ELECTION 2004 - SPECIAL EDITION
Table of Contents
Message
from the President 1
The
Candidates. 1
Editorial
Message from the President – Terri Cheeseman
Because this
issue of the PMI OVOC Newsletter is being dedicated to coverage of our election
of the 2004 Board of Directors, I will be very brief.
In the past,
there has been some difficulty in achieving quorum for our elections. This was
very disappointing, since quorum is a mere 5% of membership. This represents 72
members at our current membership level of about 1425. Since we have moved from
voting in person at the Annual Business Meeting to casting votes via mail, fax
or electronic means in the past two years, the percentage of members who vote
has increased to just over 10%. This is still a very disappointing turnout.
The nominating
committee expends significant effort to select the best-qualified and
interested candidates to direct the operations of the Chapter on your behalf.
You can reward this effort and contribute to the future direction of the
Chapter by taking the few minutes necessary to review the candidate profiles
and cast your vote for the individuals you believe will best represent your
needs.
A large number of
volunteers, including the Board of Directors and the many committees they
direct, commit many hours each year to bring you programs that will increase
the value of your PMI membership. Casting your vote for the candidate of your
choice will show these volunteers that you appreciate and value their efforts.
This is your
opportunity to influence the direction of the chapter. Ensure that your voice
is heard, exercise your right as a member and VOTE!
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Election
2004
The Candidates (Click
on a name to view candidate profile)
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The
Officers
Presidential Candidates
Terri
Cheeseman PMP (Incumbent)
Profile
Terri is a graduate of
Queen’s University and a Professional Engineer with a varied background in
product and project management in the telecommunications industry. Terri has
gained many years of experience managing a variety of projects including
automated systems, videoconferencing facilities, and new product/service
development during her career with Bell Canada and Stentor. She has also been teaching courses in the Algonquin
College Project Management Certificate program since fall 1998. Since becoming
a member of PMI OVOC in February 1994, Terri’s PMI activities include:
·
Received
PMP certification in February 1998.
·
Attended PMI Annual Seminars & Symposiums in ‘97, ’98, ’99 and
2001.
- Served as Secretary on Board of Directors of
the PMI Ottawa Valley Outaouais Chapter in 1998, 1999 and 2000 and
President in 2001, 2002 and 2003.
- Served as financial manager for PMI OVOC PMP
Exam Preparation seminars in 1998 through 2002.
- Served as Board Sponsor for the PMI OVOC Spring
2000 Symposium and Seminars.
- Acted as Master of Ceremonies for the PMI OVOC
Spring 2000 Symposium.
- Attended PMI Component Leadership Conferences
in March and Fall 2001,2002 and 2003 and networked with other chapters and
PMI HQ to review best practices for potential application in PMI OVOC.
- Promoted PMI and OVOC in the Ottawa area
through presentations to various organizations and staffing the PMI booth
at related trade shows.
Terri’s
dedication and commitment to the project management profession has helped the
Chapter grow from 1084 members at the end of 2000 to over 1400 at the end of
August 2003. The core programs have been strengthened and new programs have
been added. If re-elected, Terri will continue to lead the Chapter towards the
achievement of its goals with respect to meeting member needs and adding value
to their continued membership.
I am
interested in serving on the Board of Directors in order to:
Help the Chapter to continue
to grow and introduce innovative new programs that will increase the value of
membership.
I am the most qualified to serve on the Board of Directors for the
following reasons:
- Proven track record of service to the Chapter and
PMI
- Desire and commitment to grow and enhance value
of Chapter membership
- Demonstrated leadership skills
- Years of
experience as a project management practitioner and trainer.
Other information that you would
like the chapter membership to know about you is:
- Retired from Bell Canada in 2001 with
over 28 years of service.
- Operate own PM Consulting and
Training company, JRC Associates Inc.
