PM Magazine - Fall 2019 Issue 12

FALL 2019 / ISSUE XII

PM

magazine

A PUBLICATION BY MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY’S GRADUATE PROGRAM IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Project Management inBaltimore:

PAGE VI The Impact of Artificial Intelligence in the Development of Modern Cities PAGE IV

A Thriving Mission: Combating Baltimore City’s Food Deserts Through Education and Urban Farming PAGE IX

PM Magazine

PM magazine | FALL 2019

CONTENTS

EDITORIAL MESSAGE

Dr. Monica N. Kay, PMP Adjunct Professor Morgan State University

Welcome to the twelfth issue of Morgan’s Project Management (PM) magazine, a magazine designed by the Masters of Science in Project Management students as part of our capstone course requirement. In keeping with the chosen theme, “Project Management in Baltimore”, the team utilized the expertise and experiences of many project management professionals working across vast sectors of industry, such areas ranging from health and wellness to artificial intelligence. The experiences of these professionals are captured in the articles that comprise this magazine, each telling a compelling narrative about the work they are doing to advance Baltimore as a city and how that work seeks to make Baltimore a better place to work, live and play.

The team for this fall 2019 issue is comprised of ten students. The students include Akinbowale Ayeni, Bilal Rahim, Emmett Ayomanor, Esther Mesioye, Khari Whitmyer, Lloyd Davis, Michael Bryant, Satova Blackwell, Tajiri Gourdine, and Tope Oluwadare. These students worked throughout a twelve-week period to produce this highly informative magazine. They applied project management principles such as planning, scheduling, requirements and resource gathering, execution and closing, to create this edition of Morgan State’s PM magazine. Similar to all projects, they experienced their share of changes, risks and issues throughout its implementation.

This magazine includes the experiences of project managers working in a variety of fields, each with the intention of enhancing the ‘charm’ in Baltimore’s well-known moniker, “Charm City”. Our lead article comes from Alex Jackson, the Media Relations Manager for the Baltimore-Washington Rapid Rail project. Within it, Jackson highlights and provides updates regarding one of the largest developments in transportation that this area has seen in quite some time. Project Management Professional (PMP) Lisa Harper sheds light on the impact that artificial intelligence has had on the development of modern cities such as Baltimore. We even received an article contribution from Nicola Norman, the Community Program Coordinator for the Institute for Integrative Health who enlightens readers on the ways that project management tools and techniques are being used to create youth programs aimed at combating Baltimore’s food-desert crisis. It is clear to see that this magazine covers a lot of ground in its effort to display the many ways in which project management in being used to maintain Baltimore as one of the greatest cities in America, despite its current challenges.

It is our hope that you find our edition enjoyable, informative, and inspiring as you read through the experiences of project managers in the city where we ourselves, live, work, and play. But don’t just read about it, we encourage you to come and experience the many reasons why Baltimore bears the name,”Charm City”. Enjoy the magazine.

Dr. Monica Kay, PMP Adjunct Professor and Editor 12th Edition MSU PM Magazine

MESSAGE FROM CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS

*

Message from the Editor Monica Kay, D.B.A., PMP

Message from Contributing Authors

Akinbowale Ayeni, Khari Whitmyer, Lloyd Davis, Esther Mesioye, Tope Oluwadare, Michael Bryant, Satova Blackwell, Bilal Rahim, Emmett Ayomanor, Tajiri Gourdine

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Project Management in Baltimore: IT’S EVERYWHERE! – Carl Pritchard, PMP

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The Streets are Watching: Dilapidated School Buildings Deprive Baltimore’s Students, While Simultaneously Feeding Them to the Criminal Justice System - Canela Una Martín Acosta Eatman, Ed.D.

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Improving Baltimore Public Schools Safety and Security using Project Management Processes – Victor Arotimi

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Impact of Artificial Intelligence in the Development of Modern Cities – Lisa Harper, PMP

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Project Communication Management in Urban Planning – Jim Sklenar, PMP

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Baltimore-Washington Rapid Rail: The Grandfather Clock Effect of Stakeholders – Alex Jackson

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Overcoming Obstacles when introducing project management framework into an urban credit union – Sonya Davis

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A Thriving Mission: Combating Baltimore City’s Food Deserts Through Education and Urban Farming – Nicola Norman

Blessing and Curse 10 The of living in Baltimore City: As we complete our study of project management at Morgan State University located in Baltimore the oldest city in Maryland, it becomes evident that the principles and practice of project management is more relevant in every facet of human life and development.

This edition of the PM magazine presents project management with a focus on Baltimore and how it can be used to advance the city. Articles in the following pages touch on the role and impact of project management in Baltimore’s major foundational areas such as education, transportation, technology,

urban development, health, crime and policing as well as its cultural sustainability.

As contributing editors, creating the 12th edition of the magazine together has been a highly valuable experience from start to finish. With the various constraints it presented, our successful completion was guided by aligning our plans and actions to the concepts and methodologies of project management, which we tailored to execute the project. * Tarijini Gourdine - not pictured

Using Project Management –Teresa Dangerfield, PMP and Keri Rantin, PMP

a Successful Healthcare 11 Building System Infrastructure – Rahman Parker, Program Development SME

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Go Where the Action Is! -Nicholas Wojnowski, PMP

Graphic Design by Sydney Nicole Kay

FALL 2019 | PM magazine

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT IN BALTIMORE—IT’S EVERYWHERE! We live in a fascinating city in fascinating times.

Baltimore is home to a rich history, heavy news scrutiny, heavy industry, Carl Pritchard, PMP, and people just trying to PMI-RMP Pritchard Management make ends meet. What do they all share? Project Associates Management.

The challenge as a project manager in Baltimore is that different organizations take the practice to different levels of depth. The expectations range from that of “motherhen” to “detailed master planner”. The vital nature of the city itself creates an entire subset of risks that otherwise would not have to be considered.

“Weliveinafascinatingcityinfascinatingtimes.

Baltimoreishometoarichhistory, heavynewsscrutiny, heavyindustry, andpeoplejust tryingtomakeends meet. What dotheyall share? Project Management”.

Project Management in Greater Baltimore

There are a host of different organizations that boast Project Management Offices (PMO) in Baltimore, but their nature could not be more different. From financial institutions like T. Rowe Price to educational stalwarts like Morgan State and Loyola universities, the PMO plays a dominant role. From Baltimore Gas and Electric to the federal government entities, PMO’s create a degree of constancy in the project management practice.

While widespread adoption of project practices continues to spread, the nature of those practices is widely varied. For example, Largescale construction organizations, often adopt the Primavera suite of tools to manage their projects. Primavera—and those who use it— requires serious rigor in the application of the baseline, the controls, and alterations to time and cost. Smaller organizations tend to favor smaller tools, with many still preferring to either hand-craft a schedule or to build it out using Post-It® notes. There is no universal standard, but there are rules.

Baltimore boasts a chapter of the Project Management Institute with over 3,600 members. That puts the city in the largest class of PMI chapters recognized at a global level. It also means that there is a reasonable expectation that individual practitioners across the city will have some degree of involvement with (or certification from) the Institute. The chapter lays claim to 2,600+ members who have earned the Project Management Professional® certification.

PM Expectations In many of Baltimore’s smaller organizations, project managers are not expected to be certified or credentialed. Instead, they are simply expected to act as “motherhen” for their proj-

ects. While organizations with a handful of small projects may benefit from some of the higher-end project management tools, the learning curve and tool costs sometimes limit their adoption. Project managers in such environments are often victims of their success, in that work gets done without heavy structure and organization.

Where there are heavy structures and organization, expectations mount rapidly. The Baltimore City Schools Capital Improvement Project (CIP) is one such example. A major ongoing project came under fire in early September 2019. The project, to replace the air conditioning systems in 70 schools, began in 2016 and some three years later, only 13 had been converted (Menitoff, 2019). The project shortfalls came to light on a hot fall day when schools had to close early to cope with an oppressive heatwave. As one parent, Gregory Pinkney told CBS News, “I don’t understand why here in 2019, almost 2020, that we are still facing this problem.” (Menitoff, 2019).

City Risks Any large project comes with risk. But the CIP underscores the nature of trying to deal with the scale of big-city projects. The litany of examples points to the challenges of working within the construct of a major metropolitan area. Past risks include: »

September 2019 – Downtown Baltimore is blocked off as police investigate a potential terror threat (Watson, 2019).

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May 2019 – Baltimore is targeted by a ransomware attack, halting real estate projects in their tracks (Duncan, 2019).

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December 2018 – The Howard Street Tunnel expansion is stalled by a train derailment and fire (CBS Baltimore, 2018).

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December 2018 – Sinkholes shut down light rail and construction projects, snarling traffic (Campbell, 2019).

In each instance, not only were the primary

projects affected, but a slew of unknown ripple effects echoed across the city. From the events at the Convention Center that had to be reconfigured, to the investors who had to postpone agreements until the city got its systems back… the cascade of risks that affect city dwellers (and city projects) is virtually endless.

“Themulti-dimensional natureof project management in acitysettingisnot uniquetoBaltimore, but thenature of Baltimoreisunique. Assuch, project managersinthe citywouldbewell-advisedtolearnthecityandits environment.”

