passionate about
Sharing Knowledge
Exploring uncharted terrain.
Implementing efficient solutions.
Collaborating with others.
Organizing ideas.
Blazing trails.
Hi, I’m Marie
Or Ree, to my family.
I believe in saying yes to learning, even if that leads to unconventional paths.
I am passionate about writing and adventuring.
I bring my experiences growing up around the world, the unexpected lessons I learned as a classroom teacher into my experience in the corporate world.
When not writing or adventuring, you can find me taking a walk with the pup, cheering on the local soccer team (Real Salt Lake), or trying a new recipe.
My Story
A writer, creator, and educator at heart, I never set out to be a Project Manager.
I began my career in the classroom, teaching the bright faces of 5th graders every day. Few things have brought me more joy than facilitating the learning of children. A few fateful classroom experiences changed the course of my career. I saw some needs within my organization that I felt I could meet. After some research, I put together a proposal and scheduled a meeting with my director.
I came to her with the following:
“Here is a job that doesn’t exist, but I think it should. And you should hire me to do it.”
In this trailblazing role, I was involved in initiatives to expand access to education technology for both students and teachers. The most rewarding aspect of this chapter of my story was getting to interact with all sorts of people within our school’s sphere of influence; students, teachers, parents, board members, vendors, the Utah State Board of Education, and more.
It was during this time that I obtained my Project Management Professional Certification (PMP). Within weeks of deciding to take the plunge, I had enrolled in training courses, dove into SCRUM and Agile management techniques, and had taken and passed my PMP exam.
My success is entirely credited to and inextricably linked with my willingness to chart new territory and pursue the unconventional route.
In my debut role as a Project Manager, I was the first to introduce projectization concepts to my team -- while being the only woman in the company. I never would have called myself a trailblazer, but I found myself there again. Who knew?
Today, I work as a full-time Project Manager.
My strengths as a writer and educator only serve to make me better at what I do every day. I am highly organized, detail oriented, and a quick learner. I enjoy crunching through a data set as much as a new novel, which is to say, a lot.