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PDD 2014 Master of Ceremonies
Brad Meehan
Biography
Brad Meehan is an experienced technical architect specializing in best
practices for designing content management system (CMS) projects the
right way the first time. Since 2008, he has implemented numerous
large-scale CMS installations for a variety of clients and industries. He is
also an Adobe® Professional Services Consultant and runs a global
Adobe AEM Center of Excellence.
An 8-year veteran of the Air Force, Brad traveled the globe on
assignment with the 48th Intelligence Squadron, working in places like
Italy, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and others. After two successful tours,
Brad was Honorably Discharged to pursue his education.
Brad graduated Cum Laude from California State University, Sacramento with a B.S. in
Computer Science and was the recipient of the Academic Achievement Award for Computer
Science.
With over 15 years working as a software developer and architect, Brad has played a major role
in creating software solutions for clients such as Walmart, Ford, SAP, Kellogg, Eloqua/Oracle,
MasterCard, Barclay’s Premier League, and Carlson Hotels.
As a comedian and actor, Brad provides comedic relief in spots for Kia, Hyundai and numerous
local businesses. He recently received two Emmy nominations for writing. He can also be seen
as a regular host and emcee at the Kansas City Improv comedy club.
Morning Keynote: Change Anything: The New Science of Personal
Success
David Nelson
Presentation Summary
The fastest and surest way to dramatically improve results is to change
human behavior. Our research shows 97 percent of employees have
some career-limiting habit that keeps them from achieving their full
potential.
To help individuals overcome years of failed change effort and reach the
next level of performance, the authors and researchers of the New York
Times bestseller, Change Anything, have embarked on their largest
study of behavior change to date.
They studied the struggles, strategies, trials and triumphs of 5,000 people looking to make big
changes. Whether hoping to get a promotion, lose weight, increase sales, or get off drugs, the
select few who achieved their goals used the same basic influence strategies—strategies from
which the authors distilled a new science of behavior change.
In this engaging presentation, participants will learn to make long-anticipated improvements in
their lives, careers, and relationships by applying three breakthrough principles to any
challenge.
1. Escape the willpower trap. Those who fail, falsely believe they lack willpower. More often,
the problem is that they are blind and outnumbered to the many sources of influence
shaping their behavior.
2. Be the scientist and the subject. Those who succeed develop and refine a completely
unique theory of change tailored to their individual needs.
3. Turn bad days into good data. The successful few care less about dramatic success than
they do about incremental learning.
This keynote presentation will be immediately followed by breakout workshop designed to
illustrate practical personal and professional applications of the principles presented in the
keynote address in each of our lives.
Speaker Biography
David is a Master Trainer in Crucial Conversations®, Crucial Accountability™, Influencer
Training®, Change Anything™ Training. He is also one of a select group of Master Trainers that
delivers virtual classroom courses. David has a unique ability to help teams implement crucial
skills for increased communication, production efficiency, and collaboration. He has trained
clients in a wide array of industries including non-profit, manufacturing, software, hi-tech, and
government.
David brings an eclectic history of business experience to VitalSmarts. As an entrepreneur, he
served as COO of a technology company. As COO, he developed sales processes, created
sales teams, created customer service processes, and managed internal communications.
Prior to his time as an entrepreneur, David was an investment and development consultant with
an international real estate firm. While there he managed client relationships, consulted in asset
allocation, and performed market research.
David received his bachelor’s degree in political science with an emphasis in comparative
politics from Brigham Young University.
Morning Keynote Workshop: Application of the Concept from
"Change Anything: The New Science of Personal
Success"
David Nelson
Presentation Summary
The problem with persistent, resistant, and complicated bad habits is
that we engage one strategy to help us change. One strategy isn't
strong enough to counteract the myriad of personal, social, and
environmental cues that entice and trigger said bad habits. Thus, as
deeper dive into the Science-of-Change Model, our breakout session
will focus primarily on creating holistic strategies for changing our own
behaviors. Whether you're looking to improve your health, financial
management, work productivity, and/or any other habit... we'll take a
systematic look at building strategies that increase the likelihood that you'll start implementing
vital behaviors during crucial moments.