Everywhere in Baltimore The multi-dimensional nature of project management in a city setting is not unique to Baltimore, but the nature of Baltimore is unique. As such, project managers in the city would be well-advised to learn the city and its environment. From the resurgence of Federal Hill to the infrastructure challenges of failing water mains (even near the stadiums and Inner Harbor), projects in Baltimore need project managers who genuinely grasp the nature of the city and its history.

With a recognition (and precognition) of what’s involved, they stand a far better probability of success and have the opportunity to build alliances that can stand the test of city life in Charm City.

References: Campbell, C. (2019, June 30). Sinkholes close Howard, Lexington streets in Baltimore, interrupt light rail traffic. Retrieved October 10, 2019, from https:// www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-howard-street-void20181202-story.html.

CBS Baltimore, W. J. Z. (2018, December 13). Howard Street Tunnel Expansion Back On Track, CSX Gives $91M Commitment. Retrieved October 11, 2019, from https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2018/12/13/howard-street-tunnel-expansionback-on-track-csx-gives-91m-commitment.

Duncan, I. (2019, June 29). Home sales are held up; Baltimore ransomware attack cripples systems vital to real estate deals. Retrieved October 10, 2019, from https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-ransomwarehome-sales-20190514-story.html.

Menitoff, R. (2019). Baltimore City Schools Without AC Close 2 Hours Early.

Retrieved October 3, 2019, from https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2019/09/04/ baltimore-city-schools-without-ac-closing-2-hours-early.

Watson, T. (2019, September 10). ‘NO ILL INTENT’: Suspicious vehicle at Inner Harbor is found to be filled with stolen fuel. Retrieved October 10, 2019, from https://foxbaltimore.com/news/local/breaking-police-responding-to-report-of-asuspicious-vehicle-near-pratt-street.

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THE STREETS ARE WATCHING: Canela Una Martín Acosta Eatman Johns Hopkins University, Interim Assistant Director of Hop-In

DILAPIDATED SCHOOL BUILDINGS DEPRIVE BALTIMORE’S STUDENTS, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY FEEDING THEM TO THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

The talks of fixing Baltimore’s dilapidated school buildings are nothing new. In 2013 some measures were taken to remedy this ongoing problem, but due to the cost, they were more like bandages on bullet holes.

Alumni from schools like Lake Clifton Eastern High School rallied to maintain the building and to keep the school open.

However, in November of 2018, Lake Clifton along with three other schools were scheduled to be “surplused” which, in essence, means closed. Four closed schools. They were stated to be returned to the City of Baltimore between 2019 and 2020. Criteria considered prior to closing the Baltimore schools included student enrollment trends, the age and condition of the school buildings, the racial composition of each school’s student body, educational program offerings, and financial considerations.

Lake Clifton Eastern High School has a capacity of 2,540 (BaltimoreCitySchools.

Org, 2019). The program currently housed in the Lake Clifton building is the ‘Reach! Partnership School’ which serves 575 students in grades 9-12 (BaltimoreCitySchools.Org, 2019). In the 2016-2017 academic year, the percentage of students achieving proficiency in high school Reading/Language Arts was 10-14% (Public School Review, 2019), more than 25% lower than the Maryland state average and still below the nationwide average (Public School Review, 2019), which according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, was 37% (NAEP Report Cards, 2019). Additionally, a direct correlation has been made between the -school- toprison pipeline system and functional illiteracy. Dr. Philip Schlechty, CEO and Founder of the nonprofit Schlechty Center for Leadership in School Reform, defines functional illiteracy as “reading and writing skills that are inadequate to manage daily living and employment tasks that require reading skills beyond a basic level in any language.” Approximately 85% of all juvenile inmates are functionally illiterate.

As Baltimore City students, parents, and alumni watch schools that once had the

school-aged children suffer due to decrepit academic facilities. Unorganized and unplanned performance of what should have been regularly scheduled maintenance becomes reactive maintenance, which is both costly and detrimental to the community.

“We all know that clean, quiet, safe, comfortable and healthy environments are an important component of successful teaching and learning... School facilities affect learning. Spatial configurations, noise, heat, cold, light, and air quality”(Schneider, 1970).

potential to educate over 2,500 students, dwindle to a little over a quarter of that amount, a clear message is being sent to the community: your education is only considered in terms of monetary functionality. In 2014, CEO Gregory Thornton assured the alumni of Lake Clifton Eastern High School that it would remain open, making renovations a priority since they had been put off for so long. Yet, on March 26th , 2019, at the recommendation of the CEO, the board voted in favor of the schools closure at the end of 2019.

Because renovation is costly, it becomes worth a king’s ransom when postponed.

Comprehensive planning and management of urban infrastructure is paramount when upkeep is calculated by project management personnel. A building such as Lake Clifton Eastern High School, built in 1971,requires regularly scheduled maintenance. project management has final deliverables hat are controlled by allocated budget and timetables. The question becomes, what was the timescale and budget for thehigh school building? For a buildingthat is nearly 50 years old, poor maintenance isn’t an option. A project of this magnitude requires a manager with proper training, suitable manuals, adequate spare parts and a plausible budget. A preventive maintenance program must be authorized. If not,

The absence of the aforementioned components connotes deficient educational opportunities. Scarce academic resources are the gateway to community bankruptcy. The likelihood of students in dilapidated schools becoming involved in the criminal justice system increases when the scheduled maintenance of schools decreases.

When Lake Clifton Eastern High School alumni petitioned city officials to keep their alma mater open and make renovations a priority, it seems Thornton’s assurance of the school remaining open was unsustainable as the pricey renovations had not been included in the cost analysis of the first phase. Lake Clifton was closed to eliminate expenses due to the poorly maintained facility– precisely what alumni attempted to avoid as far back as 2014.

Properly maintained schools demand adequate and realistic funding sources, to increase the likelihood of safer communities and narrow the school-to-prison pipeline.

References: Baltimorecityschools.org. (2019). [online]. Available at: https://www.baltimorecityschools.org/sites/default/files/2019-01/CEFMP-2018.pdf [Accessed 1 Nov. 2019].

NAEP Report Cards. (2019). [online] Available at: https://www.nationsreportcard. gov/. [Accessed 1 Nov. 2019].

Public School Review. (2019). [online] Available at: https://www.publicschoolreview.com/the-reach-partnership-school-profile [Accessed 1 Nov. 2019].

Schneider, M. (1970, January 1). Do School Facilities Affect Academic Outcomes?

National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities, available at http://www. edfacilities.org/pubs/outcomes.pdf, accessed 28.08.08. Retrieved from http://core. ac.uk/display/21643333.

Literacy Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved December 2, 2019, from:https://www.begintoread.com/research/literacystatistics.html.

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IMPROVING BALTIMORE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

SAFETY ANDSECURITY USINGPROJECTMANAGEMENTPROCESSES School shootings in the United States have Dr. Victor Arotimi become an epidemic Pupil Personnel that is hard to contain.

Services It cut short the lives Prince George’s County of innocent students, Public Schools causing the family to mourn their young children that were once thought to bring fortune to the family after graduating from school, creating a big loss that can never be regained. If the shooting is not targeting the student, it will be at the school’s staff or administrator. School violence and shootings are disturbing, and it not only affects the family, it affects the school community, the county, the state and the country at-large. Baltimore schools are not excluded from the schools having this problem.

Recently, a gunman shot a staff member at Fredrick Douglas high school causing the entire school to be in a panic until it was confirmed safe again for the students and staff.

throughout the county (BCPS Performance Report 2012-2015). In managing this project, the Board of Education ensures that funds are disbursed directly to the office of security through the operations management department to ensure the timely disbursement of funds to implement the safety initiative.

The question becomes, how can we stop the spread of this shooting epidemic in our Baltimore schools using project management knowledge areas?

Communication plays a major role as an essential catalyst in ensuring the success of the project. As stakeholders meet on an intermittent basis to evaluate the success of the school safety and security plan, ample opportunities should be accorded to each stakeholder to air their views. Speaking and active listening are essential to effective communication. Virtual communication can play a key role as key players may not always physically converge to deliberate on issues relating to safety and security in the school system.

The following project management knowledge areas can be utilized to implement safety and security in Baltimore public schools.

Project Cost Management According to the Baltimore County Blue Print 2.0 Performance Report, it was envisaged that every school and office would be safe and secure, promote individual well-being, and provide positive, respectful, and caring environments for teaching, learning, and working.

The Baltimore County Board of Education approved 45% of its total budget for implementing the safety and security initiatives in various schools

tion of the district wide safety and security of staff and students, it is essential that key players, such as security officers, police, investigative officers, gang units, cyber unit’s administrative secretaries, and other staff are trained and capable of playing their roles effectively to ensure the implementation of the project. It is noteworthy that successful implementation of the project will ultimately lead to school safety and produce an environment conducive to teaching and learning.

“Implementation of the safety and security project in schools should ensure that base administrative and security teams, staff, students, parents and families are aware of the evacuation plan in each building.”

Project Communication Management

“School violence and shootings is disturbing, and it not only affects the family, it affects the school community, the county, the state and even the country at- large.”

