PDD 2014 Master of Ceremonies

Brad Meehan

Biography

Brad Meehan is an experienced technical architect specializing in best

practices for designing content management system (CMS) projects the

right way the first time. Since 2008, he has implemented numerous

large-scale CMS installations for a variety of clients and industries. He is

also an Adobe® Professional Services Consultant and runs a global

Adobe AEM Center of Excellence.

An 8-year veteran of the Air Force, Brad traveled the globe on

assignment with the 48th Intelligence Squadron, working in places like

Italy, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and others. After two successful tours,

Brad was Honorably Discharged to pursue his education.

Brad graduated Cum Laude from California State University, Sacramento with a B.S. in

Computer Science and was the recipient of the Academic Achievement Award for Computer

Science.

With over 15 years working as a software developer and architect, Brad has played a major role

in creating software solutions for clients such as Walmart, Ford, SAP, Kellogg, Eloqua/Oracle,

MasterCard, Barclay’s Premier League, and Carlson Hotels.

As a comedian and actor, Brad provides comedic relief in spots for Kia, Hyundai and numerous

local businesses. He recently received two Emmy nominations for writing. He can also be seen

as a regular host and emcee at the Kansas City Improv comedy club.

Opening Keynote: Beyond the Comfort Zone: Mindset, Motivation &

Change in the Real World

Joyce Layman, President, National Speakers Assoc., Kansas City Chapter and Author of Just Another Leap

Presentation Summary

During times of uncertainty it’s necessary to deal with the mental impact

of change. The best way to address the future and move to a higher

level of performance requires a shift and expansion of the current

mindset. Self-limiting performance barriers are the primary targets for

change. These barriers involve the habits, beliefs, and expectations that

regulate individual as well as group performance.

This presentation is designed to help attendees understand the thinking

habits that keep them and teams stuck. They will walk away with

insights on the internal motivators and mental tools to envision and adapt to changes in their

personal and professional lives.

This keynote presentation will be immediately followed by breakout workshop designed to

illustrate practical personal and professional applications of the principles presented in the

keynote address in each of our lives.

Speaker Biography

Joyce has been trained in The Pacific Institute’s (TPI’s) processes and has been a consultant in

those very processes since 2006. Based on research at top universities including Harvard

Medical School and the Universities of Stanford, and Washington, TPI’s curricula for

performance improvement has been used by more than 60% of U.S. Fortune 500 companies as

well as various branches of the U.S. Government, professional athletes, and Nobel Prize

winners.

By adding this powerful training into my experience in sales, consulting and coaching, I

developed Mind by Design. Mind by Design combines science self and a “Layman’s terms”

approach for helping clients deal with the unexpected, navigate challenges and create change.

Joyce is a member of the National Speakers Association (NSA) and the current President of

NSA-KC. I have had the great fortune to have been coached by Toastmasters 2001 World

Champion keynoter and stand-up comedian Darren LaCroix. In 2012, I joined Life Business

Growth as a resident expert and am excited to be part of this community of conscious

entrepreneurs. In the fall of 2013, I was honored to be featured as a speaker at TEDxUMKC.

Joyce is also the author of a new book titled Just Another Leap, A Layman’s Guide to Get from

There to Hear.

Opening Keynote Workshop: Beyond the Comfort Zone: A Deeper

Dive

Joyce Layman, President, National Speakers Assoc., Kansas City Chapter and Author of Just Another Leap

Presentation Summary

This 75-minute breakout session is designed to give attendees a greater

level of understanding of mindset, motivation and change. It will provide

a combination of content with individual reflection, group discussion and

experiential activities.

Speaker Biography

Joyce has been trained in The Pacific Institute’s (TPI’s) processes and

has been a consultant in those very processes since 2006. Based on

research at top universities including Harvard Medical School and the Universities of Stanford,

and Washington, TPI’s curricula for performance improvement has been used by more than

60% of U.S. Fortune 500 companies as well as various branches of the U.S. Government,

professional athletes, and Nobel Prize winners.

By adding this powerful training into my experience in sales, consulting and coaching, I

developed Mind by Design. Mind by Design combines science self and a “Layman’s terms”

approach for helping clients deal with the unexpected, navigate challenges and create change.

Joyce is a member of the National Speakers Association (NSA) and the current President of

NSA-KC. I have had the great fortune to have been coached by Toastmasters 2001 World

Champion keynoter and stand-up comedian Darren LaCroix. In 2012, I joined Life Business

Growth as a resident expert and am excited to be part of this community of conscious

entrepreneurs. In the fall of 2013, I was honored to be featured as a speaker at TEDxUMKC.