Once individuals in the class choose a personal habit they'd like to change, we'll walk through a
step-by-step process for developing personal motivation when it’s lacking, harnessing the power
of friends, opening ourselves to "loss aversion," and changing our physical environment to
promote the change we want. Each class member should leave with 3 specific actionable
strategies that they can be replicated amongst a variety of habits.
Each attendee can expect to be a part of an engaged learning environment of case studies,
video examples, team collaboration, and personal reflection.
Speaker Biography
David is a Master Trainer in Crucial Conversations®, Crucial Accountability™, Influencer
Training®, Change Anything™ Training. He is also one of a select group of Master Trainers that
delivers virtual classroom courses. David has a unique ability to help teams implement crucial
skills for increased communication, production efficiency, and collaboration. He has trained
clients in a wide array of industries including non-profit, manufacturing, software, hi-tech, and
government.
David brings an eclectic history of business experience to VitalSmarts. As an entrepreneur, he
served as COO of a technology company. As COO, he developed sales processes, created
sales teams, created customer service processes, and managed internal communications.
Prior to his time as an entrepreneur, David was an investment and development consultant with
an international real estate firm. While there he managed client relationships, consulted in asset
allocation, and performed market research.
David received his bachelor’s degree in political science with an emphasis in comparative
politics from Brigham Young University.
Afternoon Keynote: It’s Not Just What You Say, It’s HOW You Say It™
Barbara Teicher
Presentation Summary
Words are powerful tools. Do you wonder why, at times, someone takes
offense at something you’ve said…and you have no idea why? It’s not
just what you say, it’s HOW you say it.
The “way” you say something can be more important and impactful than
the words you actually use. The intent behind the words we try to
convey may actually be in opposition to the message perceived. They
are often not in sync at all. Why? Discover the secrets of the messages
you’re really sending and how to change perceptions because, “It’s Not
Just What You Say, It’s HOW You Say It.™”
Biography
As you get to know Barbara Teicher, you will immediately see that she has taken her nearly 6’
height to the level that reaches her skills and experiences as a keynote speaker, author,
corporate trainer, and coach.
Barbara guides her audiences in a lighthearted look at the reasons for challenges they face in
business communications and interactions with customers and employees. She brings common
sense to all this with a no-nonsense approach to changing difficult situations into lasting
solutions.
Ms. Teicher brings her 25-plus years of developing leaders in Fortune 50-500 companies to
every engagement and forum in which she works. She specializes in effective business
communication and leadership development. Barbara has appeared on the NBC affiliate
“Kansas City Live” to showcase a state-of-the-art executive briefing center and has delivered
presentations on advanced business solutions to senior officers of the most recognized brands
in the world.
As a high energy leader, business owner, wife, and mother – she consulted on and critiqued an
executive simulation conducted at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business,
and has just finished a book to be released in spring of 2014, “It’s HOW You Say It.”℠ She is the
2014-2015 president of the National Speakers Association’s Kansas City chapter, a member
of the Global Speaker’s Federation and a mentor for MBA and EMBA students with the
Helzberg School of Management at Rockhurst University. She is the winner of Action
Management Associates “Million Dollar Award.” You will learn very quickly about how she adds
life to her company motto and belief ‘It’s HOW You Say it.’℠
Afternoon Keynote Workshop: Case Studies in “It’s Not Just What You
Say, It’s HOW You Say It™”
Barbara Teicher
Presentation Summary
Words are powerful tools. Do you wonder why, at times, someone takes
offense at something you’ve said…and you have no idea why? It’s not
just what you say, it’s HOW you say it.
