Michelle Thomas
Bowie,Maryland
Summary
Results-oriented Project Manager with more than 14 years of experience in operational performance and process optimization. Proficient in financial analysis and performance reporting to support strategic business initiatives. Experienced in automating processes and delivering insights that drive profitability and operational success. Certified PMP and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt with a proven ability to streamline complex operations.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Senior Business Transformation Consultant
Department of Education – Federal Student Aid (FSA)
Washington, DC
2020.03 - 2025.08
- Developed comprehensive project plans and communication strategies to align resources with objectives.
- Directed enterprise transformation using Agile and traditional PM methodologies to enhance processes.
- Oversaw project execution, tracking budgets and milestones to ensure adherence to scope.
- Evaluated operational data to design policies that improved performance and customer experience.
- Prepared executive dashboards and financial summaries for leadership review.
- Drove implementation of best practices and change initiatives to support agency goals.
- Mentored junior consultants while facilitating alignment across functions with executive leadership.
Business Transformation Analyst III
Department of Education – Federal Student Aid (FSA)
Washington, DC
2011.01 - 2020.03
- Managed enterprise-level projects to enhance effectiveness and transparency of federal student aid programs.
- Developed strategic project plans, including risk assessments and resource allocations.
- Provided policy analysis and operational recommendations to inform executive decision-making.
- Addressed inquiries from Congress, OMB, state partners, and the public regarding program policies.
- Served as liaison among business units to resolve escalated issues and integrate new policies.
- Contributed to development of agency-wide process improvement frameworks aligned with mission objectives.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Management and Consumer Studies
University of Maryland
College Park, MarylandSkills
- Project Lifecycle Management
- Strategic Planning
- Federal Program Oversight
- Policy Development
- Process Improvement (Lean Six Sigma)
- Executive Reporting
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Cross-Functional Leadership
- Budgeting & Cost Control
- Risk Mitigation
- Government Compliance
Key Highlights
- Process Automation Strategy: Led seven sub-working teams to identify automation use cases; facilitated ideation workshops and drove implementation using Agile sprints.
- Risk Categorization: Used Power BI to automate risk scoring for the Financial Analysis Division, reducing manual input and increasing accuracy.
- Governance Optimization: Partnered with EPMO to evaluate project governance, conducting interviews, designing custom tracking tools, and recommending process improvements.
- Change Management Process Design: Facilitated cross-functional working sessions to map end-to-end change processes across Technology, Finance, and Acquisitions, resulting in the agency’s first standardized change framework.
- Disaster Relief Playbook: Applied design-thinking to prototype and refine an enterprise-wide emergency response guide informed by user feedback.
- Personnel Security Optimization: Conducted process mapping and training gap analysis; aligned SOPs with OM: 5-101 directive for improved onboarding.
- BT Knowledge Repository: Institutionalized a centralized, searchable library of templates, SOPs, and best practices, enhancing team efficiency and knowledge sharing.
Certification
- Project Management Professional (PMP) 06/2021
- Business Process Reengineering 01/2017
- Lean Six Sigma Black Belt 2014 09/2014
- Contracting Officer's Representative (FAC-COR) - Level I 10/2014
Timeline
Senior Business Transformation Consultant
Department of Education – Federal Student Aid (FSA)
2020.03 - 2025.08
Business Transformation Analyst III
Department of Education – Federal Student Aid (FSA)
2011.01 - 2020.03
Bachelor of Science - Management and Consumer Studies
University of Maryland