Project Stakeholder Management In planning and executing the project of safety and security in Baltimore County schools the operations director also acts as the project manager.

He or she should have an open policy during the execution of the project. The leader should be able to earn the trust and respect of each stakeholder and accommodate diverse viewpoints. Along these lines, it is the responsibility of the project manager to collaborate with other stakeholders in order to deliver the project at a reasonable cost and on time.

Project Resources Management Staff training is an essential component of project management in planning and executing safe and secure learning environments for staff and students. To ensure the successful implementa-

Project Procurement Management An office of procurement must ensure that bids and contract awards are competitive and awarded to contractors who can oversee the contract at a minimum cost, while not neglecting the quality of products. In managing this project, the office of procurement ensures that funds allocated by the board of education are utilized judiciously. To ensure school safety, the office of procurement and logistics will manage the delivery of security apparatuses such as security cameras, sniffing dogs, and staff and student identification badges.

The budget office will partner with the office of procurement to ensure fiscal responsibility and monitor the project.

Project Constraints Project managers might be confronted with time management and task accomplishment. It is essential that projects are executed based on budget and priorities. It should also be based on the availability of the tools essential to the project.

Overall, the success of safety and security in Baltimore County schools is contingent on efficient project management and ongoing training of pertinent stakeholders. Additionally, since school discipline is known to be a critical component of school safety and security, project managers should consider developing and training students, staff and administrators on how to be safe within the school environment to be successful.

References: Baltimore County Public Schools. Blueprint 2.0 Performance Report (2012-2015).

Division of Accountability and Assessment (2016), Baltimore, Maryland. Retrieved from https://www.bcps.org/blueprint/safety.html US. Department of Education, National Center for Educations Statistics. (2019).

Indicators of School Crime and Safety. 2018 (NCES 2019-047). Indicator 19.

Retrieved from https://www.schoolsecurity.org/resource/schoool-secuirty-andschool emergency-funding

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IMPACT OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MODERN CITIES Lisa Harper, PMP Adjunct Professor Morgan State University

It has been two years since I was designated as the project manager for an artificial intelligence (AI) project. In the beginning, I was drinking from the fire hose because I knew nothing about AI.

I had many questions and read a lot of information because I knew that I had some catching up to do. My constant questions and clarifications caused the solution architect on the project to put his earphones on, roll his eyes and grit his teeth many times in the last two years. This was not due to his disinterest in helping but due to differences in our communication styles. His focus was on tasks and results while my focus was on people and not too many details.

Based upon the solution architect’s communication style, I learned that it is best not to ramble and to be clear, specific and to the point (Communication, miscommunication or the lack of communication has a significant impact on a project).

To improve communication, my recommendation is to profile team members to create self-awareness (with the use tools such as Myers Briggs and DISC) and take time as a team to learn and understand other’s styles and make an effort to approach and engage your team members in a way they prefer.

remove—ultimately, generating $2.9 trillion in business value by 2021”.

One of the first things I learned while working on the AI project is that the core concept regarding AI systems is that their predictions are only as good as their data. With this knowledge in mind, preparing and cleaning data is clearly something that has become a more vital part of the project process. With our project, during the proof of concept, the AI vendor reviewed 97,400 contracts that equated to over one million pages. Imagine that! Because the data was in structured and unstructured formats, this step was the most labor-intensive part of building the AI system’s proof of concept. It took a while for data analysts to complete this essential step with the help of the professionals who do the job every day.

Extra considerations were needed to manage the team and scope resulting in longer project estimates to build the right data infrastructure and to prepare data in disparate formats.

This specific task was done in linear steps, which did not fit neatly into typical project methodologies such as Agile or Waterfall, although the proof of concept as a whole utilized sprints.

The project team quickly realized that humans needed to perform three crucial roles: 1.

To train machines to perform certain tasks;

“It’s all about people first—then process and technology—to support them in their jobs.”

2.

To explain the outcomes of those tasks, especially when the results were counterintuitive or controversial; and,

I adapted by learning on the job, listening to webinars and attending conferences. Although it is not mandatory for project managers to be technical experts in the field of projects for which they are responsible, it is good to familiarize oneself with the basic requisite knowledge and information because these will help improve stakeholder engagement and management.

3.

To sustain the responsible use of machines.

With the rise of AI and other emerging technologies, it is becoming less of a “nice to have” and more of an essential concept for technical project managers to understand. In a recent press release from Gartner (Stamford, 2017), a world leading research company, they state, “by 2020, AI will generate 2.3 million jobs, exceeding the 1.8 million that it will

Machine-learning algorithms were taught how to perform the work that they were designed to do because the data was a combination of unstructured and structured data.

The proof of concept proved that we were buying the same product from the same vendor at different prices. Previously, we did not have visibility into the data nor did we have visibility into what other divisions were purchasing. We were shocked by some of the results and we found price differences upward of 322% on the same product purchased.

I ran into familiar and new challenges which highlighted the

importance of using resources and asking questions to be aware of potential issues throughout the entire process. This included the creation of the project’s scope at the beginning through to completion.

In collaboration with the project communications team, a stakeholder engagement plan and a communication plan were created to ensure engagement and communication to help stakeholders understand and feel more comfortable with the uses and complexities of utilizing AI as a tool. It was important to communicate often and at various stages of the project and during its implementation. We wanted to educate our stakeholders about AI and its capabilities and more importantly, we wanted our stakeholders to know that AI is an enabler that empowers them and their operations.

“Reimagining the way the workforce operates, redesigning processes and aligning humans to offer more strategic value and less tactical operations will be key. ” Now let us talk about the impact of AI in the development of modern cities. How can a similar AI proof of concept help the city of Baltimore? Let’s think about AI being similar to hiring or on-boarding a new employee who will work in the tax assessor’s office. This new employee will figuratively work sideby-side with almost every worker in the tax assessor’s office.

Considering AI in this humanizing way is essential to its future success in the city of Baltimore.

As an example of the use of AI, the tax assessor’s office receives a lot of emails from residents inquiring about issues related to their taxes. The emails deal with all sorts of subjects from claims to address changes. The emails come into a central queue and are forwarded and answered when an employee is available after finishing all of their other tasks.

Because of the growing volume of emails, the leader of the team felt that it was important to automate the process. A key task would be, identify the primary topic of the email and forward to the appropriate department. Robotic process automation, a form of AI, can be used to send the email automatically and use machine learning to classify the emails so that they are forwarded to the correct department.

Also, a substantial amount of data will be required to facilitate the machine learning process and to help employees analyze the data in the initial stages of setting up the new AI tool. The tax assessor employees can now use time freed up by AI functions to deliver value back to the organization in creative, new and different ways.

It will be important for the city of Baltimore to realize they do not have to eat the proverbial elephant all in one sitting. They can simply start with small changes or key business goals and let success do the talking. Build a beacon of light for the future where the human and the machine work side by side for better outcomes and greater employee growth.

References: Gartner press release (STAMFORD, Conn., December 13, 2017). Retrieved from https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2017-12-13-gartnersays-by-2020-artificial intelligence-will-create-more-jobs-than-it-eliminates

Created by Ken Thomson, Solution Architect

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PROJECT COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT IN URBAN PLANNING IN BALTIMORE Jim Sklenar

This was the backstory I was told as I joined the Morgan State University staff of the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission [NIPC, since replaced by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP)]. The Cuyahoga had burned before, but it had not “made the news.” This time it did, partisans for and against water quality took sides, and on December 2, 1970 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was established to contain the various federal government agencies with environmental missions (EPA.GOV, [American Psychological Association], n.d.). I joined the NIPC staff as its “work program and budget officer,” responsible for ensuring that a) all staff were fully assigned (and, therefore, funded), that b) all funded work was assigned to someone, and that c) all work products were delivered to the appropriate parties. Some 53 major technical reports, studies or staff papers were created to support the planning activities.

Adjunct Professor

streams of the six-county region around the City of Chicago according to the guidelines of Section 208 of the National Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972 (EPA.GOV, [American Psychological Association], n.d.). The Commission’s authority to prepare and make recommendations to units of local government regarding land use and related issues is found in the Northeastern Illinois Planning Act in Chapter 1705 of the Illinois Compiled Statutes. The resulting water quality management plan is part of the Commission’s efforts over several decades to develop regional, long-term plans for preserving and enhancing the region’s water resources. In particular, this plan called for a comprehensive, integrated approach to protect regional water supplies, reduce stormwater and flooding impacts, and protect the water quality of northeastern Illinois’ rivers, lakes, and wetlands.

In central Maryland, we have a NIPC counterpart, the Baltimore Metropolitan Council, which provides staff support to both the Council and to the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board.

The author is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP®); The APA (American Planning Association) maintains a similar certification for urban planners. As a PMP, I’m well aware that the international Project Management Institute (PMI) publishes the PMBOK Guide® (Project Management Body of Knowledge), which is organized into chapters thusly:

leadership workshops. Toward the end of the process, a regional forum was convened and filmed, so that concerned citizens who were not able to attend could view it. NIPC acquired a telephone company-provided answering machine, so that people all over the six-county metropolitan area could provide individual input on the various water quality planning initiatives. This telephone’s number was widely advertised.

