Resume | gavata.org

RESUME

GAVATA S. SMITH, PMP®,CSM®,CAL-E®,CAL-T®

202-878-0235

CLEARANCE

DHS Moderate Risk - Public Trust - Tier 2

PROFILE

Gaváta Smith is an experienced Certified Scrum Master, Agile Leader (CAL-E, CAL-T), Project Management Professional (PMP), and Executive Administrator who currently holds the position of a Governance Strategic Program Analyst. In this capacity, she supports and advises the Director of IT Enterprise Governance (ITEG), Compliance, Risk, and Remediation (CRR) and Office of Information Technology (OIT) at the Department of Veterans Affairs. In providing professional guidance, consultation, and support, Gavata focuses on processes to assist in achieving ITEG’s mission, vision, short-term and long-term goals. Her research involves both internal and external factors and which allows her insights to be shared from an enterprise perspective on processes, practices, and working environments within ITEG. These efforts are imperative in her role to assist in the development and implementation of effective strategies.

Prior to working in this capacity, Gavata was a contractor in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Grant Programs Directorate (FEMA GPD). As a System Trainer and an Administrative Support Specialist, Gavata was often utilized in various capacities allowing her to apply her well-developed organizational skills, leadership, Agile and Project Management practices, while supporting and engaging with multiple stakeholders across various projects within FEMA.

She also supports Excelicon internal initiatives such as ISO and CMMI Audits and Certifications. In addition to 27+ years of experience supporting C-Level Executives, 5+ years in Human Resource (HR) Administration, and over 4 years of JIRA/Agile Leadership, Gavata has a keen sense of detail in day-to-day operations such as scheduling, note taking, problem solving, leadership, team building, proof reading, editing, time management, analytics, reporting, document composition, file management, mitigating risks, data research and compilation, weekly/monthly reporting, presentations, managing spreadsheets, and onboarding. Since obtaining her Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification and becoming a member of Project Management Institute (PMI), Gavata governs projects by withholding the standards set forth by PMI, Scrum Alliance and the Agile Practice Guide. As a client-service driven professional, one of her greatest attributes is her continued willingness to learn and incorporate those applicable relevant skills into her current duties and responsibilities.

EXPERIENCE

Excelicon

Washington, DC 03/2021 to Present

Role: Governance Strategic Program Analyst | Department of Veterans Affairs ITEG CRR Office of Information Technology | Excelicon (Pathfinder)

Review archived documents and processes to make recommendations on improvements and modifications.
Consult on guiding principles on agile methodologies, practices, ceremonies, and meetings.
Discuss current ways of working in search of improvements to strategies and processes.
Facilitated meetings for Directors and Senior Level Executives.
Creating and/or editing documents and presentations, ensuring 508 Compliance.
Schedule and attend meetings with SMEs, Directors, and Senior Level Executives for final decisions.
Compose Executive Summaries and departmental emails.
Organize and administer the Director’s SharePoint file.
Maintain Human Resource (HR) files including but not limited to performance reviews, transfers, details, accolades, and reprimands. (HR)
Manage the Director of IT Enterprise Governance’s task tracking system in MS Planner.
Complete paperwork to “detail” staff. (HR)
Plan ahead for potential department or environmental changes.
Analyze the current strategies:
- Internal environment considerations include employee morale, working software that meet the department’s needs, communication practices, operational inefficiencies, and constraints.
- External environment considerations include may include changes in the needs of Veterans or the processes/systems that they utilize.
Ensure current practices are being implemented and regularly monitored for effectiveness.
Provide feedback on all efforts to continually fulfill the mission, vision, and goals of ITEG.
Compose weekly and monthly departmental and project reports.
Participated in regular meetings ensuring stakeholder engagement to move project’s short-and long-term initiatives along.
Excelicon Internal: Prepare organizational presentations, collect artifacts, ensure accuracy of requirements, organize meetings, meet with Delivery Managers, and assist Excelicon’s Director of Risk and Compliance with internal audits and ISO/CMMI Certification processes, standards, and documents.
Composing weekly and monthly departmental and project reports.
Participated in regular meetings ensuring stakeholder engagement to move project’s short-and long-term initiatives along.
Excelicon Internal: Prepare organizational presentations, collect artifacts, ensure accuracy of requirements, organize meetings, meet with Delivery Managers, and assist Excelicon’s Director of Risk and Compliance with internal audits and ISO/CMMI Certification processes, standards, and documents.

