Meet Your 2025 Election Nominees

Christopher Urbanek brings a wealth of experience and a journey marked by resilience and reinvention to his candidacy for Chapter President of the PMI SW Ohio Board of Directors. After a 20-year career at Macy’s, Christopher faced the challenge of career transition, ultimately discovering the powerful impact of the PMI/PMP certification. This credential not only helped him secure a new role in an entirely different industry but also opened doors to new opportunities and professional growth. Currently, as the Director of ePMO at First Student Inc., Christopher applies his project management expertise to drive strategic initiatives and support a high-performing team. His dedication to project excellence and his firsthand experience with the transformative power of PMI certification uniquely position him to lead and inspire others.

Statement of Purpose: Christopher’s personal journey through career transition has fueled his commitment to serving as Chapter President. Having experienced the pivotal role PMI certification played in his own career success, he is deeply motivated to help others harness the same opportunities. He aims to strengthen the PMI SW Ohio Chapter’s resources, community support, and mentorship programs, creating an inclusive environment where both new and experienced professionals can thrive. As President, Christopher’s vision is to foster a chapter that empowers members to reach their career aspirations, leveraging project management as a pathway to resilience, adaptability, and success.

Megan Schario is interested in the president-elect position to continue to grow her Project Management Experience and give back to the community. Megan has strong previous experience with Board of Director positions at other local Cincinnati non-profit organizations. She has become a well-known national subject matter expert in Health Care patient experience implementations and analytics. She is transitioning to a lead enterprise project management position with Mercy Health.

Stefan Urbanek is our candidate for VP of Administration. He has a fresh perspective on project management and he combines innovative principles with a passion for connecting and empowering people. He has contributed to Chapter’s Marketing and web designs, and promotion of Summit 2024. Stefan holds the CAPM certification. He is committed to fostering a deep understanding of PMI principles, ensuring smooth and efficient operations, and identifying unique opportunities for chapter growth.  He has local Cincinnati Roots with a servant leadership style. He is looking forward to advancing the chapter's mission and enhancing its impact on the project management community.

Pawan Kumar currently manages a global PMO for Celanese in multiple areas including Pharma, Productivity, and Capacity Utilization at enterprise level. His team manages from agile projects supporting automation/digitization to complex manufacturing, product development and pharma related projects. Pawan has also served as the PMI Southwest Ohio Chapter's VP of Professional Development and acting VP of Finance.

Mike Lively is a seasoned technology innovator, author, and speaker, as well as the founder of QuantumAI. With deep expertise in AI, multi-cloud architecture, and DevOps, he has led numerous projects that have significantly advanced AI efficiency and cloud adoption across various industries. Actively involved in AI research and hackathons, Mike has gained global recognition by winning multiple competitions. He holds multiple degrees and is currently pursuing a PhD in AI at the University of Kentucky. Mike also runs a large multi-cloud meetup and conducts seminars on AI and cloud technologies on LinkedIn. Additionally, he serves as an instructor for Microsoft and Global Knowledge and holds the PMI-ACP certification.