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Jim
Hessel PMP
Profile
Jim is a highly
qualified and dynamic senior project manger with DAMA Consulting of Ottawa. Jim
had a very successful career with the Canadian Air Force before retiring to
enter the challenging and demanding world of IM/IT Project Management. Jim, as the Project Manager of the Canadian
Air Forces Y2K program, led this highly important and successful
initiative. He followed this project by
playing a significant role in the development of the DND “Recruiting Report”,
recognized as one of the “best” reports in years. He is currently involved in the Canadian Forces Supply System
Upgrade (CFSSU). He led the development
and very successful implementation of the “Deployed CFSSU” application to the
Navy in February 2002.
Recognized as a
very effective, goal oriented PM he was selected to head the Distribution
Resource Planning (DRP) initiative, recognized as the most important key
business drivers for the management of the DND inventory. Jim continues to excel in his field and is
continues to strive for excellence. As
the Director of Public Relations & Promotions he is focused on improving
the image and importance of the PMI OVOC chapter. He has placed his name in the race for President of the local
chapter in hopes of moving the chapter into the 21st Century through
developing an aggressive program to make the chapter a recognized Project Management
source of information, an highly active membership, including continued
development of the PMP Certification program and developing a relationship with
the local organizations and companies involved project management.
I am
interested in serving on the Board of Directors in order to:
Help the Chapter to continue
to grow and introduce innovative new programs that will increase the value of
membership. I have been influential in developing the board as an effective
organization in the continuing the development of the local chapter as a leader
in the Project Management profession in the local area.
I am the most qualified to serve on the Board of Directors for the
following reasons:
I have served as the Director of Public Relation & Promotions for
two years and as the Director of Public Relations for the past year.
Other information that you would
like the chapter membership to know about you is:
I first achieved
my PMP Certification in 1999, when I was the Project Manager for the Canadian
Department of National Defence Air Force Y2K Program. In addition, to successfully delivering the Y2K Program, I have
been involved in the development of the highly publicized and recognized
Recruiting Report for the Department of National Defence. Following a successful stay with LGS Group
of Canada, I moved to developing my own consulting company establishing
Jadacorp INC in October 2000. At the
same time I took on the very challenging Deployed aspect of the Canadian Forces
Supply System Upgrade (CFSSU). This project
was successfully delivered in February 2002 and the final CFSSU was delivered
in December 2002. I have delivered
several seminar presentations from PMI Certification, Risk Management,
Meaningful Estimates and also Managing for Success. In addition I am on the PMI Awards MAG and an Associate with DAMA
Consulting.
I have been actively
involved in the development of the PMI OVOC/DND Project Management Seminar over
the past three years as the co-chair in the 2001, 2002 and 2003 Seminars, which
have resulted in significant growth in providing PDU’s and Project Management
information seminars to the Ottawa area.
In addition, two other initiatives, including an Executive Reception and
an Awards Program.
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David McCuaig PMP
Profile:
Head of a team of 45
Engineering, Environmental, and Project Management professionals responsible
for over $50M in annual volume of work in the areas of infrastructure,
environmental services, and decommissioning / environmental remediation
services. This includes PM support to deployed operations in Bosnia and
Afghanistan, as well as the DEW Line Clean Up Project, the largest
environmental remediation project in North America.
Prepare and deliver course
entitled “Conception de projet” (Project Design) in the Masters in Project
Management Program. Course focused on strategic alignment of projects to
corporate mission, logical framework methodology, project selection and identification
methods, problem resolution techniques, and feasibility studies.
As a member of Board of
Directors of a construction company, planned and successfully delivered major
real-estate development and construction projects in Eastern Quebec and the Northeast
US.
Fluently
bilingual with excellent oral and written communication skills in both French
and English.
I am
interested in serving on the Board of Directors in order to:
Contribute to the profession in a meaningful manner by enhancing
awareness of Project Management across multiple industries and helping to move
recognition of project management from an occupation to a true profession.
Being fluently bilingual, as President I intend to reach out to francophone
membership within our region and facilitate access to potential members from
the Quebec side in our region.
I am the most qualified to serve on the Board of Directors for the
following reasons:
I hope
to apply my leadership skills and senior management experience to guide PMI
OVOC in meeting its operational, tactical, and strategic goals during my
term. I believe that leadership
involves not only consensus building and issue management, but also ensuring
the organization develops, brings into focus, and implements a shared vision of
the future. My vision of PMI OVOC is one of inclusion, innovation, and enhanced
interaction between members and PMI as a whole.