“The NIPC water quality management planning program was extensively preplanned, funded at the front end, and well-supported by top-level decision-makers throughout the region.”

Each chapter of the PMBOK Guide contains “ITTOs” (Inputs, Tools & Techniques, and Outputs). For the communications chapter, some of the inputs are project charter, project management plan, and work performance reports. Some of the tools and techniques are communications requirements analysis, communication skills, technology and models and methods, project reporting, and data representation. Some of the outputs are the communications management plan, work performance information, and actual project communications.

Some outputs, like status reports, are traditional.

“ On 22 June 1969 the Cuyahoga River caught fire as decades of oil and debris wound its way through Cleveland, Ohio, so NIPC received $5.2 million.” – (Clevelandhistorical.org. [American Psychological Association], n.d.)

By fiscal year 2000, states spent an estimated $4,479,511,907 on programs to protect water quality, drinking water, marine and coastal areas, and water resources. NIPC received some $5.2 million to develop a plan for cleaning up the rivers and

The PMBOK Guide is exactly what its title implies: a guide to stuff that the project manager should be aware of; it’s not a “how-we-do-it.”

For this essay, I will focus on project communications management, which was a major emphasis of the development of the water quality management planning effort for NIPC. In fact, it’s central to any urban planning initiative, or any project funded with public budgets, grants, or funds. Where did the money come from? And, what do the voters, constituents, or other providers expect from the project, process, or procedure? Easiest way to find out? Ask them…or look at the contract.

Several town meeting-type sessions were held throughout the region and recorded. NIPC staff supported many working groups, and conducted

Today, using more current technology, there are many new tools available. For example, #PMChat is an innovative way to connect with other project managers, get answers to specific project management questions, and obtain different perspectives from planning professionals across the globe.

Project managers can also earn professional development units (PDUs) to maintain their PMI certifications by participating in the chat. As we found in NIPC’s water quality management plan development, communication in urban plan development is key to a successful process, and key to a useful plan.

References: Project Management Institute. (2017I ). A guide to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK guide) 6th ed. .Newtown Square, Pa. : Project Management Institute, Inc.

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PM magazine | FALL 2019

BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON RAPID RAIL THE GRANDFATHER CLOCK EFFECT OF STAKEHOLDERS

Alex Jackson Media Relations Manager Baltimore-Washington Rapid Rail

It is not easy changing the way the United States of America thinks of mass transit, but Northeast Maglev is trying to do just that.

Northeast Maglev, a private U.S. company with offices in Baltimore, Annapolis and Washington, D.C., is committed to addressing the Northeast Corridor’s transportation challenges by introducing the technology of the world’s safest and fastest train – the Superconducting Maglev (SCMAGLEV). The company’s goal is to build a train that would offer service from Washington, D.C. to New York in one hour, connecting major airports and cities like Philadelphia and Wilmington in between. To start, it has proposed a first leg that would take passengers from Washington D.C. to Baltimore in just 15 minutes.

The first leg alone would be one of the most significant civil works projects the region has overseen. An economic impact study determined that the construction of the SCMAGLEV train from Washington, D.C. to Baltimore will generate hundreds of millions of dollars annually in economic activity and create tens of thousands of jobs in Maryland, in fields like construction, engineering, maintenance, operations and facilities management.

Currently, The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Maryland Department of Transportation-Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT-MTA) are preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the potential impacts of constructing and operating a high-speed superconducting magnetic levitation (SCMAGLEV) system between D.C. and Baltimore with an intermediate stop at BWI Airport. At this stage, the EIS has narrowed its examination to two routes located on either side of Interstate 295 and a “no build” option.

While the project’s future ultimately depends on the selection of one of two remaining routes under consideration, what remains clear is the fact that America must look to high-speed rail as a solution for the population and congestion that threaten the nation’s economy and its environment. A high-speed transportation system like SCMAGLEV, that provides reliable, efficient, and cost-effective movement of passengers, is critical to attract new businesses to the region and support continued economic growth.

“Northeast Maglev also announced the endorsement of the Greater Baltimore Urban League in 2018 and the Maryland State Conference NAACP earlier this year (as well as its individual local branches of Prince George’s, Anne Arundel, and Baltimore Counties, and Baltimore City).”

Need for Speed The fastest operating train in America currently is Amtrak’s Acela, which averages around 85 miles per hour and tops out at 150 miles per hour. The SCMAGLEV system proposed by Northeast Maglev, which is currently in operation in Japan, whisks passengers to and from their destination at speeds of 311 miles per hour.

While high-speed trains are the norm across Europe and Asia, they do not exist in America. Several companies are in the process of attempting to build faster trains around the country, with projects active in Florida, Texas and California. But Northeast Maglev’s proposal is the fastest and for the most congested region in the country.

Northeast Corridor is home to 17.2 percent of the US population, according to the 2018 Census (U.S. Census, 2018). It’s also home

to 1 out of 5 of all US jobs, according to the Northeast Corridor Infrastructure and Operations Advisory Commission — all on a land area that represents just 2 percent of the United States (NORTHEAST CORRIDOR INFRASTRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS ADVISORY COMMISSION, 2013) .

In the Northeast Corridor Infrastructure Master Plan, Amtrak and the eight commuter railroads found that with slightly over $50 billion of investments in modernizing existing infrastructure and increasing capacity, intercity ridership could increase by 76 percent and commuter ridership by 58 percent by 2030. That same study, however, also concluded that the rail system would still be operating at capacity in 2030 even with those improvements.

These challenges are intensified when considering the Northeast Corridor’s residential population is expected to grow by 12 million by 2040 (NORTHEAST CORRIDOR INFRASTRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS ADVISORY COMMISSION, 2013).

Northeast Maglev’s message is simple -- If we do not bring advanced transportation technology and new ways of thinking about transportation to the corridor--delays will only become worse. Worse yet, the effects of doing nothing will be felt in ways far more damaging than increased commute times.

SCMAGLEV technology offers major benefits to the environment. By reducing auto and air trips, the SCMAGLEV will reduce air and noise pollution and provide a host of additional environmental benefits. The technology is entirely electric, and the use of superconducting magnets allows the SCMAGLEV to achieve tremendous emission savings compared to automobiles and planes.

As climate change continues to threaten the earth, it is critical that the United States acts as a leader for change by adopting greener modes of transportation.

Stakeholder Engagement: Building the Future Together The management of stakeholder relationships is critical in the coming phases of the project life cycle. To deliver the SCMAGLEV to the Northeast Corridor, the Northeast Maglev project management team is continuously working to engage members of the local community about the project.

Informing the public of the project’s countless benefits, such as its potential to deliver tens of thousands of jobs to the region over the life of the project, is critical. But most importantly, the Northeast Maglev project

FALL 2019 | PM magazine

management team is committed to seeking feedback from stakeholders across the region and maintaining an open dialogue as the company works to bring a new ultra-fast transportation mode to the Baltimore-Washington region, and ultimately all the way from Washington, D.C., to New York City.

As the project management team meets with homeowners, faith groups and local businesses across the region, it has had the opportunity to clear up common misconceptions about the project. It also has the invaluable opportunity to learn more about the challenges facing communities, and partner with them to provide solutions.

While the company is just in the early phases of the project, it has announced support from likeminded organizations that seek to maximize the benefits associated with bringing a high-speed train to the region.

In 2017, The Northeast Maglev announced a partnership with the North American Building Trades Unions (NABTU) as a stakeholder to utilize its skilled labor and develop new opportunities for training and skill development. Building on its commitment to facilitate future SCMAGLEV construction jobs for local residents, The Northeast Maglev also announced the endorsement of the Greater Balti-

more Urban League in 2018 and the Maryland State Conference NAACP earlier this year (as well as its individual local branches of Prince George’s, Anne Arundel, and Baltimore Counties, and Baltimore City).

Meanwhile, the Northeast Maglev team is working diligently to provide the engineering resources necessary for public agencies to prepare the EIS in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). The process includes the participation of more than 30 federal, state and local agencies.

A draft EIS is scheduled to be published by early 2020 and will be followed by public meetings to allow for additional public input. A final EIS is expected to be complete by early 2021, along with a record of decision. Construction could begin shortly thereafter.

“The technology is entirely electric, and the use of superconducting magnets allows the SCMAGLEV to achieve tremendous emission savings compared to automobiles and planes.”

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The Northeast Maglev team is well aware it cannot change the way mass transit is viewed in America by itself. However, by engaging stakeholders early in the process and continuing a dialogue throughout the development of the SCMAGLEV project, Northeast Maglev hopes to maximize its benefits and provide a meaningful impact to the communities it is affecting. .”

