United States General Manager

FORREST PICKENS

New Braunfels, TX ***** / Cell: 210-***-**** / Email: **********@*****.***

https://www.linkedin.com/in/pickensforrest

SUMMARY

Results-Driven IT Program and Project Management Leader with a proven track record of delivering complex, large-scale Information Technology (IT) operations and sustainment programs for the Department of Defense (DoD), including the Air Force, Space Force, Army, and Air National Guard. Demonstrates deep expertise in managing technical IT initiatives, encompassing EHR, HRM, ERP, and CRM system delivery, while leveraging Agile, Waterfall, and hybrid methodologies to achieve strategic objectives and measurable outcomes. Skilled in cultivating and maintaining high-level strategic partnerships across DoD leadership and stakeholders, ensuring alignment between mission-critical objectives and enterprise IT strategies. Adept at designing and executing operational and strategic business plans that drive innovation, enhance efficiency, and maximize ROI across diverse IT portfolios.

Renowned for leading high-performing cross-functional teams to deliver on-time, within-budget project outcomes, even in high-pressure, mission-critical environments. Passionate about leveraging cutting-edge technologies and methodologies to spearhead digital transformation, optimize enterprise IT ecosystems, and ensure operational readiness for the warfighter.

SKILLS & AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Technical IT Program Management (PgM) Lifecycle Delivery EHR/HRM/ERP/CRM/LMS IT Systems (COTS/GOTS) Delivery

Technical IT Operations Lifecycle Management Delivery eMASS/RMF/Information Assurance (IA) Service Delivery

Threat Management with DoD Programs and Applications Identity Access Management (SSO Oracle EHR/HRM/ERP Apps)

Technical Project Management (MS Project) Lifecycle Delivery Business Development (FFP, FP, CP, PWS) Support Services

Master Data Management, Data Governance, Data Quality Business Intelligence (Analytics) Data Transformation (ETL)

Strategic & Tactical Business Alliances (Technical Direction) Client facing, stakeholder & Vendor Management Acumen

Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) Service Delivery Directly Manage Personnel & Cross Functional Teams

Incident/Issue Management & Disaster Recovery Services Service Desk & Asset Management & ITSM Svc. Delivery

Organizational Change & Problem-Solving Services Strong Servant Leadership & Team Building Support

Utilize Root Cause Analysis to Make Informed Decisions Building, Motivating, and Leading Cross-Functional Teams

Waterfall (WF) and Agile (AG) SDLC implementations Critical Thinking & Effective Communications (Written/Verbal)

Knowledge of personnel policies, procedures, and directives Knowledge of DoD EHR/HRM/ERP IT systems HW & SW analysis

Systems engineering, communications (interface) support Knowledge of USAF/USSF EHR/HRM/ERP payroll systems

Knowledge of integrating IT and Operational Technology (OT) Continuous update/continuous development (CI/CD) lifecycle

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Dynamic Systems Inc. (DSI) – San Antonio, Texas Oct 2024 – Present

Senior Project Manager (Secret Clearance)

Spearheaded day-to-day management of project resources, schedules, budgets, and risk mitigation for mission-critical initiatives, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives and contractual obligations.

Served as the primary interface between project stakeholders and customer Program Managers for high-impact projects, including Dynamis Mesh, Siren’s Song, while fostering collaboration and ensuring seamless communication.

Delivered cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning (ML) solutions on time, within scope, under budget, supporting operational readiness in maritime environments for Naval & Marine forces prepping for wartime operations.

Conducted continuous contract monitoring, management, and maintenance to ensure compliance and alignment with client expectations across all assigned projects.

Led project scoping and resource planning efforts, accurately forecasting requirements to optimize resource utilization and minimize delays.

Oversaw the delivery schedule and quality of all project deliverables, achieving 100% compliance with agreed-upon standards and timelines, enhancing stakeholder satisfaction and mission success.