Joyce is also the author of a new book titled Just Another Leap, A Layman’s Guide to Get from

There to Hear.

Afternoon Keynote: Kill What’s Ugly While Its Young®

James T. Brown, Ph.D.

Presentation Summary

A tongue-in-cheek look at five critical leadership truths that result in

people accepting accountability for what is truly required for individual

and organizational success. The five truths examined are:

Kill what’s ugly while it’s young® - Problems don’t go away by

themselves. Problems must be aggressively identified and then

fixed regardless of their size or how long the resolution process.

Lie to the customer as long as you can – The customer’s

perception of the project, the project team and deliverable must be

managed throughout the project management lifecycle.

Fear and pain, the ultimate team motivators - Slow steady gentle pressure causes work

to get accomplished and pain should be built into processes to ensure discipline in the

system.

Plagiarism equals profits - Good ideas and practices need to be aggressively identified

and systematically copied. A culture that rewards and appreciates simplicity should be

created.

Brownnosing, the key to leadership success - Relationship building is a constant activity

for project managers Complimenting people, and paying attention to people is an essential

part of relationship building.

Takeaway Message – Success requires relentless commitment to individual and organizational

improvement. Building strong relationships, creating accountability and fostering supportive

communication are all required. “Kill What’s Ugly While It’s Young®” provides humor in the hard

facts.

This keynote presentation will be immediately followed by a presentation by James T.

Brown, Ph.D. on some new ways of looking at risk management.

Speaker Biography

James T. Brown Ph.D., president of SEBA® Solutions Inc., a Registered Education Provider for

the Project Management Institute, has provided training and consulting services for dozens of

companies nationally and internationally. He has sixteen years of NASA experience that

includes "hands on" experience as a team member, project manager and serving in executive

level organizational leadership roles.

He provides consulting services in project management and has served as a subject matter

expert for a leading project software vendor. James is the author of The Handbook of Program

Management published by McGraw-Hill. He has been published in PM Network, PE Magazine,

Projects@Work, PMI Community Post and PM World Today.

Dr. Brown has a patent for a project scheduling methodology, and has received numerous

awards including "Engineer of the Year" from the Cape Canaveral Technical Societies and is a

recipient of the "NASA Public Service Medal" for exceptional contributions to NASA's mission.

He is a member of the Project Management Institute and the National Speakers Association.

James has a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Central Florida, a MS in

Engineering Management from Florida Institute of Technology and a BS in Electrical

Engineering from Tennessee State University. He is a licensed Professional Engineer (PE), a

certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Speaking Professional (CSP).

Afternoon Keynote Workshop: Risk Management - Texas Hold’em

Tactics for the Project Manager

James T. Brown, Ph.D.

Presentation Summary

Texas Hold’em has seen an explosion in popularity since the World Poker

Championships have been featured on TV. Part of this popularity is the

easiness of the game to learn, the rush of winning, and the luck factor that

is involved. Playing the game is simple. Winning consistently is not simple.

The winning Texas Hold’em player has two tactics that project managers

must also have to be successful.

Ability to make probabilistic assessments

Ability to read human behavior as it responds to risk

Just like the Texas Hold’em player, project managers must deal with uncertainty and work with

humans. This keynote presentation will provide the project manager with tips for probabilistic

assessments and an understanding of human behavior as it specifically relates to risk.

To quote Texas Hold’em player Anthony Bee, from Important Concepts in Limit Hold’em, “This

means being able to recognize profitable situations and exploit them to the full. It also means

avoiding unprofitable situations and therefore costly mistakes.” Could Anthony Bee have been

talking about project management?

Speaker Biography

James T. Brown Ph.D., president of SEBA® Solutions Inc., a Registered Education Provider for

the Project Management Institute, has provided training and consulting services for dozens of

companies nationally and internationally. He has sixteen years of NASA experience that

includes "hands on" experience as a team member, project manager and serving in executive

level organizational leadership roles.

He provides consulting services in project management and has served as a subject matter

expert for a leading project software vendor. James is the author of The Handbook of Program

Management published by McGraw-Hill. He has been published in PM Network, PE Magazine,

Projects@Work, PMI Community Post and PM World Today.