Role: System Trainer | FEMA GPD Communications, Culture, Analytics, and Training Branch Internal Administrative Support Specialist | Excelicon

Provided end user training on FEMA Grants Outcomes (FEMA GO) System and JIRA/Maestro.
Assisted in the creation, editing and final review of manuals, SOPs, and training documents.
Facilitated peer-to-peer training on creating and understanding backlogs, story requirements, and workflows by utilizing everyday simplistic terminology for non-technical users.
Researched information and provided context to CCAT team regarding upcoming initiatives.
Transcribed FEMA GPD’s Quarterly Product Roadmap discussion.
Communicated regularly and effectively with clients/stakeholders whether written or verbal.
Co-lead the document editing process for the entire GPD team.
Prepared organizational presentations, collected artifacts, ensured the accuracy of requirements, organized meetings, and met with Delivery Managers.
Attended and provide administrative support for the quarterly FEMA GPD Product Roadmap Meeting with special focus on analytics, metrics and feature demonstrations.
Provided ad hoc team leadership support to the Delivery Manager.
Offered peer-to-peer guidance for educational and professional growth.

Role: Administrative Support Specialist | FEMA GPD EGS | Risk Management and Policy Division

Provided administrative support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Grant Programs Directorate for Enterprise Grant Services.
Took comprehensive meeting notes whenever required.
Created SOPs and other required documents as requested by stakeholders and/or as necessary for an initiative.
Collaborated with various departments on best practices of Maestro/JIRA throughout FEMA GPD.
Functioned as the administrator over the Policy and Risk Management JIRA Boards.
Facilitated training on usage of Kanban Boards within JIRA/Maestro to Branch Chiefs, Senior Executives and end users.
Supported 1109 Stakeholders by scheduling, providing thorough meeting notes, and managing project documents within Teams.
Assisted Excelicon’s Director of Risk and Compliance with internal audits and ISO/CMMI Certification processes, standards, and documents.

Easy Dynamics

McLean, VA 06/2018 to 02/2021

Role: Operations Analyst | Executive Office Administrator

Certified Scrum Master (Agile Project Management)
Utilized SharePoint; Office 365; Deltek/Costpoint; Planner; Atlassian (Jira/Confluence)
Created and modified documents proficiently in Microsoft Office. (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Uploaded files and posted announcements on the company’s intranet. (SharePoint Portal)
Participated in Sprints, Daily Standup, Scrum, and Project Management meetings.
Created the COVID19 Back-to-Work Preparedness Plan.
Created company’s Operation Manual in Confluence.
Built forms, communicated through, uploaded, and digitally categorized files in Microsoft Teams.
Converted and edited PDF’s in Adobe and FoxIt.
Managed conference room setup and scheduling.
Coordinated company move into new office space utilizing agile methodologies and JIRA due to the pandemic. Acted as POC for all communication including time restraints, furniture deliveries, inventory, office and cubical setup, etc.
Purchased new office furniture and assisted in the new office design planning.
Negotiated pricing with vendors for swag and office stationery.
Ordered employee business cards and company stationery.
Planned, organized, researched venues, booked, and scheduled the organization’s social events, business meetings, in office lunches, happy hours and monthly birthday celebrations.
Ran necessary errands.
Scheduled travel and out of state transportation for all employees including CEO, COO, VPs all C-Level Executives.
Registered employees for conferences and paid for training.
Processed and distributed mail / packages which includes the scanning of documents, receipts, and postal visits.
Inventoried, stocked, and ordered office and kitchen supplies.
Paid for monthly supplies, company events, employee training/certifications. and travel with my company issued Visa card.
Created and securely maintained a repository of Executive Staff company credit card information.
Ordered, tracked, and managed costs of customization and distribution of company branded apparel.
Maintained basic office and kitchen cleanliness.
Set up access cards/key fobs to office.
Assisted various departments in internet research and/or document collection or data.
Securely formatted documents for emailing.
Kept open availability for remote and off – company – hour needs and demands.
Assigned and labeled desks for new employees and for post-covid return.
Reported all maintenance concerns to the building management.
Enforced prompt entry of employee timekeeping.
Assisted in creating a Facilities Management and Office Operations Manual.