The “way” you say something can be more important and impactful than
the words you actually use. This workshop will be interactive and will
include facilitated exercises involving the people attending the
workshop. This will be a much deeper dive into the language and its
impact on the other person or persons involved. The attendees at the
workshop will discuss the results of the exercise with the group. Barbara will share the “so what”
and the “ah ha’s!”
Biography
As you get to know Barbara Teicher, you will immediately see that she has taken her nearly 6’
height to the level that reaches her skills and experiences as a keynote speaker, author,
corporate trainer, and coach.
Barbara guides her audiences in a lighthearted look at the reasons for challenges they face in
business communications and interactions with customers and employees. She brings common
sense to all this with a no-nonsense approach to changing difficult situations into lasting solutions.
Ms. Teicher brings her 25-plus years of developing leaders in Fortune 50-500 companies to every
engagement and forum in which she works. She specializes in effective business communication
and leadership development. Barbara has appeared on the NBC affiliate “Kansas City Live” to
showcase a state-of-the-art executive briefing center and has delivered presentations on
advanced business solutions to senior officers of the most recognized brands in the world.
As a high energy leader, business owner, wife, and mother – she consulted on and critiqued an
executive simulation conducted at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business,
and has just finished a book to be released in spring of 2014, “It’s HOW You Say It.”℠ Barbara is
the 2014-2015 president of the National Speakers Association’s Kansas City chapter, a member
of the Global Speaker’s Federation and a mentor for MBA and EMBA students with the Helzberg
School of Management at Rockhurst University. She is the winner of Action Management
Associates “Million Dollar Award.” You will learn very quickly about how she adds life to her
company motto and belief ‘It’s HOW You Say it.’℠
Why Be Agile?
Pat Modlin and Bryan Muilenburg
Presentation Summary
Organizations have different reasons for implementing an Agile model.
Cerner Corporation’s implementation was driven by business and
financial opportunity. Please join leaders from Cerner to discuss how
Cerner was able to transform its business processes to Agile to and the
positive impact it had on the bottom line.
Speaker Biographies
Patrick Modlin is the senior director of Cerner Corporation's intellectual
program (IP) management office. Modlin has over 25 years of
healthcare consulting and software & intellectual property development
experience, with extensive focus in business operations, cost
accounting, project & program management, and clinical & operational
process improvement. As the leader of Cerner's IP program
management office, Modlin's responsibilities include supporting Cerner's
Investment planning & portfolio management approach, the planning
and project management of strategic investment in intellectual property,
coordination for Cerner's solution & testing partner programs, and
Cerner's documentation and release management strategies &
processes.
In total, Bryan Muilenburg brings over nine years of software industry
experience, having working in Cerner Corporation’s consulting, support
and intellectual property (IP) organizations. Bryan has been an Agile
Champion for over four years; serving as a trainer, coach, and ScrumMaster. Having been
involved with Cerner’s big-bang agile roll-out, Bryan has significant knowledge of agile practices
as they apply to a larger organization and many of the issues teams encounter. In addition to
being an Agile Champion, Bryan leads Cerner’s IP Investment Management group which
utilizes agile principles to monitor the capacity of Cerner’s 1800+ technical resources.
Pat Modlin
Bryan Muilenburg
Culture/Politics
Pete VanDerheide
Presentation Summary
This session will focus on some of the challenges we all face every day
in dealing with the culture & politics of the organizations we work with.
Pete will share some of his own experiences in working in both large
and medium size organizations including some fun war stories, lessons
learned and helpful advice. He will also include some good
communication principles and practices on how to really connect with
people.
Speaker Biography
Pete has spent over 30 years leading large Software Development teams with Trizetto in the
Healthcare industry. He was responsible for overseeing all areas of development including
Design, Software Engineering and Quality Assurance. He helped to transition his team to an
Agile development methodology in 2012 and is a Certified Scrum Master. He also has a passion
for training and coaching and is a Certified John Maxwell Trainer. He currently serves as the
Director of the PMO for GEHA, one of his old customers and is the Secretary of the Trizetto
Customer Group. He is an avid reader and his hobbies include Fishing, Photography and Ford
Mustangs. He is usually found sharing some book he recently read or photograph he recently
took so be prepared to spend a few minutes with him when you meet him.