Dr. Brown has a patent for a project scheduling methodology, and has received numerous

awards including "Engineer of the Year" from the Cape Canaveral Technical Societies and is a

recipient of the "NASA Public Service Medal" for exceptional contributions to NASA's mission.

He is a member of the Project Management Institute and the National Speakers Association.

James has a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Central Florida, a MS in

Engineering Management from Florida Institute of Technology and a BS in Electrical

Engineering from Tennessee State University. He is a licensed Professional Engineer (PE), a

certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Speaking Professional (CSP).

Agile Open Space Sessions

Session Summary

The Open Space format encourages agile practitioners to self-organize around topics that are

most important to them. In this framework, participants with common issues and interests share

their experiences and learn from others. There is no preset agenda for an Open Space session;

rather, sessions are created “live” by the participants throughout both days of the PDD 2014. In

order to get the most out of this event, please come prepared with topics that are of interest to

you, either to learn more about or to share your experiences.

1. Anyone who is interested may initiate and Open Space session by visiting the Agilehood

booth on the 2nd floor of the Overland Park Convention Center. Everyone is welcome to visit

the Open Space area on the 1st floor of the Overland Park Convention Center.

2. There is no pre-registration required to initiate or participate in an Open Space session

3. Anyone with questions about agile can initiate or join an Open Space session. You may

leave an open space session at any time.

4. All questions about agile, from “What is Agile?” to very technical questions about the

introduction of agile into a new environment, the implementation and rollout of agile, the

political implications of agile for the organization, to the on-going use of agile for managing

projects and resources in the organization are welcome. This list of questions and concerns

is far from comprehensive.

5. Check the PDD 2014 agenda for all six of the Open Space session times.

The Psychology of Human Behavior in the Failure of Projects

Jared Lock

Presentation Summary

This presentation will describe the behaviors/attitudes/thinking that

cause projects to derail, how to measure these concepts, and how to

overcome them in projects.

Speaker Biography

Jared D. Lock, a Ph.D. and Licensed Industrial/Organizational

psychologist has a solid 25-year career working as a leader in 4

organizations that all achieved sustained and long-term double digit

year-over-year growth during his tenure. Working in a Fortune 200

Telecom, two thriving Consulting firms, and a test publisher, Dr. Lock has succeeded in

leveraging the people side of business for positive outcomes, taking one of these companies

from 5 employees (he was the 5th) and 1 million in sales to 40 employees, 15 million in sales

and coverage of 24 languages in 33 countries in less than 10 years.

While a psychologist by training, he is a businessman first and ingrains himself with the

organization’s business mission and operating philosophy. He then applies his psychological

and people understanding in business terms, helping organizations easily use the complex

world of psychology to their advantage.

His work – in such organizations as Adidas, Zenith Insurance, Bank of America, Herschend

Family Entertainment, Sprint, Valero, Via Christi – is associated with helping business leaders

understand and then maximize the people side of the business. He also helps many

organizations put together more traditional HR initiatives — select, on-board, train, develop, and

mentor their employees using objective data and incisive feedback, backed by practical

strategies that fit each organization’s needs.

Currently, he is collaborating with industry leaders to merge the future focus of Agile

improvement processes with the people side of the equation, increasing speed of adoption,

quality of work, and satisfaction/culture improvements as well. The resultant exponential

increases in success are a result of strong research combined with realistic implementation

plans.

He is a frequent speaker, writer, and professional trainer with over 60 book chapters,

publications, and presentations in professionally refereed organizations.

Your Idea is Worthless…Unless you can Powerfully Present it!

David Mantica

Presentation Summary

A great idea is meaningless and useless unless it can be communicated

properly whether written or orally. The problem with writing down great

ideas is you have to trust someone will actually read what you wrote. In

today’s business environment that is something I would not necessarily

trust. Your only true and quick way you can get your idea out is through

presenting it.

What does that mean though? Is a presentation something speakers do

at events? The reality is you present every time you have an oral

communication with someone. A presentation can be one to one, one to

two or one to hundred. It can also be a group discussion with each

person on a team or panel contributing. The dynamic to focus on is with someone or a group of

people. That is you are speaking to another person or persons. This element creates a number

of challenges but can also be used to your advantage.

When you write you can hide behind your words. When you present you are your words. Your

audience creates an instant image of you as you begin and then that image ebbs and flows

during your presentation. When not managed correctly that image can overshadow or even

block the message you are trying to convey.