Other information that you would
like the chapter membership to know about you is:
I have a Masters degree in Project Management in addition to 18 years of
pertinent experience as a practicing Project Manager. I have been active within the PMI Design-Construction-Procurement
SIG over the last few years and have been nominated to sit on its board. In
addition to this background, over the years I have been active as an educator
and a mentor in the profession. I have
taught Masters level Project Management courses at the Universite du Quebec in
Hull and at the Cite Collegiale in Ottawa.
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The
Officers
Treasurer Candidates
Larry Cunningham PMP
(Incumbent)
Profile
Larry Cunningham is
President of LCA Management Consulting Inc. and has been a member of PMI for
over 20 years and a PMP for 8 years. In 1997, Larry retired from Consulting and
Audit Canada (CAC), a Special Operating Agency of Public Works and Government
Services Canada (PWGSC). While at CAC he held positions of project manager,
director and executive consultant and he established the first Project
Management Consulting practice in CAC. As a director he managed a profit centre
and was responsible for its financial planning and performance.
I am
interested in serving on the Board of Directors in order to:
- continue to sell the benefits of project
management to individuals and organizations as I believe in the project
management profession and that it is essential to good management and the
success of most organizations.
- be part of a team that will guide the chapter,
of which I am very proud, as it continues to grow and evolve. I am
committed to the chapter and the Board and will allocate the time to
attend Board meetings and activities and to carry out the Treasurer’s
function.
·
serve
PMI, which has been so beneficial to my career, so it can continue to help
others.
I am the most qualified to serve on the Board of Directors for the
following reasons:
- I have served as Treasurer for 3 years and have
set up the Treasurer’s function so it meets all requirements and serves
the needs of the Board as well as the chapter. Although I am not an
accountant, I do have a financial management background (MBA and my many
years as director of consulting organizations, both cost and profit
centres.)
- I have served as an executive in many
government organizations and am proficient in the work of the board.
- I
enjoy working in teams and work well with other people.
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Robert Venczel PMP
Profile
• Over 10 years of work experience as a management
consultant, project manager, auditor and controller.
• Successfully managed various projects and operations’
budgets while working as a Senior Consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers and as
a Senior Manager with Emfisys (the I.T. division of the Bank of Montreal).
• Extensive teaching background both at university and
college level. In the fall of 2002 taught a very well received Project
Management course with O.C.C.S.B.
• For a period of two years (1999 – 2000) worked as a
volunteer Assistant Treasurer for I.S.A.C.A., Toronto Chapter providing support
to the Treasurer with the preparation of various schedules including the budget
and financial statements, insurance, taxes, and audit, and supervising
bookkeeping staff.
• Worked as a volunteer with various organizations such as
the Y.M.C.A. and The Centre for Advancement in Work and Living
• Obtained a CISA certification and became a member of the
Information Systems Audit and Control Association in 1999.
• Obtained an MBA in Finance and Strategic Management from
Schulich School of Business (York University) in 2002.
• Obtained a PMP certification and became a member of the
Project Management Institute and its local chapter in 2002.
I am interested in
serving on the Board of Directors in order to:
• Support the Chapter’s financial goals and objectives,
including prudent spending and adherence to budget.
• Develop and implement financial monitoring and reporting
processes and tools for the administration of the local PMI Chapter and its
programs.
• Give back to the community by sharing my experience with
new project managers.
• Network with and
learn from other professionals who may have more experience than myself and
share ideas with others of similar background and interests.
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The Board
Board of Directors Candidates
Alexandra Wilgosh PMP
Profile
- Alexandra
has been a member of PMI since 2000 and received her PMP in 2002. Prior to
writing her PMP exam, Alexandra completed her Certificate in Project
Management through Algonquin College in 2001.
- Currently,
she is a consultant for her own company, with a non-profit, NGO
association as a client. She is the project manager on three concurrent
projects for this tourism industry association.