Speak to the Business: Agile Metrics That Inform Rather Than
Confuse the Business
Troy Tuttle
Presentation Summary
Scenario: a team new to Agile is averaging a velocity of 25 story points
per sprint. Then the team experiences two consecutive sprints of 35
story points. Feeling excited about their improvement, they hold a small
party to celebrate. But to their dismay, when they invite various members
from the business, they find the enthusiasm for increased velocity
doesn’t exist outside of the team. What did they do wrong?
In this session, we will investigate the challenges with the popular Agile
planning and reporting concepts like story points, planning poker, and
average velocity. We will explore some practical alternative planning
and reporting practices that the business can understand. And we will look at metrics that are
less of an abstraction from reality and more actionable by teams and management.
With metrics that inform and provide clarity, we may find the business throwing the party for the
team!
Speaker Biography
Troy Tuttle is a Lean-Agile coach, software developer mentor, and consultant with almost a
decade of experience working in Lean-Agile environments. He currently operates KanFlow, a
consulting firm dedicated to helping software professionals, teams, and organizations improve
by the study and application of Lean and Agile principles and practices. Most of his work is
directed by approaches that support better clarity, understanding, and continuous learning about
Lean, Agile, and the nature of knowledge work itself.
Troy has been heavily involved in the community as a facilitator and speaker. He founded the
Limited WIP Society of Kansas City in 2009—a user group for Lean, Kanban, and Agile
practitioners to help others in the community with the theory and practice of Lean software. He
also regularly speaks at local, regional, and national events and conferences. Recently his
interests have focused on systems thinking and complexity theory as alternative means to
achieve a better understanding of Lean and Agile software development.
The Agile Enterprise
Rick Freedman
Presentation Summary
Agile software development has gone from a revolutionary idea to the
status quo in a few short years. It turns out, however, that the core
ideas of Agile are not just for developers. Agile project management has
brought Agile concepts to overall project execution. These foundation
ideas of Agile:
Iterative delivery
Close and constant collaboration
Self-direction
Reflection and improvement
Apply at the enterprise level as well. Firms that adopt Agile development practices soon
discover that Agile concepts permeate their organization, as the business evolves to support
agility.
What are the signs of an Agile enterprise? How does the enterprise become Agile?
Rick Freedman presents ideas and experiences from his Agile coaching and consulting
experience to define the attributes of the Agile Enterprise, and to describe how organizations
make the migration to enterprise agility.
Speaker Biography
Over a twenty-five year career, Rick has successfully delivered major IT initiatives for clients
and employers like Intel, Microsoft, HP, Citicorp, Cisco, Marriott, Getty Images, Sega,
Sumitomo, and many others. As Worldwide Project Management Leader for Intel, Rick's team
developed Intel's first customer-facing project management approach, the Intel Solution
Services PM Methodology. Rick developed, and now delivers to IT professionals worldwide,
ESI's "Agile Project Management" course. Rick trains, coaches, and mentors IT professionals in
Agile methods for clients like Bank of NY, SAP, US Dept of Justice, NATO, Motorola, and many
others. As an independent practitioner, Rick leads Agile development projects, and recently led
a team in an 18-month Agile software development program for a key biotech supplier. During
his career as a consultant for firms like Cap Gemini, Siemens, and Intel, Rick has led programs
for clients like Woolworth's of Australia, and The People's Republic of China and major software
development projects for clients like Marriott and Bio-Rad. Rick has broad experience in the IT
services field, serving roles from Principal Consultant to Branch Manager and Director of Sales
Engineering, and has led sales and delivery teams globally.
Author of “The IT Consultant,” “The eConsultant,” and “Building the IT Consulting Practice,” Rick
writes regularly on IT project management for TechRepublic, contributes to various IT trade
magazines, and has authored dozens of articles on IT services and technology.