In this seminar we will review very pragmatic skills, tools, and techniques to properly prepare

and execute a successful presentation. We will look at prep planning, preparation, delivery

techniques, and delivery challenges. Very little theory the focus is on actions you can do before

and during the presentation to increase the power of your message and the success of your

idea.

Speaker Biography

ASPE’s David Mantica is president of the ASPE (American Society of Professional Education)

family of professional training companies. His career as a business leader in the training

industry spans almost twenty years. As a specialist in business-to-business continuing

education, David brings deep experience to roles in executive, product management, marketing

and operations capacities. He has an impressive portfolio of goal-driven successes identifying

market opportunities in the training sector and responding with training product development

initiatives. He has led or conducted product management efforts around more than 300 training

courses, delivered both as expert-led classroom programs and live online training delivered

remotely. Courses developed by his firms have addressed skills gaps in a range of industries,

including: the software development life cycle, many IT topics, telecommunications, finance,

healthcare IT and marketing.

Hands Off My Data! Implementing a Data Governance Structure

Ted Deel

Presentation Summary

The Information Economy continues to expand, and Industry studies

have shown many IT organizations still struggle with how to manage the

large volumes and types of information entrusted to them. When asked

to support transformation of data into new systems, or leverage data for

advanced analytics or marketing campaigns, the organization is unable

to respond quickly and may have to develop or purchase costly tools,

manually convert data, live with poor data quality and broken business

processes, and deal with other issues all of which consume time and

resources that could be put to better use. My discussion will cover

several forms of Data Governance that provide the best practice

approach to transform an organization’s data and information infrastructure to make it leaner,

more efficient, more secure, and turn it from a liability into an asset; and will solicit input from the

audience as to their experiences with what has worked and what hasn't in their prior experience.

Speaker Biography

Mr. Deel is a highly-regarded Information Technology professional who possesses excellent

management, technical and communication skills. He is detail-oriented and is adept at problem

solving. Mr. Deel has managed teams with multiple members in all phases of IT projects, from

initial planning and requirements determination to development and configuration management,

through production support. Mr. Deel has served as an enterprise architect with experience in

business, technical and data architecture in designing solutions for multiple applications using

state-of-the-art tools and techniques. Mr. Deel has also effectively served as a liaison with

vendors and clients. He has successfully authored programs that have yielded significant

revenue increases. Mr. Deel has an extensive background in executive management from a

technology as well as account management perspective.

Mr. Deel began his consulting career with Electronic Data Systems as a Systems Engineer,

moved to Ernst & Young as a Management Consultant, and for the last 11 years has served as

an Engagement Manager for USDA accounts with ECCO Select, a premier Kansas City-based

information technology company specializing in project work ranging from Program

Management to Enterprise Architecture to infrastructure assessments and much more.

Breaking Bad.. Project Management Habits

Mike Turner

Presentation Summary

The iconic TV series, Breaking Bad, chronicles the dark metamorphosis

of Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher. Throughout the series,

the characters display a unique set of behaviors that just may help shed

some light on the do’s and don’ts of project management; and how you

perceive your own skillset. Judge for yourself!

Speaker Biography

Mike Turner has been active in Project Management field for the last 20

years as both a manager and a trainer. He currently is a Project

Manager for AMC. Mike attained his PMP in 2003 and has gone on teach prep courses for that

exam. Since 1997 Mike has been an Adjunct Professor at the Keller Graduate School of

Management, teaching several courses in Project Management, Quality and Information

Technology Management.

2008: Scrum Master Certification from the Scrum Alliance

2012-2014: Developed and delivered 3 different Agile workshops to PMI Chapters in the

Midwest

2013: Authored and published the book “User Stories Unleashed”

2014: ACP (Agile Certification) from PMI

2009-2014: A featured speaker at the PMI-Kansas City Chapter Annual Symposium for the last

5 years

Project Management in Healthcare from an Engineer's Perspective

Mike Kelly

Presentation Summary

The presentation will outline how an engineer with a manufacturing

background applied project management skills in a healthcare

organization. With his experience as a chemical engineer, Mike Kelly

crossed over into the healthcare field as a Quality and Information

Systems Manager for the Midwest Transplant Network. Mike used

disciplines learned while managing projects and technology in the

manufacturing and engineering fields.

Mike will share how he was able to leverage strengths and opportunities

in the understanding of project management principles among

healthcare professionals to produce successful outcome measures.

