Monday, July 8, 2024
About Mary: Mary joined the NGN project 10 months ago, bringing with her 20 years of experience managing infrastructure projects. Her extensive background includes working with a variety of organizations, such as Harvard University, CVS, EMC, and John Hancock. This diverse experience has given her a broad perspective on how different organizations manage their infrastructure.
Mary’s NGN Journey: As a Project Manager, Mary’s primary responsibilities include keeping the migrations on track, resolving issues, addressing obstacles, and collaborating with building champions to ensure smooth transitions. Her role involves working with a wide range of campus stakeholders, from art galleries to labs, each presenting unique challenges that differ from her past, more corporate, projects. Mary’s ability to stay organized and adapt to these varied environments has been an asset in the success of the NGN project.
The University Experience: Mary finds working with the diverse types of buildings at Yale to be one of the most exciting aspects of her role. The unique situations and considerations required for these spaces make her work both challenging and rewarding. She enjoys the opportunity to learn and grow from each new experience.
Innovations and Achievements: Mary believes that one of the most exciting innovations the NGN project brings to Yale is the standardization of technology across the campus. This uniformity will greatly enhance the efficiency and reliability of Yale’s network. While Mary modestly states that the migrations she has managed have so far been “standard,” her role in ensuring these transitions happen smoothly and efficiently, through careful coordination with building champions, illustrates her diligence and drive for excellence.
Valuable Lessons: A key piece of advice Mary shares from her time on the NGN team is to be flexible and open to options when dealing with unexpected challenges. “Stuff happens,” she says, emphasizing the importance of focusing on moving forward and finding solutions.
Beyond the Office: Outside of work, Mary is a Spin instructor and road cyclist. Her passion for cycling has taken her on cycling vacations in France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Ireland, and she has participated in several charity rides. Mary also enjoys hiking and weight training, further representing her dedication to an active and healthy lifestyle.
Favorites and Fun Facts: Mary is a big Patriots fan and loves watching their games. An
interesting fact about Mary that might surprise her colleagues is that she participated in a few bodybuilding contests in her early 30s. She also has a (female) cat named Scuba Steve, a name that Mary didn’t choose, but inherited when she adopted her.
interesting fact about Mary that might surprise her colleagues is that she participated in a few bodybuilding contests in her early 30s. She also has a (female) cat named Scuba Steve, a name that Mary didn’t choose, but inherited when she adopted her.