Leadership 2030: Megatrends and Their Implications for Project
Management
John Bricklemyer
Presentation Summary
This session will provide an overview of identified megatrends and their
associated sub-trends and then will project what implications these may
have on the project management profession. The session will conclude
with a discussion on the new or enhanced project management skills
that are projected to be needed to be productive in this future
environment.
The megatrends are identified in Leadership 2030: The Six Megatrends
You Need to Understand to Lead Your Company into the Future, written
by Georg Vielmetter and Yvonne Sell, which was recently published after three years of
research by the international Hay Group on the megatrends that will affect business through the
year 2030. The megatrends identified in Leadership 2030 are: (1) Globalization 2.0, (2) the
environmental crisis, (3) individualism and value pluralism, (4) the digital era, (5) demographic
change, and (6) technological convergence.
A number of other research organizations have developed their own views on megatrends that
they see impacting our future. After careful consideration, however, virtually all of these can be
categorized into one of the six megatrends identified in Leadership 2030. These studies do aid
in identifying the sub-trends, which are a help in determining any implications to a given
industry.
Speaker Biography
John Bricklemyer has more than 31 years of progressive experience in a variety of industrial
settings. His experiences include positions in general management, operations management,
engineering management, purchasing, product and project management, and engineering. He
has worked for a Fortune 500 company and has managed mid-sized departments, multiple-
location operations, and small entrepreneurial subsidiaries.
He holds a master's degree in international management from the American Graduate School of
International Management (Thunderbird), a master's degree in industrial engineering
(engineering management option) from Rochester Institute of Technology, and a bachelor's
degree in industrial engineering from The Pennsylvania State University.
John has taught in an adjunct capacity at The University of Kansas in Engineering Management
since 2009 and has taught courses in leadership, labor and employee relations, personal
development, and service management. He is thrilled to have joined KU full-time in support of
the new project management degree programs. John’s professional interests include
performance metrics and dashboards, future trends in project management, analytics utilization
in project management, and engineering and project management ethics.
PM’s and BA’s in an Agile world: Where do we go from here?
Scott Bird and Jim West
Presentation Summary
I’m sure everybody’s noticed by now. There are no PM and BA roles in
the agile world! So what are we going to do? Sure, the easy answer is
the BA becomes a team member and the PM becomes the Scrum
Master. But is that really the right answer? What are the alternatives?
This presentation will explore the topic from multiple angles including job
descriptions and qualifications, and draw on JP Morgan’s experience in
identifying, training, and coaching these roles to offer some advice to
other companies making the transition to an agile framework.
Speaker Biographies
Scott Bird is the Lead Agile Coach for RPS division of JP Morgan,
responsible for process definition and support for all teams and projects
at RPS. He has over 10 years of experience in various agile roles.
Prior to that he has 20 years of project management experience. He is
a PMP, CSP, and PMI-ACP.
Jim West is a manager in the RPS PMO, responsible for providing
direction and career management for product owners and analysts. Jim
has over 20 years’ experience at JP Morgan in a variety of roles
including analyst, programmer, and project manager. He is a PMO and
CSPO.
Scott Bird
Jim West
Agile and the Nature of Cultural Change
Brett Gibson
Presentation Summary
This talk will present Agile transformational change seen through the
lens of historical PMO models. The focus will be on the nature of those
required values and beliefs changes, why they came about and how the
workplace is being asked to adjust in order to meet those needs. This
talk will also focus on why many people find these changes difficult and
the relationship between people and process.
Speaker Biography
I’ve had the good fortune to travel and work internationally. I’ve also had the good fortune to
have grown up in New Zealand and have lived the American “immigrant experience” for more
than half of my life. I’ve also had an unorthodox musical journey that led me to and kept me in
Kansas City.
Music, IT and travel became partners along the way helping me appreciate multiple worldviews
and the concepts of cross-disciplinary approaches to life and work. My non-conventional
experiences reflect my meanderings about this interesting occupational field.