References: https://www.census.gov/popclock/data_tables.php?component=growth http://nec-commission.com/mwg-internal/de5fs23hu73ds/ progress?id=pQtChwPmTn-2PKwTlahLUilu0QTIHqOm-UnVdHrW8d4 Northeast Corridor Infrastructure and Operations Advisory Commission (2013). Written Testimony of James P. Redeker On behalf of the Northeast Corridor Infrastructure and Operations Advisory Commission Before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Hearing “The Future of Passenger Rail: What’s Next for the Northeast Corridor?” April 17, 2018 Testimony. Retrieved from: http://nec-commission.com/app/ uploads/2018/04/JPR-Senate-Commerce-Written-Testimony_2013-04-17.pdf

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PM magazine | FALL 2019

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES WHEN INTRODUCING PROJECT MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK INTO AN URBAN CREDIT UNION When I was asked to set up the framework for a Credit Union’s first Project ManagePMO, Project Manager ment Office (PMO), my initial U.S. Based Credit Union thought was, does the leadership team really know what they are asking for? Nevertheless, I was excited to have such an opportunity. I mentally walked through scenarios and the steps needed to accomplish this endeavor. After observing and assessing multiple aspects of the organization, my thoughts quickly became, “Dios mío” which is translated to “Oh My God”. However, I was not deterred from this huge task; I was instead inspired. Armed with a diverse background, well rounded work experience, academic opportunities, residual tools and a motto instilled in me by my alma Johns Hopkins University (JHU), “Know that we will achieve together and do no harm”. With that, I started to draft out and create the PMO framework for my credit union.

Sonya Davis

PMO not just a theory but a practical standpoint.

My action plan would require developing a training course with a documented project managers’ playbook for the departmental project leads to leverage, as I realized that a communication strategy was essential for stakeholders at every level. I chose to tackle and complete each task from my prioritized task list and communicate project statuses often to inspire a shared vision.

“It is important to consistently demonstrate a collaborative approach, and know when it is necessary to demonstrate decisive sound leadership with technical expertise. In any organization, there are multiple personalities. Understanding your respective project team members strengths is key when leading project teams and it affords you the opportunity to be more fluid and cool under pressure. ”

Intention is important in everything we do in life.

Having clarity of mind and being focused in our activities propels us forward, allowing us to close in on our goals. It is not a matter of chasing our dreams but fulfilling them in increments. Sometimes slow and steady, other times more swiftly.

What’s Driving My Intention?

What’s driving my intention? In aligning the PMO with management strategic plan, the framework would have to align with the organization’s transformation goal. There will be an intense focus on process improvement throughout the operations of the credit union. Process improvement should be particularly beneficial in the lending areas, as this will increase efficiency, approvals and the funding of loans, resulting in an increase in the volume of business generated and income received. Process improvement also benefits the branch network allowing for faster service and the ability to cross sell additional products and services, which should translate into greater business opportunities. Accordingly, the value of the credit union’s membership should increase significantly. My project management action plan incorporated a percentage of human capital resources being focused on greater operational efficiency, ensuring adherence to a robust compliance environment and adherence to policies and procedures, including steady documentation along the way, and improving member experience all in an effort to posture the credit union for sustainable growth and increased profitability.

Thus my intention is clear, I realized that my work was cut out for me. I needed to put this PMO framework in place while effectively planning and executing multiple projects, and providing enterprise wide PMO oversight. In addition to building a successful

I established long term goals which I was diligently working towards. I tried not to allow negative thinking to deter me from realizing my ultimate goals for the PMO which was a fully operational PMO with enlightened departmental project leads who can execute projects utilizing the same repeatable processes. Another long-term goal was helping the organization master sustainability, forecasting, prioritizing, capacity planning, project effort estimation and enterprise project portfolio management.

I was keeping my eyes on the prize. My hope is that other project team members would show up to help the organization score a win together and be a part of the organizations’ transformational process.

I believe the secret on the objectives of our new PMO for attaining even the smallest of achievements with ease is being intentional. Having a clear intent helped me stay on task doing the things I wish to finish by next week, tomorrow, or even later today.

Importance of Having Clear Intention

What was used to fuel my intention with creating and implementing a PMO framework within a Credit Union was identifying and understanding what the Credit Union’s Management Plan was focused on, transformation within the entire organization. In the PM World, this discovery phase is considered to be or activity that occurs within the initiation phase.

or far-reaching. As one begins achieving goals, the momentum in achieving more goals was escalated.

Explaining, Articulating, Executing and Reinforcing Project Management Concepts within a Credit Union

The PMO concept was a new and needed concept for the organization. I had the executive team’s buy-in, but despite having their buy-in and confidence in my skillset, there were a few mid-level managers who seemed somewhat resistant to change, embracing a new transparent, and repeatable project management process to completing projects. As a project manager, I prided myself on being honest, maintaining the integrity of our work place and creating a safe environment where our views are heard and acknowledged. Though institutionalizing and managing the PMO framework is daunting at times, it is important to set realistic goals and positive ethical standards for the project teams to follow. Having patience also lends itself to having a successful PMO. It is important to consistently demonstrate a collaborative approach and know when it is necessary to demonstrate decisive sound leadership with technical expertise. In any organization, there are multiple personalities. This mean you must understand your respective project team members strengths, which is key when leading project teams as it affords you the opportunity to be more fluid and cool under pressure. With this in place the organization as a whole responded positively to a calm demeanor and poised PMO leader.

My short term goal for establishing a successful PMO Framework is to obtain and understand the clear picture of the organizational environment, as well as the organization’s ability to function collaboratively as one team. Not having a clear picture of the culture of the organization would make it difficult for me to gain their trust if I did not understand how they arrived at their current state. Simply focus on one thing as your intent, it doesn’t have to be huge

My success is put into motion, as my organization’s departmental project leads actively demonstrate the reinforced PMO framework that has been put in place, offering a repeatable methodology for executing projects. They now have a better understanding what a project is, what a Project Management Office does and what Project Management is.

Understanding Project Governance within the PMO This framework relates to the definition above because as managers we are expected to adhere to an organizational structure that standardizes the project-related governance processes and facilitates the sharing of resources, methodologies, tools, communication and techniques. These are the industry standards that the credit union’s PMO delivery office will adhere to ensure that traceability, repeatable processes, and open communication are in effect to minimize siloed project efforts.

My PMO Journal Wrap-Up Always strive to align your projects to the organization’s corporate initiatives. It helps when assigning priority of respective projects. It is also imperative that the project team gets it right the first time.

Always monitor and control the project scope throughout the project’s life cycle. As an organization implements a PM process or methodology, there are associated corporate real dollar cost savings. With this in mind there you have it, my high-level approach to developing and implementing credit union’s PMO Framework Roadmap with intention. I invite you all to be a part of transformative PMO progress.

Okay I have this, I can do this, and I know what I must do for this organization. PMO Clarity achieved!

From yours truly, A snip- it from a PMO diary from one who is Pessimistically Managing Optimism.

FALL 2019 | PM magazine

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A THRIVING MISSION: COMBATING BALTIMORE CITY’S FOOD DESERTS THROUGH EDUCATION AND URBAN FARMING Research from the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) revealed Community Program that youth that are not psychologically Coordinator engaged by some form of summer Institute for Integrative program activity during the three-month Health period tend to fall behind in the areas of math and reading (2019). Their research also revealed that on average, teachers spend at least 3 weeks getting these students caught up. This disproportionately affects youth from low-income backgrounds who, in the area of reading, tend to require another 2-3 months of catch-up. Additionally, a 2014 study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that minority children tend to gain weight twice as fast as their counterparts during the summer months if sedentary (Davidson & Adler, 2014).

Nicola Norman

In an effort to combat these findings, there are a number of projects and programs cropping up throughout the country aimed at keeping students academically, physically, emotionally, and spiritually engaged throughout the summer months. Mission Thrive Summer (MTS) is one of those programs. Going into its 8th year, the MTS program, a collaboration between The Institute for Integrative Health (TIIH) and Civic Works ‘Real Food Farm’ (RFF), seeks to address these issues through an immersive summer program model that engages thirty rising ninth graders in the City of Baltimore by equipping them with practical, hands-on life skills.

The program immerses student participants in cooking and nutritional education, agricultural awareness, the importance of physical fitness and community engagement while equipping them with the necessary tools for effectively managing stress. All of these areas have a focused intent on promoting a healthy and upward trajectory as these students enter high school and for life beyond their secondary education. This work, learn, and earn program is made possible by way of our sponsors, the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development (MOED) and ‘Youthworks’, who have partnered in an effort to provide summer employment to youth throughout Baltimore. This project dealt with stakeholders managing human resources from the city.

“Our intention was to get our student participants in the habit of cultivating a balanced and calm psychological state at the start of the day. This was also an effort made to drive home the fact that how we as humans start our day is often times what informs the trajectory of the remainder of it.”

The planning process for MTS is a collaborative one. TIIH provides nutrition and cooking educators, while Civic Works ‘Real Food Farm’ provides the program with experienced agriculturalists. At the start of 2019, we held meetings monthly to discuss and craft with Real Food Farm, which is our process for recruiting of our primary human resources. We sought to hire four, preferably college-age, ‘crew leaders’ who would be responsible for leading a ‘crew’ of 6-7 rising high school students. Ideally, successful candidates would have an interest in health education and youth development with a keen focus on ensuring that student participants leave the program with a holistic sense of what wellness means.

After fishing through numerous applications and selecting who we thought would be great additions to the MTS team, we implemented our plans for training and development. To ensure that crew leaders were adequately prepared to serve the programs participants, they underwent a mandatory 2-week leadership training led by team building and leadership experts appointed by TIIH. The trainings were small, focused, and designed to bring out the best in our crew leaders --which in-turn would help them bring out the best in our student participants-- increase their capacity for effective leadership, maintain a positive and nurturing attitude and demeanor, as well as effectively detect and solve problems. This is how we were able to ensure both our internal and external stakeholders

that our (human) resources were equipped with all of the tools necessary to execute MTS in a way leaves any and every one who comes in contact with it, a bit more self-actualized.

