Hannah Fisher MPM

Having grown up in a rural area; career choices were limited. Teacher, Nurse, or Construction. While in college, aspirations of engaging in business and running a successful operation became more tangible. I found having a clear direction empowering and was able to graduate from college early; eager to see what the future held. I signed a contract with CGI Group to assist the Project Management office during the conceptual and implementation phases of the affordable care act; the construction of the first Health Insurance Exchange. During this time, I soaked up every bit of knowledge; having exposure to both project management and IT development processes. I believe the successes I experience today are due to the opportunities I created at the beginning of my career. From PMO Analyst I grew to Business Consultant, managing relationships with vendors and clients. Presenting requirements and concepts of the IT build. Within a year I grew into a Sr. Business Consultant, leading teams and initiatives to completion. During this time, I earned my ITIL certification and gained the responsibility of acting as our ITSM Manager for the agency. Having proved myself as an impactful liaison and a productive manager I decided to embark on a new challenge as a Project Manager. I had just settled into my new role, when Covid and quarantine became the main focus. This was a particularly trying time as I was a new mother to a 1.5 year old son and a 2 month old daughter. With the stress of the world's norms changing and the pressure of being a new father, my husband decided to leave. I was 29, divorced, a single Mother, quarantined to my home, and starting a new job. It was during this time that an old collogue had reached out asking if I had time to lead in his volunteer project management company; although I had wanted to say 'no'; I didn't. Our goal was to help organizations struggling to virtualize their operations, construct business plans, and even create networking and fundraising events. It was here that I was able to grow and reclaim myself and my focus. I was showing my children that strong women can lead and do anything on their own; even from the kitchen table with the same Blippi song playing on repeat. At this time, I made the decision to pivot my career and move into an industry with less travel and would keep me closer to home. I moved into the Healthcare IT sphere and away from development. Today I am the Director of Information Technology for a behavioral health agency. We have 27 locations across 7 counties. I have earned an additional 5 certifications and am actively working on two more. I am not yet done growing in my career but have found an agency that feels like home; I can say I love what I do - helping the community through managing the data, infrastructure, and software used in the health IT space.