- Previously,
she was Project/Program Manager in the high-tech sector for 3 years – her
responsibilities included influencing product groups to fast-track the
adoption and implementation of new technologies into existing COTS
products, new feature definition, development and release.
- She
was also was a Project Manager/Meeting Planner for a non-profit,
non-government association for 4 years and responsible for all aspects of
association management including project evaluation, risk analysis, fund
raising, budgeting, content development, volunteer coordination,
contracting, procurement and marketing and promotion.
- She has a Masters of Arts Degree in History from
Victoria University of Wellington, in Wellington, New Zealand and a
Bachelor of Arts degree from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario.
I am interested in serving
on the Board of Directors in order to:
- Continue
the strong tradition of lunchtime speakers and expand it to include new,
dynamic industries such as photonics, health care and biotechnologies.
- Get
students involved through closer liaison with the Algonquin College
Project Management Program and the Project Management Programs being run
at the University of Ottawa and the Université du Quebec à Hull.
- Promote
the PMP certification program to Algonquin College and the two
universities and encourage students to take the PMP Certification
Examination Preparation Seminar series, as a key part of their preparation
regimen.
§
Promote
the professional image of PMI-OVOC, by seeking out new partnerships with local
associations and emerging industries.
I am the most
qualified to serve on the Board of Directors for the following reasons:
- Having
volunteered with the local chapter for the last 2 years coordinating the
chapter’s involvement in the ProjectWorld Ottawa Conference, I have gained
valuable experience interacting with the Board and chapter membership.
- Through
my ongoing involvement with the ProjectWorld Ottawa event I have strived
to serve the membership by helping organize the programs. As the lead on
the ProjectWorld 2003 organizing committee, I prepared and got board
approval for the event’s business plan, planned the event through
volunteer membership involvement and delivered the event within budget.
- With
4+ years experience consulting for non-profit Associations, I understand
the need for associations to be fluid, dynamic and responsive to members
needs.
Other information that you would like the chapter
membership to know about you is:
- I
believe that the strength of the professional development program,
especially the luncheon series, plays a key role in the involvement of the
membership in PMI-OVOC. As a
member of the PMI-OVOC board, I would seek partnerships with
non-traditional project management groups, including associations and
emerging industries, to broaden the scope of our speaker base, to ensure
that the membership’s varied interests are served. I also believe that to
sustain the membership, it is important to promote PMI-OVOC to new sources
of members, especially students.
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Frank Townson PMP
Profile
- Have
served over 15 years in the property/realty/project management disciplines
at Industry Canada and Treasury Board and, currently, at DFAIT as
Director, Property Programs (portfolio strategy, realty analysis);
Director, Project Implementation (project management and delivery,
interior design); and (current position) Director, Prof’l & Tech’l
Services (architecture & engineering services, cost estimating,
scheduling, risk management, commissioning, informatics).
- Introduced
PMI methodology as the project delivery methodology of choice. Management “champion”. Arranged
training for staff. Adapted internal business processes and project
delivery system to incorporate PMI approach.
- Introduced ISO as management discipline to ensure
consistency and focus on stakeholder satisfaction. Documented all major project delivery
processes, procedures and work instruments, developed templates and
working tools, and trained staff. Achieved ISO certification (only
organizational unit in the Department to be accredited to ISO standard).
I am interested in serving
on the Board of Directors in order to:
Promote PMI, to encourage a disciplined and
consistent approach to project delivery, to help establish a “common language”
among project management practitioners, to contribute to advancing the
profession, and to introduce project management as a career choice to people.
I am the most
qualified to serve on the Board of Directors for the following reasons:
I am a proven and successful leader with
demonstrated leadership qualities; I communicate well; I am interested; and I
care.
Other information that you would like the chapter
membership to know about you is:
Received
Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal for Volunteer Community Service: 20 years with
Scouts Canada and 18 years with Little League Canada (am currently
Umpire-in-Chief).
