Closeout

In project management, the final phase of a project is called closure. It’s a bit like the old adage that a job is not over until the paperwork is done. The closure phase usually involves wrapping up loose ends, paying final invoices, and releasing resources to go onto other projects and priorities.

In my case, closure means a little more. As some of you may know, I’ll be leaving UTC at the end of July to move on. I’m excited for the challenge ahead as CIO at Lenoir-Rhyne, a small private university in North Carolina. But as a project manager and member of the UTC community, I will miss the camaraderie I’ve experienced with so many in the UTC family.

I would be derelict in my duties if I did not provide a few thank yous and recognitions as I close out my web projects tenure…

Thanks to George Heddleston for trusting me. Thank you for believing that it all can be done at the same time as everything else and for allowing me the breadth and depth to make it so. And thank you, too, for letting me nurture my inner blogger.

Thanks to Dennis Gendron for telling George, “I have someone who might be able to help with project management.”

Thanks to the web student workers: Josh, Christina, Allyson, Jamesen, Aaren, Kishan, Lauren, Lauren, Nicholas, and Luke. You are the best. What an education you have received and will continue to get as part of this team. It’s not just a job, it’s an adventure with stories and jokes to tell along the way.

Thanks to Gina Stafford and Stephen Rumbaugh for all the laughs, the shared interests, and for all you do to keep the UTC community informed, engaged, and de-treed. And to Sarah Joyner, may the Oxford comma live on in our hearts and minds. We simply could not have accomplished the website refresh or my weekly blog posts without you!

Thanks to the interactive map implementation team of Donny Behneman, Holley Beeland, Faith Garner, Eric Williams, David Siedel, Jason Lyon, Steve Rumbaugh, and Chris Gilligan. Of the dozens of projects I’ve managed over the years, this, without a doubt, tops the list. What an incredible gift we are delivering to the campus when the map goes live on Monday.

Finally, thanks to the web team of Chris Gilligan, Michael Flores, and Bernardo Martinez. Through website refresh and half a migration, you’ve made me laugh, cry, drink, and learn a whole new language that is web development. It has been a joy and privilege to work with you, hire some of you, and slave away beside you these last two years. I will miss GIF Fridays, food talks, and the dozens of simultaneous Teams conversations that fill our days.

I now pass the torch to Megan Shadrick. My hope is that you find the thrill of the chase exhilarating and are able to stand your ground against whatever might be thrown at you 😊. It’s worth every minute.

So, thanks for the memories my friends.