Mike will also explain the lessons he has learned and how he has applied that learning to other

industries, such as manufacturing, education, and engineering consulting.

Take-aways for Workshop Participants include:

Gain insight into an engineer's experience while managing projects in a healthcare

organization.

Identify characteristics of a healthcare organization that can be leveraged for effective

project management.

Identify characteristics of a healthcare organization that can be challenging for a project

manager.

Share lessons learned that have applicability in other industries besides healthcare.

Speaker Biography

With 30 years of management experience in manufacturing, education, healthcare, consulting

services, and human resources, Mike Kelly has held leadership roles with Procter & Gamble,

the University of Kansas, the Midwest Transplant Network, Honeywell International, and Black &

Veatch. He has experience in chemical operations, equipment maintenance, engineering,

quality, process safety, personal safety, risk management, organization effectiveness, and

learning & development.

Mike teaches EMGT 823: Management of Internal Engineering Projects and

EMGT 809: Personal Development for the Engineering Manager at KU Edwards Campus in

Overland Park, Kansas.

Mike earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering and his Master of

Science Degree in Engineering Management from the University of Kansas. He holds

certifications as a Project Management Professional from the Project Management Institute and

as a Manager of Quality/Organization Excellence from the American Society for Quality.

Ambidexterity as a Competence of Project Leaders

Jeremy J. O’Connor, Ph.D.

Presentation Summary

Given the dynamic environments in which the practice of project

management occurs today, ambidexterity as a competency of project

managers and as an organizational approach has become more

important for the success of projects. A growing body of research in

project management examines the pertinence of ambidexterity in project

management and reveals that in order for project managers and

organizations to achieve successful project outcomes, traditional models

of project management must be balanced with the ability to adapt and

acquire new competencies. Two research studies published in the

Project Management Journal within the last four years address these

issues.

The first study, Ambidexterity as a Competence of Project Leaders, examines the subject as it

relates to project managers and reveals that ignoring the dynamic nature of the project

environment puts projects in jeopardy, thereby requiring project managers to explore new

approaches and tools for project success. The second study, Advancing Project Management,

focuses on ambidexterity from an institutional level. More specifically, the article examines the

areas of project management in which the standardized approach to project management

works, and where the standardized approach is problematic. In addition, the research considers

the benefits of organizational ambidexterity and it examines the levels of complexity that create

dynamic project environments.

This talk will review the observations and conclusions made by these two research studies and

will include an open discussion of how these principles apply to the practice of project

management.

Speaker Biography

Jeremy O'Connor joined the faculty of Rockhurst University's Helzberg School of Management

in the fall of 2010 as an Assistant Professor of Management after completing his Ph.D. in

Economics from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Before his doctoral studies, Mr.

O'Connor completed his MBA and Bachelor of Science degrees from Rockhurst University. Prior

to joining The Helzberg School's faculty, Mr. O'Connor held positions for nine years at DST

Systems Inc. and two years at Cerner Corporation as a business and applications analyst where

he worked on IT development and implementation projects. Dr. O'Connor teaches courses in

management, project management, economics, and management information systems. His

research interests and publications include macroeconomic theory and policy, and pedagogical

methods.

What are the Best Practices for Agile at Scale?

Martin Olson

Presentation Summary

Scaled Agile Framework (www.scaledagileframework.com) has gotten a

lot of attention over the last twelve to eighteen months. There have been

a number of organizations that have successfully leveraged the body of

knowledge that SAFe embodies, and there have been a number of

organizations that have encountered difficulties implementing the

processes and practices.

In this session, Martin Olson will talk about his real world experiences

helping organizations implement Agile and Lean practices at scale and

will provide a working overview of the Scaled Agile Framework. If your

organization is interested in aligning the teams' efforts and effectively planning and executing

across multiple teams, this session should prove beneficial.

Speaker Biography

Martin Olson grew up in the Kansas City metropolitan area and has an affinity its people and the

mid-western culture; honesty, respect, caring, warmth and community. He earned a Bachelor’s

degree from UMKC School of Computer Science and Telecommunications, and a Graduate

Degree from the University of Kansas, School of Business and has been working in the IT

industry for over twenty two years.

Martin is currently a principal with Silicon Prairie Solutions, providing Agile and Lean leadership

coaching, team mentoring and training to clients throughout the United States. Martin is also a

founding member of the Agile KC group and has helped lead the group since 2003. In addition

Martin often presents at conferences and other speaking engagements on agile and lean

practices in the real world.