The beauty of having been in IT for 30 years is that our solutions become predictably cyclic
while our problems remain the same. Culture is a topic I’m rather obsessive about. I firmly
believe that it will help to usher in a renaissance in American business – oddly enough in the
hands of IT.
Convergent is a brain child I have had for over a year now, to marry the fields of IT and
Industrial Psychology with the help of two individuals I respect immensely who themselves are
also perfectly unconventional. This idea grew out of what I saw as a need to help the Agile
movement make progress with the belief in high-performing teams and organizational culture.
Planning on Purpose
Tony J. Taylor
Presentation Summary
Similar to “A carpenter’s house is never finished,” a professional in the
project management industry may benefit from applying planning efforts
to all areas of life – not only within the rapid pace of the modern
business project world. This presentation will explore strategies to
intentional planning across multiple life roles, establishing a review
process and finding a balance.
Participants will be taken on a journey from establishing a vision, setting
realistic long-term and short-term goals with focus, to reviewing
progress, adjusting the course, and celebrating accomplishments. In
addition, the importance of specifying the reasons why the goals exist will be covered as well as
the need to consistently apply a goal attainment formula.
Examples will be shared from multiple life roles, with practical suggestions on how to stay on top
of priorities to establish “what’s important now” when reviewing and reflecting on results. The
results will guide future efforts, to determine what is working and what needs changed.
Deliverables and take-aways for the workshop participants, include planning templates for
attendees to use in their own intentional planning efforts.
Speaker Biography
Tony is a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP), MBA and CSM possessing over
fifteen years of project management experience within a career spanning over twenty-four years
in the software development industry.
Currently performing the following roles:
Adjunct Faculty, Master of Science in Project Management and Graduate Project Management
Certificate, Avila University School of Professional Studies; Certified Advanced Facilitator,
Undergraduate Project Management Program, University of Phoenix School of Business; and
Senior Manager and National Director of the PMP/CAPM Prep Program, Sogeti USA.
He has facilitated over one hundred online and in-person courses in project management at
both the graduate and undergraduate levels.
Total Value Optimization Using Functional Performance, Risk, Cost,
and Schedule Analysis Techniques
Mark Watson
Presentation Summary
The Value Methodology (also known as Value Engineering) has
historically been known as a way to reduce project costs. Unfortunately,
many times this has also been synonymous with project cheapening
through scope reductions, material substitutions, or other forms of cost
cutting. However, when applied and executed properly, the Value
Methodology can be a highly effective tool for balancing user/owner
requirements with ever-decreasing project budgets while aiding all
stakeholders in making sound, value-based decisions. Additionally, a
number of enhancements have been made to the core VM principles
including techniques to analyze and quantify performance, cost risks, and schedule uncertainty.
These techniques when combined with traditional techniques of Financial Modeling and
Analysis (including initial and life-cycle cost estimating) and Schedule Analysis provide a proven
means for improving projects, products, and services by focusing on total value optimization.
The primary objective of the talk is to provide learners with the necessary information to
understand the core concepts and general application of VE. This presentation will teach VE
within the universal context of the “project” and will utilize the framework and terminology
identified in the Project Management Body of Knowledge, (PMBOK® Guide) - Fourth Edition,
Project Management Institute, Inc., 2009. This presentation is based upon the book, Value
Optimization for Project and Performance Management, by Robert B. Stewart, CVS-Life,
FSAVE, PMP. This acclaimed text provides a solid foundation for the practical application of
this exciting body of knowledge. An abbreviated version of this text can be made available
to the attendees of the presentation as a handout or full bound copies available at a
limited supply.
Attendance of this presentation will enable participants to:
Accurately use the terminology of VM.
Demonstrate a basic understanding of the history, development, and tools of VM.
Explain the basic concepts of value, cost, performance, time and risk; identify how these
concepts affect projects in their area of expertise.