“The program also sought to teach our youth that thoughtful, healthy, and productive behaviors are both appreciated and rewarded.”

With all of the movement surrounding the on-boarding and resource development processes, the first day of the program crept up on us rather quickly. Upon us now was the day that we put all of our planning, recruiting, and resource priming to work and execute our collective vision.

Each one of our days at MTS began with a morning energizer. This could include some form of semi-vigorous exercise, yoga, or even meditation.

Our intention was to get our student participants in the habit of cultivating a balanced and calm psychological state at the start of the day. This was also an effort made to drive home the fact that how we as humans start our day is often times what informs the trajectory of the remainder it.

Post our daily morning energizer, the collective group was broken up and divided into their four crews. Each crew was given their morning assignment which pertained to one of three themes: diet & nutrition, cooking & food preparation, or agriculture. Three crews would be assigned a task related to one of these three themes, while the fourth would work to prepare a communal lunch for all to enjoy later in the day. This daily practice of each team having a responsibility either to learn or prepare a communal meal for the whole teaches the youth participants the importance of collectivism and shared knowledge as well as the more obvious theme under which they were working that day. For many of our participants, this was their first time in the kitchen preparing a thoughtful meal intended not only to feed themselves, but the community surrounding them.

Upon serving the meal, the group, along with the cooking instructor(s) guided them through the meal’s preparation, and would give a short presentation to the other students regarding the process of preparation, impediments, and the final outcome. This practice was implemented in an effort to enhance participants public speaking skills, get them thinking critically about processes (not just outcomes), and cultivated a sense of pride in their culinary creations.

Youth participants had the opportunity to participate in what we called the ‘Thrive Lab’. The ‘Thrive Lab’ was created to help our youth discover and explore invaluable life skills through the engagement of a bevvy of invited motivational speakers. The speakers we invited would facilitate activities or dig deep into interactive, age-appropriate discussions about issues and themes that are often omitted from school textbooks and academic curriculums. To name a few, speakers explored themes such as the development of healthy boundaries, alternative knowledge acquisition strategies, time management and emotional intelligence.

In addition to all of the fun and interactive activities, we also implemented ‘crew rotations’; these rotations consisted of housekeeping activities such as cleaning, peer-to-peer progress feedback, and the planning of community outreach events and initiatives. One of the youth initiatives proposed and executed this summer, was in partnership with Baltimore’s ‘Moveable Feast’, that was the preparation of over 2,000 meals for chronically ill Baltimore city residents. Additionally, our youth participants managed to facilitate a ‘game day’ for elementary student summer camp attendees at the Greenmount West Community Center (GWCC).

The program emphasized expectations from participants via learning and exercising the core values of teamwork, accountability, flexibility, and healthy decision making. The program, as I mentioned earlier, also sought to teach our youth that thoughtful, healthy, and productive behaviors are both appreciated and rewarded. In this instance, the reward for the

consistent display of such behaviors was the receipt of a modest stipend given to participants.

As a result of TIIH and RFF’s efforts to plan and execute the MTS program, our survey statistics (collected from pre and post survey results) indicate a 50% decrease in students perceived stress levels and a more than 70% increase in our youth who indicated increased confidence in their ability to prepare a healthy meal (Mission Thrive Summer, 2019). TIIH conducted a three-month follow up student follow-up post their participation in the MTS program. This follow-up consisted of face-to-face interviews with each student in their new high school setting where we sought to gauge student’s healthy emotional, physical, and nutritional habit retention in addition to getting feedback on their overall program participation experience.

“There are a number of projects and programs cropping up throughout the country aimed at keeping students academically, physically, emotionally, and spiritually engaged throughout the summer months. Mission Thrive Summer (MTS) is one of those programs.”

Here at TIIH, we embark on a wide array of projects related to health and wellness. As their community program coordinator, I am responsible for utilizing my understanding of what has and has not worked in the past when it comes to the integration and management of not one, but multiple projects at a time using integrative project management processes such as communication, stakeholder and time management.

Out of all of the projects that I have had the pleasure of managing at TIIH, the MTS program is the one nearest to my heart. The management of MTS is a vehicle through which I am able to productively contribute to the betterment of Baltimore (the city that raised me and that I love so dearly), while equipping our young people with the tools necessary to break the cycles of violence, ignorance, disease, and low self-esteem that have plagued our communities for years. It is my hope that the MTS program can be agent of change amongst our city’s youth in-turn inspiring a brighter tomorrow for the city of Baltimore.

References: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2019). Shaping Summertime Experiences: Opportunities to Promote Healthy Development and Well-Being for Children and Youth. Shaping Summertime Experiences: Opportunities to Promote Healthy Development and Well-Being for Children and Youth. Retrieved from: https://www.summerlearning.org/knowledge-center/ shaping-summertime-experiences-opportunities-to-promote-healthy-development-and-well-being-for-children-and-youth/ Franckle, R., Adler, R., & Davison, K. (2014, June 12). Accelerated Weight Gain Among Children During Summer Versus School Year and Related Racial/Ethnic Disparities: A Systematic Review. Retrieved October 30, 2019, from https://www. cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2014/13_0355.htm Mission Thrive Summer. (n.d.). Retrieved November 1, 2019, from https://tiih.org/ what-we-do/build-healthy-communities/mission-thrive/mission-thrive-summer/

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PM magazine | FALL 2019

THE BLESSING AND CURSE OF LIVING IN BALTIMORE: USING PROJECT MANAGEMENT TO TRANSFORM THE CITY Born and raised in Baltimore is a blessing and a Project Manager curse. We are blessed to U.S. Federal Government have witnessed the city’s transformation. Some of our childhood memories include playing games on the sidewalks, going to neighbor’s houses to get frozen cups, attending free camps, taking pony rides, going to the recreation center, enjoying Keri Rantin, PMP the marching bands, participating in block parties, and Project Manager watching movies in the U.S. Federal Government church parking lot. As the years passed, we have watched the demolition of the projects, the improvements of the Inner Harbor, enhancements to major hospitals, growth of mega churches, and the decline of city neighborhoods.

Teresa Dangerfield, PMP

“Financing is the biggest driver to start the transformation process.”

From our view, the improvements in Baltimore were necessary and would add value to some neighborhoods and to Baltimoreans. These areas are thriving, they are showcased, and crime is down. However, there are other neighborhoods in Baltimore that are continually plagued with low income families, abandoned homes, poverty, poor living conditions, and high crime rates. These areas are the forgotten neighborhoods in Baltimore.

In the forgotten neighborhoods, the education system has declined, houses are not maintained, kids are raising kids, jobs are not available, and after school programs do not exist. Baltimoreans are oppressed, depressed, and stressed because of the poor conditions of the neighborhoods. We are cursed to have witnessed the neighborhood where we grew up in and many other neighborhoods change to slums. The people who live in these communities are not all bad, some have become afraid, some have turned their backs on crime, and then others are the criminals. A plan is needed to balance the opportunities and reduce crime in Baltimore.

The opportunities that were provided to the growth of hospitals, mega churches and the Inner Harbor should be extended to Baltimore neighborhoods that were forgotten in city makeovers. Stakeholders are a critical asset to long lasting change. A comprehensive stakeholder analysis that carefully identifies influential stakeholders who will play a major role in changing this narrative is needed to achieve this goal. A project management tool that can be used is the Power/Interest grid or Power/Influence to determine influential stakeholders. A leader who cares for all the neighborhoods in Baltimore is key

to change and remains one of the most influential stakeholders in this process. This leader should have the support of other stakeholders who should constitute a good support system filled with people of integrity and obtain the necessary financial backing to execute a plan to transform forgotten neigh-

“Stakeholders are a critical asset to long lasting change. A comprehensive stakeholder analysis that carefully identifies influential stakeholders who will play a major role in changing this narrative is needed to achieve this goal.” borhoods in Baltimore.

Baltimore should also adopt a comprehensive source selection analysis that carefully selects contractors who not only invest in declining neighborhoods but are vested in the overall betterment of the city. The plan should create opportunities for residents to become home owners, and to re-open safe havens for kids. In addition, Baltimore neighborhoods should be cleaned, education improved, guns banned, and employment opportunities should be made available with second chances given to convicted felons. More importantly, the people of Baltimore should be valued and respected.

Financing is the biggest driver to start the transformation process. Baltimore should reallocate funds to the transformation project and the city government should request funds from the federal and state government, investors, and through phil-

anthropic donations. It is imperative to mention that external funding comes with certain requirements and the city authorities must play their part in meeting the stated requirements. In turn, the funds can be used to demolish and rebuild neighborhoods with blocks of abandoned homes. The new homes should be affordable and sold to low income families who reside in undeveloped areas in Baltimore. The city and state government should offer loans and low-income subsidy opportunities to Baltimoreans.

Additionally, Baltimore should reinstitute the one-dollar home buying program. This program can be used as a source of finance for low income families that live in the forgotten neighborhoods.