Martin’s latest endeavors have centered on assisting enterprises understand and successfully

transition being Agile at scale. Rather than following a prescriptive format, Martin believes that it

is important to understand the strengths and weaknesses inherent within the organization and

structure a process that fits the underlying culture and helps drive its evolution.

What do the PMs and BAs do on an Agile team?

Nan Schaefer

Presentation Summary

Agile is not a fad. The number of companies using an agile development

methodology is growing rapidly. Project managers and business analysts

alike must understand how to operate in an agile environment.

This session will discuss how the project manager and business analyst

roles are evolving in agile development. What do the PMs and BAs do

an agile team? Is there room for both? What should you know to thrive

and what certifications can help you? Attendees will get practical tips

and tricks on managing agile projects, developing great agile

requirements, and working successfully with agile teams.

Biography

Nan Schaefer, Certified Business Analyst ProfessionalTM, is a Principal Consultant and BA with

PrimoPoint Consulting in Overland Park, Kansas. She has an extensive background in defining

business analysis activities within software development environments and projects. Prior to

founding PrimoPoint in 2009, Nan worked for several Fortune 500 companies, holding a broad

range of positions. Her responsibilities included managing large programs, leading complex

analysis efforts and developing start-up organizations. Nan specializes in integrating and right-

sizing business analyst functions within a company’s existing software development process.

EVM: Beyond SPI & CPI

Charlene Thompson, PE, PMP, EVP, PSP

Presentation Summary

OK, so you routinely calculate and report SPI and CPI for your projects,

but what other information does the EVM chart tell us?

Let’s take a detailed look at the information provided by our Earned

Value calculations and chart, what the chart shows (and what it doesn’t).

Are there elements of your project schedule or cost/spending plan that

skew the data? Are you really measuring the right things? And, what is

earned time?

Speaker Biography

Charlene has been active in Project Management and Projects Controls for over 20 years and

currently works as a Senior Project Controls Specialist for Burns & McDonnell in Kansas City.

Along the way, she has worked in heavy civil/infrastructure, industrial process and T&D

engineering and construction.

Leader’s Compass: A Leadership Philosophy is Key to Your Success

Rolly Dessert and Bill Rue

Presentation Summary

To be an effective leader you must reflect your most important core

values in your daily behaviors. In short you must lead by example. Why

do people fall short? It is because they have not communicated what

they believe in, what they expect of others, and what they will demand

and will not tolerate. Think about undertaking a journey of self-discovery

– to uncover the kind of principled leader that you want to be. This is the

most critical, profound step toward achieving dramatic improvements in

your leadership. Self-aware leaders can clearly communicate their

values and vision to stakeholders, partners, colleagues and employees -

a critical key to creating a motivational climate where everyone is

'onboard' and passionately pulling in the same direction. This is the

impact of a personal leadership philosophy.

This presentation will be interactive with the presentation attendees.

Speaker Biographies

Rolly Dessert is President of Design Associates International, a

strategy and technology consulting firm focused on assisting clients in

the areas of strategy, operations, organization, systems and technology.

Rolly is a 1972 graduate of West Point and served in the US Army for

over 28 years. In all client engagements Rolly brings to bear his

extensive experience in government, industry, and not-for-profit sectors.

In working with leaders, he encourages clients to develop their own personal leadership

philosophy in order to achieve understanding before taking action, learn from action, and adapt.

Bill Rue is a 1976 graduate of the United States Military Academy (BS in General Engineering)

and holds a master’s of Science in Computer Science from the Missouri University of Science &

Technology. He has strong leadership and management skills include coaching/mentoring at

the corporate level, as well as teaching at the college level.

Bill has over 15 years’ experience in in the corporate world as a senior executive, employing

detailed skills in project, program and portfolio management, as well as organizational change

management. He has extensive experience in medium to large scale technology projects,

specializing in multi-function project management offices. His PM experience is in various

technology fields including research and development (R&D) projects, employing Lean Six

Sigma disciplines in support of R&D projects, and design of advanced web-enabled

applications. Of note, he recently stood up and led a 96-person software development team for

the USDA, responsible for developing web-enabled applications for farmers and producers

seeking financial relief from various natural disasters.

Bill is a certified Project Management Professional, Scrum Master and is Lean Six Sigma Black

Belt trained. He has served on the Board of Directors for Junior Achievement, Middle America

for the last 4 years.

Rolly Dessert

Bill Rue