rated by her students, she is committed to helping learners build confidence and deliver results in any project environment.

Susan Parente is an Associate Professor at Post University, in Waterbury, CT and a Sr. Instructor in project management and agile principles. She is an author, mentor and teacher focused on risk management, traditional and agile project management. Her experience is augmented by her Masters in Engineering Management with a focus in Marketing of Technology from George Washington University, DC, along with a number of professional certifications. Ms. Parente has 20+ years’ experience leading software and business development projects in the private and public sectors, including a decade of experience implementing IT projects for the DoD.

Dr. Cherlyn H. Conner spent a significant portion of her professional career as a project, program, and portfolio manager with FedEx Corporation. She brings multiple years of leadership experience in project, portfolio, and program management, focusing on enterprise-level integration and strategic marketing initiatives. Dr. Conner has documented expertise in leading and managing global resources to deliver strategies that drive organizational growth and sustainability. Furthermore, she has over 12 years of experience teaching business-related courses in both undergraduate and graduate programs across online and on-ground modalities.

A native of Memphis, Dr. Conner earned her bachelor’s degree from Christian Brothers University and her master’s degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. She received her doctorate in business administration from the University of Phoenix, School of Doctoral Studies, through a hybrid online and on-ground residency program. As part of her degree requirements, her research utilized a Delphi study to focus on recommending project management best practices for universal applicability in project-based organizations (PBOs), regardless of the industry.

In addition to her extensive academic and professional background, Dr. Conner holds several notable certifications. She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), a Project Management Institute (PMI) Senior Construction Professional (PMI-CP), and an industry-recognized Quality Demand Management (QDM) Expert. She also previously served as a board director for the Memphis chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMI), holding the position of VP of Professional Development.

Larissa Ormsby Hanpeter is a strategic Human Resources and Project Management executive with more than 20 years of experience leading workforce transformation, organizational development, and enterprise-wide initiatives across nonprofit, association, government contracting, and global corporate environments. A certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and senior HR leader, she is recognized for delivering measurable business results through talent strategy, leadership development, process improvement, change management, and large-scale systems implementations.

Currently serving as Director of Professional Development and Human Resources Administrative Services for Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington, Larissa leads organization-wide employee development, leadership training, onboarding, compliance, and engagement initiatives. Throughout her career, she has built high-performing teams, strengthened organizational cultures, and developed innovative learning programs that improve employee retention, engagement, and operational effectiveness.

Larissa's project management expertise is demonstrated through her leadership of complex, multi-million-dollar HR and operational transformation initiatives. She has successfully directed enterprise HRIS implementations, learning management system deployments, compensation redesign projects, benefits integrations, ISO certification efforts, pay equity initiatives, and global job architecture transformations. Her ability to align stakeholders, manage risk, drive adoption, and deliver sustainable change has consistently improved efficiency, compliance, and employee outcomes.

A trusted advisor to executive leadership teams and boards, Larissa combines strategic vision with a collaborative leadership style that empowers employees and fosters organizational growth. She serves on the Human Resources Leadership Forum Board and holds multiple industry-leading credentials, including SPHR, SHRM-SCP, CCP, and PMP certifications. She is also a qualified instructor for PMP curriculum and remains committed to advancing the HR profession through continuous learning, innovation, and leadership development.