The one-dollar home buying program should consist of the homes in the neighborhoods that have vacant houses that need some improvements. Low-income Baltimoreans should be given a stipend from the city and state government to make improvements to homes purchased.

People who live in neighborhoods that consist of homeowners have the mindset to protect their investment. Implementing the home buying program in the forgotten neighborhoods will provide opportunities for Baltimoreans growth and it will drive down criminal activities. Improved neighborhoods will attract more businesses, new development of schools, and investments. The coordination of stakeholder involvement, procurement, cost management which will increase opportunities and decrease crime in our great city.

FALL 2019 | PM magazine

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BUILDING SUCCESSFUL URBAN HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS INFRASTRUCTURE In planning for healthcare urban communities with a 360-degree health systems in urban areas public and wellness impact. Comprehensive healthcare health and private healthcare systems not only guarantee access to affordable Program Deployment SME providers are addressing healthcare they so desperately need, urban, fulla growing heterogenous scope healthcare by their very nature educate Booz Allen Hamilton demographic, multiplicity of communities as to the importance of health mainlanguages, cultural practices, and ingrained health tenance and wellness habits. attitudes and practices. These challenges are then Following a 360-degree methodology and includcomplicated by uncertainty driven by the politics ing community concern and input the University of government support and subsidization of the of Maryland Medical Center conducted a healthsystem. Planning for urban healthcare systems care assessment centered on city of Baltimore. is then much more than simply property acqui“To complete a comprehensive assessment of sition, project planning and management, and a the needs of the community, the Association for quick transition to operations and maintenance.

Community Health Improvement’s (ACHI) 9-step Any plan will have to consider that patients in the Community Health Assessment Process was urban environment must be considered up front as utilized as an organizing methodology. The UMMC stakeholders in every aspect of the planning cycle.

Community Health Improvement Team (CHI Team) Urban healthcare systems must plan beyond the served as the lead team to conduct the Community curative cycle and include institutional outreach Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) with input from that encourage patient-stakeholders to become other University of Maryland Medical System Baltiactive in their own wellness. more City-based hospitals, community leaders, the » Urban health systems must respond to academic community, the public, health experts, rapid demographic, social and disease tran- and the Baltimore City Health Department.” (UMMC, sition while also contending with a plural- 2018) UMMC used a 9-step process (see Figure 1) ity of providers and a need to stimulate a to complete the community needs assessment. In multisectoral response to address the wider 2018 UMMC and for the first time all of the hospitals determinants of health. and healthcare centers in Baltimore collaborated in key data collection strategies to complete a joint » Rapid urbanization presents challenges community needs assessment. (UMMC, 2018) to traditional conceptualization of health systems.

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Second: build the healthcare clinics. The clinics can be built to provide specific levels of customized care for identified patients and their diseases. Each clinic will address the unique healthcare needs of the community.

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Third: staff the healthcare clinic infrastructure with a mix of paid and volunteer physicians, nurses and allied health services employees with a Direct Employment Vehicle (DEV) to cycle in prospective employees. Healthcare Systems designers should partner in institutions to ensure their graduates receive employment after receiving degrees or licensures.

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Fourth: replicate these clinics to the identified populations. These clinics can be managed by a Healthcare Systems Infrastructure team or company like the teams I have created at local, state, and federal government levels.

Rahman A. Parker

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Conceptualization of urban health system must consider multisector responses, engagement with a plurality of providers, the role of local governments and engagement of urban residents, particularly the poor.

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Data and evidence, and technological advances in e-health, can provide the glue to hold together this complex urban health system. (Elsey, Agyegong, Hugue, et. al., 2019)

Functional healthcare systems are built on the basic principle of service. The golden rule. We are a nation of laborers, innovators, and optimistic entrepreneurs. Our spirit of ingenuity is one of the distinct features that help us reach patient care goals. With that in mind, it is important to examine the effects of a healthcare system on an urban population.

Well planned, implemented and managed urban healthcare systems have community appeal.

Systems built to service the whole person, oriented towards cultural and social sensitivity provides

This type of quality care delivery to an infrastructure with inherent slippage can help reduce general service/treatment waiting times that come with an inherently unorganized Healthcare System. I believe that with strategic partnerships and great focus on quality care and proper infrastructure development, we can place a fundamentally sound healthcare system in our Urban areas and create a method of healthcare delivery to show as a first rate example for global public healthcare.

“Urban healthcare systems must plan beyond the curative cycle and include institutional outreach that encourage patient-stakeholders to become active in their own wellness.“

The Next Step – Infrastructure and Services Maintenance More often than not urban institutions falter once transitioned to operations and maintenance and suffer from infrastructure “slippage”. Slippage, for the purpose of this proposal, is defined as an unplanned gap in services causing deviation from complete health coverage. We are wise to examine the infrastructure “slippage” found in other Urban Healthcare Systems worldwide; such as the systems in Ghana, and Canada’s Health System (Health Canada); to help understand how to design a proper community-based care system that can heal an urban area.

One method that will address the issue of slippage with focusing on smaller patient populations and customizing unique healthcare plans and programs to those in need with a four-phase (logic model) approach to infrastructure development. »

First: identify specific communities of patients and their diseases. With this approach, those affected by diabetes can go to diabetes clinics specialized to deliver quality care with health education focused on prevention and maintenance of a balanced food diet.

“Planning for urban healthcare systems is then much more than simply property acquisition, project planning and management, and a quick transition to operations and maintenance. “

References: Rethinking health systems in the context of urbanization: challenges from four rapidly urbanizing low-income and middle-income countries, 2019) Community Health Needs Assessment & Implementation Plan, Executive Summary FY2019-FY2021, 201

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PM magazine | FALL 2019

FALL 2019 | PM magazine

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GO WHERE THE ACTION IS!

Maybe you are like me and have a fascination with project management. Maybe facilitating meetings excites Nicholas Wojnowski, you, or maybe you are just PMP, CSM, MCTS, MCP really good at managing IT Security Specialist things. Either way, you have U.S. Federal Government decided that project management was the right career path for you!

So now what? (Yes, that dreaded question that you have been hearing from your parents since you have moved that tassel to the left.) You have earned your Bachelor’s Degree and maybe you took it a step further and decided to become a Project Management Professional (PMP). Now you are ready to reap the benefits of your hard work. But the real question is, which industry do you want to work in?

“The outlook for project managers is better than it’s looked in years.”

After a quick search on one of the top job search engines, one can quickly notice that the options seem endless. But why? Does every project manager across the country have these endless options? Actually, yes! Demand for project managers is growing faster than demand for workers in other occupants. According to Project Management Institute’s (PMI) Project Management Job Growth and Talent Gap 2017-2027 report, 22 million new project-oriented jobs will be created in the next 10 years (PMI, 2017).

So the outlook for project managers is better than it has looked in years. But what are the top industries that are growing and boosting with job opportunities? According to an article written by bestcollegereviews.org, these are the top five industries hiring project management professionals: Healthcare; Finance; Information Technology; Construction; and Energy (Five Top Industries Hiring Project Management Professionals, 2019).

Lucky for me these industries are right in my backyard of Baltimore, Maryland, a city and state that flourishes with top companies in these industries and is home to twelve Fortune 1000 companies.

Baltimore and Maryland also thrives because of its close proximity to Washington, D.C. home of politics and policy making, and the job opportunities that come with that. In this article we’ll take a deeper look at some of the top PM industries such Healthcare, Finance, and Information Technology in and around Baltimore, Maryland and why it should be your top landing place to jump start your career (Search Fortune 500, 2019).

care paving the way for a healthier future. These leaders along with other healthcare shareholders are undergoing radical transformations with technology, building new hospitals, and providing outreach service in hard-to-reach communities.

Project managers will find plenty of opportunities in this industry especially since there’s a necessity to move from paper-based records to digitizing patient medical data and the need to secure Protect Health Information (PHI) data (Baltimore Key Industries, 2013).

Finance Financial project managers do not need to go any further than the Greater Baltimore region as it continues to maintain a lofty position within the financial services industry. Project managers are an integral part of the way financial services and businesses operate striving to find smarter ways of working and implementing technical changes while organizing and managing resources and costs (Baltimore Key Industries, 2013).

cies. Such agencies include U.S. Cyber Command, National Security Agency, Social Security Administration, and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services as well as a high concentration of government contracting firms. The U.S. government has recently incentivized the need for project managers and PMPs, as former President Barack Obama signed in the “Program Management Improvement and Accountability Act” (PMIAA). This PMIAA creates an increased awareness and the need for certified experienced PM professionals (Baltimore Key Industries, 2013).

In conclusion, whether you have a strong interest in a particular industry or still testing the waters, why not go where the action is? Baltimore! Whether you know this or not, one of the main advantages of a project management career is the flexibility to work in almost any company or industry you prefer. The elements of project management are standardized in such a way that switching from one industry to the other is seamless.

Information Technology and Cybersecurity The Baltimore-Washington corridor is the strongest IT market in the U.S., ranking higher in IT employment concentration than areas such as the Silicon Valley and Boston. With the industry continuing to grow and being the forefront of hiring project management professionals, project managers have an endless range of work to lead development and infrastructure projects (Baltimore Key Industries, 2013).