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Gary Scherling PMP
Profile
Project Management professional with extensive
experience in a variety of challenging senior roles in Project Management, ITIL
implementation, Applications Development, Product Development, Information
Technology, Customer Support, Process Methodologies and Operations. Extensive experience in facilities
management and federal government outsourcing, and a broad background in data
centres, mainframe systems, WANS and LAN networks, production support and
helpdesks. Excellent analysis, training and project management skills.
Demonstrated ability to define and deliver
programs and projects on time and under budget, identify innovative solutions
to customer problems, manage all levels of staff and develop effective business
strategies. Consistently identified and
implemented process improvements and cost reductions, recovered and increased
customer satisfaction, and generated additional revenue opportunities. Worked with various Federal Government
organizations (DND, Revenue Canada; Agriculture; PWGSC; Veterans Affairs;
Fisheries and Oceans. Bank of Canada) and private organizations (Nortel, CMPA,
LGS, IBM/ISM).
I am interested in serving
on the Board of Directors in order to:
Improve the quality of services delivered to project
management professionals in the Ottawa area, while increasing the maturity of
the project management discipline.
I am the most
qualified to serve on the Board of Directors for the following reasons:
I will bring a wide range of public and
private experience in both business and project management to the board.
I
bring innovative thinking and creative solutions to all undertakings.
I have repeatedly demonstrated a
willingness to put the project or the company ahead of any personal gain.
My experience in process and operations
balanced by my strong ethics and need to invest time and money wisely.
I have previous experience
with the CIPS board as their program chair and would look to increase the
collaboration among various non-profit organizations within Ottawa.
Other information that you would like the chapter
membership to know about you is:
I am interested in getting more input from
our membership and more innovative ways (like conference calls) to have more
membership attend the various sessions.
I
have personal commitments (family) that keep me traveling, and would prefer
teleconferences to the reliance on email and face-to-face meetings. I understand this may limit my effectiveness
and hence my value to the board….
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Hervé Gagnon
Profile
I have enjoyed working in the
Information Technology field for over 20 years, and my professional development
has followed closely its evolution. I have progressively challenged myself by
shifting the focus of my work during the last 15 years from technical to
managerial assignments, focusing on Project Management. During that period, I
have obtained an MBA degree and a Certified Management Consultant (CMC)
accreditation.
I am fluent in both official languages.
I am interested in serving
on the Board of Directors in order to:
Facilitate the transfer of information that is
available from the Project Management Institute and its affiliations as well as
the Project Management community for the benefit of PMI-OVOC members.
I am the most
qualified to serve on the Board of Directors for the following reasons:
I grew up surrounded by the family business (in the
hospitality industry) and learned early in life that clients should be treated
as guests. Throughout my career I have
participated in many committees and interest groups, including a Director
position with the Uniforum Ottawa User’s Group in the mid 90s. I enjoy working
with people and I’m ready to contribute time and energy toward the well being
of PMI-OVOC.
Other information that you would like the chapter
membership to know about you is:
Project
Management is a discipline that has become an integral part of an organization.
I am committed to combine my technical and managerial expertise with the
Project Management framework to further my career development.
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Jovica Riznic
Profile
·
15+
yrs of project management experience
·
Volunteer
with PMI OVOC New Programs Committee under directorship of Roger Finn
·
Lead
Organizer for the 2003 Student Forum on Project Management, Ottawa
·
Founding
member and Secretary of PMI YUG Chapter
·
Teaching
courses at Project Management Certificate Program with Algonquin College
·
Published
2 books and more than 100 papers/ articles
I am interested in serving
on the Board of Directors in order to:
·
Contribute
to continuing growth and recognition of project management as profession
·
Help
the Local Chapter to better understand and serve local membership
·
Build
relationships with universities/ colleges and their students as new generation
of project managers.
I am the most
qualified to serve on the Board of Directors for the following reasons:
·
Extensive
experience on other non-profit boards including strategic planning, policy
setting, leadership development and organizational positioning
·
Leadership
capability in both corporate and volunteer setting as demonstrated by record of
team building
Other information that you would like the chapter
membership to know about you is:
·
Currently
I serve as a member of the Editorial Board for the Engineering Management
Journal, published by the American Society for Engineering Management.