Strategic Technology Institute Inc. (STi) – San Antonio, Texas Oct 2023 – Oct 2024

Project Manager / myTraining Application Product Owner (Public Trust Clearance)

Delivered Learning Management System (LMS) support services for the Air Education and Training Command (AETC) Plans and Integrated Services Branch (myTraining), managing projects leveraging Smartsheet and ServiceNow to drive operational excellence and system modernization.

oSpearheaded the migration of 30 million records to the Learning Record Store (LRS), revolutionizing data integration with ENVISION through enhanced sharing, functional alignment, and rigorous system testing.

oFacilitated the seamless deployment of job task proficiency data to the LRS, ensuring readiness for future DAFeLearning initiatives and providing a scalable foundation for long-term system support.

oPartnered with myLearning to streamline data flow, fully unlocking the potential of LRS and xAPI to enhance real-time reporting and analytics capabilities.

Served as Product Owner/Requirements Manager, specializing in Agile SAFe SCRUM Project Management:

oDirected cross-functional teams throughout the myTraining application product lifecycle, ensuring seamless coordination and delivery of high-value enhancements.

oAuthored detailed user stories, epics, and features within ServiceNow to align development efforts with mission objectives, driving continuous improvement and end-user satisfaction.

Led strategic initiatives to enhance warfighter readiness:

oIdentified system defects and optimized product backlogs to align with key performance indicators (KPIs), defining and implementing strategic support strategies.

oConducted Quality Assurance (QA) testing to validate product features and analyzed user feedback to refine system enhancements and action plans.

Pioneered strategic planning and lifecycle support for myTraining (myT):

oDeveloped comprehensive product roadmaps aligned with AETC Strategic Agile SAFe methodologies, ensuring sustained alignment with organizational goals.

oProvided end-to-end lifecycle support for systems and applications while maintaining deep knowledge of emerging trends in IT training systems and Training Management Systems (TMS).

oCollaborated with cross-functional teams across the Air Force (AF) and Space Force (SF) to define and implement the strategic vision for myTraining.

Partnered with government stakeholders to enable Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) processes, enhancing development lifecycle efficiency and delivering iterative improvements to myT.

Evaluated emerging technologies in Training Management Systems (TMS) to assess their potential impact on the AF/SF user community, driving innovative solutions to support mission-critical training initiatives.

Diversified Technical Services Inc. (DTSI) – San Antonio, Texas Mar 2017 – Jul 2023

Program/Project Manager HRSTS Operations (HW / SW) Portfolio for Shared & Managed Services

Collaborated strategically with leadership across all echelons (AF/SF) to guide HR IT operations and sustainment strategy.

Supervised a team who supported the Human Resources Systems Technical Support-II IT Managed Service Delivery Operations.

Supported personnel pay, recruiting, human capital management SaaS IT systems, and mobile applications support for Space Force, Air Force (Active Duty, Guard, Reserve), and Civilian personnel.

Consistently achieved exceptional CPARS ratings from the Government client for services provided for HRSTS-II.

Provided expertise on extraordinarily complex HRSTS-II systems (RDBMS – Oracle and MS SQL Server) and applications with national and/or international impact in support of Program Management Office (PMO) operations.

Functioned as a technical consultant and advisor on human capital management technology issues (USAF, USSF, Air Reserve, and Air National Guard). Represented these entities in senior-level forums as an expert consultant.

Delivered mission-critical HRSTS-II support for the USAF and USSF HRSTS-II systems/applications and avoiding risk.

Provided 24/7/365 operational HRSTS-II support-services to the Program Management Office (PMO).

Managed the data integration/migration/risk management of more than 40 HRSTS applications (including Military Pay) into AWS & AWS CloudOne resulting in significant operational cost savings for the Government client across the enterprise.

Led integration/migration of USAF & USSF HRSTS-II systems into Military Personnel Data System (MiLPDS) applications (data governance, data quality) which led to substantial savings in annual administrative fees for the Government client.

Provided support for the HRSTS-II IT systems design, operations, and configuration applying service-oriented architecture.

Served as liaison between organizations for information exchange and collaborative efforts and facilitated timely information exchange and coordinated collaborative efforts between mission partners.

Optimized MiLPDS environments and implemented DevSecOps supporting HRSTS-II applications in CloudOne and automated thousands of system/application administrative processes, enhancing operational efficiency for the enterprise.

Jacobs Information Solutions Group (JISG) – San Antonio, Texas, Washington DC Nov 2000 – Mar 2017

Senior Project Manager, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) SDLC Hosted Applications / Asset Mgmt. (Top Secret Clearance)

Delivered comprehensive technical and operational leadership to address complex challenges, consistently meeting deliverables in accordance with (IAW) strict deadlines, ensuring alignment with organizational and mission objectives.

