Describe your current role at Comm-Works.
My current role at Comm-Works is Senior Project Manager. The Senior PM works with a variety of different contact points including the customer and all departments within Comm-Works, such as: Sales, Engineering, Purchasing, Accounting, Staging/Integration, Helpdesk and Shipping. My role incorporates the development of project plans, field manuals, risk response plans, and escalation procedures that help identify major milestones and allow us to manage a project from both a budgetary and resource perspective. Reporting is a key factor for both our customers as well as our management team. Keeping re-visits to a minimum is critical because of the impact it can have on completing the project on time and within budget.
Do you hold any professional designations?
I am a certified PMP (Project Management Professional) and have been since January of 2004. I am also a member of the Project Management Institute and the New Jersey Chapter of Project Managers. Over the years, I’ve completed courses in Microsoft Project, IT Project Management, People Skills, and Risk Management.
Can you provide some examples of the projects you’ve been involved with?
Currently, I am working on a multi-million dollar project replacing over 2800 switches at 363 locations nationwide. This service is being done after normal business hours and will be completed in 5 months using 7 routed crews. In the past, I’ve managed many nationwide rollouts which have included the following technologies: Switching and Routing, IP Telephony, Security, Data Storage and Infrastructure Cabling.
What one thing have you learned that has proven to be key as a Project Manager?
The one thing that has proven to be key as a Project Manager is communication. Ninety percent of a project manager’s responsibility is to communicate scope, project deliverables, project changes, how to respond to risk, escalation procedures, resource responsibilities, detailed data to accounting, and statistical reports to management.
I have to mention that secondly the key to a successful project is to be able to provide data that proves that the deliverables were met during each project event. This could be as simple as providing quality assurance forms that show a customer’s approval and signature; and as complicated as diagnostic testing and saved test results.
What has been the most rewarding part of working in this industry?
For me, the most rewarding part of working in this industry is participating in constantly changing technology, working with highly skilled professionals who are people that I admire, and achieving successful project results for large customers.
Tell us a little about yourself – hobbies, family, etc.
I am a single mother of two. I have an 18 year old son, Caesar and 14 year old daughter, Olivia. I enjoy skiing with my family in the Pocono Mountains, boating and fishing with my boyfriend Vince on the Delaware River, camping and spending time at the New Jersey shore.