Role: HRIS Specialist

Certified in ISO/IEC Internal Audit.
Completed SHRM Certificate (LinkedIn) Administrative Human Resources.
Performed internal audits in HR for ISO/CMMI Compliance.
Secured HR’s Pii data.
Audited HRIS Systems and documents.
Trained the new Vice President of HR on the organization’s HR & HRIS processes, practices, and procedures and on onboarding utilizing Deltek ATS and JIRA.
Scheduled and performed both in person and online new hire orientations.
Maintained repository of company formatted resumes for government contract submission. Occasionally updated or formatted the resumes for Business Development.
Responded to HR Service Desk Tickets.
Created Knowledge Base (KB) Articles for frequent HR questions and issues.
Utilized Deltek Talent Management (TM) and Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to enter job requisitions, upload resumes, and track candidate progress.
Provided ad hoc reports on metrics, stats or requested subject matters consultations.
Onboarded employees using Employee Navigator, including uploading I9 documentation.
Maintained spreadsheets on employee internal/external titles, job codes, compensation, yearly merit increase comparisons, salary bands, changes in project managers and report inconsistencies to VP of HR and Accounting Department for clarity or corrections.
Implemented, provided training on, and maintained the Review Snap Performance Review System.
Developed a system to track metrics on employee turnover and details of termination.
Regularly updated Pingboard to maintain an accurate org chart.
Performed HireRight background screenings and submitted U.S. Employment Eligibility requirements to eVerify.
Assisted in compiling data, formulating, and understanding job codes for compensation analysis from Salary.com.
Prepared monthly resource utilization reports.
Scheduled all phone, video and in person interviews; coordinated schedules throughout the talent acquisition team and other department leads.
Instituted and coordinated monthly office massages for staff.
Journaled minutes of weekly Resource Management Meetings.
Accurately tracked information regarding employee training and CERTS (Certifications).
Tracked employee expenditures for training and certifications.
Spearheaded the annual employee evaluation process, including creating the timeline, collecting, scanning, and uploading assessment forms.
Assisted Career Managers with annual review meeting scheduling.
Scanned and emailed clearance documents to our CORE within the government agencies.
Provided support to HR Vice President in any requested capacity.
Allowed myself to be accessible 24/7.

Role: CEO & COO’s Assistant

Organized CEO and COO personal and business travel.
Managed CEO and COO personal and business schedules; prioritized and resolved any conflicts.
Communicated with internal and external parties to arrange meetings.
Converted CEO’s handwritten meeting notes into electronic formatting.
Entered CEO and COO expenses and time into Deltek Costpoint System.
Registered CEO and COO for conferences.
Researched contacts, external meeting attendees, and other data upon request.
Made reservations, both personal and business, for lunches, dinners, anniversaries, and social events; coordinated with their external attendees.
Remained available for 24 hour calls and access.

JDC Unleashed

Springfield, VA 04/2018 to 01/2019

Role: Executive Assistant to the CEO

Made conference and travel arrangements, prioritized schedule, created memorandums, manuals, SOP’s, presentations and business documents, researched pricing, attended events, traveled, performed executive, clerical, and administrative tasks, followed directives of the CEO.

JWL Consulting

Falls Church, VA 03/2018 to 05/2018

Role: Cognosante Human Resource Records Assistant – Short Term Contractor

Utilize SharePoint, Workday and Taleo Systems to develop a repository of over 30,000 resumes.
Audited resumes, created a repository, and formulated a database utilizing unstructured data and reorganizing that into a structured format.

Freelance Executive/ Administrative, Legal Support

DC Metro Area 12/2015 to 01/2018

Role: Self Employed / Temp-for-Hire / 1099 Contractor

Contacted and worked for various direct hire employers who were in need of or utilizing staffing firms for executive, administrative, clerical, copy center, mailroom, real estate documents, or legal support on a non-contractual short term, long term, or permanent basis.

Evangelical Training Association

Wheaton, IL 08/2014 – Dormant

Role: Class Instructor/ Facilitator / Teacher

Taught up to 20 adult students a 4 year / 16 Course Bible Institute Curriculum

Tysons Realty

Tysons, Virginia 11/2007 – 12/2008 and 07/2018 – 09/2018

Role: Executive Assistant / Internet Researcher

Exuded professionalism while politely answering phones, scheduling appointments and agendas, planning events, organizing conference calls, property showings and in initiating and confirming travel plans.
Operated MRIS Online Service.
Installed software, provided troubleshooting, and backed up systems.
Utilized all Microsoft Office Applications (Excel, Access, Publisher, PowerPoint, Word), Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.
Performed data entry, word processing and file management (electronic and hardcopy).
Researched properties, areas, and other details by using the internet, databases, and reference books.
Ordered and maintained supplies, processed mail, faxes, and documents for reproduction.
Sent out splash emails and hand wrote holiday greeting message/cards.

King’s Mobile Notary Service - Self Employed

DC, MD, VA 01/2004 – 12/2008

Role: Mobile Notary

Contracted to local probate attorneys to notarize documents pertaining to wills, estates, and probate.
Advertised and marketed services via internet, fax, mailings, and flyers.
Prepared and accurately maintained records and books of all services provided including AR/AP.

