I manage EPA Region 8’s $80 million payroll and position management budget for approximately 500-550 employees. This involves managing over 250,000 records of data each year, working with all programs at all levels of staff and management to ensure appropriate and accurate charging. I provide high-quality analyses to national and regional management and staff to ensure that they are informed for key discussions or decision-making, including advice on the implications of past, future, or contemplated actions. I prepare projections for expected payroll needs by synthesizing a great many details to get an overall picture, and then interpreting the overall picture. I work with staff and management to communicate and implement adjustments based on the results from the projection. Each projection is a snapshot in time that constantly evolves over the course of the fiscal year (FY) as new information is obtained, both from databases and management. I track the status of positions, the history as well as the present and future actions, including positions moving through the hiring process. I provide training, data, interpretations, and policy recommendations to Management to assist them in determining positions to propose for external hire, and development of a position management processes for the future. I successfully navigated managing a large payroll shortfall during FY09, payroll spending of American Reinvestment and Recovery Act funds during FY09-FY11, furloughs during FY13, and early-out/buy-outs in FY14. I am also the database administrator for a Regionally-developed system to assist the programs in monitoring their allocated budgets, and manage all aspects of system maintenance, updating data from national systems, trouble-shooting, and teaching others how to use the system. I have also managed travel and regional support budgets, and trained others to manage those budgets when I took over management of the payroll budget.

Duties included coordination and organization of major projects related to enforcement and planning. I led a team that worked with all levels of management and staff to determine the critical attributes necessary to integrate enforcement databases. The result of this work was a prototype system that the team designed. Our team implemented the prototype in Region 8 and we trained and implemented the system in Region 1 as well. I did several presentations across the Agency to a variety of stakeholders to promote the system and its concepts. The result was that the Agency used our prototype for the creation of the national ICIS (Integrated Compliance Information System) database that is currently in use. This work involved coordination with all levels of staff and management in regions and headquarters, as well as a good understanding of the enforcement organization and priorities and how their functions integrated with Region 8’s mission. My other duties included creating and providing reports for use in development of Region 8 enforcement cases. I served as the focal point for cross-program enforcement analyses, reporting, and technical enforcement planning with Region 8. I planned and coordinated audits performed by our Headquarters enforcement office (OECA), which involved gathering information from all programs and compiling the resulting data into one cohesive document. Coordinator for the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with OECA, a strategic planning/policy document that outlined Region 8’s enforcement activities and commitments for the upcoming 2 years. Facilitated negotiations to finalize MOA agreements. I worked with regional contacts to determine EPA’s enforcement data requirements to be reflected in the States’ Performance Partnership Agreements. Responsible for reporting our accomplishments at the end of each year and updating the MOA as needed. I coordinated responses to both FOIA and Congressional requests as necessary.

While attending university, I obtained GIS experience that ranged from collecting information, writing programs to generate tables and base maps/cartography. I was the project manager for a wetlands study of a section of the Missouri River in North Dakota, resulting in a presentation to the Regional Administrator that highlighted the capabilities of the GIS systems. I also digitized a map of the Red River for the International Joint Commission’s ongoing study of the River. I gained proficiency in the use of the Integrated Data for Enforcement Analysis (IDEA) system to provide comprehensive compliance information to enforcement personnel. I gained experience calibrating air monitoring equipment and performed various clerical duties during my Fellowship.