Healthcare

The cybersecurity industry is rapidly growing and project managers are needed to help support cybersecurity projects to ensure that they stay on budget and schedule. Maryland is home to important agencies and local offices of leading national cyber security companies located in Anne Arundel, Howard and Baltimore counties, including the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Booz Allen Hamilton and Raytheon.

Some of the world’s most respected medical institutions are found in Maryland. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the University of Maryland School of Medicine, are leaders in health-

As if those top industry picks are not enough for a project manager to land a dream job in Maryland, just a short drive from our nation’s capital, Baltimore is home to more than a dozen federal agen-

“You decided to become a Project Management Professional (PMP). Now you are ready to reap the benefits of your hard work. But the real question is, which industry do you want to work in?”

References: Project Management Institute. (2017). Project ManagementJob Growth and Talent Gap. Project Management- Job Growth and Talent Gap. Retrieved from: https://www.pmi.org/-/ media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/learning/job-growth-report. pdf?v=c304efd3-8c2a-48dc-9489-a945a8a07614&sc_lang_ temp=en Five Top Industries Hiring Project Management Professionals.

(2019). Retrieved November 1, 2019, from: https://www.bestcollegereviews.org/lists/five-top-industries-hiring-project-management-professionals/ Search Fortune 500. (2019). Retrieved November 1, 2019, from https://fortune.com/fortune500/search/?hqstate=MD Baltimore’s Key Industries. (2019). Retrieved November 1, 2019, from https://baltimore.org/info/baltimores-key-industries

STUDENT TEAM Biographies

FALL 2019 | PM magazine

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Akinbowale Ayeni, CAPM MSPM c/o 2019

Akinbowale Ayeni graduated from Lagos State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry in 2002. He then obtained a Masters of Business Administration with concentration in Financial Management at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, both in Nigeria. Before his sojourn to the U.S. to pursue his MSPM degree, Wale was a successful banker based in Lagos Nigeria. He left an impactful footprint across the institutions by building his career from Wema Securities and Finance, Fin Bank, First City Monument Bank and Providus Bank. After 13 years of work experience in the financial services sector, Wale decided to pursue a Master of Science degree in Project Management at Morgan State University. He is a professional risk manager and a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma (the international Business Honors Society). He decided to take a career break in December 2017 to strengthen his managerial skills, especially in the field of project management. Wale has implemented various special projects over the course of his career; stemming from the implementation of Basel in the banking industry of his home country, Nigeria. Upon graduation, Wale plans to get his Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, using his financial and risk management experience to provide support for project teams in governments and organizations across the globe.

Emmett Ayomanor MSPM c/o 2019 Emmett Ayomanor is a financial management professional. He has diverse experience in private and government capacities. In 2009, he began his career as a banker and internal auditor at the Ecobank Liberia Ltd in Monrovia, Liberia. He helped reduce fraud and loss to the bank by 50%.

He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting at the African Methodist Episcopal University in 2006. He would go on to earn a Master of Business Administration in Finance at the University of Liberia in 2011. In 2018, he began working as a corporate business partner at Toyota Financial Services. During his time there, he received recognition for his accuracy and quality of his work. He is currently studying project management at Morgan State University and works at the Maryland Transportation Authority in the accounting division. As an Accounting Specialist, he has received recognition for taking the initiative to tackle the most cumbersome reconciliation the division had ever seen. He is also a member of the Project Management Institute (PMI) Baltimore Chapter. After his graduation from Morgan State University, he plans to start a charitable foundation that will raise funds and support initiatives providing safe drinking water in Africa and other third world countries.

Satova Blackwell MSPM c/o 2019 Satova Blackwell is an information technology specialist with DC Government. He has an undergraduate degree in computer engineering from North Carolina A&T State University in 2015 and is currently pursuing a degree in Project Management at Morgan State University. He believes the combined knowledge from his undergraduate and graduate degrees will assist him in understanding the challenges of the “working man” and will also prepare him to manage these individuals. Acquiring a graduate degree in project management has taught him how to manage time, people, and forecast costs. Which are required skills that are imperative within management. He’s currently enrolled at George Washington University to acquire his Certified Project Manager certification in conjunction with a DC government program called the Certified Public Manager Program and has hopes of acquiring his Project Management Professional certification. These certifications and degrees will assist in propelling his career to the next level.

Michael D. Bryant, Jr MSPM c/o 2019 Michael Bryant Jr. is currently enrolled in the Masters of Science in Project Management (MSPM) program at Morgan State University. Born and raised in the Baltimore area. He earned his undergraduate degree in industrial organizational physiology from Johnson C. Smith University in 2008. Michael currently work in banking and finance at MECU credit union and performing a project management internship for the same company. Michael assists within MECU’s Project Management Office (PMO) and is responsible for coordinating project plans, project schedules and relaying the status of projects. He has a passion for learning and developing the effectiveness of organizations and the individuals that work for them. Alongside graduating from MSPM program. Michael strives to gain more experience applying his newly acquired project management skillset to the field of banking and finance.

Lloyd Anthony Davis MSPM c/o 2019 Lloyd Davis attended. graduated and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant of Armor. US Army from Morgan State University in May of 1981. From May 1981 until August of 1996 Lloyd served in the United States Army and attained the rank of Captain. Lloyd holds a Graduate Certificate of Project Management from Western Carolina University, is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). Scrum Fundamentals Certified (SCF). and a Master Project Manager of the American Academy of Project Management. Lloyd is currently an employee of Booz Allen Hamilton assigned as the Senior Program Scheduler for the Veterans Administration Electronic Health Records Modernization program.

Tajiri Gourdine MSPM c/o 2019 Tajiri Gourdine began her undergraduate studies at Morgan State University in the fall of 1992 and remained through the spring of 1995. Tajiri returned to Morgan in the spring of 2018 to finish what she had started and received her B.S. in Applied Liberal Studies that same semester. In the fall of the same year. Tajiri applied and gained admittance into Morgan’s Graves School of Business and Management where she began the pursuit of her M.S. in Project Management. Currently Tajiri is a retired NYC Correction Officer. a NYC Substitute Teacher and a graduate student slated to complete her project management studies in the fall of 2019. Post-graduation, Tajiri plans to utilize the tools she has acquired through her studies to work towards building and running a nonprofit organization entitled. ‘’Love Doesn’t Hurt”, whose aim is to help survivors of domestic violence.

Esther O. Mesioye MSPM c/o 2019 Esther Mesioye earned her Bachelor of Science degree in banking and finance from Osun State College of Technology, (OSCO TECH) Esa-Oke, Osun state, Nigeria in 2008, She is currently enrolled in the Master of Science in Project Management Program at Morgan State University. Esther has worked as an account officer with companies in Nigeria such as Vego Product Limited. She also worked as a residential counselor with different agencies that care for the people with physical and intellectual disabilities and the National Children Center located in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Esther’s area of interest in project management include human resources management, quality management and risk management. After graduation, Esther plans to further her career in a well-established project management firm that will build her skills in project management. She also plans to set up a non-profit organization in Nigeria that will care for the people with special needs.

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PM magazine | FALL 2019

Tope Oluwadare MSPM c/o 2019 Tope Oluwadare obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in politics and international relations from Lead City University, Nigeria in 2009. He began his career in banking but has spent most of his career in procurement, sales and supply chain management in the Nigerian petroleum sector. He has been at the forefront of driving growth and sales in different oil and gas companies. He is currently enrolled in a Master’s Program in Project Management at Morgan State University where he plans to combine his wealth of experience in sales and supply chain management with his newly acquired project management expertise.

Bilal Rahim MSPM c/o 2019 Bilal Rahim is currently employed with the Social Security Administration as an international Legal Specialist in the Division of International Operations. He graduated from Morgan State University with a B.A. in Philosophy with a concentration in Pre-Law studies in Spring of 2015.

He has been working in the public sector for four years, and has achieved outstanding business results within his component. Leadership and project management is not foreign to him, as he has served in leadership capacities in his division at the Social Security Administration and other organizations in Baltimore, as well as the surrounding metropolitan area of Washington D.C. He currently is a Masters of Science in Project Management candidate at the Earl G. Graves School of Business and Management. During his journey here, he has gained practical knowledge on how to manage a project from start to finish and logistics of managing the project life cycle. His passions are urban city and regional planning and health and human services. He plans to gain knowledge on how to manage people, processes and technology as a project manager, all skills being crucial in developing innovative cities and health care practices around the world.

Khari Whitmyer MSPM c/o 2019 Khari Whitmyer currently serves Morgan State University’s Office of Procurement and Property Control as their Business Diversity Manager.

He works to provide opportunities for small and minority business vendors by incorporating contractual mandates for minority business participation, reserving contracts to be bid on exclusively by Maryland certified small businesses, and actively engaging business owners interested in working with the university. In 2015, Khari received his Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from Morgan State University, taught English to Chinese students for a year, and then returned to his Alma Mater in 2016 to begin the pursuit of his Masters of Science in Project Management.

13 Post his fall 2019 graduation, Khari is currently flirting with the idea of embarking on yet another adventure abroad, but this time in the realm of arts administration.