I have been resourcefully transforming projects for 26 years.  I hold 7 Project Management Certifications but my favorite achievement has been giving back to both my professional community as well as my local community in the form of volunteer work.  I have served as the Director of Volunteers, VP of Professional Development, and then President of my local Project Management Institute Chapter, PMICIC from 2019 to 2024.  I also serve as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for Children in Marion County.  

 

This year I wanted to combine my professional skills with helping Children.  Mrs. Darbro agreed to have me pilot a program to work with her Theatre Students in teaching them Project Management skills.  It has been wonderful working with such eager, bright and determined students.  I have watched them go from learning to embracing and then to suggesting and leading.   They truly understand chaos and the need to organize it in a way that is teachable and repeatable.  Collaboration with other students is not only beneficial in education, but in their day-to-day interactions and their professional futures.   While teaching collaboration was a bit bumpy, I saw improvement everyday and was encouraged by their determination to keep trying. My sincerest hope is that they will not only succeed in improving this program year over year, by passing down what they learned along with the items for improvement, but that they apply all their new skills to other activities in which they are involved and even in their own personal lives.  Being able to strategically structure activities, collaborate, and be adaptive are skills that are not only in great demand but are skills that will serve them in every level and aspect of their lives.

 

Ms. Gay Lynn Hill, Project/Program/Portfolio Manager