Keeper’s Staffing; Ultimate Staffing; Career Blazers

Washington, DC 06/2003 – 07/2008

Role: Executive / Administrative and Legal Support Temp-for-Hire

Performed various administrative, paralegal, and clerical duties at Dickinson Wright PLLC, NeighborWorks America, Family Research Council, NCEE/America’s Choice and several other of their clients.
Politely and professionally answered phones, scheduled appointments, planned events, organized conferences, initiated, and confirmed travel plans.
Provided detailed oriented mail processing, faxing, file redacting, and documents reproduction.
Efficiently performed duties and focused on quality control while utilizing and producing documents / files in Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Publisher, Peachtree, QuickBooks, Medical Manager, Elite Enterprise, Lotus Notes, Adobe Photoshop, and Illustrator.
Researched data on Lexis Nexis.
Opened and closed matters; prepared and proofed filings and motions; improved mailroom and copy center operations by streamlining and creating processes; docketed all incoming, outgoing, domestic and foreign correspondence within an Intellectual Property / Patent Prosecution Law Firm
Installed software, provided troubleshooting and backed up systems.
Performed data entry, word processing and file management (electronic and hardcopy) and litigation clerk support services.
Quality checked all completed assignments before sending in filings.

Pitney Bowes Government Solutions

Landover, MD 08/2003 – 10/2005

Role: Copy Center / Mailroom Manager for Government Contracts

Maintained an efficient systematic copy center and mailroom while at The Library of Congress and The Institute for Defense Analysis (as this relates to over 6 years of experience in this area, from managing both Kinko’s and Staples Copy Centers).
Operated copying, binding, and mounting machinery (Docutech; Oversize Plotter and Scanner; various HP, Oce’. Xerox, and Canon Copiers).
Exhibited outstanding customer service to all clients.
Motivated staff for stimulation of sales and excellent work environment.
Supervised, trained, prioritized tasks, and delegated duties for fifteen employees or less.
Created weekly scheduled and processed payroll.
Interviewed, evaluated, performed performance reviews, recommended, and hired employees.
Increased inventory control and prevented company losses (frequent evaluation of P/L).
Conceptualize various sales tactics.
Addressed all quality control issues.

EDUCATION

Technical Institute of America, Online – 2022

Agile Certified Practitioner Course Completion

George Washington University School of Business, Washington, DC – 2021

Project Management Essential Course Completion

SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management), Online – 2020

Human Resource Essentials

Evangelical Training Collegiate Association, Wheaton, IL– 2016

BA, Leadership in Ministry Degree

Kaplan College, Online – 2004

AA, Paralegal Studies

CERTIFICATIONS

Project Management Professional – PMP, 2022

Certified Agile Leader for Teams (CAL-T), 2022

Certified Agile Leader Essentials (CAL-E), 2021

Certified Scrum Master, 2020

ISO/IEC 27001:2013 & ISO/IEC 20000-1:2018 Internal Auditor Training Certification, 2020

Business Office Management Certification I and II – DLLR, 2011

TECHNICAL SKILLS

Agile: Atlassian JIRA/Maestro, Confluence

Microsoft Office; Office 365; Sharepoint

HR Systems: Workday, Taleo, Deltek Talent Management, Employee Navigator, ReviewSnap, HireRight, Pingboard, eVerify

Legal: PACER, LexisNexis, Westlaw

Accounting: Costpoint, Peachtree, Quickbooks

Other: Elite Enterprise, Adobe, FoxIt, Medical Manager, Lotus Notes

OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES

Owner: Maryland Mobile Notary and Consulting Services Forestville, MD 2022

Author: GET YOURSELF TOGETHER FIRST (Interview List Below) 2018

This book has also become the catalyst to me becoming a Public Speaker which is also a licensed business in the State of Maryland.

All Things Baltimore Interview (11/13/18)
What’s The Deal Podcast Interview (11/28/18)
AWIC TV / Podcast Interview (2/3/19)
WHUR Digital TV Interview (05/16/19)
The Daily Drum 96.3 WHUR FM /SiriusXM 141 Radio Interview (05/23/19)
The Good Word Fox 5 News DC Interview (07/03/19)
Forgiveness Friday Facebook TV Interview (08/30/19)
Great Day Washington WUSA9 Interview (9/5/19)

Volunteer: Catholic Charities ReEntry Program Washington, DC 2019 – Present

GYTF Conversations Podcast Host (See GAVATA SMITH YouTube Channel) 2021 – Present