"Surprise, You're the Project Manager"

Registration

Free. Spaces are limited.

Intended Audience

This seminar is designed for Information Technology Managers, Business Managers, Technical and Field staff, or anyone else assigned the responsibility of project management, especially those who have had to learn project management the hard way. This is also for any technical person who is in danger of becoming a project manager for projects of any size.

Abstract of Seminar Contents

Many project managers become project managers with no training and frequently without the support of an experienced project manager. They wake up one day and find that they are the project manager. What should you do if you find yourself in this position? What do you really need to know and do to finish your project successfully? What makes projects fail? Where can you find information about these things? Are there trainings available to help you out? What other resources exist? This program aims to answer those questions and provide something akin to Project Management 101.

Agenda

Presenters

Keynote:

Diane Vasarkovy, Owner, Wolf Consulting - Diane Vasarkovy has over 40 years of information technology and management experience. This experience spans most of the history of information technology, and has covered every job from keypuncher to Chief Information Technology Officer to Principal Consultant, including numerous years in project management and the management of software systems. She has worked at world-class organizations like USAA, Wells Fargo Bank, Fannie Mae, the State of Washington, DMR Consulting, Boeing, Microsoft and AT&T. She now owns her own consulting company, Wolf Consulting.

Panel:

Facilitator:

Bonnie Moonchild, Project Manager, JBS International, Inc. - Bonnie Moonchild can’t quite believe she’s been doing some form of computer related work for 22 years. In that time she’s been a programmer, systems analyst, data analyst, business rules writer and project manager. She works at JBS International where she is a project manager for information systems, especially those that are web-based and some of which are close enough to the cutting edge to cause her to worry about blood-letting.

Members:

Anne Wax, Project Manager, Alliance Enterprises Inc - Anne Wax is a project manager with Alliance Enterprises, Inc, where she manages the implementation of the AWARE Case Management System in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Her career includes implementing AWARE in eight states as well as 12 years in information systems development at the Departments of Transportation and Social and Health services. Anne holds a BS in Computer Science from the Evergreen State College and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

Arnold F. (Fritz) Wrede, IT Manager, DSHS, Department of Alcohol and Substance Abuse - Fritz started his professional life as a chemical dependency counselor. He completed a Masters in Educational Psychology from the University of Washington in 1977. Since that time he has completed Certificate programs in Mental Health Administration and Information Technology Project Management from the same institution. Throughout the 1980’s he worked with the Seattle - King County Department of Public Health managing contracts and program development for chemical dependency treatment and prevention services. During this time he was involved in a number of research grant projects for the department and developed his interest in the IT world. In 1992 Fritz moved to Olympia and employment with the DSHS Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse (DASA). Over the course of his tenure at DASA he has been responsible for the development and management of the TARGET data system and other systems operated by the division.

John Rhodes, Project Management Consultant, Rhodes Consulting Services, Inc. - John Rhodes has provided project management services in multiple states in both public and private sectors. Projects supported have ranged from very large to small projects and have included both I/T and non I/T projects. In the past 11 years, he has worked on multiple projects for the State of Washington including ACES, Welfare Reform, the Special Commitment Center Injunction Project, DIS Digital Gov't Infrastructure Project, and projects for DDD, ADSA, and Children's Administration.

Scott Koura, Project Manager, DSHS, Financial Services Administration - Scott Koura is a native Washingtonian, who has been here the whole time except for a short stint in the Army. Scott has over thirty years IT experience, starting at WSDOT as an entry level programmer and progressing through the analyst/programmer and IT management job classes. He has managed projects falling under DIS oversight at state agencies including WSDOT, DOH, DRS and most recently DSHS. Scott has an undergraduate degree in Psychology at the University of Washington where he also attended the Graduate School in Business Administration, completing course work in Operations and Systems Analysis and Accounting.

For More Information . . .

. . . Contact Sheryl Hall or Andy Hill
IPMA Professional Development Committee Co-Chairs