Program Manager in support of the Department of Defense Office of the CIO, Booz Allen Hamilton
It’s easy to forget that modernizing government IT takes more than a budget and a vision — it also requires trust and resilience.
As a program manager in the Defense Department’s Office of the CIO, Jennifer Lee has successfully navigated a notoriously challenging culture by being adaptive and earning the trust of long-term DOD employees.
“Her knowledge is unparalleled,” said Ronald Kelly, deputy director of enterprise services and integration in the DOD CIO’s office. “She’s diplomatic and thinks ahead, proactively [and] with poise, when we at DOD can be reactive. She can sense when things or personnel don’t fit and match the technical skills with the culture qualifications.”
Lee is often the conductor behind the scenes who keeps everything running, but she has also made a name for herself by covering some of the essential but tedious work that accompanies handling a $25 million contract. And she performed at a high level while dealing with a male-dominated culture.
“In spite of these challenges, Jennifer accepted every leadership role offered,” Kelly said. “Achieving such success in spite of legacy biases says a lot about a person’s trustworthy character and steadfast tenacity. By dedicating herself to the job at hand, she was able to forgo any politics as DOD senior managers came to appreciate her superior performance.”
Lee clearly deserves to be recognized as a Rising Star, Kelly added. “She has gone out of her way to get recognition for her team,” he said, by nominating her colleagues for individual performance and character awards at Booz Allen Hamilton. “We just wanted her to get recognition for her leadership.”
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