Saralee Newell, PMP

Summary

Project Management consulting and training. Business Presentations training. PC software training. Extensive expertise with PC hardware and software, installations and setup. Novell Network Supervisor experience. Excellent communications skills, broad business background.

Recently served on the Board of Directors of the Project Management Institute (PMI) as International Vice President of Public Relations and later as a Member At Large. Also serving as a member of the Board of Directors for the PMI Educational Foundation. Honored for serving as Project Manager for PMI's 1995 Annual Seminar/Symposium, which was held in New Orleans in 1995 with an attendance of 2,250 people. This was a 6 year, million dollar project which required good project management skills, particularly since the project team was made up of volunteers as well as paid staff. Beginning with starting the local chapter, this project required building the entire team from ground zero. The project required marketing skills, good communication skills and good old-fashioned ingenuity. I have participated on an international level in the activities of PMI, serving on the Information Systems Advisory Committee, the Global Project Management Forum Committee, the Technical Activities Center (TAC),  the Globalization Project Action Team (GPAT) and several other committees. This has allowed me the  opportunity to interface with project management professionals from all over the world.

Work Experience

PSM Consulting Services. President. February 1988 - Present.

Teaching post graduate seminars in project management methodology as well as the use of project management software.  Also teaching individuals and groups in various PC applications. Developed Web Site and assisted with writing of course materials and in charge of marketing consulting services and doing all administration for PSM Consulting Services. Classes include on site project management training for Chevron Oil Company, Agrico Chemical Company, Freeport McMoran, and Delgado Community College. Taught Microsoft Project and Primavera Sure Trak for University of New Orleans.  Software training in Commence personal information manager for Orleans Parish Communications District.

Setting up program management system for New Orleans Regional Transit Authority using Microsoft Project 98 and Microsoft Access 97.

Small business consulting for small business including Westec Security Systems, Pratt Landry & Associates, Christian's Restaurant, Cacamo's Auto Repair Service, Robert Berthier, MD, real estate offices, etc. Consulting includes recommending equipment, network and software purchases, overseeing installations, start up and training of personnel.

Consulting Project Manager in a start up project for Albemarle Corporation (formerly Ethyl Corporation) to introduce a new petrochemical product. Responsible for consulting with project staff on resource allocation, scheduling, training, estimating and cost control.

Telephone and telecommunications consulting for ComputerLand, Tees Unlimited and Computer Process Unlimited. Doing project management consulting to companies such as Avondale Gulfport Marine to set up scheduling for technical editing using Ventura Desktop Publishing software. Supervised three other editors and established work schedules.

Pro Unlimited, division of PeopleSoft March 2003 - June 2003.  Project Management Specialist  Assisted project managers with setting up their projects using MS Project 2000.  Tracked various projects and presented weekly Earned Value Reports.  Conducted workshops to train project managers in the use of project management software.  This was part of the DIMHRS program for United States Armed Forces at New Orleans Technology Center.

CSC, Inc. March 2001 - October 2002.  Senior Manager.  Initially worked on rebuilding a Project Management Office (PMO) for Equiva in Houston, Texas.  Following that worked on a new infrastructure account at Reynolds and Reynolds in Dayton, Ohio.  Finally worked on a large internal project to ascertain how best to protect the CSC internal network from viruses and worms.  Worked with high level technical managers to track project activities.

BrightStar Information Technology Group. Project Management Specialist. March 1998 - January 2001.

Provided Project Management expertise for Web-enabled Financial Reporting projects and CRM projects Tracked activities for the Year 2000 Conversion Project at the USDA's National Finance Center. The NFC provides financial systems for about 45 government agencies, including a pension program for all government employees. Approximately 150 Cobol programs have undergone renovation and final testing in a virtual environment where the date was moved around was concluded successfully. In addition to that, Independent Validation & Verification was provided for all Cobol as well as non-Cobol applications was done and tracked. Provided classes in MS Project to assist programmers with putting together meaningful schedules for testing. Using MS Project and Corel's Quattro Pro for tracking progress of testing on all applications for reporting to CFO of USDA.

PMI Board of Directors. January 1997 - December 1999. (Elected Volunteer Position)
1999 - Member At Large. Served as a member of the Strategic Planning Committee for PMI. Participated as a member of the Globalization Project Action Team heading up the area of Intersociety Relations. Also served as a member of the Technical Activities Center.
1997-1999 - International Vice President of Public Relations. Responsible for strategic planning and budgeting for all Marketing and Public Relations activities, internal and external of PMI, an international organization of over 50,000 professionals working in project management. Coordinate the activities of a Marketing Manager, Assistant Marketing Manager, and associates from outside Public Relations firm. Develop policies and procedures and oversee the activities of a volunteer Marketing Team consisting of 5 Assistant Vice Presidents covering Academic, Corporate, Government, International, and Intersociety Relations, as well as a Marketing Committee which includes a subcommittee for Web Site development, Certification, and Awards Committee. Duties include serving on the Board of Directors of the PMI Educational Foundation, keeping up to date with all activities of the Institute to ensure that the proper image is promoted at all times, and act as spokesperson for PMI before members of corporations, government agencies, and other associations around the world.

Walk, Haydel & Associates, Inc. - April 1994 - August 1997.  Corporate Trainer. 11/96 - 8/97. Project Leader for Help Desk Implementation in conjunction with the installation of a Windows NT 4.0LAN/WAN which will be company wide. Moved from Special Projects Office to assume new duties which included continued work on database management system that I developed which now encompasses information from all branch offices. Researched training methods for providing software training for the entire company. Other duties included doing software assistance and assisting with the installation of Windows NT as the company operating system. Also assisted with the implementation of a company wide WAN. Leader of Focus team to develop training methods and budget for 1997/98 company wide.

Network Coordinator. Special Projects Office. 4/94 - 11/96. Administrator for 130 user Novell network. Using Windows 95, Windows for Workgroups, Microsoft Office Professional including Project, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Mail, Schedule+ and Access. Other users are working with AutoCad 13 and Primavera P3 scheduling software. Project manager for PC training program; develop, plan and implement PC software training for all users in this office as well as users from Central Office. Hire Data Processing Technician and supervise his work; develop procedures for technician  to follow. Implement a disaster recovery program following major flood damage. Assisted with the development of a database for the environmental engineering group. Also work on special projects for central office to train personnel in use of DecMail to communicate with Dames & Moore, and a project to set up and train 400 users to use MS Mail and MS Office. Design and supervise database to record all PC hardware and software inventory, including a punch list for troubleshooting. Advisor to a project team designing a management information system for the corporation. Develop a database application to record daily time sheets, project man hours and budget costs. Writing documentation for a manpower estimating forecast report.

Publications

"PMI '95 - Running A Project With Volunteers", published in the Proceedings of PMI '96, Boston, Massachusetts, October, 1996.

"Using Earned Value Reporting Systems", published in the Proceedings from International Project Management Association (IPMA)  World Congress in Ljubljana, Slovenia, June, 1998.

Professional Association Activities and Certifications

Education & Training