Provided program management (PM) support for the Joint Program Office, overseeing the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) for hosted applications within the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Enterprise, driving innovation and operational efficiency.

Deployed an enterprise-wide Multi-Layer Security solution, achieving significant cost savings of millions in cybersecurity maintenance fees, while enhancing the JSF enterprise’s security posture against emerging threats.

Spearheaded the deployment of an enterprise-wide System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) solution, reducing system administration costs by millions of dollars, streamlining IT operations, and optimizing resource utilization.

Implemented the Host-Based Security System (HBSS) and Assured Compliance Assessment Solution (ACAS), yielding substantial savings in operational fees while ensuring compliance with DoD cybersecurity mandates.

Directed the modernization of the JSF-WISE mission planning system, transitioning it to a Software as a Service (SaaS) solution, enabling scalable, cost-effective operations and enhancing mission readiness for the JSF enterprise.

Senior Program Manager / Project Manager, Defense Programs / PM IITEL, PM ADSS, PM ANG NOSC, PM STTC IA Support

Provided Program Management (PM) support for Hardware (HW)/Software (SW) initiatives at the Army Research Laboratory’s Innovative IT Evaluation Laboratory (IITEL), driving innovation and ensuring mission-critical IT solutions aligned with organizational objectives.

Delivered an enterprise-wide online FAX solution, enabling seamless communication for all CIO-approved campus personnel regardless of location, enhancing operational efficiency and interdepartmental collaboration across the organization.

Established a centralized focal point for evaluating new HW/SW integrations, ensuring compliance with Information Assurance (IA) and Risk Management Framework (RMF) standards, and facilitating smooth onboarding of technologies into the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) enterprise.

Managed Air National Guard Network Operations and Security Center (NOSC) Tier III support for both NIPR (unclassified) and SIPR (classified) environments, ensuring continuous, high-quality support for critical communications and operations across military systems.

Led Risk Management Framework (RMF) functions for the Army Simulation & Training Technology Center (STTC), overseeing compliance and risk mitigation strategies to secure training systems and simulations.

Consistently earned exceptional CPARS ratings from government clients for exceeding performance expectations and delivering high-impact results in mission-critical environments.

Senior Program/Project Manager (ADSS) / Site Manager / Oracle/MS SQL Server DBA / Asset Management

Managed all aspects of Program and Project Management (PPM) and the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) for the HQ AETC capstone Business Intelligence (BI) / Decision Support System (DSS), enabling enterprise-wide BI/DSS reporting across all echelons of the Air Force and providing actionable insights for mission-critical decisions.

Led and supervised a cross-functional development and testing team, providing operational and sustainment support for both hardware and software services, ensuring system reliability and optimal performance.

Managed SDLC performance plans and conducted regular reviews, resulting in the enhancement of service delivery mechanisms, improving system robustness and increasing customer satisfaction.

Spearheaded process improvement initiatives to optimize operational workflows, significantly increasing organizational efficiency and aligning processes with best practices.

Directed the integration and migration of 54+ Air Force Training & Learning Management Systems, focusing on Data Warehousing (DW), DSS, Data Governance, and Data Quality, enabling improved decision-making across the Air Force through the deployment of mobile BI applications for real-time reporting.

Actively contributed to long-term financial planning and Program Objective Memorandum (POM) processes, providing strategic guidance to support the Air Force Decision Support System (ADSS).

Delivered high-level briefings, chaired meetings, led task forces, and prepared reports for General Officer and SES-level stakeholders, ensuring strategic alignment and executive-level decision-making.

Consistently received exceptional CPARS ratings from government clients, demonstrating outstanding performance and successful project outcomes in mission-critical environments.

EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATIONS

ITILv3 Foundations Certification, AXELOS - GR750279021FP

Master Certificate in IS/IT Project Management (PMP), Villanova University

Certificate Mastering Project Management (PMP), Villanova University

Certificate Project Management Professional (PMP), Villanova University

Certificate in Project Management for IS/IT Professionals (PMP), Villanova University

Certificate Essentials in IS/IT Security, Villanova University

Management Information System (MIS, In Progress) - Park University, Parkville, MO.

Contact this candidate