·
I
am an active member in several
other professional societies including Professional Engineers of Ontario,
Canadian Nuclear Society, American Nuclear Society and American Society of
Mechanical Engineers.
·
Recently
received the College Award for 2003 from the Algonquin College in recognition
to contribution to the project management certificate program.
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Tiberiu Grigoriu PMP
Profile
Professional:
* Project Manager
* Software Development Manager
* Software and Web development experience
* Telecommunication Industry
* Business start-up experience
Membership:
* PMP, PMI
* Professional Engineer, Order des Ingenieurs du Quebec
Education:
* Master of Applied Science in Electrical Engineering, Concordia University,
Montreal
* Bachelor in Engineering, Polytechnic Institute Bucharest
* Bachelor of Arts concentration in Psychology, University of Ottawa
* Certificate in Mediation and Negotiation, Canadian International Institute of
Applied Negotiation, Ottawa
I am interested in serving
on the Board of Directors in order to:
Increase
the visibility and recognition of the PMI OVOC chapter as a local center of
excellence for project management standards and practices for government and
industry. There are three main initiatives that in my opinion will contribute
to the achievement of the objectives above:
- Consolidate
the information and related links available from PMI, government and
industry on the PMI OVOC website in a simple to follow format.
- Establish a forum to
facilitate the dialog between the local training companies and the
government and industry to identify the areas in project management that
require training and further development.
- Promote PMI OVOC centre
of excellence to government and key industry leaders.
I am the most
qualified to serve on the Board of Directors for the following reasons:
Broad experience
in project management and software development in private telecommunication
industry coupled with demonstrated leadership skills and proven track record to
identify market requirements and deliver according to the customers’
expectations. Extensive negotiation and mediation practice with multiple
parties and across diverse geographical sites in the scope large scale
projects.
Other information that you would like the chapter
membership to know about you is:
Started a new profitable photography business
specialized in wedding and travel photography with a unique product. Its marketing
strategy is built around an e-business solution, very novel for the wedding
photography business. Customers can view the products and services on-line and
order at their convenience 24/7. The marketing strategy focuses on quality,
flexibility and value. The customer feedback so far is very positive.
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William Bowen
Profile
Education:
·
Bachelor of Commerce Degree (Carleton
University).
·
Canadian Operational Research Society Diploma
·
Currently studying to write my PMP exam in
November 2003.
Work Experience:
I have served as a senior manager for ten years at
CompEngServ Ltd., a local information technology company. For eight of those years I managed ongoing
software IT maintenance projects for the Canadian Air Force. During this time I became familiar with a
large number of formal software information technology development standards
and methodologies. Along with my work
for the Canadian government, I have served on several international teams for
various foreign organizations such as USAID (Cairo,
Egypt), FDA, and U.S. Post Office.
Other Interests:
One of the most
enjoyable and fulfilling experiences that I have ever had was the four years
that I spent as an assistant Tae Kwon Do instructor for learning-challenged and
autistic children.
I am interested in serving
on the Board of Directors in order to:
My aim is to bring new energy and ideas to our PMI chapter which I hope
to utilize in the promotion of the PMBOK approach at the University and College
level; it is from here that we draw our next generation of managers, and
therefore it is critical that we introduce the principles of PMBOK to these
future managers at this early point and set for them the career goal of PMP
certification.
I am the most
qualified to serve on the Board of Directors for the following reasons:
I have been formally trained in management
concepts and approaches and have had real world management experience on both
the domestic and international scenes.
I have managed multiple structured and non-structured information
technology projects from conception through completion and have lived through,
and learned from, my share of disasters.
However, more important than the ideas,
experiences or formal qualifications that I bring to the board is my true
desire to take on a meaningful role within our local PMI community, to meet and
share ideas and thoughts with as many people as I can within my role as an OVOC
director, and ultimately contribute in a positive way to shaping the growing
PMI presence in the Ottawa area.
Other information that you would like the chapter
membership to know about you is:
One of my hopes in my potential role as a
board member is to try and make the board accessible to as many people as
possible, to encourage participation and input from both members and
non-members.
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