This Thursday September 8th sees the first meeting of the Seattle Chapter of the Agile Project Leadership Network at Microsoft's Redmond campus, building 25 from 5.30pm. If you want to attend contact Mitch Lacey, email to mitchl at microsoft.com.

I'm really excited about the APLN. I haven't blogged about the founding board meeting which took place in Denver after the Agile conference in July. I was waiting until we could announce the formal association and its not for profit incorporation. However, the lawyers are still working on that. More when it happens.

Meantime, I am really happy with the way the APLN is forming. There is a strong consensus amongst the founders and board members that this new organization is primarily a network of its members - a professional craft guild for agile project managers everywhere. There is a consensus that it is there to serve its members and as such the government from the core will be small and the governance light. The organization isn't in the business of competing against its members but rather encouraging the spread of agile project leadership craft. If you are interested not just in agile and lean techniques for project management but in a new kind of professional organization for project managers then I'd encourage you to join. If you get in now, you can start a local chapter and start influencing the direction of the organization and pushing the state of the art in agile project management.

The building of a network is core to the concept of the APLN and three local chapters have already formed - in Dallas, Texas, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Redmond/Seattle, Washington. If you are interested in forming a local chapter, I'm heading up the networking program for the APLN, so mail me - dja at agilemanagement.net. If you live in one of the 3 metro areas mentioned then follow the link and contact your local APLN chapter representative. Let's build a great new professional body together.