Kim Heldman, MBA, PMP^®, is the CIO for the Regional Transportation District in Denver, Colorado. Kim directs IT resource planning, budgeting, project prioritization, and strategic and tactical planning. She directs and oversees IT design and development, enterprise resource planning systems, IT infrastructure, application development, cybersecurity, the IT program management office, intelligent transportation systems, and data center operations.

Kim oversees the IT portfolio of projects ranging from those that are small in scope and budget to multimillion dollar, multiyear projects. She has over 25 years of experience in information technology project management. Kim has served in a senior leadership role for over 18 years and is regarded as a strategic visionary with an innate ability to collaborate with diverse groups and organizations, instill hope, improve morale, and lead her teams in achieving goals they never thought possible.

Kim wrote the first edition of PMP^®: Project Management Professional Study Guide, published by Sybex, in 2002. Since then, thousands of people worldwide have used the study guide in preparation for the PMP^® exam. Kim is also the author of Project Management JumpStart, Third Edition, and Project Manager's Spotlight on Risk Management and coauthor of CompTIA Project+, Second Edition. Kim has also published several articles and is currently working on a leadership book.

Most of the Real World Scenarios in this study guide are based on Kim's real-life experiences. The names and circumstances have been changed to protect the innocent.

Kim continues to write on project management best practices and leadership topics, and she speaks frequently at conferences and events. You can contact Kim at [email protected]. She personally answers all her email.