About the ChapterMeet the MSP IIBA Board!
Chapter President - Bob Prentiss (click here to contact me!)
I have been with the Minneapolis St. Paul Chapter of the IIBA since its inception in May 2005. I served on the steering committee from May 2005 through December 2005. In January 2006, I became the treasurer. I said I would help out wherever I could because I seriously believe in this organization, its goals and objectives. So I guess the saying is be careful what you volunteer for; I quickly found out that being a Treasurer is a big responsibility. Midway through 2006 I assumed the duties of Co-VP of Education, sharing a dedicated passion working with the incomparable Stephanie Griffiths. Midway through 2007 I assumed duties as Interim President and now in 2008 I have taken on the challenge and responsibilities of Chapter President.
I have been a business analyst for over 12 years working on large corporate cross-functional initiatives and migration efforts. I am Business Analyst Certified through B2T training. In my day job, I am the process owner for the Business Analysis Center of Excellence at Express Scripts Inc. Through the BACoE, I mentor and coach BAs, provide formal training to employees on Business Analysis, development of BA Best Practices and BA core competencies.
In my spare time, I do lots of BACoE related industry things, I stay pretty busy with the chapter, attend local thought leadership groups, writing BA articles, industry presentations, serve on the Advisory Board for the BA Symposium to be held in Minneapolis in June 2008 and I am studying for my CBAP.
In my sparest time, I enjoy movies, the theater and great dining experiences!
Chapter Secretary: Cindy Weamer (click here to contact me!)
I have been a member of the IIBA since 2006 and a member of the Minneapolis- St Paul Board of Directors since August 2006. As the Board Secretary, I maintain the local chapter bylaws, maintain Board meeting minutes, record all motions, and manage written correspondence of the Board.
I hold a BS and an MBA from the Carlson School of Management. I have worked in the financial services industry for 18 years in management, marketing, operations and business analysis. I am currently employed with Allianz Life and have spent the last 7 years as a Sr Business Project Manager, working in product development and implementation.
I grew up in Western WI and had the opportunity to live in Toronto, Detroit and Grand Rapids, MI before moving back to the Twin City area. I now live in the Twin City area with my husband and our two cats.
Chapter Treasurer - Teresa Tweeton (click here to contact me!)
Teresa Tweeton is a senior consultant with Hollstadt & Associates. She has 15 years of experience in projects in Agriculture, Manufacturing, Public Sector and Financial Services. Coach, Mentor, Trainer, Business Analyst, Project Lead and Project Manager are some of the project roles she has played. She has a B.S. from North Dakota State University (NDSU), an M.S. of Software Engineering from the University of St. Thomas and is PMP certified.
Increasing the visibility of the profession of the Business Analyst has been a passion for Teresa. When asked about how to get more involved, Kevin Brennan from the International Board suggested running for a local chapter board position. Current President Elect Bob Prentiss was also influential in Teresa's decision to run for the Treasurer board position. Teresa spoke at the November 2005 Chapter meeting and has been the Chapter Treasurer since January 2007.
Chapter VP of Education - Stephanie Griffiths CBAP (click here to contact me!)
As a co-founder of the chapter in 2005, three colleagues in addition to myself, kicked off an initiative to create an environment where local business analysis professionals could develop themselves professionally, network with other practitioners, and become aware of a larger organization called the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) whose mission was to accomplish these very same things. Since 2005, I have served on the steering committee, interim board of directors, and currently on my second term as Vice-President of Education. I continue to serve in this capacity because I am passionate about the educational and certification needs of our local practitioners through producing programs that are accessible locally.
In my professional life, I work for a corporate law firm known as Faegre & Benson LLP where I am creating and managing a business analysis discipline that supports application services and strategic enterprise areas. My role is to provide BA services, establish BA processes/best practices, coach, and develop business analyst professionals. This is a new company for me but not a new role. I previously worked for Wells Fargo-RCIS after almost two years where I managed a business analysis team with similar responsibilities. My roots in practicing business analysis started at Guidant Corp. (now known as Boston Scientific) where I had opportunity to practice business analysis and quality assurance on a wide variety of projects.
My educational background includes a BS in Business Administration, MS in Computer Information Systems, BA Associate/BA Certified designation from B2T Training, and the CBAP™ designation from the IIBA.
Some of our chapter’s accomplishments in the last couple of years have been many great speakers from our local and national BA communities bringing us industry accepted practices and overviews of where our industry may be headed in the future. Chapter coordinated study groups have also been a great way for individuals to learn from each other and prepare for the IIBA CBAP exam by reviewing and discussing the IIBA Body of Knowledge. I look forward to my continued leadership as VP of Education continuing to provide educational opportunities for our local community.
Chapter VP Membership Services - Jen Swearingen (click here to contact me!)
I have been with the Chapter since 2005. I was nominated to the VP of Membership Services role in November of 2006 and have worked to streamline the meeting check-in process and establish the roles and responsibilities for Membership Services.
I attended college at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and La Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara in Mexico. I graduated in 1998 with a BA in Biology and Spanish. I work in the Healthcare industry for a Pharmaceutical Benefit Management Company, Express Scripts, Inc. I started in 1996 as a bi-lingual customer service associate and then moved into the Claim Operations Department where my primary responsibility was claim research. During that time I also provided business requirements to my IT partners and acted as a subject matter expert for claims related projects. I am currently a Senior Business Analyst in IT where I have worked on varied projects from Medicare Part D to Consumer Directed Healthcare. Aside from project responsibilities, I am working with the Business Analyst Team to create BA best practices for the organization and pursuing my Business Analysis Certification through B2T training.
Chapter VP Communication - TBD (click here to contact me!)
This is currently being filled on an interim basis by Heather Miner.
Chapter VP Marketing - Dean J. Larson CBAP (click here to contact me!)
I have been a member of the IIBA since May 2006 and received my CBAP in July 2007. As a business analysis consultant with SafeNet Consulting, I have experience in the financial services, legal, and energy utility industries. My projects have included the deployment of an enterprise BPM application, the development of new business process architectures, and the deployment of smart grid energy technologies. In addition to working with my clients, I also assist with the recruiting and development of new business analysts at SafeNet. I have an MBA from the University of St. Thomas and a BA from the University of Minnesota - Morris. I live in Maple Grove, MN with my wife and two children.
Chapter VP Event Planning/Management - Paula Docken (click here to contact me!)
I have been with the Minneapolis St Paul Chapter of the IIBA since May 2005. I worked with the Steering Committee from May 2005 through December 2005. In January 2006-December 2007 I served as Co VP of Communications and Marketing. As of January 2008 I am currently working as the VP of Event Management.
As the VP of Event Management I coordinate the meeting locations and logistics of the General Meetings. I also work with our Chapter Sponsors to coordinate special events.
I have assisted in bringing the BA Symposium to the Twin Cities area in July 2007 and currently am working with the Advisory Board for the BA Symposium to be held in Minneapolis in June 2008.
I have in the IT industry for 15 years and I have been a Business Analyst for 5 years. I am currently a Business Analyst for Nash Finch Company in Edina, MN.
In my spare time I enjoy volunteering and spending time with my family.