Develop a basic understanding of the Value Methodology Job Plan and the application of
Value Metrics to each phase of the Job Plan.
Understand the key considerations in developing a VM/VE program within your organization.
Speaker Biography
Mark Watson is Vice President of Value Management Strategies, Inc. Mark is a registered
Professional Engineer, Certified Value Specialist, and Project Management Professional. He
has a degree in Geological Engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla (now the Missouri
University of Science and Technology). Mark's experience includes facilitating Value Studies on
a wide array of projects that cover the gambit of the design and construction industry. He has
conducted over 250 value analysis, value engineering, and value planning studies on roads,
bridges, water and wastewater facilities, transit facilities, airport facilities, and drainage facilities,
as well as buildings for education, health care, prisons, U.S. military, and U.S. embassy and
consulate operations. Prior to joining VMS, Mark was the Value Engineering Program Manager
for URS where he was instrumental in developing their VE Program and Services.
Panel Discussion: Traits of Successful Project Managers
Denise Kruse – Panel Facilitator
Matt Anderson – Panel Member
John Conard, Jr. – Panel Member
Stacy Rose – Panel Member
Jenny Tarwater – Panel Member
Panel Discussion Summary
Do you sometimes think that you are stuck in a career rut?
Has work become dull and unfulfilling? Are you repeatedly
working on the same professional skill issues year after year?
Most people do not realize that it is their own actions that are
limiting their potential. We are all creatures of habit and fall into
effective or ineffective routines in order to manage the
deliverables of our job. As time goes by, these traits become
deeply entrenched as a means to accomplish the day to day processes of controlling a project.
Unfortunately most project managers have at least one career limiting trait that keeps them from
achieving their full potential. Take control of your routines to revamp your career, influence
people’s perceptions about you and become excited about your work.
This panel discussion will involve interaction between the panel members and attendees. This
interaction is intended to help you identify those traits that could mean the difference between
being a mediocre project manager or an outstanding one.
By attending this session, project managers will be challenged to:
Recognize and understand some of the common traits that impact performance in both a
positive and negative way.
Learn how the panel members recognize both positive and negative traits in the project
managers and others they have hired and worked with in their careers.
Discover how the panel members have overcome limiting habits by shifting their
behavior and the behavior of those who work on projects with them.
Your task is to actively participate in the workshop with this group of experienced project
managers to uncover those priceless tips and techniques to modifying your existing
traits, both positive and negative that can help you to become extraordinary project
managers.
Denise Kruse Matt Anderson John Conard Jr.
Jenny Tarwater Stacy Rose
Denise Kruse Biography
Denise Kruse is CEO and owner of AdamsGabbert (AG). Founded in 1999, AG is a professional
services firm specializing in improving business strategy and operations of their clients in the
areas of people, process and systems. They accomplish this through strategic planning and
execution, project/program management, business process improvement, and
staffing/recruiting. AG is nationally WBENC certified, as a WBE. Headquartered in Overland
Park, KS with an additional office in St. Louis, MO their founding principle is to deliver on their
promises to their clients, associates and community.
Denise is integrating over 30 years consulting with businesses and their leaders to increase
their effectiveness, developing business, building and managing a $400M+ division of a Fortune
100 company, and serving on multiple boards.
Denise is a currently on the boards of privately held RP Products, Inc. and Martin Leigh Laws &
Fritzlen PC. She serves on the Executive Committee and is a Director of the KC Chamber of
Commerce board. Additionally, she is on the board of the National Association of Corporate
Directors (NACD), the American Heart Association, is Chair of the Bloch School of Business at
UMKC, was founding Chair and is currently a Director for win|win for KC (which is dedicated to
gender diversity of public and private boards and corporate officer level) and the National
Advisory Board for the Latino Coalition. She was honored to be named a KC Woman Who
Means Business in 2006 and a KC Woman of Influence in 2008.
