Leah Vale
Program/Project Management
Anderson,IN
Summary
Results-driven leader with strong background in developing and implementing PMO frameworks to support project delivery. Demonstrated leadership and communication skills in fostering collaborative environments and delivering impactful results. Successfully directed cross-functional projects that resulted in significant process improvements and operational efficiencies.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Director of Grants and Program Management
Ports of Indiana
05.2024 - Current
- Project Management Office implementation, including standardizing all aspects of project management for the agency.
- Direct management of six federally awarded grants, through all stages of the grant lifecycle.
- Creation and management of budgets of up to $50 million, with financial reporting to state and federal entities, the agency's CFO, and the Commission.
- IT Project Manager, system administrator, and developer for the agency's ArcGIS software.
- Agency Teams and SharePoint Administrator.
PMO Manager
Indiana Department of Revenue
12.2022 - 05.2024
- Collaborated with executive leadership to define and implement strategic initiatives aligned with organizational priorities.
- Developed standardized processes for project management, tracking, and reporting.
- Supervised team of eight project managers.
- Led cross-functional teams in project management, ensuring alignment with agency goals and objectives.
Senior IT Project Manager
Indiana Department of Revenue
01.2019 - 12.2022
- Awarded 2021 Department of Revenue Employee of the Year.
- Led cross-functional teams to deliver IT projects on time and within budget.
- Managed multiple simultaneous agency-wide initiatives such as COVID Response, Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system upgrade, and implementation of all legislation 2021 onward.
- Managed stakeholder communications to ensure alignment on project goals and expectations.
- Led system integration efforts, working closely with vendors, other state agencies, and internal teams to ensure seamless transitions.
- Mentored junior staff on best practices in project management methodologies and tools.
IT Project Manager
Indiana Department of Environmental Management
08.2017 - 07.2018
- Project Manager for Enterprise System modifications involving Environmental Agencies from multiple partner states, to comply with EPA regulations.
- Vendor management from RFP through contract.
- Delivered reliable solutions by overseeing software design, development, testing, implementation, and support phases of IT projects.
- Led technical upgrade projects for clients by working and coordinating with consultants and developers for integrations.
- Led cross-functional teams to implement environmental compliance projects.
- Implemented risk management strategies to identify and mitigate project challenges.
- Spearheaded process improvements that reduced project delivery times by optimizing workflows.
- Managed cross-functional teams to ensure efficient allocation of resources and successful project completion.
Senior Systems Analyst
Indiana Department of Environmental Management
04.2015 - 08.2017
- Awarded Environmental Excellence Award in 2017.
- Led system analysis projects to enhance environmental data management and reporting accuracy.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to design solutions aligned with EPA and Indiana regulatory requirements.
- Assessed vendor proposals for new software implementations, ensuring alignment with company goals and budgetary constraints.
- Client/vendor relationship management.
- Developed and maintained comprehensive documentation for system processes and user guides.
Education
Master of Public Affairs - Public Management
Indiana University Indianapolis
01.2011
Bachelor of Arts - Anthropology
Indiana University Indianapolis
01.2007
Skills
- Proficient in Microsoft Project, Teams, Word, Excel, Publisher, Outlook, SharePoint, Visio, and PowerPoint
- Proficient with ArcGIS
- Proficient in SQL Developer
- Proficient in JIRA
- Proficient in Trello collaborative software
- Strategic planning
- Verbal and written communication
- Project management
- Employee development
- Change management
- Program management
- Contract and vendor management
- Legal and regulatory compliance
- Risk management
- Project coordination
Certification
- Project Management Institute Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification 2017
- Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis Negotiation and Dispute Resolution Certification 2010
Timeline
Director of Grants and Program Management
Ports of Indiana
05.2024 - Current
PMO Manager
Indiana Department of Revenue
12.2022 - 05.2024
Senior IT Project Manager
Indiana Department of Revenue
01.2019 - 12.2022
IT Project Manager
Indiana Department of Environmental Management
08.2017 - 07.2018
Senior Systems Analyst
Indiana Department of Environmental Management
04.2015 - 08.2017
Master of Public Affairs - Public Management
Indiana University Indianapolis
Bachelor of Arts - Anthropology
Indiana University Indianapolis
Section name
- PMO Management
- Program Management
- Team Leadership
- Process Improvement
- Staff Mentoring & Training
- Systems Analysis
- Requirements Gathering
- Resource Planning
- Dispute Resolution & Negotiation
- Vendor/Client Relationship Management
- Software Development Life Cycle
- Data Analysis
- Data Conversion
- HIPAA, IRS, and EPA Regulation
- MITA
- ANSI
- Grant Management