Matt Anderson Biography
Matt Anderson is the Director of Program Management at Cerner Corporation. Matt has been a
leader in establishing Cerner’s PMO and defining and rolling out project management best
practices. Matt led the initial agile development pilots at Cerner and is primarily responsible for
Cerner’s Enterprise implementation of Agile/Lean development and project management. With
more than 4,000 associates trained in Agile and Lean principles, Cerner has embraced an agile
culture. In the local community, Matt has worked with other area businesses to create KC
Agilehood, a group focused on promotion and coaching of Agile best practices at the enterprise
level across the KC Metro.
Prior to joining Cerner 11 years ago, Matt managed the Computer and Results Systems for the
Ice Hockey, Figure Skating and Short Track Speed Skating Events at the 2002 Winter Olympics
which is where he was first exposed to professional project management. Matt has been a PMP
since 2004 and was part of the PMI-ACP certification pilot. He also recently served on a PMI
Committee as the Integration Chapter Lead for the most recent update to the PMBOK (version
5). He also serves KC PMI as a member of the Executive Roundtable.
John Conard, Jr. Biography
Kansas University Engineering/Project Management School of Engineering
Professor – 2013 to Present
EMGT 806 Finance – MBA level course on corporate finance, capital planning and project
evaluation
EMGT 816 Energy Management – Course focused on energy conservation and waste
reduction
EMGT 862 Manufacturing Systems Integration – Advanced coverage of technology in
manufacturing
EMGT 867 Adv. Operations Management – Coverage of topics essential to manufacturing
PMGT 816, 817, 818, 819 – Project Fundamentals I, II, III, and IV
PMGT 820 – Intra-organizational Projects
PMGT 823 – Risk Management
PMGT 825 – Portfolio Management
PMGT 826 – Program Management
Stacy Rose Biography
Stacy Rose is Director of Talent Acquisition for AdamsGabbert (AG). Founded in 1999, AG is a
professional services firm specializing in improving business strategy and operations of their
clients in the areas of people, process and systems. They accomplish this through strategic
planning and execution, project/program management, business process improvement, and
staffing/recruiting. AG is nationally WBENC certified, as a WBE. Headquartered in Overland
Park, KS with an additional office in St. Louis, MO their founding principle is to deliver on their
promises to their clients, associates and community.
In her role as Director of Talent Acquisition, Stacy is responsible for the recruiting division which
provides some of the top companies in the Kansas City Region Program and Project Managers,
Business Analysts, Business Process Engineers, and multiple areas of expertise in technology,
including SharePoint and Information Security.
Stacy is on the front end of identifying hiring trends, projecting future staffing needs for KC
companies, as well as ensuring current clients have top experts for ongoing projects. Working
closely with both AG recruiters and candidates, as well as AG client companies to facilitate
hiring matches that include skills, experience, and a cultural fit, is only the beginning for Stacy,
as she works with both the AG consultant and the client company to ensure ongoing success.
Jenny Tarwater Biography
Jenny Tarwater is a 20 year veteran of Technical Project and Program Management with a
disciplined approach of cultivating success and growth in people, process and products. Jenny’s
mission as a kinetic leader, partner and consummate student is to lead others to surpass goals,
contribute positive impressions in collaborative environments and explore undiscovered
opportunities and solutions through continuous learning. Jenny’s endless motivation drives her
involvement in cultivating the “small company start up culture” both within Sprint and out
reaching into the Kansas City community.
Her dedication and diverse talents are evident through a steady stream of successful products,
including the sale and launch of Kansas City’s first web page for the Kansas City Board and
Trade, www.80s.com, winner of People Magazine’s 1996 award for ‘Best of Bytes,’ several
iconic Sprint device launches, to the most recent launch of the award winning Chrysler
Connected Vehicle platform, UConnect.
Her approach to perpetual improvement is illustrated in her leadership of the year-long
transformation of Sprint’s Product Development organization into a successful agile mobile
application development division using several agile methodologies including scrum and
Kanban.
